The South Coast outfit are looking for a new coach after the sacking of Jason Tindall, the long-term assistant manager to Eddie Howe. This would see Terry given a chance at a club that is upwardly mobile, well-backed by finance from their ownership, and with an excellent, young playing side. With plenty of talent to pick from and no shortage of backing, it would make an ideal starting point for any young coach.
For Terry, though, the opportunity might be one that is simply too good to pass up. While comfortable as part of the backroom team with Dean Smith at Aston Villa, it would be fair to say that Terry has managerial ambitions. Given Bournemouth are a low-pressure club with a good squad and a history of backing their coaches, he might see the chance to move to the South Coast as a good chance to build his managerial career.
Would John Terry make a good manager?
It’s hard to say, but there are few people in his age group who command more respect from players in the game. Though Terry has had a colourful off-the-field persona and more than a few controversies, he’s a player who would gain immediate reverence from any player young enough to have seen him play at this peak. Terry was, after all, a genuinely world class leader who played a massive role in the birth of the modern Chelsea. For Bournemouth, they would be getting a proper leader with a huge reputation.
However, so far in his career we have nothing to really go on regarding his tactical nous. Despite playing in numerous systems and styles, Terry usually kept a similar style of performance. Much like former teammate Frank Lampard, too, he was a player who found a way to win outside of systems. Instead, he’s seen as a force of nature who was capable of finding ways to win regardless of formation, teammates, or tactics.
Does that represent the kind of thinking that makes a modern manager, though? It would be hard to say. Despite huge respect for a glittering playing career, Terry has not taken on a top level job yet. Taking on Bournemouth, a club who are looking to get promoted again this season or next, would offer a high-stakes opportunity in a low-pressure environment.
Without a massive media circus around the club, Terry would have the best of both worlds; a team capable of meeting high standards whilst having relative privacy with regard to national media intrigue. For Terry, this might be the best first-time offer he’ll get.
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