Avram Grant
Goodwill Sports Ambassador Ray Quarcoo is the latest to add his voice to calls for a critical assessment of Black Stars coach Avram Grant.
According to the former Black Stars Management Committee member, Ghana’s successive fourth World Cup remains a mirage until a miracle happens.
Grant has failed to record a win in his last five games, including the critical home game against Uganda in Tamale.
Ambassador Quarcoo attributed the mishap to the uninspired tactics of Coach Avram Grant.
He emphasized that coaches are mandated to provide training and guidance to players to translate into more wins and a higher ranking.
He stressed the need for a critical review of the contract of the Black Stars coach.
The results of the Black Stars games so far fall short of expectations; and the quality of their play does not live up to expectations; that is why public pressure is mounting for the review of the coach’s performance. The Ghanaian taxpayer is willing to pay to see winners, he indicated.
He mentioned that the expatriate coach has added little touch to the team by way of call ups and tactics variations, unlike his predecessor Appiah, under whose tenure many of the current players today had their début.
The former Ghana Amateur Boxing Federation President criticized Avram Grant for constantly travelling to Europe under the pretext of monitoring players.
He wondered why a coach, who cannot travel to certain parts of the world, should be hired in the first place.
It is therefore very important that in selecting our coaches, if he is an expatriate, his nationality should be a criterion for the job.
“With this coach, l don’ t see Ghana making any headway, he has failed us and it is proper that the FA takes a critical look at his contract and see the best way to go.
“For me, he doesn’t inspire confidence; he is not fit for the Stars job, and having coached for all these years, he should have known the climatic influence on a game and so could have suggested the game against Uganda be relocated to Kumasi or elsewhere that could favour our team.
“We lost that game due to the hot weather, no wonder there were breaks for the players to go for water during the game.
“We had only a point in that game and we think we can catch up? We are behind Uganda and Egypt with four and six points respectively with four games to go- 12 points at stake). I doubt. Mr. Avram Grant only qualifies as a club’s coach, but not fit for the Stars coaching job.”
But for the strict and complex FIFA’s Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players/Coaches, it would only be appropriate to negotiate for a package deal with him to reach a gentlemen’s agreement.
This begs another important question; should a clause on performance be included in subsequent coaches’ contracts? In the last few years, sports law has developed into its very own domain and does, indeed, cater for certain particularities of this area – such as expedited trials due to issues such as qualification to international competitions. Coaches are given targets to achieve as part of their contracts and upon failure such contract can be annulled, he added.
From The Sports Desk