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MALAYSIAN FOOTBALL: Thinking players needed

By : M.P. BABU, Johor Baru NST Letters

 Malaysian football  has to improve standards to regain its former glory.
Malaysian football has to improve standards to regain its former glory.

MALAYSIA was once ranked 73rd in the world of football; today it stands at 156.

Coaches, administrators, players, politicians and other interested parties have given various reasons for the decline in Malaysian football standards.

Some blame the coaches, some blame the administrators, some blame the players and others blame the M-League for being not competitive enough to form a strong national team.

Former national coach Abdul Rahman Ibrahim says Malaysian football is in a mess because the system is not working at all levels ("Rectify the flaws and there may be hope yet"-- NST, Jan 25).

This is partially true but I think even if we change the system at all levels, we may not achieve any significant differences because ultimately it's about the players.
If players don't want to perform or can't perform, whatever structure or system we use will fail.

But then ours is not a problem of commitment of the players. To give an analogy (and I don't mean to insult anybody), it is like asking donkeys to run against horses. It is a futile battle.

No number of system changes or structural changes or coaching tactics can make donkeys run faster than horses.

Even the world's best coaches can't do that; that is why all the foreign coaches have failed in Malaysian football for the past 20 years.

First of all, we need to identify "horses" (strong potential players who can be trained). Scientific methods need to be used in this talent-identification process.

We need to pick "thinking players" and not players who are completely dependent on the coaches.

Thinking players can adapt, read and adjust accordingly during the course of a game.

Thinking players do not need a long stint of centralised training.

Just look at the Australian hockey team. They only meet three or four days before a major tournament and yet they are world beaters. Why?

Secondly, in Malaysia generally, it is the practice to select a team (perhaps by a selection committee) and then send this team to the coach.

Coaches have to work with this team that is thrust upon them, if you understand what I mean.

If a coach has the proper players, he can start to prepare a solid team.

But if the coach has no say in the initial selection of the players, the Malaysian football team will remain where it is.

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