Ex-Japan coach Troussier dances around the issue of Zico's performance

Heck with soccer. Philippe Troussier should have been a dancer.

Choosing his words carefully, Troussier managed to spell out why Zico was not the right person to succeed the Frenchman without directly panning the Brazilian legend, a graceful performance that would have been just as fitting at Bunkamura Orchard Hall as it was at the Foreign Correspondents' Club of Japan.

Troussier led the Boys in Blue to the knockout round on home soil in 2002, but the odds of a repeat performance look pretty slim.

With Brazil looming and an unnaturally lopsided victory being the only way Japan will reach the second round this time, the Zico tenure probably won't have much more than Sunday's draw with Croatia to remember its fortnight in Germany.

Not exactly what anyone this side of sane would call magical.

Now back in Japan as a TV analyst for the World Cup, Troussier said coaching philosophy should have been enough reason for the Japan Football Association to take its search beyond Zico.

"There's one school, where a manager puts in a system, an organization," Troussier said. "The other school is one where a manager adapts to players. The players come from the best clubs. Stars must be given as much freedom as possible."

Troussier added that the Boys in Blue were more of a project to be tackled by a coach from Column A. And there are examples of this style of coach succeeding. It worked for Jose Mourinho, anyway, not to mention others.

Although they speak the same language, Zico is no Mourinho. He's not particularly comfortable in the spotlight, and Zico wasn't even crazy about coaching to begin with.

To make sure no one misunderstood, Troussier said Zico was a disciple of the "other school," the kind of guy who should be given a collection of parts that don't have to function as a whole to get the best results. Think Sven-Goran Eriksson.

While Eriksson has had an up and down tenure with England, Zico has been much more under the radar with Japan. And given the level of his interaction with the J. League community (almost none, if Urawa Reds manager Guido Buchwald's experience is any indication), Zico probably would prefer having a blueprint in place. There may as well be no legwork because he's probably not going to do it anyway.

Either way, Zico really isn't on the same page with his team.

And with Japan's collapse in the closing minutes of its 3-1 loss to Australia, pointing out the disconnect between the coach and his players is sort of like talking about the elephant standing in the middle of the room.

No wonder Hidetoshi Nakata questioned Japan's heart before the match.

Playing not to lose after jumping ahead 1-0, the Boys in Blue unraveled quickly once the Socceroos marked in the 84th minute, turning Nakata's words into prophecy.

Always ready to say something that will fill newspaper columns, Nakata may have lost a little steam to his argument after the Croatia match. Drawing a talented Croatian side showed Japan must have some heart.

And Troussier agrees. He said heart wasn't to blame for the Australia loss, nor did he fault Zico. Too polite to call the Brazilian out on the floor (or perhaps out of professional courtesy), Troussier kept all comments that related to Zico, the JFA, and who Japan's manager is, will be or should be to indirect answers or general statements, such as his discussion of coaching philosophy.

Apparently settling into the coaching gig, Zico has his eyes on a trip westward after the World Cup, when he will hang up his samurai blue in favor of something more European.

Barring an unforeseen upset of the Samba Boys, Japan will have a first-round exit from the World Cup, and Zico will have some questions to answer for future employers.

If he is the kind of coach from the second school, who does better with established stars who don't need much direction, the late collapse against Australia and a first-round exit likely would speak louder than Japan's solid record during qualifiers.

Zico's reign in Japan hasn't been the kind of awe-inspiring effort that would inspire dad to give him the keys to the Corvette.

Meanwhile, the JFA has some hard thinking to do as well. Whether it goes domestic or hires another foreigner, the association would be wise to follow Troussier's suggestion and hire someone a little more established as a coach and isn't afraid to smack people around with his iron knuckles.

If Troussier's success with Japan isn't enough reason to give his words credence, maybe he should mention it on a broadcast.

Everyone knows the TV never lies.