There is never a guarantee that being a good player will make you a good manager. It’s often said that the top level managers tend to have undistinguished playing careers – Jose Mourinho, Jurgen Klopp and Sir Alex Ferguson are all notable examples.
Fans of Southend United look set for an astonishing yet intriguing managerial appointment. A report from The Daily Mail suggests that Henrik Larsson is set to be appointed as manager of the club with Dirk Kuyt ready to become his assistant.
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The two have amazing playing careers and don’t seem to have any previous connection with Southend, so it’s incredibly surprising to see them linked with this job.
Larsson is legendary at Celtic and also fondly known for his spells at Man United and Barcelona. He changed the Champions League final when he came on for Barca against Arsenal and also became a favourite at Old Trafford despite only being there a few months.
Dirk Kuyt was an integral player for Liverpool for six seasons where he made almost 300 appearances and was a losing Champions League finalist in 2007.
Despite these outstanding playing careers, there’s very little to suggest they will be successful as managers. Larsson has been unremarkable during spells in charge of three Swedish teams, while Kuyt has no notable experience.
Perhaps Southend are counting on them inspiring the players and using their connections to bring quality players to the club, but it will be a fascinating appointment if it does happen.
