I'll start a thread on this topic, because Han Berger is supposed to finish in June.

There are innumerable candidates. FFA have anointed two. I'll even divide this into different posts, to look at coaches from different nations.

I'll start with England, because ATM Kelly Cross is the front runner.

England

Kelly Cross - Current number 2 in the FFA hierarchy to Han Berger. This guy is the likely successor to Berger, after Alistair Edwards sojourn to Perth Glory.

This guy came from England, a nation with a poor coaching methodology through their national football association, the FA. There are good English coahces, but they are the exception, not the norm. This is because they have a poor coaching system. Few of the top coaches in the EPL are English.

Cross came to Australia, in the embryonic days when there were few accredited coaches. He has done well out of every restructure in the national football association, when others have been axed, and made scapegoats, as the national association has manifested in different guises. Cross has a massive amount of control and influence in the FFA coaching milieu. He is accused of being associated with fostering an "Old Boys Network".

Some coaches, to the level of FFA TDs in some associations, have headed overseas, namely Asia, to be appraised impartially. This is because he has been alleged to have fostered the OBN. Some coaches believe they have already decided they are out of the loop, hence appraised very harshly in assessments in FFA Advanced courses. Very hard to find info about Cross on the internet. Why?

What is his track record? Has had a short stint with Blacktown. Not sure if this was state league, or NSL in his tenure. Not really associated with developing any first class talent to date. Cross is superb at writing modules of the curricula in Advanced Coaching courses. The problem is, is that he is a," Do as I say, not as I do," person. He has rarely been evaluated, rigorously, by significant coach educators . He wields a lot of power over others in Australia. Many reading this will nod their heads and agree, but will not comment in this thread for fear of retribution.

Many outside the OBN suggest Cross has achieved nothing to be FFA Technical Director. They have a point. This guy would be a disaster being appointed as FFA TD, because there are many coaches out there who know he has achieved nothing. Also, he brings nothing new to the table. The best option for him within FFA is to stay where he is. Since being retrained in the new FFA NC, which he co-wrote with about a dozen others, Cross has has not been responsible for developing players in national or state NTC programs, HAL senior or youth programs, W League, or even NPL programs. There is no evidence, empirically, that he can train footballers to play the type of football desired by the objectives of the FFA NC.

When big name KNVB coaches came to Australia, who were interested in longer term positions in Australia, Cross wanted them kept out of the country at any cost. They showed him up. Cross is far more concerned about preserving his position in FFA than seeing the country play improved football. Some of his sycophants and acolytes, will be livid reading this, but this guy needs to get out of his comport zone, and enter the real world of football to show he he can do what he says everybody else should. Appointing him as FFA TD would ensure some petty cliques can continue to flourish, when they need a new broom to rid FFA of some dead wood.



Ron Smith - Where is he now? Smith has been renowned as being the best of the development coaches in Australia, prior to 2005. He still writes contemporary football methodology for coaches on the internet, he has coached at senior level in the HAL, has been a former national TD, I think he has coached overseas, he has good interpersonal skills and is approachable.

Many former players, like Lucas Neill, and others I know off forum, say he was the best coach in the business prior to 2005. Has a sound pedigree with the Oz coaching fraternity. I'm not sure how he would go dealing with some of the recalcitrant coaches in Oz.



Mike Mulvey - Probably too early in his results based career. Nevertheless, has coached a team that he has value added to, Brisbane Roar, playing some of the best football seen in Aus at club level.

MM has also had success coaching HAL youth at GCU and has coached Victory in the W League. Presents well in the media on TV. Unlike Cross, the results of his coaching are on show every week in the HAL. He may not be able to write up training modules, but Cross can do that for him in his current role with FFA. Mulvey has a lot of street credibility in the Oz coaching fraternity.







Edited by Decentric: 7/4/2014 08:57:58 PM

Dutch coaches.

Han Berger

Has done a very good job so far, in many areas. The problems I see, is that FFA are far to restrictive about coaches accessing FFA coaching methodology. Also, the cost of FFA Advanced courses is far too much. Because Berger is arrogant, opinionated and a strong character, he has been ideal to crash through the thick-skinned recalcitrants to first world football methodological change in Oz. He also has a very good coaching background, being a pro coach in Holland from 25 years of age. Berger leaves legacy. I've seen him take brilliant training ground sessions.





Rob Baan

Surpsingly, he went to India as TD when he renounced his TD position here. Berger has done a lot of the hard work Baan wanted to avoid. A nicer guy and more approachable than Berger, he may be better suited to take over again now. Baan has a similar coaching background to Berger, a very solid one within Holland, that gives him street cred with local coaches in Oz.



Pim Verbeek

Why not? Only criticised by a few, devoid of any professional coaching experience at the time of his tenure with the Socceroos. Has the best coaching background now of probably anyone willing to come to Aus.

Coached in Eredivisie.

Successful WC qualifying campaign with Korea as assistant to Advocaat.

Successful WC qualifying campaign as assistant to Guus, with Korea.

Successful Asian Cup qualifying campaigns with Korea and Australia as head coach.

Successful WC qualifying campaign with Australia, just failing to qualify for last 16 with Oz's greatest international victory over Serbia.

Pim has coached Morrocan youth since. Pim didn't want to contine as Socceroo coach because of the travel. As TD he wouldn't have to travel much. PIm knows Oz football, but was concerned about next generation of our footballers . Gave far more coaching analysis of Oz players and the HAL than Holger in the media. Pim also worked a lot more with local coaches, than his job description decreed, than Holger, who was supposed to do with his job description. Pim might cost a lot of money though.



Peter De Roo

Krones has waxed lyrical about his work in Queensland. De Roo could be an excellent choice for FFA TD, but I know little about him. Krones might be able to fill in more.

All these Dutch coaches will know many highly credentialled coaches in Holland to bring in to Aus, preventing us becoming inward looking and importing first world coaches who've been doing what we have, for a long time. Pim could bring in brother Robert, a very experienced youth coach.






Edited by Decentric: 7/4/2014 03:56:41 PM

Spanish coaches

Joseph Gombau

Could possibly do the FFA TD job very well, but probably wants to continue asa results based pro coach. Has a very good football pedigree from a coaching perspective - Barca. One difference that may be applicable to the Spanish is that they tell the players what to do, rather than the FFA/KNVB approach of Guided Discovery - players finding out for themselves.

I'll throw some light on this when I cut and paste IPOd's coaching sessions with Gombau at AU.

Gombau would possibly know a lot of other good options within Spain for the TD role. If one looks at La Liga, apart from most keepers punting the ball out, rather than playing out, the way most teams play is how FFA wants our Oz teams to play.

It would be great to bring in some Spanish influence to FFA. As Arthur says, these guys have been doing this stuff for years and are very experienced in sound coaching methodology.




Edited by Decentric: 7/4/2014 04:22:45 PM

Is it Han bergers responsibility to choose his successor or David Gallop? If its Bergers decision, then i'll be a bit more relieved. He has put a mountain amount of work into making sure our juniors and coaches are well educated and trained. He will know exactly what qualities are needed for the position. But with David Gallop I hope he realises the importance of this role and takes a careful and considered approach.

What a coincidence!

I asked that question to Dave Davutovic on his blog on fox football today. :D

http://www.foxsports.com.au/football/a-league/studs-up-who-has-been-the-best-player-in-the-20132014-aleague-season/story-e6frf4gl-1226876611460

He said that the FFA were still unsure who they will choose saying that the local candidates were seriously considered however Ange P will have the major say on who will be the next TD so don't rule out anyone from here or overseas and Ange will want to get it right so i trust him in that regard to make the right choice.

Edited by Barca4life: 7/4/2014 06:19:18 PM

Decentric, i have a gut feeling that Rob Baan would do a good job like you said he might be a bit more open with the other TDs and given a lot has changed in youth development in Australia there wouldn't be much to sell himself given the new content from the NC the knowledge would have improved.

And i wouldn't want Kelly Cross as the main TD but i suspect Ange P given he would have a major say he would want someone with a higher pedigree in youth development.

Peter de roo is a man of great character above all politics and a great judge of potential talent. As far as FFA Td he will need to work with state TD s with questionable ability and judgment.
IMO the sport needs a clean out to root out those who are not in it for the good of the game and that is not the job for a TD nor peter, until it is done no NC will work or any other system will work.

Edited by krones3: 7/4/2014 06:41:06 PM

I'm quite relieved to hear that Ange P will have a major say. I'm not sure if I can quote this, but I will. Someone I know (who will probably read this) and who knows ASP says that he is quietly concerned that many coaches in Australia who talk the talk about playing Proactive possession football, don't really believe in it. At any opportunity, they will become pragmatic and are not interested in style over results, like Ange P and Gombau are.

I was told late last year by a well known coach, not in the FFA system, that I was identified as a coach who liked to play Proactive passing football. I was surprised, because I thought most coaches who were undergoing recent exhaustive coach education were. Apparently not.

Kelly Cross is one of these. I don't want to see him in the top job. I think Berger, a strong personality, has kept him very firmly in place, Cross acknowledging Berger calls the shots. Cross would also be in awe of Berger's football background. Berger would consider him a football lightweight.

Cross was in awe of Derkson and Schans from the KNVB, when they were in Australia.

Cross is fine doing what he does, putting contemporary curriculum into modules for coaching courses, as long as he has a strong guiding hand from above.

There are a few state federations that need a Berger like character calling the shots there too. Sometimes though, the guys with good intentions become ostracised, through exclusion, then quit.

If this is the case then what is the solution? Is it up to the technical directors in those respective federations to take control?

Edited by switters: 7/4/2014 07:57:16 PM

Australian coaches for TD


Alistair Edwards

Was being groomed as next TD, before he went to Glory. There are 2 probs for him.

1. Sending his own kids to England to play pro development football, whilst waxen lyrical about the new FFA NC.

2. Nepotism at Glory.

However, with the second incident, Glory fans are still debating whether Glory were at their best under Edwards, compared to his predecessor and successor. Some PG fans think that they were best under Edwards when they played a lot of youth including his kids.

At times PG played good football, at other times I saw them play direct football under Edwards. The is hypocritical. Telling all of us in FFA courses how great Proactive possession football is and how shocking it was being a Socceroo playing Reactive football, then he plays Reactive football himself!](*,)

One thing I like about Edwards is he seem passionate about changing the curriculum to what it is now. He is a very approachable in person and friendly. He seems to be well-liked by many of the FFA coaches, even if managing a football club at senior level may not be a current strength. Unlike Cross, he has a background as a pro footballer and has done a fair bit of coaching national development and underage teams. At least we can evaluate his teams and players playing style.



GVE

Why not?

GVE has won a HAL premeiershiprp when the league was far less technical and coaching was worse. He has coached the Aus youth teams under Versleijen, and has coached at youth level before the HAL seniors with jets. One anecdote is that as a youth coach he is one who constantlch from the sidelines, panicking, stopping players thinking for themselves. I thought he was unlucky to be sacked from Jets. Has a lot of street creed with Aussie coaches. Few have achieved what he has to date. Most coaches are going to listen to him.

GVE likes Proactive football.


Branko Culina

Former NSW TD in less techncal epoch. Two stints at HAL senior coaching, being unlucky to be sacked in both cases. When he was coach at Jets , he liked to tinker a lot with formations. Not a systemic coach like Ange P.

One downside, is that some who know him seem to think he is dismissive of most who are not pro players or coaches.




Arthur Papas

Very young, but ambitious and has been prepared to take risks to challenge himself. Already he has coached as youth coach at Jets, NPL assistant coach at senior level, NPL head coach at senior level, NTC assonant coach at the AIS, and I thought I read recently he has been Assistant Technical Director to Baan in India and a head coach in the Indian pro league.

Maybe too early, but a good prospect for th efurture. He has done a lot of contemporary coaching courses recently. A clever man with a sports science/human movement backgltrund.





John Aloisi

Has a much better pedigree than Kelly Cross. Played as a pro in three big Euro leagues, played a lot of international football under some good coaches, has coached Heart youth and Heart seniors in the hAL. Despite being perceived as an unsuccessful HAL coach, tat least he has done it, with the public able to appraise him on a weekly basis, which is far better than Cross. Only about half a dozen Oz coaches have been more successful.

On TV presents as a nice bloke, is articulate and I would think confident enough to prresent to conferences of coaches and write curricula. Plenty of street cred with Oz coaches.






Aurelio Vidmar

Maybe another surprise to some. Vidie worked closely with Verbeek a lot in Pim's tenure. Along with Stubbins, he extrapolated the Pim structure and made the final of the ACL with a vastly inferior team to many of their opponents. They played patient defence and counter attacking football. Viddie has also coached in the HAL with AU. He has been a youth coach for underage national teams, assistant to Holger and now Ange for the Socceroos.

Also, has a background as a pro footballer in a few Euro leagues. Once again to me, has a better pedigree than Kelly Cross, who has been staff coaching the background for years in FFA. Not sure if Vidie could write the curricula. Plenty of steet cred with Oz coaches.




Mike Edwards

An unknown to many. Also, a successful trained PE teacher, like Kelly Cross. He is already just as good as Cross at presenting, even though only doing to for a short period. Excellent presenter, like most teachers in Australia, Edwards has more experience on the training ground than Cross, implementing the FFA NC on a daily basis. Worked in Vietnamese V League as assistant to Ken Morton at Da Nang, has been club TD, state underage female coach, senior and underage, has coached W League as Victory's acting coach and recently has been an assistant in the Matildas coaching set up.

Edwards coaches five days a week as a NTC coach at state level. His teams are capable of playing superb curriculum football. Well capable of anything Cross does as a curriculum developer and presenter to big audiences, but has had full-time coaching on the training track for the last five years, at least 5 days a week week in and week out. His street cred with Oz coaches may not be particularly good, but he could do the TD job well.









Edited by Decentric: 7/4/2014 08:18:40 PM

Edited by Decentric: 7/4/2014 08:19:05 PM

I forgot.


Steve Darby

Former football TD in Tassie and NSW.

Coached for years as assistant to Peter Reid and Bryan Robson for the Thai national team. Like Kelly Cross and Mike Edwards, another trained teacher. In football circles it is believed Darby wants to return to Australia and has wanted a HAL job.

I think he has coached at senior level in Malaysia.

Currently coaching youth in EPL.

Many in football know him, but maybe not the younger generation. Darby has good communication skills.

Edwards should never coach again in Australia he is the problem.

An overseas coach would need to have a good understanding of the work done so far and local coaches.
verbeek would be a good choice.
Best local would be GVE.

Johan cruyff if you are really serious . No one will argue with him.

Edited by krones3: 7/4/2014 08:42:39 PM

More Aussie coaches.


Frank Farina

I'm putting FF in the mix, because even if Syney win the HAL title, he will probably be sacked.:roll:

FF has a CV of Socceroo coach head coach for some years, 3rd in a Confed Cup beating France and Brazil with the Roos, NSL title winner, HAL head coach at two clubs, and Papua New Guinea head coach.

FF's problem is that he isn't an adherent to positional football. A win ugly coach. Outside Arnold and Postecoglou, may have the best CV in terms of experience in Australia. Could he toe the party line for FFA?




Paul Wade

Former Socceroo captain. Along with Craig Foster, they ran a mobile soccer school.

In the last decade, every course I attended, everybody raved about him as being a great coach with youth . I've met Paul Wade and he is a very friendly bloke. Youth players love him. I'm not sure why he hasn't joined his mate, Craig Foster, in NTC coaching?

Very approachable, I'd be interested to know what has happened to him. Maybe better suited to coaching on the training track than TD.






Edited by Decentric: 7/4/2014 09:00:10 PM

Craig foster would be good at it.

Mike Edwards is an assistant Matilda coach.

It gets confusing. Mike and Alistair are are not related, but look a little alike.

Hadn't thrown him into the ring, but I was going to. Since he has undertaken his C, B and A Licence in the last year and now coaches the NSW NTC to play good football, he would be a good TD option a few years down the track.

I wouldn't be surprised to see him in the role. He is also very aware of dead wood and would be happy to take recalcitrants on. Fozzie is a good mate of Alistair Edwards.






Edited by Decentric: 7/4/2014 08:50:03 PM

I cannot really comment, because the person who told me was much more aware of the group of coaches he considered weren't interested in playing possession football. I'm surmising he was talking about NPL coaches, his opponents.

Probably because some coaches out there that coach in a reactive way to just to keep there jobs in tact rather than implement a philosophy that would benefit the team in the long run. i.e Alistair Edwards.

I meant alistair should never coach again.

Welsh coaches

Rob Sherman

At the moment he is number 3 in the FFA hierarchy. Has been involved with Canadian football in some high level capacity. This is nothing significant, but he was out of his home country. He was also Welsh Technical Director. I thought this was nothing significant, but New Signing points out that the Welsh may have had a major overhaul recently and have started to produce some good players.

Some of us have had him as an instructor in FFA courses. Sherman is very good, very approachable and gets out on the pitch with course participants. Ironically, I thought he was the worst player on the pitch in our course, the only one worse than a geriatric like me, as most of the other players were former state leaguers and current state leaguers. Then Rob says he was a former pro!

At least he brings some new blood in= and has written some element of the Welsh curriculum and assisted Cross comprising ours. Probably has good street creed with local coaches.





Darren Davies

Very young and in the early part of a coaching career. However, one can see a higher calibre of technical players coming through the Victory youth system, already, than previous generations. They play better in tighter spaces and limited time and have quicker handling speed. Davies is totally for the concept of youth and underage teams being developed as the best possible senior players. Results are insignificant for him unit senior level. Very committed to the FFA NC. Also, very approachable and friendly.

At this stage, DD is probably best deployed on the training track.





Edited by Decentric: 8/4/2014 08:00:40 AM

Scottish coaches


Ernie Merrick

Merrick is a trained PE teacher. He was the Director of the NTC in Victoria before becoming Victory coach. Has won 2 HAL senior premierships. Hasn't really been a curriculum coach, but Nix have played some good football with a 4-4-2 midfield diamonds this year. I'm also assuming he could be sacked from Nix soon..

Merrick would have no trouble writing and developing modules like Kelly Cross, but has a massive coaching background with youth and senior results based coaching. Has also coached in Hong Kong. Articulate, Merrick could be excellent in he role of FFA TD . better than Cross in every aspect of the game. Was he a former pro too? High street cred with Oz coaches.



Lawrie McKinna

Avuncular, popular with everyone he meets , McKinna has excellent interpersonal skills. The problem has been he was renowned as playing direct football with CCM, the antithesis of the FFA NC. Could he be briefed to toe a party line for FFA? Has been a pro player and a pro coach for some years.

High street cred with quite a number of Oz coaches.


Ian Ferguson David MItchell

In some ways similar to McKinna. Both have big backgrounds as pro players and pro coaches, but didn't play the Proactive possession football desired by the FFA NC as coaches. They both have a level of street creed with many Oz football coaches.

Further Oz coaches

Gary Phillips

Good pedigree as a former pro player and has recently been Queensland Technical Director in FFA system. Why did he leave? On TV as a commentator, doesn't provide the insights that GVE or Miron has done in the same role, and one would expect of a pro coach.



John Kosmina

Former pro player and pro coach in HAL with three stints. Not renowned for playing curriculum football, but to his credit AU played some good stuff under him and Luca Trani in the ACL. Strong personality, would be good for taking on recalcitrants if he could toe the FFA party line.


Miron Bleiberg

A lot of HAL coaching experience with Roar and GCU. I'm lumping him in with locals for the purposes of this thread. Probably doesn't need the FFA TD job as he is a rich person.

I have nothing personally against Kelly Cross.

However, he is probably the front runner, if Ange P is not involved in the deciosn-making process - for next FFA TD.

When one looks at Kelly's background in football ask these questions.

1. Can we see examples of a clear cut coaching technical and tactical qualities in a large group of current players?

2. Since the inception of the FFA NC, how much time has he spent on the training track implementing it? Answer this question taking in mind the illustrious background of most of the above hypothetical candidates for the FFA TD job.

3. What was Kelly's background as a pro player or pro coach? Most of his development coaching was probably done prior to 2005 with old methodology.

4. When was Kelly appraised, rigorously, by high level coaches, like Berger, running a program over a few years to evaluate the qualities of his players in recent years?

Some of the old guard of Oz coaches have been given Advanced licences very easily. One instructor told me a current C Licence is qualitatively like an A Licence of just a few years ago. Many coaches in Oz were granted C Licences if they had Senior Licences just a few years ago too. It takes 4 days to get a Senior Licence and 16 days to get a current C Licence.](*,)

A lot of what Cross does well, that impresses most non-teachers, is nothing extraordinary for trained teachers. I argue he has done little to earn his stripes, when one looks at all the above candidates. He has been in a comfort zone for about 15 years. Most of the aforementioned have had tough jobs in football in the real world.

Yes, Baan could be fine this time around. However, a few coaches within FFA think Baan's work output wasn't that great when he was TD.

Conversely, Berger has worked hard. To his credit, Berger had a panel of coaches devising the FFA NC with him, so he was collaborative with Aussie coaches he thought had the right idea about football development.





Edited by Decentric: 8/4/2014 08:54:58 AM

:lol: Really? You've mentioned him disparagingly in nearly every paragraph in this thread

I would go as far to say this thread seems to be set up for that very purpose.

How did he try and keep KNVB coaches out of the country at any cost?

Who is accusing him of fostering an OBN, as you term it? Can you give specific examples of this?