Stepping Back From the Hotseat

This month, we find out what former Norwich City, Newcastle United and West Ham United manager Glenn Roeder has been doing since stepping away from the managerial hotseat.

What have you been doing since leaving Norwich in 2009?

I got to know Gérard Houllier while he was manager at Liverpool and when he took over at Aston Villa in 2010 he gave me a scouting role, which I thoroughly enjoy. I spend a lot of time in Europe, watching players for Aston Villa.

Scouting is something I have done in the past, but not as intensely as I have done for Villa these past two seasons. I’ve really enjoyed it and it enhances my knowledge of players in Europe, especially in France, Holland and Germany. 

Are you looking to get back into front-line management?

I would certainly look forward to going into a senior role at a football club. It wouldn’t have to be managing. When I look back since retiring from playing, I have covered every role in a full-time capacity that there is to cover in a football club. The role that would interest me greatly is that of sporting director, or director of football. I think I’d be highly qualified for that role, because I have done everything from managing in the Barclays Premier League to being academy director at Newcastle.

What have you made of Newcastle United’s progress this season?

They’ve been absolutely brilliant. Having spent eight years up there as a player and a manager, Newcastle is very dear to my heart. It’s great they are having such success under Alan Pardew, who would be the first to admit that it was Chris Hughton who got them going again after they were relegated. Hughton did extremely well to get them back up again at the first time of asking, which is very important.

Their chief scout, Graham Carr, has done wonders with the players that he has found in France, Holland and Germany. I watched Papiss Cisse for Freiburg earlier this season and was very positive about him.

How impressive has their player recruitment been considering their limited resources?

Mike Ashley has proved why he is so astute in business. He has sold at the highest point and bought at value for money. He has found the highest prices possible for the players he has sold, and he has reinvested in others who have all proved to be bargains. If they suddenly had to have a fire sale, they could sell all of those players they have bought recently for three or four times what they paid for them.

Norwich have also done brilliantly this season. How much potential did you see in the squad when you were in charge?

Only two players who I knew are really featuring on a regular basis under Paul Lambert. One of those players is Adam Drury, who has been a stalwart there for many years, and the other is a player I brought in, Wes Hoolahan, who we got for a good price. Lambert has brought in many fantastic players of his own, like Grant Holt – the type of player that a lot of managers in the Premier League and Championship might never have looked at. He has got a talent for not only choosing good players but also good characters, because they play with great spirit.

They have a good academy there, too. There is not a great deal of competition for young players from other professional clubs in the local area, which helps. They have a fantastic training ground, and they are very well supported, with full houses every week. The supporters deserve it. Alongside Brendan Rodgers, he is arguably the standout manager of the season.