Should football introduce a transfer window for managers?

With leagues all over Europe reaching their conclusions and crowning their champions, the rumour mill is already in overdrive with predictions of who is who to replace who on the managerial merry-go-round (or is it a managerial domino effect?).

At a time where there is very little patience and a craving for instant results, few managers at the top level can match the longevity of Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United.

The trend in recent years has been for owners of clubs to hit the panic button and look to quick fixes for mid-season slumps.

Owners are aware that seeking improvement from existing managers and back room staff can be a long and difficult process and doesn’t always get the desired effect.

In competitions like the English Premier League, where relegation is a fate worse than death and there are different monetary rewards associated with finishing 8th, 9th, 10th and so on, the managerial switcheroo is an all-too-common occurrence.

It is interesting to note that whilst managers can be ‘transferred’ in and out at any time during the year, player movement is restricted to the recognised transfer windows; a mix of free market and command economy principles. To paraphrase George Orwell, all players and managers are free, but some are more free than others.

There is an interesting solution which could bring to an end the increasing use of the Donald ‘The Apprentice’ Trump approach to manager management by clubs.

Introduce a transfer window for managers.

The window could commence from the moment the season ended and remain open until four weeks before the next season opens to ensure any incoming managers had an opportunity to bring in players and shape the squad in their own image.

As with the transfer window for players, eligible managerial free agents could be picked up at any time.

So what would the impact be?

A managerial transfer window would lead to some fascinating situations.

Just imagine if Roman Abramovich and Jose Mourinho had to smile and make nice for the entire 07-08 season?

Fans at Liverpool would have seen whether Kenny Dalglish could have turned the season around through managerial excellence or desperate route-one football tactics.

This idea may have planted itself in my mind because since the end of the 09-10 season, my team Aston Villa have had four different managers (Martin O’Neill, Kevin MacDonald, Gerard Houiller and Gary McAllister if you were wondering) and it’s been a turbulent period.

While some of the instability has been due to unavoidable health problems, managerial stability may have helped the situation.

Or perhaps it may have made it worse.

This idea could not be called a fully thought-out proposal, but lets see if it sinks or swims.

Any thoughts from the collective wisdom of the Roar would be most welcome.