There has been plenty of reaction since the decision of the CSA to hire Stephen Hart as Canada's next World Cup coach. Even the most loyal of supporters appear to be grasping at straws in making a case for solidly backing the decision. Hacking your way through the fluff is really quite straight forward. Better to come to terms with the realities, accept them and then move on positively. In regards to Hart, this translates into recognizing his inexperience, his lack of substantive success of any significance and his unrealistic over-simplified approach to building team spirit. In reality, most national coaches bring to the table a more pragmatic resume including coaching at the professional level for many years.
There are a few positives however. He knows Canadian players well, he has CONCACAF experience and players like him. Important to keep in mind this last point, which is not always beneficial in the formula for coaching success, especially if your players are not at the level of your opponents as Jason Devos from CBC correctly points out. It should be recognized that to beat superior opposition you first and foremost need a terrific collective mentality. Outworking and competing harder than your opposition at the World Cup level is no easy task and requires great strength of character – something extra special. Before even considering a tactical approach or an ability to prepare players on the field, players need to be motivated to overachieve.
Being too nice a guy is not always the best way to get this done – our players tend to be way too comfortable and coddled. They have no trouble giving opinions or voicing what needs to be done but when they end up playing at Azteca stadium in front of 120,000 people at 6,000 feet altitude in the middle of July, they no longer have too much to say and need some special direction. A nice guy approach, while great for team harmony, is limited in many other areas. Our recent World Cup history should identify we have been unable to generate this extra special competitiveness and every indication is that this inability will continue with Hart.
Unfortunately the CSA naively continues to listen to what players have to say in regards to the hiring or firing of the national men’s coach. It has happened too many times in the past from Holger Osieck’s dismissal to Frank Yallop’s hiring and then the finger pointing and undermining of Dale Mitchell. The Osieck to Frank Yallop exchange was a debacle of significant proportions. Holger was our best bet to qualify at the time. He knew the system, the players, and the approach he would take as it was his second time round. A relatively poor Gold Cup showing, in large part due to the blooding of young players and untimely injuries, is all it took to blow the 2006 campaign to smithereens. Listening to Canadian players in the area of hiring/firing coaches can get you in real serious trouble and shows a lack of savvy and vision from the decision-making brigade. Paradoxically for players it is counter productive as it often prevents the maximization of their own motivation as a result of limited accountability.
While the CSA is making great strides by beginning to restructure the mechanics of its own board – bringing aboard outside assistance/talent is a significant move in the right direction – the current system of allowing directors with no significant playing or coaching background to select national coaches of any level is clearly illogical. Until it includes a committee of technically talented individuals with the experience to make the decisions in this important area then mistakes will continue to be made. If any country in the world has to get this right it is Canada.
What was required at this juncture was a special kind of thinking – outside the box. Find an Italian or Argentine coach of similar ilk to a Trapattoni or Capello, if not the same standard. Very tough, very smart, and tactically special. Fund it through a benefactor or corporate sponsor. Frank Stronach, Greg Kerfoot, Rogers, MLSE et al. The timing for outside assistance in this area could not be better. In the past this has not been the case but since the inclusion of TFC into the MLS the landscape has changed. There can never be guarantees with any approach the CSA take because as mentioned earlier, our depth of talent is limited. Nevertheless, it seemed rather obvious this time around that a different approach using outside help was desperately needed. Look no further than England. Keegan to Eriksson to McClaren to Capello.
Having said all that Hart is now here to stay. Being creative in how he prepares the team over the next four years will be essential. In the early 90’s a more youthful Roy Hodgson produced miracles with the Swiss national team, qualifying them for a Euro and World Cup championship. A part of his approach was to come to an agreement with the Swiss league clubs to have national team players report to training every Monday during the season. This went on for a number of years. Maybe Stephen can apply a similar approach albeit in camp formations during the winter months. Integrating Preki and Thordarson somehow, would be another positive move (if it can be done), as it would provide a stronger vested interest from all sides.
What will not work is taking the same approach as we have in past campaigns. The results would undoubtedly be the same.
