{"product_id":"9781780574172","title":"The Sack Race: The Story of Football's Gaffers","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe future of football management is a hot topic of debate. An unprecedented spate of sackings in the 2001-02 season and the manner of many of the dismissals filled the back pages. There has even been talk of managers going on strike to defend their ill-treated colleagues. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ePacked with big names and exclusive stories, \u003ci\u003eThe Sack Race \u003c\/i\u003echallenges the sanitised picture of football management portrayed in glossy autobiographies. It lays bare a profession where pressure to obtain results is immense and the tolerance of failure is low. Despite football's supposed professionalism, we learn that 'The Gaffer'  is often an ill-prepared ex-player who has hopped onto the managerial merry-go-round more as a perceived 'character' than a qualified coach. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis remarkable book traces the development of the football manager's role, offers a critique of the way the game trains its coaches for management and raises valid concerns about the suitability of their employers - the directors whose impatience creates a climate of fear and insecurity. Finally, it asks the controversial question - does 'The Gaffer' have a future?\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Mainstream Publishing Company, Limited","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47152237445360,"sku":"9781780574172","price":22.55,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0737\/7593\/9824\/files\/9781780574172_p0.jpg?v=1763714005","url":"https:\/\/shop-qa.barnesandnoble.com\/products\/9781780574172","provider":"Barnes \u0026 Noble (DEV)","version":"1.0","type":"link"}