90% of people will point to the coach as the reason behind the success or otherwise of a team. This is widely believed, as coaches are the first to be fired when a team is not delivering. To many people, coach is even more important than players. But for long, I've not been very comfortable with this widespread belief.
Let me bring a little argument:
-If I coach Barca and and Mourinho, Fergie & Wenger, for example combine to coach Sunderland, do you think Sunderland will beat my team?
-Newcastle has changed coaches several times this season alone, yet there is hardly any change, do you think coach is the problem?
-At this crucial stage of Newscastle, do you think any coach can rescue them?
-If we form a team of 11 + 3 subs from Brazilian national team, without a coach, and tell them to decide and agree within themselves the formation they want to play etc, and they face Sudanese national team coached by whoever is believed to be the best coach in the world, can they beat coachless Brazilian team?

These are things I keep wondering about, when coaches are discussed, even though I know it's amateurish thinking.

My belief is, for a team to succeed this is the order of relevance:
-Players 60%
-Coach 15%
-Luck 5% (You may be lucky in very few matches e.g opposition team's own goal, fluke goals etc but these wont happen everyday)
-other factors 20%

Am I the only one that believes coach's relevance is overrated? Anyone to convince me I'm wrong?

Post your questions to Otto Rehagel.

On the other hand, you may be right cos Rijkaard managed to reach the upper echelons of the game, although he is a very poor coach.

I think its 50-50.

Jarus:

Let me bring a little argument:
-If I coach Barca and and Mourinho, Fergie & Wenger, for example combine to coach Sunderland, do you think Sunderland will beat my team?

Fergie's Sunderland will beat your Barcelona.

How can a manager's relevance over-rated.
The players have to respect you and be willing to die on the pitch for you.
Madrid had world class players in the 2003/4 season but the players just don't respect the manager and they were utter tosh that season.
U have to instil discipline, confidence and trust in your soldiers. That is why managers get PAID!!!

That team of Madrid in 2004 were past their prime. Zidane, Figo, Ronaldo etc were not in their prime then.

When they were in form 2000-2003 they won trophies every season

Who chooses players? Who blends them? Who gives them confidence and works on their deficiencies to improve them?

The coach does all of the above.

@ Ibime

Rijkaard might not be the best coach in the world, but he delivered - it can't simply be down to player quality/expenditure. If it was, Ranieri would've won in England before being booted out and Lazio would've won the CL at least twice in the 90's.

debosky:

Who chooses players? Who blends them? Who gives them confidence and works on their deficiencies to improve them?
The coach does all of the above.

Don't mind these herbs. . . . . . .
Where were they when Ferguson was breaking the Old Firm with a useless club like Aber-fucking-deen??
You can never ignore the input of a good manager in any team.
Motivation, confidence, player development and man-management are highly essential.

How would Jarus man-manage combustible characters like Rooney/Daniel Alves/Van Persie?? With Naija Jazz??

debosky:

@ Ibime

Rijkaard might not be the best coach in the world, but he delivered - it can't simply be down to player quality/expenditure. If it was, Ranieri would've won in England before being booted out and Lazio would've won the CL at least twice in the 90's.

it was simply down to Henk Ten Cate. . . . as soon as he left, Rijkaard fell apart. . . . damn it, we're talking about a man who led Sparta Rotterdam to their first ever relegation. . . . he squandered the most magnificent squad of recent times with tactical indiscipline and laziness.

Ibime:

it was simply down to Henk Ten Cate. . . . as soon as he left, Rijkaard fell apart. . . . damn it, we're talking about a man who led Sparta Rotterdam to their first ever relegation. . . . he squandered the most magnificent squad of recent times with tactical indiscipline and laziness.

I disagree with you, abeg.

Rijkaard was very good at Barca. He bought well and gave the youth players a chance to express themselves.
Compare the team he took over to the one that dominated the world in 2005/6. He made Barca play some exquisite stuffs and won titles too.
European double in 2005/6 is a testament to his brilliance.

I am sure if Man Utd had collapsed this season, pundits like you would have said it was because Carlos Queiroz left.

Whether it was Ten Cate or Rijkaard, that was the coach's influence.

He led Rotterdam to relegation but won the CL with Barca. . . .if Ten Cate is that good, we'll discover it soon enough.

Winning La Liga and the CL cannot simply be down to someone in the backroom - it's like saying Boro Primorac is the reason AW ever won anything at Arsenal. Every great coach/manager will have a good team of assistants behind him as well.