A photo in a Dutch newspaper today shows Ruud Gullit joking with David Beckham – the new manager of LA Galaxy showing how well he can get on with the team’s star player. But has this got anything to do with serious football?

The fact that Gullit, one of the best Dutch players of his generation, recently accepted the job to manage LA Galaxy, must mean that he has buried any ambitions he may have had to be involved in serious soccer. Even the club itself said it was looking for a ‘sexy’ manager.
A huge salary and access to the Hollywood celebrity circuit are the motivators. Not top-flight soccer.
American football is light years behind its European counterpart and managing LA Galaxy will not test Gullit’s management qualities.
But then he has already had disappointing stints managing UK teams Chelsea and Newcastle as well as Rotterdam’s Feyenoord. As a player Gullit had great tactical vision and charisma.
It’s a shame he has not been able to transfer these qualities to management. This week LA Galaxy lost 5-3 in an exhibition game against a local team in Sydney.
Despite the fact that his team were worn out after 20 minutes, Gullit said he was happy with how they performed.
Not the fiery words of the excellence-seeking champion Gullit used to be.