07 February 2014

Back to basics as new coach Dooley wants Azkals to keep it simple like top Euro clubs

From Karlo Sacamos
He may have precious knowledge about the intricacies of football, but Thomas Dooley stressed the importance of mastering the fundamentals of the sport for a team to excel.
The newly signed Philippine men’s football team coach, who was officially introduced on Friday, said the Azkals have to keep it “simple” for them to achieve greater heights.
After all, that’s how top European clubs play.
“I would like the Azkals to play like Barcelona, Arsenal, Bayern, and Dortmund. They play simple, but they are technically good,” said Dooley, who played in the Bundesliga for most of his professional career.
“Let’s make football simple. We need to perfect the basics of the game,” the German-American mentor added. “The thing is when you’re technically skilled, you tend to make the game difficult. You want to be outstanding. But the only way to be outstanding is not to lose the ball.”
Dooley prefers to play with a 4-2-3-1 formation, which “works for everybody” and will select players who are worthy for coveted spots on the team.
And what is his type of player?
“I’m looking for a player that is technically good with the ball, understands his role, has right attitude, and proper fitness,” the American said.
A Fifa World Cup veteran who skippered the US national team in the 1998 edition, Dooley brings his vast playing experience to an Azkals side that will be embarking on its most important tournament yet, the Asian Football Confederation Challenge Cup, in May.
The eight-nation tournament for emerging Asian football nations stakes a lone ticket to the more prestigious AFC Asian Cup next year.
“We’re bringing in fresh ideas to the team. We hope he will be up to the task. He will have the full support of the federation,” PFF president Mariano “Nonong” Araneta said of Dooley, who inked a one-year contract.
“The chances of winning the Challenge Cup just got better,” said Azkals manager Dan Palami, who ultimately chose Dooley over five other high-profile candidates for his “approach and how he laid out the plan to accomplish the team’s goal.”

spin

19 comments:

  1. "I am looking for a player that is technically good with the ball..." So almost none of the local players! Lol, so much for developing local growth. Shows once again that Palami only wants to deploy the fil foreigners.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. LOL. It will take 20 years before we see a local player who is technically good with the ball. The only local player I have seen who is strong with the ball is Freddy Gonzalez. Learned his football in the Philippines and was trained by the Lozanos. What did the Lozanos do that some of the local coaches are not doing?

      If he meant technically good in the sense that someone can hold the ball up and not lose it so cheaply then there are plenty of local payers who can fit that description. Anto Gonzales is one. We will surely see the local line up change drastically. The likes of Caligdong, Araneta will disappear if Dooley will make hardline decisions. The Azkals will still be made up of locals... locally based foreign bred players that is. And that is a good thing.

      Delete
    2. Im intrigued. What did the Lozanos do? Who are they and are they still around?

      Delete
    3. Freddy Gonzales na ba ang magaling sayo Anonymous8 February 2014 02:43? Paano nlng kaya yung worst player mo? Si Freddy Gonzalez may mga botched plays sya (palakihan lng ng katawan which is not necessary pag Footballer ka)lalo na pag galing sa cross nila Phil at james yung assist tapos sasabihin mo na skillful sya? Nakakatawa ka rin ano? Si Lozano naman puro income nlng ang inaatupag at nag pipirata ng players sa ibang team para lumakas yung Makati FC niya.

      Delete
    4. You haven't seen him in his prime obviously.

      Delete
    5. Freddy Gonzalez has good ball control. He can beat defenders he was so creative. In SEA tournaments he was most feared. Stop Gonzalez and you stop the Philippines they used to say. Sadly, he came at a time when the Philippines did not care about football. He played in Vietnamese leagues and he was a star over there. People will stop what they are doing when he walks.

      In terms of technical skill, Gonzalez was not very tall but he used that to his advantage. Because of his stature it gave him a good sense of balance. He was quick on his feet, he can change directions quickly, and he was fast that it earned him the nickname Speedy Gonzalez.

      Gonzalez was also acrobatic. Just get the ball to him and he will find ways to score. So sad to see kids these days diss him... they are only seeing a shadow of what he used to be. Even so he still received an invite from former Azkals coach Weiss. To him the UFL is only like a Sunday league. He is over 35 years of age now so some his speed has left him.

      Can someone here post some videos of Gonzalez in his prime? If only YouTube existed then...

      Delete
    6. Where in dooleys ststement does it say palami only wants to "deploy" filfors. I really don't understand where your coming from. Are you saying that you want dooley yo field a player without any technical skills?

      Delete
  2. Dooleys arrival creates good publicity for azkals. Just look at the media coverage he attracted abroad

    ReplyDelete
  3. 'Technically good' means things like the ability to control a ball arriving at speed and keeping it close to your feet; accuracy in passing and shooting with your weaker foot, and having the nous to know what you're going to do next with the ball before it even arrives.
    This can only be done while still a kid by regular kickabouts on a decent surface. After the age of 16 it's
    too late to learn.
    Which means Dooley will be stuck with the same old Filfor faces on the NT even if he had a 5 year contract.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. PFF must get its act together - build pitches and training ground, local aged group tournaments, coach training.
      UFL must start a youth reserves. Schools must be willing to lend players and make them available for games. Scrap school tournaments that amount to nothing. Ditch the American style.

      Delete
    2. This comment has been removed by the author.

      Delete
    3. You're right, but most of the football counties that have started rising up to the challenge of the world cup used to NOT have these technically good players. they had ones that were technically decent enough and understood that whatever they have missing will be compensated by all out team effort. He said that all the time, that he is a fundamental-oriented player/coach and this should be a very good thing. Serves the idea that he is not pro foreign-based Filipinos players. We all have to start somewhere solid with this grassroots thing, and I think the right person has arrived. Why do we worry too much about the AFC or the tournament next month or this year?

      Delete
  4. Club based na tayo dapat hindi school based teams . Lets imitate European Football not American Soccer NCAA style..

    ReplyDelete
  5. Lol euro style p kyo jan. Mga gunggong. Talo pa kyo ng volleyball, di n kelangan ng import para sumikat. I adapt kc sa pinoy culture.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ano daw? LOL. Explain mo nga ng mabuti kung paano i-adapt sa Pinoy culture? Not making sense kasi eh. LOL.

      Delete
    2. I adapt ibig sabihin i wangis i match sa kultura ng filipino. Ngpapaka euro kyo eh ang lyo ng physique at ugali nila lol parang basketball. Mabilis physical at magulo. Inadapt na sa local culture

      Delete
    3. Run n gun larong buko style na pang fiesta? Kumuha pa kayo ng naturalized na player sana mag all pandak na rin ang Gilas niyo.

      Delete
  6. At the moment its too early to start thinking about style,we just have to make the most of what we have and maybe in 10-15 years time we will have our own way of playing.I know that our resources in the phil. is short but im sure PFF is doing their best to promote grass roots and when the UFL becomes professional it would be easier because each club will have its own academy and its a FIFA requirement.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Buti naman sir naintindihan mo ko di tulad ng iba mukang low iq at di naiintindigan dynamics ng sports in general. Bandwagon lang lol di talaga sportsman lol

    ReplyDelete