Marquee players are frequently touted as raising the profile of the A-League, especially beyond our shores. However, this can only be seen as short-termism which papers over the cracks evident at the highest level of football in Australia.
Which is coaching.
The A-League is in dire need of a coaching revolution, which would mean enticing proven quality overseas coaches to raise the level of play in this country, and further the development of home-grown players.
And there’s historic precedent for such.
They would bring a level of tactical awareness that hasn’t been seen before in our domestic game.
Japan, as we all know, has been adorned by coaches from all over the world which has helped shape the current J-League. But we can also look to Africa, which has been exposed to European cultural and coaching experiences for decades and the Middle East for examples.
In the late 1970s, oil rich Arab states enticed notable English and Brazilian coaches and it clearly had an impact, as Kuwait were to win the Asian Cup and qualify for the 1982 World Cup.
In the short history of the A-League, most of the foreign coaches have been second rate, signed evidently only on past reputation (which A-League clubs have made a bad habit of in player recruitment).
So let’s examine them:
* Pierre Littbarski
Didn’t build most of Sydney’s squad which was signed before he came. Slightly fortunate in my opinion to win the League. Never achieved anything of note as a coach before or after Sydney.
* Steve McMahon
Gone midway through V1, despite Perth being finals contenders. Has a particularly poisonous reputation as a manager with Swindon Town, where he is still hated by supporters and blamed (along with then chairman Rikki Hunt) for the club’s subsequent misery.
* Terry Butcher
Not helped by factors beyond his control (points deduction and crippling injury list). Failed dismally with both Coventry City (contributing to the long-term decline of the club) and Sunderland, successful in the circumstances with Motherwell. Subsequently failed with Brentford.
* Richard Money
Finals with the Jets in V1. Experience of coaching in England and Sweden, and won the League Two championship with Walsall after leaving Newcastle.
In truth, it shows that the coaches we’ve enticed to this country have been very second rate, and only Richard Money has achieved anything of note thus far since leaving Australia.
There are coaches out there who not only play football the right way, but also have proven track records who could come here and raise Australian football to a whole new level.
If only club management could be more progressive and open-minded on this issue we will see the game blossom.
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Joe FC said | February 28th 2009 @ 12:53pm | Report comment
David V
I like the idea of astute and experienced overseas coaches working in the HAL. This would be one way of raising the technical and tactical aspects of Australian football. I do not entirely agree with your view that “The A-League is in dire need of a coaching revolution” nor “In the short history of the A-League, most of the foreign coaches have been second rate”. By their very nature these assessments are highly subjective and opinions on any particular coach will vary widely. The problem is how we define marquee. This is the case regardless of whether we’re talking about players or coaches. Ultimately administrators will make judgements on certain personnel. Some decisions will prove right and others wrong, such is the way of the world we inhabit.
David V. said | February 28th 2009 @ 12:54pm | Report comment
When there are proven coaches available who’ve coached at a good level, play good football and have good track records, how can we turn them down?
dasilva said | February 28th 2009 @ 2:14pm | Report comment
I think the problem David V is that people who’ve coached at a good level, play good football and have good track records will seldomly want to coach in the A-league.
For any club to get these coaches it will take extensive business and sporting contacts and also the clubs need footballing experience to be able to assess the ability of coaches before hiring them.
Only a russian millionaire who took over Sydney FC who has contacts in Eastern Europe was able to bring in that Czech coach who had a league title to his name.
They aren’t many russian millionaires flying around.
David V. said | February 28th 2009 @ 2:45pm | Report comment
dasilva,
it was never a hinderence in Africa, Middle East or Asia was it? Credible foreign coaches have been attracted to all those regions and have done so for decades. A certain Premiership manager even coached for a couple of years in the J-League and look at how his philosophy and that of Japanese coaches are similar.
People who could make a difference, I could list them like:
Zdenek Zeman- Italian fans will know, he did brilliantly with Foggia, Lazio and Lecce and favours 4-3-3 attacking football.
Giovanni Galeone- God-like status at Pescara, also favours 4-3-3 attacking football, managed four promotions to Serie A.
Lorenç Serra Ferrer- success with Real Mallorca and Real Betis.
Jose Manuel Diaz Novoa- success with Sporting Gijon, to some extent Celta Vigo and Real Burgos.
Daniel Leclercq- Ligue 1 title with Lens.
Joel Müller- nearly won it with Metz, developed players like Robert Pires.
Alan Buckley- attractive football at Walsall and Grimsby on limited resources. Grimsby have fared worse every time he’s left.
Benny Lennartsson- won title with Viking Stavanger, returned there and knocked Chelsea out of Europe, favours attacking football.
Bo Johansson- splendid job with Denmark, also turned around IFK Gothenberg after they nearly went down the toilet.
Folks, that’s the calibre of coaches we need in this league, because they are infinitely better than anybody we’ve got now.
dasilva said | February 28th 2009 @ 3:05pm | Report comment
I don’t necessarily disagree and that’s a good list you have there. I just think perhaps practically it will be difficult.
Does any of them wants to coach in A-league? Will they not see it as a step down to where they are currently coaching?
What would their wage demands be like?
there’s a lot of money in the middle east. In Asian countries like japan and korea the clubs are bankrolled by corporations with international stature.
This is not the case in Australia.
I would love to see foreign coaches in Australia however I don’t know whether the lack of them are due to lack of effort or the shear difficulties in finding them..
I really hope that Vítězslav Lavička succeed in Australia as he has the best CV of any coaches who has coached in the a-league and hope that he will be the pioneer of many other good foreign coaches.
David V. said | February 28th 2009 @ 3:11pm | Report comment
Well African countries have had no problem hiring reputable overseas coaches, and they’ve been exposed to many European influences for decades due to colonial legacy and comparative proximity. French and German coaches have done the rounds there for years. And also, their emphasis on wing play was influenced by great English wingers like Stanley Matthews and Tom Finney- to exhibit how those foreign influences have come into it.
To me, coaches should see it as an opportunity to raise the stature of the Australian game by raising the standard of play.
dasilva said | February 28th 2009 @ 3:23pm | Report comment
Thanks for the information David V
I think someone needs to do an investigation (perhaps FFA) in how exactly did these countries manage to get world class coaches to come and coach in those countries and then assist in clubs in finding these coaches (although this could undermine the jobs of current coaches). It seems rather odd that Ligue 1 winning coach in the caliber of Arsene Wenger manage to coach in Japan;.
What do you think of the prospect of Ossy Ardiles in coaching the A-league? He’s known for attractive style of football in revolutionising the way Swindon Town play their football but had a patchy coaching career since then getting sacked repeatedly since his job at Swindon.
True Tah said | February 28th 2009 @ 3:23pm | Report comment
David V
re: African nations, a lot of European clubs have branchs in many nations, in particular the French clubs have a really strong presence in many west African nations, one of the benefits of this is that the players are exposed to a higher level of futbol than would otherwise be the case.
In South Africa recently I read an article comparing why there are so few South African futol players in the top European leagues (I think it was less than 30) when there are hundreds from the likes of Nigeria, Senegal, Guinea – one of the arguments was that no European clubs have a corresponding interest in South African futbol – note this may change as I understand PSL is going to be beamed into European TV.
David V. said | February 28th 2009 @ 3:35pm | Report comment
dasilva-
the Swindon success is unfortunately clouded by the player payments scandal which led to their promotion being cancelled. He was less successful at Newcastle and Tottenham, but admittedly he was no worse at Spurs than most who go there!
Midfielder said | February 28th 2009 @ 3:52pm | Report comment
DV
You must be Fozzie greatest fan, given the articles you write maybe you should just cut and paste would save a lot of time..
BTW have you ever posted or commented about the 150 million dollars currently being spent on building football academies and the relationship and coaching exchanges between some A-League clubs and some South American clubs… My guess is not…
It is very easy to point the figure at what is wrong or could be improved in the A-League after all it run on a 17 million dollar media budget and has little or no established mainstream media… and has been going now for 4 years and by my standards is roaring ahead well ahead of any imaginable goals …. yes still a long way to go .. BUT EVERYONE at the FFA & A-League also know it … so why always with the negative stuff.
Guys like you who articles just constantly have a go at the technical ability of the A-League and the FFA should start to look to how to use existing resources to improve things ……….
Ever heard of TIPS … developed by Marinus (“Rinus”) Jacobus Hendricus Michels considered by many the greatest coach of all time , he rated technical ability at 25% of the things needed ….. Fozzie and articles like this evaluate the T to close to 100% … be careful Holland would love the P & S that Aussies have. (google total football and see that we are already 75 % of the way there)
So how about you look at what is actually being done to improve the very things you speak of and how to use these I get so pissed off at how many negative articles are written with no reference or even look at what is being done….. But then again SBS never report them neither … like I am still waiting for TWG site for a story on Archie Fraser … experienced Football man with heaps of Australian football knowledge who has run major business in Australia and been CEO of and AFL club where he has learn how to build and run a domestic competition … funny SBS and negative articles by football people have been calling out for this appointment ever since the A-League started …. maybe SBS and those that go looking for the glass half full also missed it…