On this week’s Big Shout for the FIFA 10 podcast, Romily Broad and myself discussed whether there could ever be a place in the men’s game for female coaches. This was after the England women’s coach, Hope Powell, said that she would consider a job in the Premier League if the right offer came along.

The women’s side recently made it to the final of Euro 2009 and Hope herself has completed her UEFA Pro Licence, which is considered to be the highest coaching award available.

But managing in the men’s game is something else entirely. Football management is a day-to-day business and I wonder how a female coach is going to cope with male egos, training-ground bust ups and media scrutiny.

I think they will certainly struggle to gain the respect of players, who will be instantly suspicious of a female coach who they will feel does not share the same outlook on the game as they do. The media will focus on nothing but her gender and regard her with cynicism - the game will take a back seat.

But perhaps the harshest criticism levelled at a female manger will surely come from the crowd. We can’t even implement a ‘Respect the Ref’ campaign successfully so how will a woman in the dugout fare? Pretty badly I reckon, especially when you consider the stupid abuse that Arsene Wenger is subjected to at away grounds.

Women have broken through the glass ceiling in other fields but football is unique to any other industry and therefore we should leave the most successful female coaches to do what they’re best at, managing women, and allow the female game to prosper.

However, the most surprising thing is that I’ve made it through this blog about women managing male footballers without once mentioning post-match baths.

Oh…

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