Rank Country Gold Silver Bronze Total
    View Today
    Sun, Nov 5

    ANALYSIS: Who among the MPL coaches is best suited to replace Alen Stajcic?

    From Mobile Legends to Football Manager
    Aug 5, 2023
    undefined

    IT'S A SAD DAY for Filipino football fans as the Philippine Football Federation announced the departure of Coach Alen Stajcic from the Philippine Women's National Football Team.

    Since his introduction back in 2021, Stajcic has been a revolutionary icon in the Philippines as he produced one of the most inspiring outcomes in our football history.

    For a country where football isn't the number one priority, we went beyond the expectations, by reaching our highest FIFA ranking of all time (46th), championing the 2022 AFF Women's Cup, reaching the semi-final of the 2022 AFC Asian Cup, and securing our very 1st Women's World Cup appearance.

    But now with Stajcic gone the future of the Filipinas' football remains an enigma and with the MPL closing in towards its 12th season, perhaps our local coaches could be the ideal replacement for Alen Stajcic.

    Esports requires a fast-paced level of adaptation, which could hint on the potential of our beloved MPL coaches. In an alternate universe where these tacticians have secured a plethora of UEFA, AFC, and other coaching badges, how will they handle the Filipinas job after Stajcic?

    undefined

    Coach Yeb: Leadership by example

    Onic Indonesia's ascent to the MSC revealed how the team has evolved under Coach Paul Denver "Yeb" Miranda. If before Onic would be overwhelmed by their rivals, his addition brought a huge emphasis on a more systematic and disciplined approach.

    But it wasn't just him who changed Onic's approach as he was supported by Kairi "Kairi" Rayosdelsol. Kairi's unwavering work ethic became an inspiration to the team, to the point where the rest of the members of Onic stepped up their game after a disappointing M4 World Championship campaign.

    ADVERTISEMENT - CONTINUE READING BELOW ↓

    In the end, Coach Yeb and Kairi's arrival to Onic is reminiscent of that time when Chelsea experienced a change in culture under Jose Mourinho, and the arrival of his key players Ricardo Carvalho and Deco.

    We could expect the Filipinas to follow a similar trend with Onic ID, though the question remains on who among the players will follow Kairi's role as a leader by example.

    Then when it comes to gameplan, we can expect Coach Yeb to stick with the high press game against New Zealand, due to his fondness for pressuring the opposition since his Onic PH days, however he will refine the team's ball movement, similar to how he shaped Onic ID's engagements during the MSC.

    Imagine the Filipinas playing like Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool during their championship years.

    Robert Sanchez aka Coach Trebor

    CONTINUE READING BELOW ↓
    Watch Now

    Coach Trebor as Lionel Scaloni?

    ECHO PH's Coach Robert "Trebor" Sanchez is renowned for being the brains and strategic mind for the Orcas, and he even does spice things up by introducing some flex options in his draft.

    It was him who introduced the Valir pick back in Season 10 against Blacklist International in the finale, which proved to be a thorn for the Codebreakers. Then of course, he unleashed Alston "Sanji" Pabico's unorthodox midlane Gloo which overwhelmed the opposition.

    Coach Trebor's genius masterclasses does have some resemblances with Argentina's Lionel Scaloni who recently won the FIFA World Cup last year in Qatar, and just like his MLBB counterpart, Scaloni surprised his foes by playing Angel Di Maria on the left, or switching between a 4-3-3 or 4-4-2 to keep teams guessing.

    Indeed Coach Trebor would broaden the tactical prowess of the Filipinas, though this would require the players to have a thorough understanding of the tactical aspects of the game, while embracing a flexible and fluid approach in order to bring Trebor's gameplan to full fruition.

    ADVERTISEMENT - CONTINUE READING BELOW ↓

    undefined

    Coach BON CHAN a student of Johan Cruyff?

    From the usage of a utility jungler, to Salic "Hadji" Imam switching roles back in Season 8, it can be argued that Coach Kristoffer "BON CHAN" Ricaplaza is a disciple of Johan Cruyff or in the current times Pep Guardiola.

    Assassin and marksmen junglers were the trend until Danerie James "Wise" Del Rosario introduced tanks out of nowhere, similar to how Lionel Messi's false nine role redefined the forward role.

    ADVERTISEMENT - CONTINUE READING BELOW ↓

    Then if we go back to Season 8, with Hadji alternating between a roam and midlane, it brings back memories of Guardiola's tenure with Bayern Munich in which he deployed Joshua Kimmich and Philipp Lahm either as fullbacks or defensive midfielders.

    And going for the macro-side of things, the Ultimate Bonding Experience (UBE) does encourage players to group up to create advantages, just like Tiki-Taka.

    While this would bring a stylish blend in the Filipinas ranks, this would be a tall task given the gameplan's difficulty curve.

    Brian Lim, aka Coach Panda

    ADVERTISEMENT - CONTINUE READING BELOW ↓

    Football Manager with Coach Panda

    History has proven that Coach Brian "Panda" Lim has a strong eye for up-and-coming prospects, just look at what happened to the careers of Eman "EMANN" Sangco, Nathanael "Nathzz" Estrologo, Jonard Cedrix "Demonkite" Caranto, and now John "Irrad" Abarquez.

    With so many Filipino football players abroad, Coach Panda will spend night-and-day looking for players who have potential to bring pride to our country. EMANN, who revealed to Spin.ph that he spent years playing under a football academy before becoming an MLBB pro, could be Panda's reliable assistant.

    Recently the popular football simulator game Football Manager, announced that they'll now include women's football in the upcoming version, something that will bring joy to Panda if ever he takes over the Filipinas.

    However it can also be argued that Panda might be better suited for the Under-20s given his prowess in developing prospects, making him ideal for the long run growth of our National Team.

    ADVERTISEMENT - CONTINUE READING BELOW ↓

    undefined

    Coach Duckeyyy hits back on Filipinas' critics

    Philippine football fans might argue that there is a lack of hype and excitement, which could arise from the arrival of Coach Francis "Duckeyyy" Glindro.

    Duckeyyy isn't afraid to shove banters at his critics and with the current setting where some Filipino fans questioned our local roots, comes the ideal time for Duckeyyy to hit back.

    ADVERTISEMENT - CONTINUE READING BELOW ↓

    Imagine all the random trolls and bashers being placed on Duckeyyy's 'Hall of Shame,' where they'll end up being severely embarassed by the M2 winning coach.

    And if Duckeyyy manages to forge a solid relationship with his rivals, expect him to unload a plethora of friendly banters against them. He might even go as far as posting memes of sending them to the airport or poke fun of them during a press conference.

    While Duckeyyy will introduce some level of fun in the local football scene, one should never discount his leadership and strategic prowess, which reached its peak when Bren won the world championship, proving that Duckeyyy like Mourinho has both a fun side, but most importantly a winning pedigree.

    Get more of the latest sports news & updates on SPIN.ph

    Read Next
    Watch Now
    Sorry, no results found for
  • POLL

    • Quiz

      Quiz Result