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| Columns |
| Gracian Tukula’s SPORT ON |
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by
Gracian Tukula, 20 January 2007
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07:45:28
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Like father, like son
It’s Grand Slam week again in the English Premiership as the league’s top four sides sort each other out. If you believe the media hype, this is supposed to be the weekend when the title will be won or lost but while the results will matter, I personally believe there is still a lot of football ahead of us before certain issues are settled.
League leaders Manchester United, who hold the league’s best away record, are facing their toughest away game yet when they travel to Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium tomorrow, while Liverpool’s best home record in the league is also facing its toughest test in hosting defending champions Chelsea this afternoon.
The Gunners are yet to lose at their new home but United will give them the sort of test they have not had there so far. With only three goals conceded and unbeaten at home in the league, Liverpool would also want to improve their poor league record against the other top three sides by beating the title-chasing Blues at Anfield.
There is a huge possibility that traditional rivalries will be suspended for present convenience. It will not surprise me to see United fans getting behind my Liverpool but I am not sure whether the Reds will return the favour tomorrow to protect their position three or just hope for a draw to achieve two aims.
To me, these are the more immediately significant issues this weekend because with 14 matches to go after this, there is still room for one or two stings in the tail before the winner of £30 million cheque is determined. For your information, next season’s winner will get £50 million in a new £625 million deal announced this week.
All this goes to show how much money football is able to generate. Imagine that the last team on the log, which will eventually be relegated, will get £26.8 million which is close to what Chelsea got in May! What more evidence do we need that this game is a gold mine and not the burden that it is made out to be?
It is, therefore, sad when one hears that Fam has withdrawn from the Olympic Games qualifiers because of lack of funds. Actually funny because only last week the association was accusing Super Escom of embarrassing them by pulling out of the Caf Champions League! A case of make mbuu, mwana mbuu (like father, like son)?
All this shame of pulling out either midstream or even before kicking the ball and risking a fine would have been prevented if our administrators, both at national and club level, were a little less excited and avoided taking things for granted. Pragmatic leaders do not act at the spur of the moment because the results are this costly.
Right now, the talk is about hiring an expatriate coach. Considering the figures that are associated with such recruitment I am tempted to agree with those who wonder whether a top-class coach should be our priority. Of what use to our game is a good coach who will spend his time loafing because there is no money to monitor players?
Good coaches deliver because they are thorough in their preparations and such preparations require a lot of money. Experience has shown that we do not have the capacity to finance such elaborate work. I hope it will be made clear to all interviewees what they should expect here to avoid unnecessary misunderstandings.
I am saying this because one does not need to have Burkhard Ziese’s attitude to punch holes into the rosy ambitions that we so keenly harbour. Our planning and execution of duties is so shambolic that anyone getting that job will need loads of godlike patience to work comfortably. We need to improve and change.
—Feedback: gtukula@nationmw.net, gtukula@yahoo.co.uk, atukula@hotmail.com
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