Ferrara failure highlights weakness of rookies
Reuters - Friday 29 January 2010, 14:24
MILAN - Clubs will be more wary about
appointing inexperienced big names as managers after Juventus's
Ciro Ferrara became the latest rookie manager to be sacked on
Friday.
Barcelona's Pep Guardiola is a rarity in being a huge
success in his first big club job, leading the Catalans to six
trophies last year including the Champions League.
His achievement was one of the reasons Juve decided to name
former defender Ferrara as coach following Claudio Ranieri's
surprise dismissal in May.
The 42-year-old, who had only worked as a Juve youth coach
and assistant to Italy boss Marcello Lippi, made a good start
but when results started to go wrong his side failed to react to
any of his tactical or motivational moves.
"Ferrara doesn't know how to manage a group. Juve needs
rebuilding," well-known Italian pundit Mario Sconcerti wrote in
Corriere della Sera, acknowledging that under-performing new
recruits like Diego and a raft of injuries have not helped.
Juve were dumped out of the Champions League at the group
stage following an embarrassing 4-1 home defeat by Bayern Munich
and then went on a run of five defeats in six Serie A games.
Thursday's Italian Cup quarter-final defeat at Inter Milan
was the last straw for Juve's directors, who had tried to give
Ferrara extra time to turn the situation around and vindicate
their decision to go with inexperience.
AC Milan were another Italian club who plumped for a rookie
coach for this season.
Brazilian Leonardo, a fluent speaker of five languages, had
been working part-time as a director at Milan but was chosen to
replace Carlo Ancelotti when the Italian headed for Chelsea.
The choice of Milan owner Silvio Berlusconi was partly
financial, Leonardo was already on the payroll and the Italian
prime minister did not want to go chasing an expensive
experienced manager given he has reined in his soccer spending.
PLAN BACKFIRED
Guardiola's stunning start in Spain also played a part in
Leonardo's appointment, as well as the belief that good players
do not need a large amount of coaching in order to win.
The plan backfired in the early stages of the season with
Milan losing at home to FC Zurich in the Champions League amid
woeful domestic form. Leonardo had no experienced hand to turn
to as he seemed powerless to stop the rot.
An almost accidental change in formation and the general
weakness of Serie A, along with Leonardo's quick learning and
savvy brain, helped Milan improve markedly but flaws remain.
Sunday's 2-0 defeat to Serie A leaders Inter Milan, who were
reduced to nine men, was another indication that Leonardo is not
totally comfortable in his new role yet.
He is managing better though than former England striker
Alan Shearer did at his beloved Newcastle United.
He was brought in as a "messiah" to save them from
relegation from the Premier League but could not prevent the
club dropping into the second tier.
Jurgen Klinsmann and Marco van Basten also failed hugely in
their first proper club jobs at Bayern Munich and Ajax.
Both had done reasonably well as coaches of Germany and the
Netherlands but the day-to-day involvement with a club side is
totally different to managing a national team.
They may have been great ex-players but the pair left their
faltering sides after less than a season.
"I asked myself, am I good enough for Ajax? Do I have
influence on my players? Am I capable of improving the team?" a
candid Van Basten told reporters.
"And when I answered no to every question it was clear that
my qualities are not good enough for the demands of Ajax."
Bayern did not go searching for an inexperienced or
fan-friendly replacement for Klinsmann.
The Germans put veteran Jupp Heynckes in temporary charge
and then went for the abrasive former Ajax, Barca, Netherlands
and AZ Alkmaar coach Louis van Gaal.
"We are delighted to be getting such an experienced and
successful coach," Bayern chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge said,
underlining the point that Klinsmann had been a big risk.
Juve, sixth in Serie A, have also gone for experience to try
to avoid missing out on a Champions League place next term.
Former Inter and Milan coach Alberto Zaccheroni is the new
boss for the time being with Liverpool's Rafael Benitez talked
about in the media as a long-term successor. Recent ex-Juve
greats like Pavel Nedved and Zinedine Zidane were never
mentioned.
Top players do not always make top managers.