Stielike’s time is up

Few are now left with illusions that Ulrich “Uli” Stielike would be another Guus Hiddink.

Even if the Korean national football team may not again have someone like the legendary Dutch coach who took the inexperienced squad to the final four in the 2002 World Cup, it appears imperative to let the German coach go. His departure is long overdue but his team’s 0-1 loss to China last week, the second in 32 matches, should have sealed it. Separating Stielike from a pink slip is the sheer willpower of his boss, Korea Football Association chief Chung Mong-kyu, who obviously believes in the old wisdom of not changing the general in the middle of the war.

However, Chung couldn’t stand in the way if the team loses its upcoming game with Syria for the 2018 Russia World Cup qualifiers. Korea barely hangs on to the second place with the hope of qualification but a loss to Syria would definitely darken the outlook of going to Russia with touch matches still to come.

The loss to China captures what is wrong with Stielike: his lack of imagination and inspiration since taking the job in September 2014.

First, he decided to use a player with no A match experience as a late substitute to jolt the team out of its stupor, not deploying one who could maximize his penetration ability. Then, for a mid-range shot, there was at least one experienced alternative on the bench. That was a critical tactical mistake

Korea Times football writer John Duerden stung the coach’s easy-to-read mind when he wrote about the match, “It was also not surprising that the tall striker Kim Shin-wook was introduced at half-time, his hair greener than the grass at Helong Stadium. Such a move is Stielike’s default when things are not going to plan.”

The coherence of his team was exposed after the loss when captain Ki Sung-yueng said, “I tried to communicate with the players but it didn’t work out.”

Replacing Stielike may not be a solution by and in itself but it will give the team a much-needed change of air and serve as a new starting point for an overhaul. Irrespective of the outcome of the Syria match, a search for a new coach should be conducted to have him lead the team to the 2018 World Cup finals. If the team fails, he should rebuild from scratch.