When Javier Aguirre was “released in early February, the JFA were quite firm in their original comments about getting a new manager for the Japan national tea, before the J.League season started. Presumably they meant the J.League itself and not the “season-opening” SuperCup on Saturday, so we have another ten days or so to see if they’re as good as their word!

I discussed my preference for (and belief that he’d been approached) Michael Laudrup WAY back and he seems to be still in the frame, despite the fact that he’s expressed a “desire to see out a contract”. To me, that means that he’s paving the way to be able to break that contract and / or keeping his options open to see if Japan would go for the “caretaker” route with Teguramori (and Hara pulling some strings) until Laudrup (or another, currently-working) manager is available.

IF the JFA went the route of caretaker-ship until the end of the European (and “Arabic”) season, they would have many more managers to choose from and this would seem logical to me. They can even have some “secret pre-agreement” with Laudrup, or another still in a job, that would allow both parties to stop worrying about it and start looking at the future (even if we didn’t yet know about it!). The next manager could be familiarising himself with the players while still in his current job. Surely not a far-fetched possibility?

Meanwhile, as I have been fixating on Laudrup (one of my preferred three but realistically I know that Stuart Baxter and Afshin Ghotbi will not be seriously considered?) the Japanese media have been throwing all sorts of pasta at the wall hoping that something would stick. Surely a case of 10 or 12 names being mentioned over various days in last two weeks, then the “correct” name/story will be quoted as being a brilliant piece of writing when it eventually happens! Dragan Stojkovic was the popular choice for a while but seems to have dropped away once the media discovered that certain people within the JFA don’t seem to consider his coaching methods worthy. I heard a few stories on these methods – leaving all the day-to-day stuff to coaches and just picking the team. Then, on matchdays, not really making tactical changes at the right times? The first “problem” might not necessarily matter for a coach who rarely sees his players,,, let the coaches do the wrok and worry about the match itself? The second comment has certainly been echoed by some Nagoya Grampus fans in the past, though, and might be more of a problem on the international stage. If the media in Japan finally picked up on that, it may be the reason it’s gone quiet in the Stojkovic camp.

Other names that have been bandied are a few coaches that have worked in Japan before. Guido Buchwald was approached one day, Ossie Ardiles the next (well, probably not, but the names were seemingly pulled out of a hat just after Aguirre was terminated!). Of those J.League-experienced coaches mentioned by many is current Palmeiras manager Oswaldo Oliveira who has actually “pretty much ruled out” the possibility of moving to Japan by saying it would be difficult to take the job right now. But, of course, he has to say that, just as Laudrup has said he has a contract to finish! Oliveira won three consecutive J. League championships with Kashima Antlers from 2007, and is probably the critics’ choice for the job, but he is said to have wanted it in the past and was not offered it. Would pride stand in the way of a “yes” if the offer came this time?

Then there is the latest rumour that seems to have some credence from my sources… Vahid Halilhodžić. He is currently without a job after parting company with Algeria last year and then lasting not so long at Turkey’s Trabzonspor. Sources note that Ivica Osim is “assisting” the JFA in their search and has strong connections with his countryman.

Of other possibilities, I also mentioned Spaniard, Michel a couple of weeks back, who is currently free after parting company with Olympiakos, but that rumour seems to have died down!

Another name thrown about by the Japanese media is Marseille’s Marcelo Bielsa – also currently under contract, of course, so a caretaker approach until May if he is tempted to Japan?

J.League and Samurai Blue fans I know are still hoping for the “romantic choice” of Stojkovic but also like the sound of Laudrup. Those who know the game a little bit more deeply seem to prefer Halilhodžić or Oliveira, with the latter getting the vote due to his time in Japan. Whatever happens, whoever comes in has plenty to do to ensure that this team reaches its goals in the coming four years… can’t wait to get started!