Bar his lack of experience, Radoi is an excellent choice. One thing he seems to do is to field players who are in shape, which is something we haven't always done.
Didn’t Piturca do the same selecting guys like Cocis and even Nicolita who were technically limited but also had “good engines” (as Claudiu put it)? But maybe that isn’t the best example considering the players we had then and now, and the different tactical approaches.
Having very fit, physically strong, quick, and determined players is indeed a good thing and it’s important to have such players for the modern game, not just technique and football IQ. But unless some of our players continue to improve their form and play more in the next months (and even then), he’s gonna have a hard time. Aside from some of the younger players, it’s very difficult for some of these players to make such changes even with a good regiment from Radoi whenever the national team gets together, it has to be done properly at club level for months to years and takes determination/desire. Not many of our current players fit this profile at the moment.
We need to develop true athletes, not just lazy and weak technical players. That focus needs to happen at grassroots levels and in professional youth teams and academies like Hagi’s, as well as our Liga I clubs’ training facilities and methods for their senior sides.
Guys like Budescu and Alibec also struggle in that way, Coman and Mitrita don’t do enough in terms of tracking back and pressing hard either, give up easily on a play.. but there is hope yet. Though Contra usually picked pretty good squads, his lineups were pretty shit in comparison, and I think Radoi would definitely improve on that aspect as well. Would be really nice to Man on the right instead of Deac, if all goes as it should for him.
As others said, it will be interesting to see how he would deal with characters like Alibec and Budescu if he calls them, but different from the way he earned the respect from the younger kids, but they should be smart enough to appreciate him, I hope. It’s also very good Stanciu supports him so much already, he’s an important one in the dressing room.
I think he will do well regardless of the result in this baraj, if anyone judges him for not making it through this (bar an even worse disaster than the showing vs Spain and Sweden), they’re incredible morons. He will get his time from Burleanu anyway to form a proper team, the press can **** off but I don’t think even they can ruin this; then we just need the players to follow through.
It would have been nice to see him grow every day at a club but we definitely need him, I don’t think he will be ruined. When the time is right one day (hopefully not too soon) he can step away and do that, or maybe even do a club & NT management — I mean, a bit unrealistic, you see this in games like football manager and FIFA but I can’t recall it ever happening in real life?.. might be a conflict interests & a lot of work, at least if he could be an advisor and continue share his work and opinions with Burleanu as he does currently.