The stress of the job

[latviaman]

I see that people want Pele back in some shape or form, but surely if he is not well or recovering now is not the time.

I have also read that football management is a stressful job??

I am sure there are many posters on here who have stress related jobs and can handle it, but would be interested to hear there views

[CaleyD]

As Pele was drinking and gambling from his mid teens onwards, it's probably fair to say that his problems weren't caused by "the stress of the job". It's hard to say whether his involvement with football helped or hindered. It did put him in a situation where he had a lot of disposable income which allowed him to feed his addiction, but it also provided situations which kept him away from them. I get the feeling that had he not been in such a job then he would have gone over the edge far sooner and possibly with far more serious consequences.....and ultimately it was the profession that gave him the opportunity to get the help he did and set him on the road he is now on.

The question would still exist as to whether or not coming back to a job like football management...be it directly or as an assistant, coach or even a Director of Football...would put him in a situation that would increase the risk of set back. I tend to think, from reading his book and talking to him, that at some point he could "safely" come back into the game, but it's really only a decision he could make himself and it would be wrong for anyone to be saying he should or shouldn't.

[Scotty]

If we were in a position to do so (ie. to pay him a small retainer), I would ask him to act as a Scout for the club and seek out decent but undiscovered players for us. If he could tackle that then who knows, somewhere down the line his role could be expanded into other areas.

I am not sure if his comments about not really wanting to manage again are bluff or double-bluff or whether he was serious about that, but there are plenty of other roles he could fill that didnt put him in the spotlight or add pressure to him.

CD - I agree with you a bit, his problems with drink and more especially gambling seemed to be evident early on, but even if football management didnt cause them, and football management actually helped him to get rehab, I am sure the stress of the job still didnt help much. I know we were a fairly docile and accepting bunch of fans back then, but we still had a level of expectation, especially after the Feb8 result, and when he went to Aberdeen that pressure was probably multiplied tenfold.

[CaleyD]

It's all in the book :embarrassed:

[TopSix]

Being involved with football is a bit of a thankless task in many respects. I'm sure there are stresses on every manager to produce the goods. Totally off topic but I really feel for phil brown the hull manager at the moment.

[IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER]

Stress is nothing more than a socially acceptable form of mental illness?

O God, that men should put an enemy in their mouths to steal away their brains! that we should, with joy, pleasance, revel, and applause, transform ourselves into beasts! ~William Shakespeare, Othello

[latviaman]

Stress is nothing more than a socially acceptable form of mental illness?

O God, that men should put an enemy in their mouths to steal away their brains! that we should, with joy, pleasance, revel, and applause, transform ourselves into beasts! ~William Shakespeare, Othello

Always thought that stress was self induced / imposed

[latviaman]

Stress is nothing more than a socially acceptable form of mental illness?

O God, that men should put an enemy in their mouths to steal away their brains! that we should, with joy, pleasance, revel, and applause, transform ourselves into beasts! ~William Shakespeare, Othello

Always thought that stress was self induced / imposed

ET tu brute' Latviaman Pilota ceasar

[big man]

Stress is nothing more than a socially acceptable form of mental illness?

O God, that men should put an enemy in their mouths to steal away their brains! that we should, with joy, pleasance, revel, and applause, transform ourselves into beasts! ~William Shakespeare, Othello

Gee Whizzzz

[IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER]

Stress is nothing more than a socially acceptable form of mental illness?

O God, that men should put an enemy in their mouths to steal away their brains! that we should, with joy, pleasance, revel, and applause, transform ourselves into beasts! ~William Shakespeare, Othello

Gee Whizzzz

Wow - that was a more monumental and thought provoking contribution than I expected.