May 29, 2007
Houllier to coach Socceroos?
My favourite blogger Jesse Fink is at it again and raises some poignant points on the prospect of Gérard Houllier taking over the rein of the Australian National team.
I’ll be interested to read your feedback.
I prefer this blog! There is a higher percentage of informed bloggers with superior knowledge through playing, administering and coaching, than Jesse Fink’s blogs.
Houllier has a mediocre record in international football. He had a modicum of success with the French national team, who failed to qualify or the World Cup in the nineties. He also gained notoriety for personally attacking his players. The failure to qualify for successive World Cups, resulted in an overhaul of the French football system. To his credit, Houllier was the architect of the French transformation at Clairefontaine. This is axiomatically regarded as the best development system in the world.
Houllier has been successful coaching in France, winning successive French league titles. Furthermore, his team Lyon, has performed well in the ACL against teams with much bigger budgets. His tenure at Liverpool was relatively unsuccessful, given the propensity of that club for winning titles.
Blackjack, I think you belong to a number of people who are relatively dissatisfied with Graham Arnold. It is useful to dichotomise his tenure into, performances, and, his stature within the Soceroos. I would argue he has been successful in achieving the objective of qualifying for the Asian Cup. The defeat in Kuwait was in the hottest city in the world in the hottest month. I have lived in Kuwait City in August and September. The temperature during the day is usually between 45 degrees and 50 degrees. It would usually be between 38 degrees and 42 degrees at the time tof the Socceroos match. Pundits in Australai completely overlooked this phenomenon. It would have been difficult for any team, other than local teams in Saudi and the Gulf, to excel in those conditions without many weeks preparation. If Craig Foster had been on the ground in Kuwait City, like Mike Cockerill, he would have been more empathetic! Other than the loss against Denmark which with a different ref could have been 3-3, Arnold has performed with qualified success.
The second part of Arnold’s tenure, is his status within the team. I am now subscribing to the notion that he is too lenient with senior players who decide when and where they play. Conversely, the Uruguay team is at full strength in preparation for their next big tournament. They have all had long seasons in Europe too. Therefore there is a case for a bigger name coach. One who expects the players to play for the Socceroos whenever there is a match on, rather than listening to a litany of extenuating circumstances. Sadly a more eminent coach will cost extra money which could be better spent on football development within this country.
Houllier is also unaware of the nuances of Asian football. To my knowledge he wouldn’t have Arnold’s first hand coaching and playing experience (Japan) in Asian conditions. Many on other forums question Arnold’s coaching credentialls, but often from positions of ignorance and they simply reiterate other pundits’ arguments.
One other factor for Houllier, is a big name coach will generate more coverage from the apathetic and ambivalent mainstream Australian media.
Would Houllier live in Australia, or, be based in Europe relying on an assistant like Arnold to conduct reconaissance on A League players. Australian based players are quickly closing the gap in terms of technical ability on the Lower Leagues in Europe.
There are arguments for and against Houllier. It would also be interesting to evaluate Arnold’s performance in the Asian Cup.
I have been concerned he hasn’t assembled a squad of fringe A League players to remain fit and tactically aware for the Asian Cup. They could have also trained in Darwin or Thailand to acclimatise. I have also lived in Thailand. The players could go into a camp there for a nominal amount of money. Unlike the European players, they could have been culturally and climatically assimilated in preparation for the Asian Cup. Hiddink did this with the Korean team before the 2002 World Cup.
Comment by Decentric — May 29, 2007 @ 11:58 pm
Decentric, first of all thank you for singing the praises of the Blackjack Blog. I have seen your posts on the TWG forum (I only read it, don’t contribute) and I do appreciate the positive feedback and recommendations I have received from you. From my perspective, on this side of the computer, I believe we are very much like a duck on a pond. We may look smooth (a few waves to contend with) but underneath we are paddling like crazy. At least that’s the way it seems.
To your post…contrary to your belief I’m NOT opposed to Graham Arnold per se. I believe he has been a coach who has been exposed to an amazing period of Australian Football. The experience he has been exposed to through his involment with Guus Hiddink must be like drinking ambrosia after spending years wandering through the desert. But I think he’s still caught up in the euphoria of that experience when what is really required is for him to get his head (and those of Australia’s next generation of footballers) down with little compromise to any quarter (overseas clubs included) so that we can take the next step on the ladder of success. To do this requires a hard task master and one who who is almost monofocused. Graham Arnold is the players mate. He makes a brilliant assistant coach and does that buffering job better than I have seen any other (Scheinflug, etc.) I don’t think he is the BEST option as head senior coach.
Can Houllier do this job? I think not, for all the reason you correctly point out. He’s not familiar with Asian football (but Arnold is or is becoming so). He has had only moderate successes with Liverpool, France, etc. but has had his day in the sun with Lyon. Houllier may serve to purpose of a ‘technical director’ to Australian football but not as it senior coach. If Graham Arnold doesn’t have the coaching credentials, Houllier doesn’t have the Asian acumen or runs on the board at a National level. I do believe Houllier is being ‘head hunted’ by the greatest benovolent dictator in Australian sport, Mr Frank Lowy.
Comment by Blackjack — May 30, 2007 @ 12:42 am
Arnold is incapable of doing the job himself. From what I have seen and read he played a big part being the link between Hiddink and the squad. As a coach I find him mediocre and haven’t found his selections up until the Uruguay squad that desirable. To his credit though his interaction with managers such as Benitez and Moyes must be commended. I think he means well, and has learnt a lot from his experiences.
Houllier hasn’t had the best track record but lets get real. Who else would want to manager Australia? Lets be honest we haven’t got the history, culture and infrastructure of many nations. Our ability to try and attact a manager of a decent standard is severely lacking. What Houllier brings to the table is a clear understanding of development structures. This is what we genuinely need, even if the national team has to make some sacrifices.
Blackjack, I don’t really understand your criticism of Houllier not being familiar with Asian football. Who is really? We have been part of Asia for all of basically a few months. So during our Oceania years did we need a coach who was familiar with Oceania, or South America? What about our players? The best players from Australia are playing in Europe. Big Phil Scolari had no European experience… yet he took Portugal through to the Semi’s. This idea would also put Beenhaker, Neeskens, Allardyce or Coppell whose names have been put forward in many different public forums.
I honestly don’t think Australia football fans will be happy with anything they get until the manager starts winning games. I think Houllier is a good choice. Better the devil you know…
Comment by 1878 — May 30, 2007 @ 1:49 am
Two very considered and informed appraisals people! I am not as convinced the Graham would have done as well without the influence of Hiddink from whom I think he would have learned much. Houllier, it would appear, excels at finding and developing younger players but may well not be the man to take a team to the next level. The question I guess is who is available, who wants the job down here so far from the “limelight” of Europe or South America and who can we afford? Graham Arnold would always give 110% for Australia and no one would doubt his desire and work ethic. I am not sure he has that extra something needed, for example, to do what Hiddink did in such a short time to get the best from his players who, but for a dive and a poor refereeing decision, may have made the quarter finals of the World Cup. To be honest I am at a loss as to who FFA should approach but I don’t think Gerard is the right man. Maybe Jose Mourinho would be free when Chelsea push him out?
Comment by A whisper — May 30, 2007 @ 9:11 am
A corollary to the original point of eminent Socceroos not showing for this match. On Total Football tonight, John Kosmina claimed the difference between the big names of the Socceroos failing to commit to this match and the attendance by the Uruguayans, was because of the 2006 World Cup. The Uruguayan players had a rest for 6 weeks or so between seasons last year, due to their failure to qualify for the World Cup. The Socceroos had between a few weeks rest to nothing at all. Kosmina stated the fatigue factor was much greater for the Australians than the Uruguayans, because of the off season rest differential amidst seasons last year.
cor·ol·lar·y (kôr’ə-lěr’ē, kŏr’-) n. pl. cor·ol·lar·ies
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1. A proposition that follows with little or no proof required from one already proven.
2. A deduction or an inference.
3. A natural consequence or effect; a result. BJ (just wanted to explain that to those that don’t know. See, this blog serves many purposes!!
Comment by Decentric — May 31, 2007 @ 10:41 pm
Frank Lowy is now stating Arnold will be replaced after the Asian Cup regardless of the result. Ironically the Socceroos are playing good football under his tenure. I recently viewed a match against England in 2003. I was out of the country at that time and misssed the match. The Socceroos were barely recognisable from the possession brand of football they currently play.
It seems many knowledgeable pundits, even if disappointed by the termination of Arnold’s coaching tenure, argue it would be counterproductive to employ a coach (ie Houllier) who employs a different methodology from that currently employed by Arnold. He has continued the Hiddink style, which has been successful for us. Lowy seems to lack judgement in this regard, unless he is acting on some inexplicably misplaced advice from some football circles close to him. If the consensus from informed pundits is eminently sensible, lets hope we get a coach like Leo Beenhakker, or another prominent Dutch coach with Asian international experience. Hiddink worked as Beenhakker’s assistant in Saudi Arabia.
Comment by Decentric — June 3, 2007 @ 11:08 pm