United are not the only major team to have sacked their manager this week. Christmas and early new year have barely passed us and the spirit of goodwill has certainly bypassed football management! Clubs now, whether big or small are, without much doubt, running a system where managers have morphed into two different roles - a director of football, and a first-team coach. Because of that, most clubs now just require the first-team coach to do what it says on the can, which is to coach the first team. So, what is needed today to be successful, as a first-team coach at a top club?

Source: BBC January 07, 2026 07:12 UTC