Ex-Staff Liam Manning

[holdsteady]

He would have been mental to turn it down, he has probably peaked with Norwich at the level he is going to get to and a 4 year deal with a likely year pay off when they sack him is going to be very profitable to him.

For Norwich who else, unless they went abroad again and they obviously didn’t want to, were they going to get?

One of the more obvious moves to happen this summer

 

[MJB]

Really sad indictment of society if we think people should act without honour or respect or professionalism because 'that's just the world we live in'

So what you’re saying is that it’s all about good behaviours?

 

[JerryL]

There is a bit of a double-standard here though.

Manning had four bad months at MKD, and he got canned. Des only had three bad months here, and that got him the sack.

But despite the fact that they could be out of a job in short order if things go badly, football managers are supposed to be loyal to the clubs that they're working for?

Nah. Manning was perfectly within his rights to move on and up from us, and he's perfectly within his rights to move on and up again to Norwich. Especially as his agent appears to have negotiated him a sweet, sweet deal.

The only thing that rankles is the cowardly way he slunk off......but I think we gave him appropriate pelters for that in September, and Brizzle fans will have the opportunity to do likewise when they play next season.

to be fair they both got the push when they did because the bad runs coincided with a chance to correct things with a new manager in a january transfer window, as much as itd have been nice to give des a bit more time the club would have had to move the month of january further down the calendar for him to have stayed longer

of course hes pefectly in his rights to move on and whatnot but hes still a massive bellend

 

[stokeu]

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I’d quite like to see the lizard and grasshopper thing, as long as Chris Packham wasn't on comms.

 

[Basham Wonderland]

I now release Manning from my personal grudge, and will no longer get excited about a Bristol City loss.

 

[Oxford84]

Popular chap isn’t he? He’s the very definition of ‘risen without trace’. He’s clearly a good coach and will probably find his way into the Premier League at some point, where he will fanny around for a bit before being moved on.

Think hes more likely to have a lower league career like Appleton, he doesnt stay anywhere long enough to be successful.

 

[LowerSouth]

Think hes more likely to have a lower league career like Appleton, he doesnt stay anywhere long enough to be successful.

Playoffs in the Championship was obviously a stepping stone

 

[Northernyellow]

Strange bloke. I completely get that you move for more money. But he's skipped off twice with a job half done. I might be in the minority, but I found his football (in the second season) extremely boring to watch. Oh well. He'll probably get Norwich into the playoffs, lose heavily and then move onto to somewhere like Leicester. Maybe it's an age thing (me!) but early in their career, the really successful managers have nearly all put in long-ish stints at smaller clubs where they actually achieve stuff...

 

[The Voice Of Reason]

No belief in self or he'd build something and then a big club would call.
Very short term thinking

 

[m]

I now release Manning from my personal grudge, and will no longer get excited about a Bristol City loss.

I trust you cam find it in your heart to join in a chorus of 'Whoooo the f**k is Liam Maaanning" should the need arise?

 

[Northernyellow]

No belief in self or he'd build something and then a big club would call.
Very short term thinking

Agree. He's chasing the money. Like Appleton did. I always thought Manning ran away from us because he lacked confidence in his own ability. Today's news confirmed that.

 

[holdsteady]

To be fair Manning does he have any other choice but to chase the money? No real playing career and has only recently started earning good money from football management, with a young family to support he can’t afford to take the risk.

 

[Northernyellow]

To be fair Manning does he have any other choice but to chase the money? No real playing career and has only recently started earning good money from football management, with a young family to support he can’t afford to take the risk.

It's absolutely his right to do that. But he was on good money with us, and very good money with Bristol City. This is probably not the way to build a long-term career. But hey-ho. It's up to him. I don't actually care, but find it slightly strange.

 

[Oxford84]

To be fair Manning does he have any other choice but to chase the money? No real playing career and has only recently started earning good money from football management, with a young family to support he can’t afford to take the risk.

But his cv could start looking real crap if he doesnt actually stay anywhere for long.

 

[Northernyellow]

But his cv could start looking real crap if he doesnt actually stay anywhere for long.

Many years ago, a chap called Mark McGee was a really highly rated young manager - protege of Ferguson. Job hopped non stop (for money), and his career crashed and burned by his mid 40's. That's pretty much what happened to Appleton (who I liked) and could happen to Manning (who I like a lot less!)

 

[holdsteady]

But his cv could start looking real crap if he doesnt actually stay anywhere for long.

No guarantee you won’t get sacked if you stay too long though, then you won’t get the pay of the job you turned down? It’s a job where people get sacked a lot, if you don’t have cash behind you then it’s a brave man who takes the gamble.

 

[holdsteady]

Many years ago, a chap called Mark McGee was a really highly rated young manager - protege of Ferguson. Job hopped non stop (for money), and his career crashed and burned by his mid 40's. That's pretty much what happened to Appleton (who I liked) and could happen to Manning (who I like a lot less!)

Lot of examples of people turning down a job and being sacked not long after, Liam Manning himself is one, they don’t all bounce back.

 

[christenedinjericho]

I find the geezer nauseating.

I find his usage of football clichés and 'behaviours' chilling to the extent that trust will never be there.

I'm sure if I looked close enough at a LM portrait I'd find that little space between his eyebrows has been delicately shaved.

'Beware of windfallen apples and of men whose eyebrows meet'.

However, interestingly, I was never at all interested in calling him any names when he left us, as she had every God damn right to do what she thought best. But, she will, eventually, with or without the windfallen apples, one day run out of her many guises.

This time next June, LM will have either expired or inspired.

It is, as simple this time, as that.

The clock at Naarwich is already ticking - tick tock.

 

[Salaghaf]

 

[tonyw]

That's akin to having an affair because:

a) you've been cheated on previously.
b) you wanted to get one in before she does (so to speak).

Really sad indictment of society if we think people should act without honour or respect or professionalism because 'that's just the world we live in'

That is an absolutely nonsense comparison.

A football manager job is not like a marriage. No-one makes any vows. There's no expectation that this is for life. There's no commandment that says "Thou shalt not talk to a bigger club about their open position". It's an employment contract, complete with break clauses, in an industry with very, very low job security.

Between May 7th 2024 and May 15th 2025, 19 (!?!) Championship managers were either fired or left by 'mutual consent'. Of the 24 managers in last season's Championship, the longest serving is Michael Carrick, at less than three years. Clubs at this level show their managers no patience, no loyalty and very little respect.

Now I don't disagree that Manning was a weasel in the way he left OUFC (he may have been a weasel this time as well.....I don't know). Absolutely, you need to show more integrity than he did, own your decisions and have the balls to actually tell your players rather than slink out the side door.
But the mere fact that he left is just him making a smart professional and financial decision for him and his family. It worked very well for him, and landed him an even better job eighteen months later.

 

[BrockBuster]

Clearly playing a career game on Football Manager after starting unemployed.

Will eventually get bored and turn up in the MLS or some random league in Asia.

 

[lodeyellow]

Clearly playing a career game on Football Manager after starting unemployed.

Will eventually get bored and turn up in the MLS or some random league in Asia.

I’ve a hunch that Manning’s career will turn out rather better than that.

He’ll do well at Norwich, but probably not quite well enough to get them promoted. Well enough, though, to enable him to move on to, let’s say, West Ham (as successor to Graham Potter’s successor … ?).

 

[Orkney Islands Yellow]

 

[SirAndyOfCrosby]

He’ll do well at Norwich, but probably not quite well enough to get them promoted. Well enough, though, to enable him to move on to, let’s say, West Ham (as successor to Graham Potter’s successor … ?).

Why would West Ham give the job to someone who (in your scenario) has managed four different ambitious Football League clubs and failed to achieve a single promotion?

 

[lodeyellow]

Why would West Ham give the job to someone who (in your scenario) has managed four different ambitious Football League clubs and failed to achieve a single promotion?

That of course is a valid point. But it could conceivably happen if Norwich just missed out on automatic promotion as Sheffield Utd have done this season. And Manning has West Ham connections, as we know.

 

[werthersoriginal]

That of course is a valid point. But it could conceivably happen if Norwich just missed out on automatic promotion as Sheffield Utd have done this season. And Manning has West Ham connections, as we know.

I hope he does go to West Ham, and gets them relegated like he did MK Dons.

 

[The Voice Of Reason]

To be fair Manning does he have any other choice but to chase the money? No real playing career and has only recently started earning good money from football management, with a young family to support he can’t afford to take the risk.

Yes management is a longer career if good then playing. You should stay somewhere for a while and build your rep. Ferguson -aberdeen, GR Burton Millwall etc.

He has no confidence I. His long term ability so goes with the current cash

 

[SirAndyOfCrosby]

He has no confidence I. His long term ability so goes with the current cash

I'm not sure it's even this. I think he's just in a rush to get to the top.

We've all come across the type (or at least I have). Prevelant in large corporate environments - people who go for any (even minor) promotion, or sideways step to get another department under their belt, then back again but a slightly higher paygrade.

I don't believe it's about the job for Manning. The work doesn't matter. The achievements are irrelevant. Only the career. Only the Manning brand.

He's the sort of dullard who has 9000 'connections' (sic) on linkedIn - but would struggle to find two mates to go for a pint with him.

 

[holdsteady]

Yes management is a longer career if good then playing. You should stay somewhere for a while and build your rep. Ferguson -aberdeen, GR Burton Millwall etc.

He has no confidence I. His long term ability so goes with the current cash

But then if he has no confidence in his ability to stay in a job long term he should take the cash and move on when the chance comes up, would be strange not to.

Alex Ferguson left for bigger jobs in his management career and so has Rowett?

 

[werthersoriginal]

I'm not sure it's even this. I think he's just in a rush to get to the top.

We've all come across the type (or at least I have). Prevelant in large corporate environments - people who go for any (even minor) promotion, or sideways step to get another department under their belt, then back again but a slightly higher paygrade.

I don't believe it's about the job for Manning. The work doesn't matter. The achievements are irrelevant. Only the career. Only the Manning brand.

He's the sort of dullard who has 9000 'connections' (sic) on linkedIn - but would struggle to find two mates to go for a pint with him.

He'd be too busy to go for a pint anyway, that wouldn't help his career.