“Nowadays, a coach has to be multi-faceted. He has to master a lot of areas. From planning to implementation, methodology, and leadership. On top of this you need to be able to be calm in key moments and make decisions and to make a difference. You have to link rationality and intuition.”
It wasn’t Sir Alex Ferguson or Arsene Wenger who said that. Not even Diego Maradona who courted greatness and disaster at once while at the helm of Argentina in the last World Cup.
That quote comes from Jose Mourinho. He of the poster child for blunt force outspokenness with a flair for the controversial. Apparently when he doesn’t sing paeans to his greatness he is, in moments of introspection, capable of being a sage in the modern world.
I guess it is apt that he reflect for he is in the midst of his first year with arguably the most famous club in the world Real Madrid and he has to put on as many hats as he can in order for snatch that crown that has resident atop Barcelona’s royal head for the past two seasons. Real Madrid’s last two coaches to win the Spanish League – Bernd Schuster and Fabio Capello – were let go after a season or two. And Mourinho, be-medalled as he is with Porto, Chelsea, and Intermilan, is the 11th head coach of Real Madrid in the past 10 years. And he is under mighty pressure to win. How difficult is that considering now galactico team under Florentino Perez has won? In a modern sporting world, it has become more or less, a players’ league. But the Portuguese coach is in a league of his own (maybe Capello can join him since he’s won with a bunch of clubs but I am loathe to include Rafa Benitez for his penchant for winning and becoming persona non grata).
I guess much Mourinho’s criteria must be taken into consideration when looking for a coach to handle to the Philippine Men’s National Football Team for things aren’t quite what they seem. So you better add, “skillfulness in navigating a powder keg situation.”
It’s apples and oranges when it comes to club football where a coach has his players for up to ten months of the year. For the national team, the call up is a day or two, weeks even; it’s depends. The only major tournaments scheduled after the domestic leagues are the UEFA Champions League and the World Cup.
With the recent interest in the national team, players of mixed lineage have been popping out of the woodwork. There has been no talk of locals being invited to the national team.
As it is, one-third of the national players are Fil-foreigners. They mostly ply their trade abroad and arrive on either a week or two or usually on the eve of an international tournament. Any attempts at on-field chemistry, formations, or plays are dicey. The coach has to rely on innate talent and a tacit understanding that they will know what they need to do on the pitch. It rubs off the local and homegrown players the wrong way because it is they who practice all the time and are left off he squad come tournament time. As it is, they tolerate it. That doesn’t mean they like it but they tolerate it. Just do not rub it in. And that testy relationship has been there as far back as 2004.
And that’s just the skills department. We’ve not even touched on the perks.
If the national team loses, the lack of preparation is a convenient excuse. If they win, it’s – imagine if we had the time to prepare, we could have killed everyone. On a non-football analogy, the late great basketball coach John Wooden once said, “Never make excuses. Your friends don't need them and your foes won't believe them." Besides that lack of preparation has been the case for years. It’s a fact of life like traffic in Manila.
That is why perhaps after the Vietnam leg of the Suzuki Cup, the team should have made adjustments heading into the semis. There was time to do it. Myanmar clearly showed Indonesia how to beat the Philippines. Stop the midfield and you do not have any buildup to the attack. You tax the strikers who sometimes have to go all the way down to the midfield to generate an attack. It was rare to see the team string up consecutive passes on a possession for a quality buildup to the attack.
Right now, it’s a short-term solution to an old problem.
Whoever is at the helm within a week’s time shouldn’t just channel Mourinho. He should be like a diplomat. He has to be good with those relationship and communication skills. We use the term “coach” but this time, I’d borrow the English utilize – “manager”. He has to manage the situation really well.
the pff then should not extend maccas contract, his lack of experience showed when he fielded the wrong locals and failed to make adjustments at the aff semis. maybe dan is now shopping for a ''multi-faceted'' coach in europe!
ReplyDeletePerhaps you can also do an article that tells the things they did wrong after the VN win and up to the 2nd game against Indonesia.
ReplyDeleteDid they expose themselves too much to the media and lost focus? Macca commented in one of the articles that Indonesia knew how to protect their players from the distractions while we couldn't do it for our team because it was the first time we're getting any media attention.
Yes I agree being a coach of the Phil MNT is more than just being experienced and wise tactically. You need to be able to navigate the politics of the FA, you need to build a bond with the locals and keep them involved, you need to gain the respect of the foreigners or else they won't really listen to you, you need to conduct and represent the team and the country professionally (see Calisto on how it's not done) you need to be able to work with the private sector and gain their respect and trust that you have a plan, you need to be able to manage expectations regardless of the results, you need TO WIN. Those are just a few things coaching this country requires.
ReplyDeleteApologies for the longest run on sentence ever.
I really respected how Simon handled himself on the pitch and during interviews. He represented the country well. I don't know enough about his tactical knowledge nor his rapport with the different members of the team. (I have heard comments from certain groups but not enough on a consistent basis to make a fair judgement). Whatever happens Dan Palami has proven that he has made smart decisions to this point and I hope it continues.
Good Luck Azkals!