...By Joseph Benjamin for TDPel Media.
South Shields, the non-league club that Kevin Phillips had been managing since January 2022, has replaced him with his former Sunderland teammate Julio Arca.
Phillips resigned last weekend after the club was promoted to the National League North.
Arca, who captained South Shields in the 2016/17 season, made 149 English top-flight appearances for Sunderland and Middlesbrough as a midfielder.
He finished his career with the Mariners.
Arca said that he was excited to return to South Shields and that he saw the appointment as a “fantastic opportunity” to become a manager for the first time.
Phillips, who left after discussions with the club’s chairman about its future direction, said that he was grateful for his time with the club but felt that it was the right time to depart.
The decision to replace Phillips with Arca was made so that the club could adopt a “more sustainable model” going forward.
Arca will take charge of the team for the start of pre-season, and he said that he was looking forward to helping the club to continue to progress.
Analysis:
The appointment of Julio Arca as South Shields’ new manager represents a changing of the guard at the club.
Phillips, who had been a successful striker in the Premier League, was brought in to manage South Shields in January 2022, but he stepped down after the club was promoted to the National League North.
Arca, who captained the team to a quadruple in the 2016/17 season, has been appointed to take the club forward in a more sustainable manner.
Arca is a familiar face at South Shields, having finished his playing career with the Mariners.
He has also had coaching roles at Middlesbrough and Darlington, so he brings a wealth of experience to the job.
He will need to hit the ground running, though, as there is a lot of work to do between now and the start of pre-season.
Commentary:
The appointment of Arca is an interesting one, as he is a relative newcomer to management.
However, he has been involved in coaching for several years and has worked with some big names in the game, including former England boss Steve McClaren.
South Shields will be hoping that he can build on the success of Kevin Phillips and take the club to even greater heights.
One of the challenges facing Arca will be to maintain the momentum that Phillips had built up.
South Shields had been on an upward trajectory under Phillips, and Arca will need to ensure that the team continues to progress.
He will also need to be mindful of the need for the club to operate in a more sustainable manner, as this was one of the reasons that Phillips stepped down.
Overall, the appointment of Arca is a positive one for South Shields.
He is a popular figure at the club, and his experience as a player and a coach should stand him in good stead.
However, he will need to work hard to ensure that the team continues to progress, and that the club operates in a more sustainable manner going forward.
