Football manager John Barnes has been urged not to rule out the possibility that the reason he hasn’t got another manager’s job is because he’s not very good at it.
The former Celtic and Tranmere boss has suggested the reason he can’t get another job is because he is black, rather than this less than stellar managerial career.
Football fan Simon Williams said, “I think if he were a successful ex-player, with all his coaching badges and unable to get a first job in management, then he might have a point – but he managed Celtic and Tranmere, and got fired from both.”
“His managerial CV does have one highlight, in that he was in charge of Celtic when the brilliant headline ‘Super Callie Go Balistic Celtic Are Atrocious’ was created.”
“For that alone he should be celebrated.”
John Barnes management role
Football analyst Clive Matthews said that Barnes raised some interesting arguments, before pursuing them in completely the wrong way.
He told us, “Are there racist boards and chairman in football who are unwilling to give a job to a black man? Almost certainly.”
“But if your club management record includes an almost 50% loss rate – even though you managed Celtic who could win 75% of their games if they were managed by Nick Clegg – then you’re going to struggle.”
“I think John might have more people willing to support him if he had called for more clubs to give jobs to crap managers, regardless of skin colour.”
“In those circumstances he’d certainly be the first on many people’s shortlist.”