Lack of form among head coach’s attackers and a dearth of tactical solutions have led to a shortage of fan passion
T
he TV show Only Fools and Horses was extremely popular in Serbia, which is no surprise considering most of the business in this former Yugoslav republic is done in the “grey zone”. Shady people with lots of money and little education are all around in management positions, which is the reason for protests across the country.
For decades, people such as Derek “Del Boy” Trotter – who have good connections and know how “the street works” – have held executive positions at the top of Serbian football. They are perceived as loyal to the ruling political party (currently the Serbian Progressive party). It is the main reason why people in the country have lost belief in the domestic league and the national team.
There is euphoria from time to time when the Eagles play but, as soon as it looks as if positive energy could last, something negative comes up – such as unnecessary changes of coach, arguments between coach and player(s), or the non-invitation of players who deserve to be there. But mostly, it’s bad football: slow and unattractive. As it is now, with the coach Dragan “Piksi” Stojkovic who, in his time, was one of the best Yugoslav and European players but today, as a manager, is widely regarded as more lucky than smart.
