A lot has changed for football managers over the past few decades but Vincent Kompany's recent health scare was a reminder it is still an all-consuming occupation that takes its toll physically and mentally. From the tragic death of Scotland manager Jock Stein after a World Cup qualifier against Wales in 1985, to the different heart issues suffered by Graeme Souness, Sir Alex Ferguson, Gerard Houllier, Joe Kinnear and Harry Redknapp down the years, I've always been aware of the dangers of my job. It is 25 years since then Leicester boss Dave Bassett and Bolton manager Sam Allardyce took part in an experiment that saw them wired up to heart monitors during a game between the teams, and both their heart rates reached critical levels.
It's not just during games when management can have an adverse effect on your health, either. The stress you are under is relentless and you have to find a way of looking after yourself. Fortunately this was something I realised very early on in my management career.
I had worked under and alongside managers for my entire working life as a player and then coach, but it was only when I got my first management job - at Bournemouth in 1992 - that I realised the workload you undertake and just how time consuming and stressful a job it is. In those days, and in fact throughout my whole career, I wanted to be the person who made all the footballing decisions at my club. That meant I did everything from scouting players to signing the ones I wanted, and organised my staff at every level from first-team to the reserve and youth teams, all within the club's financial restraints.
I saw the first-team performances as being my main responsibility so I never wavered from my work on the training ground either, coaching a certain way that suited the players and gave them the best chance of winning games - which would ultimately determine my future. All of the above was generally the way most English clubs were run so it was not just me doing it. But the demands were relentless, and I had to learn how to look after myself properly to cope.
During those early days, my management of myself personally was really poor. It starts with your diet. At that time I would be driving up and down the motorway to watch players, trying to find a fish and chip shop or fuelled only by a half-time pie or a sandwich from a local shop.
I was young and could deal with it, so it never crossed my mind that I wasn't eating well or getting the exercise I needed to retain my own fitness levels. But, at the same time, the pressure on the team to win games ultimately fell on my shoulders so the pressure of being the person responsible for results and performances every week really built up. I had never realised how stressful that part of management was until we started to lose a few games and every bit of criticism was directed on to my lap.
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