Last month, after a string of poor opinion polls Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott was replaced by colleagues within his own political party. Last weekend in sport, after an uninspiring start to the Premier League season Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers was relieved of his duties.

Sky News presenter Eamonn Holmes recently claimed that leading a political party was just like managing a football team. Debateable as this may be, there certainly are lessons that political leaders can take from Alex Ferguson’s success at Manchester United and Brendan Rodgers’ downfall at Liverpool.

In many ways political parties are like football clubs. Divided without a shared sense of vision and teamwork, holding mixed messages, both organisations are unlikely to ‘win’ or convince others that they might do so.

Leading in politics and football, making decisions and taking the right risks are crucial. A criticism of David Moyes’ time as Manchester United manager is that he flooded his backroom staff with Yes men.

In politics, smart parties employ the likes of polling companies and focus groups to find out even where they might be going wrong. Variety in party membership, representation and openness to reforming the party’s offering also helps.

With the right investment in people and communication the chances of succeeding are enhanced.

In his book Leading, Alex Ferguson reveals that in 2010 he turned down the chance to sign striker Mario Balotelli having received advice that he might not be worth the trouble. Three years later, Rodgers signed the Italian admitting that it was a gamble. By all standards the gamble flopped.

Whereas Ferguson perceived the risk of recruiting Balotelli too great, ex-Prime Minister Tony Blair acknowledged the overwhelming damage that sacking his closest team player and biggest rival Gordon Brown might bring.

Despite the hostilities between himself and Brown, Blair knew sacking him could divide the Labour Party and spell the end of his own premiership.

With football, Ferguson had the luxury of quick-selling players who perceived themselves as too big for the team. Blair knew such moves in politics are not so easy.

Moving bosses and players on in football can be a tricky business, as Man Utd’s life without Ferguson has shown. If not properly managed in politics, successions can be explosive.

In Northern Irish politics, DUP recently replaced South Belfast MLA Jimmy Spratt with party adviser Emma Pengelly, as local party representatives Ruth Patterson and Christopher Stalford were apparently overlooked.

In reaction to this, Mrs Patterson has announced that she will retire from politics altogether; she continues to seek a meeting with party leader Peter Robinson. Time will tell if more fallout with the leadership may follow and, in that potential event, how the leadership might respond.

Leading political parties and managing football teams may not be the same but today both roles are certainly results-driven, they require vision and must include forging a cohesive team spirit.

When Wayne Rooney’s wages at Manchester United were raised far above Ferguson’s pay grade, Ferguson demanded a pay rise and received it. In his book, the manager or leader should be the highest paid and the most important person at the club or organisation.

In politics, normally, a popular leader in opinion polls like David Cameron can lead an unpopular party like the Conservatives, yet rarely is an unpopular leader of a popular party afforded the same privilege. Like football managers they are important, but in today’s reality not always that important.