OPEELE IS MOST POPULAR COACH IN GHANA

In Ghana there is one man who if he fails in his job today people will call on the government to declare a public holiday for a holiday bash at Kumasi Bantama or the Osu Oxford street.

If Milovan Rajevac is to fail in his job today people will jump out of their homes calling for something beyond crazy.

Fans do not understand why a foreign coach should be paid so much with their own local coaches having less. 

Many Ghanaian football fans follow the game with passion than objectivity and basic economics.

Gone are the days when football coaching was about one man standing in the midst of men whistling and jogging with them.

Football in our time is about reading and understanding of the times as the bible talked about the children of Isaachar who understood the times in the books Isaiah!

The average football fan can read stuff on the internet but the average African coach cannot do so.

The African coach does not have the basic internet education to understand and abreast himself with the modern trends in coaching.

It may interest you to know that the average coach may not have the privilege you have to read my article because they do not know how to get to Ghanasoccernet.com!

The local Black Stars did play their Nigerian counterparts just recently and it was hell of a job for Coach Milovan Rajevac.

The simple tactics he taught the boys for two weeks could not digest well in the stomachs of this local boys who do not know anything apart from the 4:4:2 that local gaffers have taught them.

May God have mercy on those football fans that waste their money daily on football players who can not play anything apart from 4:4:2 in Ghana?

The 4:4:2 has eaten into the minds of the players so much they nearly caused the huge reputation of Coach Milovan Rajevac.

It is no wonder that a day after the game Daniel Yeboah (Argentina)-who took my club's money and only to swerve us and disrupt my seasonal plans-came out to say on Asempa FM that they did not play to the tactical instructions of Coach Milo.

Thank God such a player did not land in my camp and only to fail to adhere to my tactical instruction!

Daniel Yeboah's excuse was a flimsy justification. The local boys do not understand the 4:2:3:1 that the coach wanted to play.

Just before the kick-off Agyemang Badu tendered to have run to Yeboah to ask about their roles as the two defensive covers for the back four.

But the tactical signal that came from Yeboah could tell the boys have been in camp for days but did not learn from their blessed tactician.

The 4:2:3:1 formation is about a four back, two defensive midfielders or "the double volantes'' as they are called in Europe.

The three offensive players are secondary strikers who must support the target man in attack and must also become the third, fourth and fifth midfielders at the defensive stage.

There are various philosophies under the 4:2:3:1, so it is unto a coach to decide his philosophy.

The boys scored under the 4:4:2 and it is no wonder that the fans will bring up the issue that a coach must choose a system that can fit his squad.

It is wrong because every team needs a tactical plan B!

It is a simple tactical analogue but because the boys are used to the 4:4:2 they could not play.

Well when the coach decided to shift back to the 4:4:2 formation the boys started playing and we came back to win by three goals to two.

No one will say that the 4:4:2 is not good but Ghanaian local boys must be trained to be tactically good in Africa before they leave our shores.

Sulley Muntari is playing a different role at Inter Milan now and that formation is not 4:4:2.

The local Black Stars will now have to battle for their lives in Nigeria. Differently Milo will get it right but the boys must learn quickly and I will not blame them because even the fans who are wholly literates are not prepared to listen or learn.

Eeh do you know that if any of these boys who only know about 4:4:2 grows to become coaches they will be advocates of the 4:4:2?

How will you expect them to be good coaches that can counter other systems to make their clubs fight for continental trophies? 

Coach Milo must be thick in his job because he will succeed and those who wait for that holiday will never have it!

Isaac Opeele Boateng

Head Coach Tema Youth

2008 National Journalist Awards-Best Columnist