Emma Hayes awkwardly had to explain to Mauricio Pochettino that someone more important was calling her during a chat with her male Chelsea team-mates.
Sir Alex Ferguson has heard of her decision to leave Chelsea and become the new head coach of the US Women’s National Team. Pochettino understood his place in the team and Hayes took his place.
“He calls me all the time, so I’m not surprised,” explained Hayes, whose first games coaching the U.S. women’s soccer team will be June 1 and June 4 in friendlies against South Korea. “I’ll take whatever he says to me.” So proud. He’s a legend of the sport, I value his perspective, and he loves America. We talked a little bit about that, a little bit about legacy, a little bit about leaving the top. That’s why he spoke words of wisdom. I’m sure this won’t be the last call I get this season.
Hayes’ managerial influence was widespread. Due to the lack of investment in the sport science of women’s football, she often has to look to other sports for inspiration on how to develop and improve women’s football. But perhaps her main influence was Ferguson. This in itself is not impressive, considering that Ferguson is the most successful manager in English football history and has been dominant since Hayes’ teenage dreams of a professional career were dashed by injury in the early 1990s. Surprised.
But oddly enough, as a disciple of Ferguson—and, more importantly, as a highly successful one—Hayes is singularly unique. Former Ferguson players who have moved into management have only had moderate success. The next generation of young British managers tend to look to foreign coaches as their role models. It’s difficult to see much of Ferguson’s direct impact when looking at British men’s football.
In the women’s competition, however, Hayes has continued his legacy, and when she became the first woman to receive the Football Writers’ Association Tribute Award earlier this year, Ferguson was delighted to appear on screen to pay a glowing tribute. .
The last five years of English women’s football could easily be likened to the Premier League in the mid-1990s: a European Championship on home soil, huge improvements in TV coverage, a move to modern stadiums and a golden age of the best players from all over the sudden emergence The world comes. Amid these developments, Hayes has effectively become a Ferguson figure – adjusting better than others, staying one step ahead and enjoying unparalleled success.
Football management essentially has two distinct components. To put it bluntly, it’s football and management. Some people understand the sport deeply but struggle to assert their authority and build a winning culture. On the other hand, there are some popular characters that allow players to join but struggle with the technical aspects of the game.
To enjoy a career as successful as Ferguson’s and Hayes’, you have to tick both boxes, but their similarity may be that they are both naturally excellent personal managers, knowing when to use the carrot and when Use big sticks but they are often questioned in football terms.
For example, when United were initially struggling to make headway in Europe, Ferguson was often considered tactically naive and his habit of making odd selection decisions led some supporters to call him “Tinker Bell” for his constant tinkering, This is considered to be more harm than he caused. But Ferguson gradually became more comfortable tactically. In big games, he has increasingly tended to stop his opponents rather than open up the game, with great success.
Likewise, Hayes is generally praised for her ability to lead individuals and develop a winning mentality, but is sometimes viewed as a back-to-basics, old-school manager and criticized for her tendency to overlook key players. But that’s always a bit unfair, and sometimes her tactical approach is very effective.
Take the smooth shuffling between her team’s back three and four at times – notably the 2021 FA Cup final, when it felt like her defenders were all playing in the “wrong” positions, prompting her opponents to Jonas Eidevall insists on handing out red and blue cards to his players at certain times, referring to Chelsea’s formation. (Incidentally, her stock has risen not only because of her time as an ITV co-commentator, but also because of her managerial success. In an era when co-commentators are rarely former managers (which used to be the default), she Having the ability to explain tactical concepts and coaching decisions is a refreshing change.
A more accurate observation is that neither Ferguson nor Hayes particularly cared about football philosophy, or for playing entertaining football. They’re just focused on winning, focused on taking game after game.
Ferguson’s legacy has been remarkably rewritten. His United were rarely known for their attractive football compared to their title rivals, with the entertainment coming from the dramatic manner in which they won, which was often unbelievable, rather than the skill of their games. Part of the problem United had in replacing him was that they felt there was a grand style tradition that needed to be replicated. But Ferguson changed his approach so frequently that he must have often contradicted his own philosophy (if he had any).
Likewise, while it’s easy to identify specific playing styles among other WSL clubs – Arsenal have always been more technical, Manchester City have made no secret of wanting to play like their men’s team, and Tottenham Hotspur are focused on playing from the back Attack – Chelsea are more flexible. They are generally more dangerous on the break than when patiently holding the ball; Manchester City and Arsenal have the highest pass completion rates in the league, while Chelsea have the most long balls.
Hayes’ approach is less a philosophy than one based on getting the best from the in-form attackers around her and using functional players to stop the opposition. At various times over the past five seasons, her Chelsea sense of style has been based on Fran Kirby’s runs with the ball, then Bethany’s England goals, and the short-lived Pernille. Hader’s craftiness, then Sam Kerr’s running back, then Guro Reiten’s wide play, and most recently the talent of Lauren James.
Determining Hayes’ classic XI or preset style of play is more difficult.
Hayes’ setup often focuses on getting the best out of forwards such as Kirby (Charlotte Wilson/Offside/Offside via Getty Images)
Likewise, in the big games, Hayes is able to rely on reliable, versatile, hard-working players with many years of experience at the club. In the big title showdowns involving Ferguson’s United, it was surprising how often his key players were Darren Fletcher, John O’Shea or Phil Neville. Not the most charismatic player, but always effective.
Likewise, it was sometimes difficult to argue (perhaps until recently) that any one of Jesse Carter, Niamh Charles or Eileen Cuthbert was irreplaceable or had a clear role to play in the team. They are players who “do their job”. But Hayes as an individual has improved them year after year and knows how to use them game after game.
Both Ferguson and Hayes understand that the club needs to significantly expand its backroom staff and not just be manager-centric. Ferguson relied heavily on his assistants and rarely coached himself, while Hayes consulted frequently with her coaching staff. Her emphasis on “the team behind the team” is clear, so much so that her audiobook, To Kill the Unicorn, was based on the need to move away from the notion that one person has all the answers.
Somewhat paradoxically, though, because Ferguson and Hayes built these wider squads from an old-school managerial position rather than a first-team coach position, replacing them becomes difficult.
As far as legacies go, both faced a frustrating final boss: Barcelona. Ferguson had won two European Cups and was desperate for a third but was thwarted by Pep Guardiola’s side in the 2009 and 2011 finals. Hayes has never won the Champions League, reaching the final in 2021 when her team was beaten by Barca, who had also eliminated her team in the previous two seasons. Barcelona is the ultimate example of a club with a clear philosophy that has transferred from the men’s team to the women’s team.
Hayes was furious after Chelsea’s second leg defeat to this season’s semi-finals, calling the sending off of Cadisha Buchanan “the worst decision in the history of the Women’s Champions League”, which was probably unwise. This week, UEFA announced it would not charge her for the comments. It was reminiscent of Ferguson’s final Champions League game as manager, when United lost at home to Real Madrid following Nani’s controversial sacking. Ferguson failed to fulfill his post-match media commitments, with his assistant Mike Phelan explaining that he was “too distraught”. UEFA fined him £8,500. In that sense, Hayes’ decision to attend the press conference may have been the right one.
Winning victory from defeat was the main theme of Ferguson’s time at Manchester United. But arguably his side have never won the title in circumstances as unusual as Hayes’ Chelsea this weekend.
After losing 4-3 to Liverpool earlier this month, Hayes essentially gave up the title – or at least that’s what she told the media. But the following weekend, Stina Blackstanius’ two last-gasp goals for Arsenal beat Manchester City back into promotion and led to an 8-0 win over Bristol City. A wonderful scene, defeating Manchester City with a goal difference. Hayes sent a paper message to the field reminding players of the mission.
So this weekend it’s a goal difference shootout. City travel to Aston Villa knowing they may not only need to win but also make up for a two-goal deficit against Chelsea, who will travel to FA Cup champions Manchester United.
If Hayes wins the league again it would be a fitting exit point as it is the closest thing to another Ferguson in the history of English football.
(Top photos: Ian Kington/AFP, Getty Images; Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)
