28 Jan 2008(Mon)

January 26, 2008: If Japan's players can replicate the performance of Takeshi Okada in his press conference on Friday evening, then things are looking good for the national team.

Here was a man who meant business. He was serious and determined, but relaxed enough to share a joke on occasions, and with the confidence to declare that he was very much his own man and would be doing things his way.

Clearly his break from the game has given him a fresh focus, and he looked an altogether tougher character than the former assistant coach who was in the right place at the right time when Shu Kamo was fired in 1997: Oka-chan the friendly salaryman has become Okada-san the company president.

It was clear from the training, too, that Japan will have a go, and be prepared to take the game to the opposition -- another change from the more conservative approach in his previous reign.

Okada has already said that he wants to create a new brand of football, a style that will make an impact at the 2010 World Cup, and to do this he will demand speed, stamina, aggression and, above all, team work from his players.

One player in particular who appears to have caught Okada's eye early is Mizumoto, the Olympic team captain and likely partner for Nakazawa in the centre of defence, should the coach play four at the back.

Mizumoto improved and matured rapidly at JEF United last season, playing so well that Gamba decided it was time to take him on board, and he has the character and personality on the pitch that Okada is looking for.

The same can be said of Okubo, a player with a bit of fire and attitude. Okubo has always been better than his scoring record for Japan misleadingly suggests, and hopefully his goals against Egypt at the end of last season will liberate him and lead to many more from now on.

The relationship between coach and players looks extremely professional, too, built on trust and mutual respect, and it is hard to imagine Okada tolerating any dissent in the ranks; or even confronting any.

Yes, Okada looks like a man in total control; a man who knows what he wants and with the plan to get it. As he said himself on Friday, at least he has some time to work things out before the opening World Cup qualifier against Thailand on February 6. This match, of course, is the first target, and the friendlies against Chile and Bosnia will point him in the right direction.

ends