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Joined November 2012
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I love football, and football will one day love me.
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In the last few years, cricket has undergone a revolution, the biggest since the introduction of World Series Cricket. T20 cricket has emerged as…
Ange Postecoglou is not the man for the job. That's my opinion. That, however, is not my issue. FFA has shown that, as an…
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"Playing football is very simple, but playing simple football is the hardest thing there is" - Johan Cruyff. 'To make something look simple, you…
We all know what creativity is: something which allows you to create. Ok, that's not quite the description that gets me any closer to…
Just like in our physical world around us, our beautiful game is based on geometry and just like the physical world, the shapes that…
It is unbelievable, at least to myself, that there have been quite a few rumblings complaining the Spanish national football team are boring to…
You make a very reasoned argument Michael. The points you make are good and you have made me think about the whole issue in a slightly different way. I can see how all those points, especially the one about Hiddink and the Aussie culture, can apply to the foreign vs local coach debate. If money was no issue, I would still have opted for Bielsa who is my personal favourite even if he can’t speak English. However, I understand the risks with that type of appointment as you have described. We were always going to have a local in charge at some point – whether the time is now, we shall see. Thanks for your comment.
Why an Australian coach was not the best option
I do not agree with the notion that an Australian coach will automatically hang around for longer. Arsene Wenger has hung around Arsenal for a long time and he is a foreigner. That’s just a simple example but I urge you to reconsider your position. For all we know, Ange might leave after two years to take a top club job somewhere in Europe. We can’t make an assumption how long someone will last in a position based on his nationality. That’s illogical.
Why an Australian coach was not the best option
Very good comment sir. That’s a very good summary of my thoughts. I can’t add much more to that.
Why an Australian coach was not the best option
I should add that the title is a bit misleading. My problem is not with the choice of coach. My problem is with the process of choosing the coach.
Why an Australian coach was not the best option
FFA wouldn’t reject a top coach. A top coach would reject the FFA.
But you are correct in that it’s not a public process and that’s a shame.
Why an Australian coach was not the best option
Yes maybe you are correct. Gallop could have made life easier for himself if he had been more transparent. He should have told the public which candidates were approached and which ones were not approached. If he told the public that he spoke to Hiddink but they couldn’t afford him, I would be satisfied. If he told us that he spoke to Bielsa but Bielsa told him he was not interested in the job, I would be satisfied. All I ask from the FFA is transparency in how they went about hiring a new coach and what led them to Ange. If the FFA took shortcuts in the hiring process, that is what I consider to be a sell-out.
Why an Australian coach was not the best option
In relation to your point 3, it might well be the case that Bielsa would not have been interested in taking the job. That’s not an issue for me. My issue is that we never approached him and talked to him. If we don’t communicate with him (and others for that matter) then how can we possibly know what his desire is?
The timeline is not the critical issue. As long as within that timeline, a thorough and exhaustive process has taken place, the timeline can be short or long.
If I were CEO I would start from the top. Identify the top candidates regardless of price tag or nationality or chances of hiring him. If you can’t get the top candidates, approach the next best and so on.
As for not speaking English, a valid point. But I would think that his knowledge and experience would outweigh the translation issues.
Why an Australian coach was not the best option
Yes that is a good point. I know that long term technical development will take many years. My article is more focused on the players who have already developed and are already in the national team set up. But I still think that the national team can improve immensly with an outstanding coach. Whether Ange is up to the challenge, only time will tell.
Why an Australian coach was not the best option
“short term mercenaries who have zilch emotional attachment to football in Australia”
That is precisely the attitude we need to change.
Why an Australian coach was not the best option
J Binnie – You are correct. I am disillusioned by the process of hiring a new coach, not the coach himself. All I wanted from the FFA was to exhaust all possible options, talk to as many managers as possible, and after all that if they felt Ange was the best manager they could get, that’s fine. However, I feel like the FFA has not done that and they have simply taken the easy option of getting a local coach due to an outcry for an Australian coach.
Fussball – my personal choice is Marcelo Bielsa. I remember after the 2010 World Cup when he was available and FFA went for Holger instead. I do not claim that getting Bielsa is a simple matter or that it is even possible. I do however expect FFA to at least do everything in their power to convince him to coach our national team. That did not happen as far as I’m concerned and that is my main issue.
Why an Australian coach was not the best option
That title is not mine. My original title was “The FFA Sell Out”
Why an Australian coach was not the best option
Thanks for all your comments. Glad my article was worthy enough to be read and enjoyed.
J binnie – Great points. You are correct in that tactical trends are just adjustments of past ideas. Tactics are in a constant state of renewal and change.
Again, appreciate all of you taking your time to read and comment.
Bayern and Borussia: Total defending and verticality
Sounds like a complex way of playing to me
Cruyff's paradox: is tiki-taka football simple or complex?
True comment about Flores and Messi being equally creative. They might be. The difference is in the technique. That is why it is so hard to identify truly creative players, because where does technique and skill come into this argument? If skill were no barrier, there would be more creative players in football. More painters, musicians etc. Playing in streets present a multidimensional playing area with many obstacles. A regular football pitch is boring and generic. Good for practising pattern plays but not as stimulating as street football.
Breaking down creativity in football
There are similarities between Brisbane Roar and Sacchi’s Milan. Where they actually creative, or just well drilled? It certainly helps when a team is well structured so that they have a platform with which to be creative. I think that intelligence and creativity are closely linked as well. Perhaps you can think of creative plays as plays which go against the next logical step. The illogical pass or shot on goal can be classified as spontaneous creativity. Thanks for your comment.
Breaking down creativity in football
Cheers for your comment. I think that Ange Postecoglou himself wasn’t afraid to fail. A coach who is trying to implement a style of football which is risky because it might fail is a hallmark of creative thinking. You could say that by being different, you are automatically creative to a certain extent. I think the key reason as to why Ange was successful at Brisbane was that he himself was in the “open mode” or if you like in a mode where he CHOSE to deliberately take risky decisions. I believe this feeling transmitted to his players, freeing the players from the burden of the fear of making mistakes, simply because Ange admitted that he wasn’t afraid to make mistakes himself. It created a mutual understanding, or relaxation, and allowed natural creativity to flow. The problem begins when you have a coach and his players not mutually agreeing to a way of operating. Then, relaxation cannot happen and people start to question mistakes rather than question solutions. Cheers again mate.
Breaking down creativity in football
Thank you. “Thinking” is something which we as a football nation are lacking.
The most famous shape in football: the triangle
Name a time and a place haha. Thank you.
The most famous shape in football: the triangle
Once again, I need to clarify. I never said you need a PhD to create a great football team. That’s because triangulation occurs naturally in every game. You do not need to tell the players what it is and how to perform it, simply because the players automatically perform it without realising it. The whole point of my article was to explain the geometry behind it, and why it helps a team keep possession of the ball. It’s an article for curiosity, not a thesis which you must learn and remember. By the way, if you have more of the ball, you will have more opportunities to score a goal using 3 passess or less. Possession is fundamental.
The most famous shape in football: the triangle
Of course you could get triangles playing a 442. I am not saying 433 is automatically better than 442. I wrote the article to try and give the reasons why triangles are important in football. I try to explain how correct spacing is acheived. I simply made the comparison between the 442 and 433 to for simplicity. You could use any two formations really, and find weaknesses and strengths in each. Lastly, this fear of going into the deep analysis of movement and pattern is why Australia are lagging behind the top nations. Football is more complicated than you think. Do you think Marcelo Bielsa would say “this is precisely why we shouldn’t let people loose on whiteboards to draw diagrams”? No. Neither would Pep, Jose etc. Appreciate your comment nonetheless even if I don’t agree with your points.
The most famous shape in football: the triangle
By the way, if you go to my website www.stoptalkingnonsense.blogspot.com.au you can see the diagram I drew which explains the concept of triangulation and hopefully make it easier to understand.
The most famous shape in football: the triangle
Yes, exactly. Straight lines reduce your angles of options. Whereas being in the middle of a triangle, a defender has to turn and cover a greater distance to mark a player with the ball.
The most famous shape in football: the triangle
Yes, Kebab, that is why football is so brilliant and complicated at the same time. It is 360 degrees. That is why we must deeply understand what is happening on the pitch. We can’t simply follow the ball because we miss 99% of the game which happens off the ball. Football is not simple, we can’t simply settle for mediocrity. We must appreciate, understand and apply.
The most famous shape in football: the triangle
Thank you for taking the time out of your day to read my article in the first place! Not to mention taking the time to comment as well. It’s much appreciated. It always gives me a buzz when people do that.
I would have also loved if Hiddink came back but as you say it’s not always possible to get the man you want simply because of money which is a shame. Imagine if football in this country had the money of the NRL or AFL. We will one day of course, it’s just a shame that we have to wait a while longer. In any case, I stand 100% behind Ange and he has my full support as I’m sure most people do.
Why an Australian coach was not the best option