Managers don’t get paid a lot to just stand on the touchline bellowing orders to their players.
However, the only work done by managers in the public domain is on the sidelines and so we often judge their abilities from their demeanor and lionise those who have such a reputation that there mere presence injects fear and motivation in the players.
The only thing is that the technical area isn’t where managers earn their corn – it’s on the training field and in the transfer market.
Even the best manager in the world can’t successfully direct a team from the touchline if the side has been thoroughly prepared in the week.
And in that respect, Cosmin Olaroiu is still justifying his hefty paycheck even though his games are now spent silently brooding in the stands while his assistants Fabio Cannavaro and Catalin Radacun do the patrolling.
Olaroiu may be banned for the next six months from the touchline but his presence is still felt in the club and his teams are still suitably prepared come match day.
And it shows on the pitch. Al Ahli haven’t missed a beat in his absence, winning three straight games – including a potentially title-deciding 2-0 win over secondplaced Al Shabab – playing their usual brand of football.
Fortunately for Olaroiu, his assistants are capable enough in the technical area while his team have the experience and maturity to take to the field without constantly glancing over to the dugout for direction and support.
He may no longer be an influence on a matchday but his identity is still clear by the look of his team; Al Ahli still dominate possession and they still win games and keep clean sheets.
Their 3-1 win over Al Dhafra last night was of a team comfortable in their position as league leaders and still positive despite constant upheaval and rumour swirling within the halls of the club.
Al Ahli are steamrollering at the top of the table and making mincemeat out of those that stand in their way.
A six-point cushion at the halfway stage of the season is surely more than anyone would have expected before the start of the season.
Rivals will have jumped for joy when Olaroiu was banished to the stands for the rest of the season.
Unfortunately for them, he does his best work on the training ground not the technical area.
