O’NEILL IDEAL MATCH FOR KOEMAN
STANDING up to Ronald Koeman is no small job. The Dutchman speaks as the manager of Everton, but he is a soccer blue blood not because of his association with that Merseyside club, but because of his history as a winner.
He was part of Johann Cruyff’s so-called ‘Dream Team’ at Barcelona, the side whose legend has only deepened owing to Cruyff’s early death.
Koeman’s success as a coach at Southampton and Everton has been based, in part, on the enormous reputation he built over his rich career. He played mostly as a defender at Barcelona, for instance, but in his 345 games for them he scored 102 goals.
The most famous of those was the free-kick that settled the 1992 European Cup final – the only one the Dream Team won, the first in Barcelona’s history. It was Koeman’s second, his first coming with PSV in 1989.
Hristo Stoichkov, Michael Laudrup and Pep Guardiola were among the other renowned members of that Barcelona team, but none of them were bigger than their manager. Cruyff could have overseen practically any team in history and they would not have out-shone him.
It is within that tradition Koeman developed. He understands his pedigree, which is enriched by triumph at Euro 88 with the Dutch. In the best traditions of that country’s overweening arrogance in matters to do with the sport, Koeman often speaks with a brusque certainty.
Of all the opponents he has squared up to over the years, doubt doesn’t seem to have been one of them. There is a photograph of him celebrating after Holland beat West Germany to reach the final of the Euros in 1988.
Relations between the Germans and the Dutch were fraught for generations after World War Two, and the victory was greeted with unchecked delight in the Netherlands. Koeman swapped jerseys with German player Olaf Thon, and in the photo he is pretending to wipe his bottom with the German’s shirt.
He brings that experience, success and bone-deep arrogance to his dispute with Martin O’Neill over the fitness of James McCarthy. This is a row that will probably count the Everton career of McCarthy among its consequences.
The player’s unceasing injury issues and the signing of Morgan Schneiderlin during the January transfer window may have done for his time at Goodison Park before this newest row, but Koeman attributing blame to the player so caustically must have settled his fate.
Martin O’Neill cannot influence McCarthy’s club future but he has shown over recent days he will fight on his back to defend him in an Irish context. O’Neill will stand resolute, too, in defence of his own judgement.
In doing so, the manager has given the best performance by anyone representing the national soccer team over the past 10 days. The unadventurous performance Ireland offered against Wales was saved from proper scrutiny by the injury to Seamus Coleman. But Ireland were sorely, obviously limited in trying to build attack. This is nothing new.
It took an exceptional intervention by Shane Long to beat Germany in the Euro 2016 qualification effort, and from that a play-off place was earned. And that is the way with this team: it will take extraordinary performances and goals over the coming seven months to automatically qualify for the World Cup next year.
This is because of the severe lack of true quality, especially from midfield forwards. In those circumstances, the inputs of O’Neill and Roy Keane are vital. They proved their abilities in nursing the team to France last summer, and reviving them after a hammering by Belgium that could have ruined the campaign. Hopes of beating Austria and Serbia in Dublin, results that would go some way to winning Group D, will rest largely with O’Neill.
He is no tactical innovator, but he is Ireland’s best bet.
In invariably picking the correct side and drilling them efficiently, he will seek to compensate for the deficiencies in playing ability.
Be certain, too, that he will visibly lead a group that conspicuously lacks a leader in the mould of Keane the player, Mick McCarthy or Steve Staunton.
O’Neill is not an individual much acquainted with fear. His own European status is considerable, and if anyone weighs it lightly it is not the man himself. He is happy to remind an audience of his two European Cup medals and of the career he enjoyed under Brian Clough, the most mythologised manager in English soccer history.
He will not be cowed by the pedigree and pompousness of Ronald Koeman. Bravo for O’Neill — Ireland’s main man.