12 Oct 2006(Thu)

Tokyo, October 11, 2006: One popular topic of conversation at the moment is how tickets for national team games are no longer like gold dust.

In other words, the public aren't that bothered about watching Japan anymore because there are no superstars in the team.

My answer is that I just don't care, it's irrelevant, and I am sure that Osim does not care either. If a few thousand fans do not want to watch the team because Shunsuke is not playing, then that is their problem. It is definitely not Osim's problem and hopefully it is not the JFA's problem either. (JFA, by the way, stands for JEF Football Association).

Osim is looking at the big picture. He is testing new, hungry, young players, and giving them the chance to play against a team like Ghana. For the time being this is the right way to go, as Japan's line-up of fantasistas and Euro-stars had their chance in Germany and failed miserably.

And another point.

I actually think the crowds for the three home games under Osim have been excellent. Over 47,000 at Kokuritsu for a friendly with Trinidad and Tobago; over 40,000 at Niigata for an Asian Cup qualifier with Yemen; and over 52,000 at Nissan Stadium for the friendly with Ghana.

Those are great crowds by anyone's standards. England against Trinidad and Tobago in a friendly at Manchester, for example? Maybe 30,000. Against Yemen at Newcastle? 20,000?

In my opinion, the most important thing is to build a new team from the ruins of Germany. Zico inherited some wonderful players and left nothing behind and no one should forget that.

Osim is the right man for the job, and true football fans in Japan will appreciate what he is trying to do. I am not saying the days of Shunsuke and other players in Europe are over, but the focus has to be on Japan and J.League players during this period of transition.

Everyone needs to be patient and to support the new regime, because this is the way forward for Japanese football. Bringing back Shunsuke, Takahara, Inamoto, Oguro for friendlies against Ghana is a waste of time and a huge step backwards. Even if it means 65,000 at Yokohama instead of 52,000.

ends