But once the final whistle goes, the madness usually quickly subsides whether it be a win, loss or draw. There is a managerial fraternity, much like the goalkeepers’ union. They all know what it feels like to be on the wrong end of results and suffer the wrath of directors and fans.
Rookie Crewe boss Lee Bell is in his first full season at the helm and he’s doing just fine so far, leading the Railwaymen to fifth in League Two heading into the weekend and putting them very much in the fight for automatic promotion.
But the 41-year-old, who won two promotions with Alex as a player, is still grateful to those who are happy to share a bit of managerial wisdom post-match.
“Pitting your wits against managers who have been doing the job a lot longer is great,” he told The FLP. “It’s nice to talk and have a conversation with them after the game – some have been brilliant.
“Nigel Adkins (Tranmere) has been brilliant twice - he doesn’t duck away from questions. Neil Harris (then Gillingham, now Cambridge) was brilliant with me last year. We played Gillingham and both teams were having a difficult spell.
“He could see I was getting frustrated and took his time to talk to me afterwards. He asked me what I was thinking and gave me some advice about dealing with the group. This season he was really good, too, and we exchange messages.
“It’s also the managers I’ve played for, like Nigel Clough (Mansfield) at Burton. I was only young at the time and he was the perfect fit as a manager for me – I warmed to him. We have stayed close ever since.”
Denne historien er fra February 11, 2024-utgaven av The Football League Paper.
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Denne historien er fra February 11, 2024-utgaven av The Football League Paper.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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