How Coaches Affect The Destiny Of Teams

It seems like coaches influence the destiny of a football team even more than the players who actually take the field. Here is an example of some teams either doing much better than their usual performances and/or punching way above their weight and then a list of teams full of stars and top class professionals and frustrating the hell out of their supporters. This list is made in the names of the head coaches of the teams because that is where it seems most of the plaudits or brickbats should be directed.


THUMBS UP :-

1. Fabio Capello – Overhyped pretenders every time but Don Fabio has made genuine contenders out of them. Since I began watching football, it’s never happened that England have qualified for a major tournament in such style.

2. Guus Hiddink – The magic worker is at it yet again. For a team that used to struggle to qualify they look as if they would be a match for almost any team now. Anyone wanting to bet on Russia not beating Germany in their home ground next month?

3. Paul Le Guen – Before he came Cameroon had 1 point from two games while Gabon led the group with 6 points from the same number of games. Now Cameroon have 7 points from four games, top the table while Gabon have added two more games with no points. Let us not forget that this is the man who largely built the wonderful Lyon team that dominated French football for many years and was then succeeded by Gerrard Houllier who continued his great work.

4. Javier Aguirre – Mexico were in danger of not making the playoffs before he came. Now they are one point away from top placed USA. At this point anyone would say they look like the likely group winners.

THUMBS DOWN :-

1. Diego Maradona – A team that has the best possible attacking options in the entire world available to them are in real danger of missing the world cup this time – unthinkable. It seems as if the only reason for their predicament is that they are coached by their greatest playing legend ever who has no idea of what a football coach is supposed to do. In their last two matches Argentina needed 6 or at least 4 points. What did they get – a big zero. Even with just two matches left, Maradona needs to be fired with immediate effect. I have often noticed that when a coach is doing too badly and is fired, no matter who is brought in as a replacement, the team seems suddenly galvanised. It’s as if the dark cloud is lifted. Two examples I can immediately think of are Juventus when Ranieri was fired and Newcastle United when Graeme Souness was fired. Firing Maradona is just the impetus that Argentina need right now.

2. Raymond Domenech – A team that has top class professionals in virtually every position suffers due to an absolutely inert but extremely stubborn coach. The French FA retaining Domenech after Euro 2008 was one of the worst decisions any country ever made in the history of football. And now if Maradona is not immediately sacked, even this level of stupidity shown by France will be exceeded by Argentina.

3. Carlos Queiroz – A very curious fact in football is that a lot of top class asistant coaches just don’t cut it when given the top job. Henk Ten Cate and Sammy Lee are two other examples I can immediately think of.