I DON’T know which is worse for a coach: being sacked for doing a great job in a big tournament, or being sacked just days before a huge tournament. The latter is what happened to the Spanish coach two days before the World Cup kicks off in Russia. The news must have come as a shock to the Spanish team and its legions of followers.
But the former happened much closer to home, and this affects the Philippine national team and its near future.
So for now, let’s zero in on the fate that befell Thomas Dooley, whose replacement as Azkals coach was confirmed yesterday. Although this development ends months of speculation as to his status, Dooley must feel devastated.
Seriously, who loses a coaching job after successfully taking a team to a date with history, in this case qualifying for the first time for the Asian Cup, the biggest tournament in Asia?
Dooley just did, and lost his post to someone whom the Philippine Football Federation believes has what it takes to take the team to the “next level.” That someone is former England captain Terry Butcher.
Ironically, news of Dooley’s replacement didn’t come from any local news outfit because the PFF wanted a dramatic, senstational announcement slated for tonight.
Too bad, The Scottish Sun was unaware of the script and broke the news a couple of days ahead of the PFF’s big announcement, which is now nothing more than an anti-climactic non-event.
Butcher has big shoes to fill, considering the Azkals’ recent historic achievement under Dooley. Nobody really knows how Butcher would fare as Philippine coach until the first competitive match, but it is interesting to note that both coaches share a few things in common.
Both Butcher and Dooley were former national team captains -- Butcher with 77 caps for England and Dooley with 81 caps for the United States. They’re also in their late 50s: Butcher is 59, while Dooley is 57. Both are defense-oriented -- Butcher was a defender while Dooley was a defensive midfielder. In their prime, both played extensively in Europe, although Dooley spent his last playing years with American clubs.
Compared to Dooley who only started coaching teams in 2002, Butcher has a longer coaching experience, 25 years to be exact. Problem is, Butcher’s coaching career has been a rollercoaster ride, and his stint with a fourth-tier English club was nothing short of a disaster.
Unlike Dooley, who’s career is on an upward swing, Butcher has not handled a football team since he was sacked as Newport County manager in 2015.
It isn’t clear yet why the PFF decided to acquire his services, but Butcher’s
track record doesn’t inspire much confidence and his three years of inactivity is a cause for concern at this crucial stage of the Azkals campaign. How Butcher will whip the Azkals into an effective unit as they prepare for the Suzuki Cup this November and the Asian Cup in January next year remains a mystery.
Then again, who knows if abesentee Butcher has been sharpening his managerial knives all along and surprise the enemy with precise but brutal football.