Gareth Ainsworth says managers must earn longevity
Thursday 28 March 2019 20:29, UK
New managers have to earn the right to create a culture at their club and remain in place in the long term, says Gareth Ainsworth.
Some 39 managers have left their clubs in the Premier League and Football League during the 2018/19 season.
In addition, 48 of the 92 clubs in the top four divisions in England have a manager at the helm that has been in charge for less than a year.
Wycombe boss Ainsworth, who is the second-longest serving manager in the top four English leagues, described the statistics as "ridiculous" and added: "You need to be a little bit lucky sometimes.
"You've got to ride that storm and you've got to get results right at the start with somebody else's players. You've got to earn that longevity and the right to create your culture and sign your players. That first period is so important, and it's really tough to do.
"Remaining humble and dignified in how you do it is a big part of things. When I first took over I got a few things wrong, but I thought 'why have I been put in this position?'"
Crystal Palace manager Roy Hodgson is the tenth longest-serving manager in the Premier League, and is one of only four managers in the top four divisions to have taken charge of over 1,000 matches.
The former England boss believes people are guilty of losing sight of what makes a successful coach, telling Sky Sports News: "It's a tougher ask for managers coming into jobs, there's no doubt about that.
"We are finding it hard, us managers, to disabuse people of the theory there's a magic wand to turn a losing team into a winning team.
"I don't think we should ever forget the words 'competence' and 'professionalism'. They are two words that can be forgotten sometimes in the hype that surrounds a new appointment.
"I don't think that anyone's going to survive for a long time in the game unless they have a severe amount of competence and are truly professional."
