Sportsnob – Critics Corner

The story of the BCCI selecting the national team coach achieved soap opera proportions today with Gary Kirsten emerging as the front runner. It’s almost like an Ekta Kapoor serial; every once in a while a new character keeps cropping up and keep all parties interested. (Not that I have watched Ekta Kapoor’s saas-bahu dramas). Coming to think of it, it is exactly like the FA’s process to appoint the English coach! Lots of names are thrown about; the tabloid media runs around trying to get sound bytes and after a lot of chaos a third or fourth choice candidate emerges to get the job.

Why Gary Kirsten? What has he done as a coach that has convinced men like Sunil Gavaskar, Ravi Shastri and S. Venkatraghavan that he is indeed the man for the job? Sure, he may have a vision and may be good with powerpoints but the man has had no experience! And this is the Indian team we are talking about, not the Chennai Superstars or Delhi Jets. Shastri, Gavaskar and Venkat were the men who appointed Greg Chappell. Chappell was a big name with a vision but had no experience and we all know how it turned out. And what happened to John Buchanan? He might just be worth a shot and the BCCI can certainly afford whatever he is asking for.

What continues to baffle me is that the best option is already in Bangalore. His name is Dav Whatmore. Whatmore has had tremendous success in the subcontinent and with two teams. He handles giant egos (De Silva, Ranatunga) and youngsters (the entire Bangladesh team) really well. And yet the BCCI, in its infinite wisdom has appointed him the chairperson of the National Cricket Academy.

Nearly third of the season gone by, which teams have proved their mettle and which teams have fallen by the wayside. We examine in closer detail.

 Expectations met:

Derby County:

Even before the season started Derby County was widely tipped to go down, and they haven’t surprised. They have been woeful this season. Not a single away goal in more than 10 hours of football. I’m imagining every team that is due to play them is rubbing their hands in glee, much like Lampard in front of table full of pies.

The question on everyone’s lips “Are they even worse than the last Sunderland team that went down?”.

 

Manchester United:

If there was a remarks section in the report card , this is what it will read. Expectations met. It might me a tad harsh on the team that is current second in the table, but that is a consequence of the standards that Manchester United set the last season. And  they could have got only stronger with talents like Tevez,Nani, Hargreaves and Anderson coming in. Scratch Anderson actually, he is a cheating,diving ,despicable git. Anyways, I digress. Struggled early on in the season with scratchy wins, but Utd fans will rightly argue that is that hallmark of Champion. They, now, have found their form recently with some spectacular wins. They will be challenging for the title right till the end.

The question on everyone’s lips “Is Carlos Tevez the ugliest man in world football?”

Hi-Flyers of the season:

Arsenal:

 

Written off by all and sundry even before a ball was kicked, Arsenal had everything to lose this season. If “experts” were to be believed, Arsenal will fighting it out with the likes of Blackburn and Spurs for the final Champions league spot. But, I think its fair to say that they have proved everyone wrong this season. Scored the maximum number of goals, taken the highest number of points ,they are flying high at the top of the table. People will still point to the skewed fixture list which has made Arsenal play a disproportional amount of home games, but when you can boss Liverpool at Anfield, you are surely made of sterner stuff.

The litmus test for the young gunners will be December, away ties at St.James’, Goodison, Villa Park and home ties against Chelsea and Spurs will test the depth of the squad and also the resolve of this team.

The question on everyone’s lips “When will this run stop and they implode in spectacular fashion?” The Answer “Ha! You wish!”.

Manchester City:

Things were looking rather downcast at the Eastlands at the start of the season. Couldn’t buy a win at home, about to be taken over by a Shady man with even seedier connections, and perhaps most worryingly a team that is going to be managed by an uninspiring manager.

A 100% home record, a team playing one touch football beautiful football, and a manager who seems as thought a burden has been lifted off his shoulders. Sven has been refreshing in his candour in his interviews , honest in his assessments and bereft of the moaning that plagues prem managers these days. And his team hasn’t too bad either, the likes of Petrov and Elano are contenders for buys of the season. Man City continue to confound critics and keep winning and my bet to finish in the top 5.

The question on everyone’s lips “How does Sven get to bed all the pretty blond chicks?”

 

Chumps of the Season:

Tottenham Hotspurs:

To say they have disappointed might be an understatement of gross proportions. Languishing at the bottom the table, a defence that is leaking goals, and 2 wins in 13 is hardly Champions league spot form.

And its fair to say they hardly covered themselves in glory in the way the whole Martin Jol affair. Farcical to say the least. Juande Ramos has a big big task in his hands. A club which probably has the most deluded set of supporters , its going to be a huge ask to turn this club around. Have they got their right man? Only time will tell, but he had Seville punching way above their weight, perhaps no one should be surprised if Spurs do the same.

The question on everyone’s lips “How much longer before we can laugh at them? Again”

 

Special Mentions:

Snores of the season:

Liverpool. To put it mildly, I’d rather watch my fingernails grow or paint dry. And don’t throw the Besiktas game in my face.

The forgotten team:

Why isn’t anyone talking about Chelsea anymore?

The inevitable was merely delayed, almost in the manner of a condemned man at the guillotine waiting for her royal highness to finish her cake. And much as that analogy left a lot to be desired, so did Steve McClaren’s ability to guide England through the choppy waters of their EURO 2008 qualifying group. The players’ performances on the night were abysmal, hardly aided by the driving rain and bog standard pitch, but the manager got his tactics wrong almost from the start. Maybe someday he will be more successful, but it won’t be with England.

In the wake of his departure, rumours have been flying thick and fast as to the identity of his potential replacements – Fabio Capello, Jose Mourinho, Luiz Felipe Scolari and Jurgen Klinsmann are just some of the names that have been thrown into the hat. But which one wants it the most? Or more to the point, who does the FA want?

Don Fabio has been an unqualified success wherever he has managed in club football – Milan, Juventus, Roma and Real Madrid can all testify to that fact. Less than 24 hours after the job was up for grabs, Capello said that it would be a “beautiful challenge”. He later claimed that he had been joking, but many believe that the interest was genuine. It remains to be seen whether the FA will take him seriously enough to offer him the job.

Similar stories have appeared in the media about Jurgen Klinsmann’s interest as well. The whole world sat up and took notice when he guided Germany to the semi-finals of the World Cup. Yet again, it’s in the FA’s hands as to whether they want him or not. It does seem odd that so many people are coming out and declaring their interest in the job – taking the FA for mugs has now become a transparent process. (Qualify for tournament, get knocked out in the quarters, wait for media to turn on you, accept massive pay-off after being forced to quit – McClaren would have loved to have gotten that far.) Still, the thought of a German managing England is almost inconceivable.

Scolari has proved himself more than once on the big stage – WC winners 2002, Euro finalists 2004, WC semis 2006. And his teams eliminated England on all three occasions, which leads to an instinctive belief that he may be the man to finally take them one step further. Heck, he’s still keen on the job, according to reports. But after the way he turned down the England position last year, it’s very unlikely that the snubbed FA will offer him a second bite of the apple.

Mourinho, as usual, is a case all to himself. It has been rumoured that several executives from the FA have been in touch with Jose’s agents, and there are indications that he might be keen on the job too. However, in sharp contrast to the others, he wants the FA to make direct contact with him – someone on the board, possibly Brian Barwick himself – and will keep his mouth shut until then. Mourinho might be just what England need – a man who can achieve success playing attractive football (remember Chelsea 2004-05, anybody?), and someone who might, just might, be able to get Lampard and Gerrard to dovetail in midfield. Plus the press couldn’t get up his back anymore than they did at Stamford Bridge. Or could they?
Other possibilities: Guus Hiddink, Alan Shearer, Marcelo Lippi

Recommendation to the FA: Fabio Capello – The man is adaptable, has his tactics spot on, can bring the best out of any group of players, and most importantly has an ego big enough to handle both the Media as well as the ‘names’ in the England Squad. Needs a translator though – Mourinho, perhaps?

England will not be in the finals of a major football tournament for the first time since the 1994 World Cup, as they lost to Croatia 2-3 at the Wembley. In a dramatic night, Croatia went two goals ahead after 14 minutes but England drew level after half-time with a Frank Lampard penalty and an excellent Peter Crouch finish.

However, Petric’s winner in the 77th minute and Russia’s 1-0 win in Andorra means England will have to watch the other big European countries converge in Austria-Switzerland for the Euro Championships.

England has one of the best squads, with lots of superstars, no doubt. But it takes an inspirational manager to mould the squad into a world-class team. England under McClaren, never looked like a ‘team’. Frank Lampard is at best, an overrated player who has Essien and Makelele doing the dirty job behind him at Chelsea. Gerrard is inspirational for Liverpool where he is surrounded by good foreign players but when has he ever shone in the English team?

No one can question their passion but Lampard and Gerrard just do not have the technique or the skill of a Fabregas or a Scholes. When was the last time we saw Lampard providing a defence-splitting pass for an England striker to score? And when his goals dried up, all we could see was a one-dimensional player. That players like Xabi Alonso, and even Cesc Fabregas sometimes do not make it to the first team, shows the quality Spain has.

Agreed that the English media puts tremendous pressure on its players but then it is the same case with Spain, Italy, and France. In fact, Spain’s Luis Aragones faced calls for resignation almost through the entire qualifying campaign.

It is not fair to put the blame entirely on Steve McClaren, his selection and tactics, since England players are not as good as they are hyped up to be. The huge influx of foreign players has definitely had a negative impact on the English national team, with fewer English youngsters getting a chance to prove themselves.

But then, who can blame top English teams like Manchester United, Arsenal and Liverpool preferring to sign Portugese and Spanish youngsters when the only other option is English youngsters with limited technique. One would feel compelled to put the blame on the FA again for their failure to develop players at the grass-root level.

The failure to reach the Euro Championships (from a relatively easier group) might actually be a blessing in disguise. It has revealed some serious issues for the English FA to address. The FA has to take this opportunity and take some sincere efforts to improve youngsters at the grass-root levels. The English Premier League might be one of the best and most entertaining leagues in the world, but that just conceals the rot at the national level. It’s the bitter truth – England never truly deserved to make it to Euro 2008.

Teams for Euro Championships at 2008.

Switzerland Croatia
Austria Italy
Greece Czech Republic
Holland Sweden

Germany Poland
Romania France
Portugal Turkey
Spain Russia

Over the next few months, the future of India’s two biggest sports will come into the hands of two Australian men. First Dav Whatmore will take over as the head of the National Cricket Academy, just months after being a certainty to take over the national team. The National Cricket Academy has been in very poor condition of late and has been plagued with problems such lack of vision and continuity and Whatmore’s appointment might just be the tonic required to revive it.

But more interestingly (at least to me!) Australian legend Rick Charlesworth will take over as the technical director of Indian Hockey. The move has largely been driven by the efforts of the International Field Hockey Federation (FIH). The FIH believes (rightly) that the success of the Indian team is crucial to the future of the game and has launched a program to promote the game in India. Part of the program is trying to improve the game at the grassroot level in India and hence the appointment of Charlesworth.

Who is Rick Charlesworth anyway?

Charlesworth comes to India with probably a coaching resume that is on par with the best in any sport. After a stellar career as a player in the 1970 and the 1980s, Charlesworth took charge of the Australian Women’s Hockey team in the early 1990s and made them into the sort of dominating force that is now associated with the Australian cricket team. The womens team went to win the Olympic gold medals in 1996 and 2000, the Champions trophy in 1993, 1995, 1997 and 1999 and also the World Cup in between. Before the current role, Charlesworth was performance consultant with the New Zealand cricket team (did I mention he was a state cricket player too?) and has been in demand with the English Cricket board interested in hiring him. Oh, and he was also elected by the people of Perth to the National Parliament and was in the Parliament for 10 years.

Hockey Renaissance?

Since 1983, India’s national game has had the misfortune of being overshadowed by India’s obsession- cricket. To be honest, Indian Hockey teams haven’t exactly covered themselves in glory over the past two decades- a few bright spots (such as the Asian Games Gold in 2002) not enough to erase other failures, especially the ones in the Olympic Games. Frankly, Indian Hockey lost its way thanks to the inability to keep up with technology changes and the transformation of Hockey from a skill only sport to a sport also dependent on pace and power.

Administrators and former players have long complained about the lack of interest in the national game but a good performance in the Beijing Olympics will definitely bring the interest and money into the game. The Indian Hockey team seems to be on an upward trajectory under Joaquim Carvalho (winning the Asia Cup in Chennai and finishing third in Sultan Azlan Shah Cup in Malaysia) and is playing good attacking Hockey. (the team is yet to qualify for the Olympics though and needs to win the qualifying event in Santiago, Chile)

Potential Pitfalls:

Charlesworth’s road in Indian Hockey is going to be full of potholes. One, there is bound to be inertia from current coaches and former players. Two, Charlesworth (unlike Whatmore) has only worked in a system where everything has been methodical and systematic from the age-group levels. Three, Charlesworth has a reputation for being forthright with his views and this may not go well with the IHF. ( I am looking at you Mr. Gill). Four, people are expecting results far too soon and I get the feeling he is going to be judged prematurely.

Also, what exactly is Charlesworth’s role in the current setup going to be. All parties involved have made it clear that he is not going to be involved in the activities of the national teams but is going to be working behind the scenes. Again, this will require clear co-ordination on the part of the IHF, the state bodies and organizations like Indian Airlines (which hire the players) and our Hockey hasn’t exactly been famous for organization.

It would great if Charlesworth gets involved in the youth structure and looks at improving the technique, the strength and physical aspects of the players who are emerging on the national scene. Also, he is expected to be involved in training coaches and this could have a significant impact on Indian Hockey as well. According to reports, Charlesworth is set for the long haul and is coming with his wife and kids to settle down in December.

India is yearning for heroes (of any type) and if Mr. Charlesworth can help in any way in producing a few on the hockey field, this entire exercise will be quite worth it.

An article on Dav Whatmore’s appointment will appear here later this week.

Not much seems to have gone right for the Indian Cricket League since the idea was floated. Firstly it was announced that the ICL players wouldn’t be allowed to play first class cricket, which meant that they weren’t really able to attract good players. Then, there was the problem with the grounds, with state associations refusing to let their grounds out for ICL use. Then, some players who had signed backed out (Yousuf, LR Shukla) and went back to their host associations. Then there was the problem with the timing of the tournament given the Indian national team’s hectic schedule. And last but not the least, really badly designed uniforms.

Kolkotta Tigers and Hyderabad Heroes

Finally, a good eight months after the concept was floated, the ICL teams have been announced. And for a change, something seems to be going right for Subhash Chandra and his team. It looks like there has been some method to the madness by which players got recruited. When players started signing up for the ICL left right and center, it seemed as though they were poaching any tom, dick and harry. Now, it looks like there was some kind of system to the poaching. Has to do something with the geography.

The main thing that the ICL has done right is to have concentrated on a few Ranji teams and poached wholesale from them. If you managed to read cricinfo’s preview of the current Ranji season, where they profiled each team, a state was either unaffected by the ICL or heavily affected. By poaching wholesale from one state team, what the ICL has managed is to have a geographically identified core group around which a team could be built.

Teams like Kolkota Tigers and Hyderabad Heroes have had it easy, given the number of guys from Bengal and Hyderabad and Andhra who switched over into the ICL. And these guys have formed the core of these teams. Similarly, the Madras and Chandigarh team have benefited from “mass migration”. Yes, the Delhi and Mumbai teams look fairly motley – but that has been mainly because they haven’t been drawn mainly from single sources as other teams. However, on the whole, the ICL seems to have done a far better job of player distribution amongst teams when compared to the only other similar exercise – the premier hockey league, where players were fairly randomly distributed among the franchises giving each team little geographic identity.

The way most of these teams have been configured (ok i’m really stretching it here) reminds me of one article I had read in the ToI some 3 years back about the Milan team of the 1980s. That was the time when football teams had just started recruiting foreign players in big numbers. Milan had recruited the three Dutch stalwarts – Gullit, van Basten and Rijkaard. And the rest of the team was made up of local homegrown academy players. Thus, they managed to retain their traditional fan base while bringing in foreigners. The ToI article had gone on to say that the lack of local talent led to a massive erosion of support for Real Madrid during the galacticos era.

Challenges in the horizon

Similarly, here, the local guys in each team have been backed up by either retired or fringe international players. The team of coaches also looks quite good. The ICL had initially mentioned that each team would have about six local young talents. The number of unknown names in each list makes me believe they are actually sticking to that. It would be a great experience for these youngsters to be playing alongside the likes of Lara and Inzy and Cairns, and some might even grow up to be good enough for the BCCI to recognize the ICL and bring them to the mainstream.

Of course, challenges still remain. Zee Sports, where it will be telecast, reaches few homes. Demand won’t be strong enough for cable operators to take out one of the big sports channels and provide Zee sports. Tata SKY doesn’t offer the channel. That leaves just the Zee-controlled Dish TV system, not a huge audience. The matches themselves will be played in some nondescript stadium in Panchkula in Haryana. It is close to Chandigarh but I’m not sure about the crowds. Then, it is doubtful if the rest of the mainstream media will even cover these matches. That might have a huge bearing on the effect of the ICL.

Photo Courtesy: Bombay Bitch