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Crunch time.

Our club, once famous for appointing managers for the long term is now seeking to appoint its third manager in 13 months. How did it come to this? Where did it all go wrong? Not in a George Best laying on a bed in a posh hotel with Miss World kind of way, but how has our club allowed itself to join the managerial merry-go-round like almost every other club in the land?

The current search goes way beyond identifying a candidate to recruit, select, organise and motivate a group of players. It enters the realms of a battle for the soul of our club. Traditional values of playing the game properly, in a sporting sense with good technical ability, being weighed up against the financial imperatives of a rapid return to the Premier League money train – where to be excluded for more than a year or two can have disastrous consequences.

The two though are not mutually exclusive. It is possible, contrary to popular opinion, to play your way out of the nPower league, because there really is nothing new in football. Training techniques may evolve, technical analysis with coaching tools such as Prozone may help, but the game is still about players being able to perform skilful tasks at pace better than their opponent. The ability to trap the ball, dribble, control the ball with your head up looking for your team mate, use either foot to a decent standard, create space by having a good first touch and pass .These are the basic building blocks players learn at a young age onto which tactics and positional sense are bolted as they learn the game.

Now some managers work hard at organising their teams – Sam Allerdyce is one such manager. Sam, schooled in the George Graham 'drill them until they can do it in their sleep' method will ensure every player knows exactly where he should be at any point in time: when his side is in possession, when the opposition is in possession and crucially who does what at the point possession is lost.

George Graham used to keep his defenders back for extra training daily, walking around with the ball and telling England Internationals exactly where they should be stood. Three hour sessions of mind numbing boredom – but you didn’t get 1-0 to the Arsenal by just turning up two minutes before kick off on a Saturday. For those that ask the question 'what do they do all week?', well, there’s your answer. Similarly, Allerdyce undertakes routines and with the help of Prozone will coach from a fact-based perspective, putting huge store in the facts, giving solid feedback to players on how far and fast they were running at specific periods of a game.

Other managers are scarcely seen on the training ground, preferring to leave that to coaches and focussing purely upon selecting a side, determining and communicating specific tactics to the players in order to beat a given opponent. Martin O’Neil is an advocate of that approach, believing his role is to motivate first and foremost. Having learned his trade from the master motivator Brian Clough it’s no surprise that it is his preferred area of expertise.

Do as he says and win lose or draw you’ll probably be picked the following week. Don’t do exactly as he says and you can expect a long spell in the reserves; praise is fulsome, but punishment absolute.

All three of these managers are pragmatists. For them a job involves getting the players to do theirs and happily set their stall out to win at all costs. The beautiful game comes way down the list of what is important: it’s not that they are incapable of sending out sides to play attractive football - because all three have at some point - it’s just an instinct subjugated to the need to accrue points week in week out.

Winning ugly? Why not, after all how many of us get to see a side with Lampard, Carrick and Cole every week?

Manchester United may well have had Charlton, Best and Law in the 1960s and in the modern era, Giggs, Beckham and Scholes, but their trophy cabinet these days is being filled by players who learnt their trade at a different school. Chelsea Football Club too had one or two decent players in the '60s and '70s, but really hit pay dirt in terms of stuffing their trophy cabinet when they bought the best young players around.

Glen Johnson, Joe Cole and Frank Lampard Jnr all learned their trade at a different school - as did the current Chelsea skipper, John Terry.

The sheer consistency of top drawer players that graduate from the West Ham Academy is what sets it apart from others. Consider, if you will, you wanted to select an England side from players currently earning their living playing in the top two divisions.

Bywater, Konchesky, Ferdinand (R), Terry, Johnson, Carrick, Cole, Lampard, Richardson, Defoe, Zamora. On the bench - Noble, Ferdinand(A), Tomkins and Ridgewell.

Ten full internationals already and a few more that could still get a call up – from one academy, in one era. Astonishing.

Now, that side may not win you a World Cup (we’ve already done our bit for Queen and country in that regard) but it wouldn’t see itself outplayed by San Marino. Other countries have benefitted with players such as Ray Houghton, Matt Holland, Richard Garcia and Jack Collison all graduating through West Ham United's Academy and going on to represent their country with distinction.

Has any other academy, with the possible exception of Barcelona produced such a rich crop of talented players in one era? That, by the way, is a serious question.

Could Sam Allardyce, Martin O’Neill, Alan Curbishley (himself an academy product) or any other of those managers currently being linked with our vacancy present a CV with those names as references as to their coaching ability? Of those three, only one has any trophies in his managerial cabinet, the other two gaining their reputations for keeping unfashionable clubs in the top flight on shoestring budgets.

Some may trot out the tired old line that all managers can coach but not all coaches can manage, but does anyone seriously believe someone who has produced sufficient talent to field a full England team would be incapable of doing the job? Frequently the question is asked about how managers motivate millionaire footballers; at least Tony Carr could look them in the eye and say he knew them when they couldn’t afford a bike.

How many other managers could reel off such an illustrious list of former players when pointing out to potential new signings, stars who have benefitted from his management? Show me your medals Guv? How many do you want son?

With our likely first team next season almost certain to be made up of the likes of Fred Sears, James Tomkins, Mark Noble, Jack Collison, Jordan Spence, Junior Stanislas and Zavon Hines, who better to manage them than the man who taught them their trade ? Supplement that lot with a couple of hardened pros - who knows , maybe one or two former players may seek to come back as experienced wise heads - and we’d be on our way.

More than that though, by going with Tony Carr, the club would be seeking to reconnect with its roots and values. A strong message would be sent out to supporters by the owners that they understand we want more than mere survival in the top flight. We want proper football, played by lads we can identify with, who may have gone to the school we once did, managed by a man who has earned the right to be given his chance.

When the position became available my initial instinct was to rule Carr out, not because he couldn’t do it, but more because he will eventually have to suffer the wrath of the fans - so I plumped for Lee Clark as an up and coming candidate. I’ve changed my mind.

Why would he feel the wrath of the fans? Why would he not succeed? Why would he not be every bit as successful managing the first team as the youth team? The club's choice is clear: buy an old banger with miles on the clock - it would get us about for sure, but we would never be comfy in it - or go for a brand new top of the range Carr, luxury motoring, built with top quality components.

The outstanding candidate is already on the club payroll. Do yourselves a favour, Mr Sullivan and Mr Gold. You may have a Rolls Royce each but the club has a better Carr than either of you.

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