Asking the Right Questions
Leadership lessons from the crisis at Manchester United
To the delight of all ABU fans – Anyone but United – Manchester United Football Club appear to be in crisis, of identify and direction, the source of which ultimately lies in the club’s decision making since the retirement of the long standing and…
My American Adventure: in the land of the Gods
Hola mis amigos I am in the land of the gods, Maradona and Messi! I have the spent the last month living in Buenos Aires, Argentina and Wednesday I fly to Santiago, Chile. I haven’t really published much this year so I have written…
Ronnie Moran: the last of the boot room boys
Bill Shankly is famous for saying that “Some people think football is a matter of life and death. I assure you, it’s much more serious than that”. Well one man that gave his life to Liverpool Football Club is Ronnie Moran, who sadly passed…
Short-termism, love and acting with class
Last week, the football world provided us with yet another example of short-termism. Claudio Ranieri was sacked as manager of Leicester City, less than a year after winning the Premier League. Of course, no manager is safe these days but Ranieri achieved the impossible…
Trump, animal spirits and a lesson from Rafa Benitez
Donald Trump continues to dominate the headlines, the latest reason being his press conference last Thursday. (See link to transcript) One thing the guy is not short on is confidence, deluded or otherwise. A month into the job he’s already talking about the “incredible…
Leadership and the toughest decision of all
It would seem that Arsene Wenger – current Arsenal manager and a legend of the football world – and our Taoiseach Enda Kenny are faced with a similar dilemma. Cling to power and risk ruining whatever reputation they hold or accept the time has come…
‘Foreigners’ stealing British football jobs?
The passing of the BREXIT bill last week brings the UK’s exit of the European Union ever closer, a move that will help the British Parliament stem the hordes of ‘foreigners’ coming to their shores. No more stealing British jobs! One man that will…
Einstein, Mourinho & Active Management
Albert Einstein said the eighth wonder of the world was compounding but it seems Jose Mourinho must have taken to reading Einstein’s work during his time off after his Chelsea sacking. The Manchester United manager continues to sarcastically refer to football pundits as ‘Einsteins’…
The Liverpool v United Rivalry
Mario Draghi’s press conference on Thursday is just white noise, the real event of the week is Monday night football at Anfield, home of Liverpool FC, when the Pool take on bitter rivals Manchester United. Maybe it was the excitement of the clash, or…
Football Philosophy: orchestra vs heavy metal
When assessing active fund managers we talk about investment philosophy, those guiding principles which frame the decision making process and drive the investment strategy. The football world is no different, every manager has his own philosophy, some better than others. The skill of the…
