The Sports Psychology Blog
This Sports Psychology blog, comes as Simon Grayson, resigns from his post as Blackpool manager, to join his beloved Leeds United.
Football: Simon Grayson - A Change In Expectation
So Simon Grayson, after three years in charge at Bloomfield Rd, has left Blackpool. Three years, in which he did what Sam Allardyce, Nigel Worthington, Gary Megson and Steve McMahon failed to do. Which was finally, after 29 years of under achievement, take Blackpool back into football's second tier.
He took over the reins at Blackpool, when they were flirting with relegation, back into League Two. Expectations were at a pretty low ebb. He has left the club, mid-table in the Championship. And now he has been rewarded, as a Leeds United fan, with his dream job.
Clearly demands will be very different in W. Yorkshire. Grayson will be expected to take Leeds out of Division One, immediately. But it would be a mistake to judge him too quickly. Any manager who can finally break the 29 year old stop situation at Blackpool, clearly has something going for him.
Given time, you would expect him to do the same for Leeds. But will he be given that time? What if it were to take another two seasons for Grayson to gain Leeds promotion. But in doing so, he lay down the footballing foundations at Elland Rd., that would lead to Premiership football.
Such is the sense of short-term-ism in football today, that Grayson will probably be considered a failure, if Leeds are still in League One, by the end of this season.
But it would be a mistake to judge him so quickly. If Leeds United are serious about regaining their place at football's top table, they would be well served, by taking a long-term view, and exercising patience and restraint. Their time will come again. Not when they demand it. But when they are ready for it. There is a difference.
