Dick Advocaat’s last minute u-turn on his Socceroos coaching gig unfortunately did not come as a huge surprise last Friday. There were rumblings that the u-turn was on the cards for a few weeks before the news officially came out and the rumblings became louder when Advocaat’s current club, Zenit St. Petersburg, took out the Russian championship. The possibility of Coaching Zenit in the Champions League next year along with a reputed 4 million US dollar a year salary proved to be too big a lure. The fact that he had signed a contract to coach the Socceroos didn’t seem to bother him too much.
It is the way of the modern football world unfortunately that contracts often aren’t worth the paper they are written on. The FFA are rightly frustrated with the whole thing, as well as a little embarrassed I am sure; it is this embarrassment that will no doubt drive them to try to exact some revenge through legal avenues. Stay tuned on this, I have the feeling it will be a long drawn out process (please not as long as the Tevez saga from last year!) where a lot will be said/written, and ultimately not much gained.
There are of course serious football issues to write of now that Advocaat will not be the man to take over. Australia needs a new coach, and relatively quickly it seems, with the first game of World Cup qualifying campaign creeping ever so closer. The big question is who should that man be?
Having read a lot of Australian media over the past few days it seems pretty unanimous that it should be a foreigner (I do emphasise pretty unanimous. The Sydney Morning Herald’s Mike Cockerill somehow still puts Graham Arnold’s name forward as the best candidate for the role. I quote from a recent article of his: “The FFA's best choice has always been right under its nose. It's just it has been too blind to see it.” I don’t even know where to start with this, but as I’ve already written an article referring to his stupidity before, I’ll leave it there for the moment…).
So, what would be the ideal profile that the next Soccerros coach should have? I’ll go through what I think the desired attributes are point-by-point:
It is the way of the modern football world unfortunately that contracts often aren’t worth the paper they are written on. The FFA are rightly frustrated with the whole thing, as well as a little embarrassed I am sure; it is this embarrassment that will no doubt drive them to try to exact some revenge through legal avenues. Stay tuned on this, I have the feeling it will be a long drawn out process (please not as long as the Tevez saga from last year!) where a lot will be said/written, and ultimately not much gained.
There are of course serious football issues to write of now that Advocaat will not be the man to take over. Australia needs a new coach, and relatively quickly it seems, with the first game of World Cup qualifying campaign creeping ever so closer. The big question is who should that man be?
Having read a lot of Australian media over the past few days it seems pretty unanimous that it should be a foreigner (I do emphasise pretty unanimous. The Sydney Morning Herald’s Mike Cockerill somehow still puts Graham Arnold’s name forward as the best candidate for the role. I quote from a recent article of his: “The FFA's best choice has always been right under its nose. It's just it has been too blind to see it.” I don’t even know where to start with this, but as I’ve already written an article referring to his stupidity before, I’ll leave it there for the moment…).
So, what would be the ideal profile that the next Soccerros coach should have? I’ll go through what I think the desired attributes are point-by-point:
1) Be Dutch (or an equivalent nationality)
Having had great success with a Dutch manager in the past and having a Dutch technical director currently, this is a bit of a no-brainer. The Dutch footballing philosophy seems to be a good fit for Australia and is getting results, so, to use the marvellous quote that the monarchists used ad nauseum in the lead up to the Republic referendum in Australia “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!” (shudder).
A final point on this, if a prospective candidate was not Dutch, they would preferably come from a country and/or come through a coaching system that was similarly as technically rigorous and impressive as the Dutch one that by design would subsequently add to the development of the game in Australia.
Unfortunately that rules out an English coach, as that particular footballing culture has had too big an influence on Australian football over the years and therefore having a coach from there does not fit in with the brave new direction Australia is taking to ensure it develops as a footballing nation. No offence to England on this, it is just time another philosophy was tried as we have had England as the major influence in a footballing sense for a long time and it is time we branch out as we must to develop further technically.
2) Have Asian experience
Australia found out the hard way in the Asian Cup that qualifying for the World Cup through Asia will be very tricky. The diversity of opponents, cultures and conditions is as extreme as it gets in World football and having a coach who has been there, done that and been successful would be a huge boost for the Socceroos.
3) Be willing to re-locate to Australia
Now that Australia is in the early stages of implementing it’s new National Football Development Plan, it is even more vital that whoever takes over the reins of the Socceroos lives here full-time. There will be a lot of work to do and oversee across all age-levels and the A-League. Quite simply, this will mean we should try and avoid a manager being based for the majority of his time in Europe or elsewhere.
4) Have a high profile/be charismatic
Football in Australia still has momentum built up from the last World Cup campaign that needs to be built on even further; the momentum and good-will won't last forever, though (in fact it has no doubt already decreased since the World Cup). What better way to build on this momentum than bringing in a high profile coach or one that is charismatic enough to feed the growth of the game even more?
Ideally the coach will act as an ambassador for the sport as a whole, we all know how competitive the market is for sport in Australia so this point is important as if the right person gets the job he could be successfully marketed as the public face of the new development plan.
5) Play an attractive style of football
Many would argue with me on this one but linked to the above point, Australia is a hugely competitive sports market and therefore we cannot afford to have a coach in place that burdens us with an un-attractive long-ball style of game, regardless of whether or not it gets results. The incumbent coach should carry on Hiddink's legacy in this regard and encourage the players to uphold the possession at all costs mantra that Hiddink instilled in his players so successfully and in such a short space of time.
Football in Australia still has momentum built up from the last World Cup campaign that needs to be built on even further; the momentum and good-will won't last forever, though (in fact it has no doubt already decreased since the World Cup). What better way to build on this momentum than bringing in a high profile coach or one that is charismatic enough to feed the growth of the game even more?
Ideally the coach will act as an ambassador for the sport as a whole, we all know how competitive the market is for sport in Australia so this point is important as if the right person gets the job he could be successfully marketed as the public face of the new development plan.
5) Play an attractive style of football
Many would argue with me on this one but linked to the above point, Australia is a hugely competitive sports market and therefore we cannot afford to have a coach in place that burdens us with an un-attractive long-ball style of game, regardless of whether or not it gets results. The incumbent coach should carry on Hiddink's legacy in this regard and encourage the players to uphold the possession at all costs mantra that Hiddink instilled in his players so successfully and in such a short space of time.
6) Have been successful
Last but not least, the incumbent coach will have been successful at both club and national level as a coach (success in this case would mean winning titles). Any proven ability to have been successful in a country other than his own would be a merit as it would demonstrate an ability to have broken through the constraining and potentially hindering walls that exist when trying to succeed in an environment and culture foreign to your own.
Now let us first go through some of the names that have been bandied around over the past few days and see how they match the above criteria. The coaches that I am highlighting in detail below I classify as most likely to be hired due to their conceivable or real availability.
Pim Verbeek
Well he’s Dutch which means he gets a tick for the first desirable managerial attribute.
He has significant Asian experience having managed teams in Japan as well as been an assistant for Hiddink and Advocaat for South Korea and then taking over the reins himself to lead South Korea to 3rd place in the recent Asian Cup. I reckon he earns a tick for this desired managerial attribute also.
He has been quoted in this article as saying he’d be happy to re-locate to Australia and gave sound, logical reasons why it would be important for the coach of Australia to live in Australia. Another tick for this one.
He certainly doesn’t have the same high profile as a Hiddink or Advocaat. As for his charisma, from the little I have seen of him, it doesn’t seem to be a strength or a weakness. You would have to give him a cross for this desired attribute.
Not having been able to watch any of Korea’s games during the Asian Cup as I live in Europe I must plead ignorance on point 5. As he’s Dutch and was assistant to Hiddink I’ll give him a tick for this one (not very scientific reasons I know!).
Verbeek hasn’t had great success at club level, his most recent club managerial experience was with Kyoto Sanga F.C in the J-League in 2003 and from the stats (W 6 D 5 L19) it wasn’t a great year for Kim or Kyoto. Not taking into account the success of the Hiddink team he was an assistant for, his biggest success in management is undoubtedly from his most recent stint as a manager, leading Korea to 3rd place in the Asian Cup. So on balance as he hasn’t been a winner, probably a cross for this this desired attribute as well.
This leaves Pim Verbeek with a score of 4 out of 6.
Jorvan Viera
He’s not Dutch. He does though originate from an obviously strong footballing country and culture in Brazil having coached there early in his coaching career. Has a long coaching CV from many different places so he deserves a tick for the first desired attribute I think.
Asian experience is an obvious strength for Viera. He has vast Asian experience especially from the middle eastern part of the confederation. Manging Iraq to the Asian Cup under exteme adversity underlines that not only is he experienced in Asia, he is successful to boot (not to mention resourceful). Definite tick for attribute 2.
Like Verbeek, Viera has come out and said he would be willing to re-locate to Australia. Tick for desired attribute 3.
Not a high-profile choice. Somewhat of a journey-man of a coach. Haven’t seen enough of him in the media to now of his charisma but this point appears to be his weakness. Obviously an intelligent bloke as he apparently knows seven languages and has a doctorate in Sports Science, but I will give him a cross for this desired attribute.
Lack of seeing his teams in action again means I will presume that he plays attractive football as I haven’t heard anything to the contrary from the Asian Cup (I may be proved wrong on this point). I’ll give him a point for this as I did for Verbeek.
Viera has led a number of his club teams to titles in a number of countries over his career. As mentioned, he led Iraq to the Asian Cup which must go down as one of the greatest managerial feats ever due to the limited and disjointed preparations the team had. Another tick for how he scores for this desired attribute.
This leaves Jorvan Viera with a final score of 5 out of 6.
Martin Jol
He’s Dutch. Tick.
No Asian experience whatsoever as a coach. Cross.
No word on whether or not he’d be willing to re-locate to Australia but as he hasn’t said anything either way, I’ll give him a half score for this desired attribute.
He would be a high-profile choice largely down to the fact that he has just finished a managing role in the Premier League which is undoubtedly the most watched league at the moment in Australia (and even the know-nothing sports journalists from the mainstream media in Australia have at least heard of the Premier League and Tottenham). A tick on this one purely because of that.
Tottenham were known for their attacking football under Jol, it was their defense that was the problem at times. On balance, a tick for this desired attribute.
Jol has had success at club level in the Netherlands winning silverware and did a good job at Spurs lifting them into European contention. As it hasn’t been sustained success (as in winning tiles and trophies regularly) over his managerial career, he deserves only a half score for this desired attribute.
Martin Jol finishes with 4 out of 6.
Johan Neeskens
He’s Dutch.
Has some Asian experience through his time as Hiddink’s assistant. Engineered an impressive Asian Cup qualifying win against Bahrain when Hiddink was away and the team was 1-0 down at half-time. He earns half a point for this one.
Would most likely to be willing to re-locate; he even more than Hiddink seemed to warm to Australia and Australians, so I will give him a point for this desired attribute.
A top former player who has scored in a World Cup final and current assistant at Barcelona give him a fairly high-profile, though his profile doesn’t necessarily stem from his management skills. Half a point.
Being Dutch and having spent all of his time since assisting Hiddink at the World Cup under Rijkaard at Barcelona there is a high likelihood that attractive football would be the norm under a Neeskens-led team. One point.
Unfortunately for Neeskens, previous managerial success (where he's the sole man in charge) wouldn’t be his strongest point. So for this he scores no point.
Johan Neeskens finishes with four out of 6.
While it is not an exhaustive list, I have a feeling the next manager will be one of the above due to their current employment circumstances meaning it more feasible that they would be able to take up the position quickly. I think that the man who scored highest from the above grading (Viera) is not the most likely though; to be honest none of them are, it is really difficult to know which way the FFA will go on this one. No one candidate sticks out for me.
That is why they should make enquiries after all Dutch managers coaching at the highest level in Europe. Frank Rijkaard, Louis van Gaal and Ronald Koeman would be a good place to start. Out of that trio, I think van Gaal would be the man Australia could most possibly get, the other two have more prestigious positions at big Spanish clubs while van Gaal is managing a less glamorous Dutch team (AZ Alkmaar and doing a pretty good job too!). Louis van Gaal would be the man I’d go after out of the above trio as he also has experience as a technical director at Ajax, which would mean he could offer Australia even more help in that area too. But van Gaal hasn’t been mentioned by anyone in the Australian media from what I see, so maybe it is my own private pipedream (one of many I assure you!).
The Big Names
Then there are those who I consider to be in what I would call "the big names but do we want them, or them us?" category. Jürgen Klinsmann, José Mourinho and Fabio Capello have been the main ones mentioned.
Klinsmann is highly unlikely in my book and coached even his native Germany from the US; what chance that he suddenly will want to move even further to coach a country he has had no previous connection to, Australia? Not much I reckon.
Mourinho is a huge name and gets trophies, no one would be stupid enough to argue otherwise. But he was let go by Chelsea for playing unattractive football and besides, can you really see the self-proclaimed “special one” deciding to take up a job such as this? The odds must be extremely long and I don’t know why some of the media are even wasting column space with the notion. No chance.
Capello has the same issues as Mourinho in that he wins trophies nearly everywhere he goes but also seems to turn off the fans with his style of football. Seems to be awfully keen on the England job too if you read this article.
There it is, I’m sure that the FFA will make a fool of me and appoint someone else not listed above but I think an exercise such as what I’ve just done demonstrates how tough the decision is going to be for them. Sure, there seem to be many candidates but many are unrealistic or just plain silly. At this vital time in the games history in Australia, the powers that be in Australian football need to make sure that the new coach has the necessary abilities to not only bring success on the pitch for Australia but also off the pitch.
Let’s hope they choose wisely.
Then there are those who I consider to be in what I would call "the big names but do we want them, or them us?" category. Jürgen Klinsmann, José Mourinho and Fabio Capello have been the main ones mentioned.
Klinsmann is highly unlikely in my book and coached even his native Germany from the US; what chance that he suddenly will want to move even further to coach a country he has had no previous connection to, Australia? Not much I reckon.
Mourinho is a huge name and gets trophies, no one would be stupid enough to argue otherwise. But he was let go by Chelsea for playing unattractive football and besides, can you really see the self-proclaimed “special one” deciding to take up a job such as this? The odds must be extremely long and I don’t know why some of the media are even wasting column space with the notion. No chance.
Capello has the same issues as Mourinho in that he wins trophies nearly everywhere he goes but also seems to turn off the fans with his style of football. Seems to be awfully keen on the England job too if you read this article.
There it is, I’m sure that the FFA will make a fool of me and appoint someone else not listed above but I think an exercise such as what I’ve just done demonstrates how tough the decision is going to be for them. Sure, there seem to be many candidates but many are unrealistic or just plain silly. At this vital time in the games history in Australia, the powers that be in Australian football need to make sure that the new coach has the necessary abilities to not only bring success on the pitch for Australia but also off the pitch.
Let’s hope they choose wisely.
3 comments:
Hello there,
Am really enjoying the blog here from Melbourne. Very thorough run-down of the Socceroo coaching search.
I see you're not a big fan of Mike Cockerill's writing, and talked about Michael Lynch from the age in an earlier article. I've never been a fan of Lynch either and have noticed he wrote an article saying it is maybe time to look elsewhere than the Dutch. He also seems to be a fan of Zola becoming the new Socceroos coach. What do you think?
Keep up the good work,
Simon
I didn't know what I'd stumbled into when I saw that headline.... Thought this site was doubling as a seedy swingers site or something LOL!
Enjoyed the article all the same.
Thanks for commenting and your compliments Simon!
It is not so much that I'm not a fan of Lynch or Cockerill, just that they get weird ideas stuck in their head on some things.
I have read the article you are referring to written by Lynch (I tried to link to it just now but couldn't find it on the Age site) where he makes the case for stepping away from the Dutch and in his words something like "broadening our horizons."
He and his Farirfax friend Cockerill just seem to get random ideas in their head and become fixated on these ideas; Cockerill has his well documented and downright bizarre Graham Arnold obsession while there are signs that Lynch is becoming obsessed with pretty much any potential Socceroo coaching candidate who isn't Dutch (he seems keen on Gianfranco Zola in that article and Didier Deschamps, and now is touting Roy Hodgson as a possibility).
I don't necessarily have a problem with any of Lynch's potential names that he’s putting forward, I more have a problem with his strange logic that often rears its head in his articles.
As for Kingy and his comment about this articles headline, well maybe this blog is doubling as an introduction agency, have you ever thought of that? I am risking attracting some pretty unsavoury types to my blog with headlines like that, I’ll give you that.
Thanks,
Vincent
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