Former Hearts of Oak captain, Amankwah Mireku, has jumped to the defense of head coach Aboubakar Ouattara, urging fans to shift their focus from blaming the coach to assessing the players’ performances.
The Phobians have endured a rough patch in the Ghana Premier League, with inconsistent displays leading to frustration among supporters. Many have pointed fingers at Ouattara, questioning his tactics and ability to turn the club’s fortunes around.
However, Mireku believes the blame should not be placed on the coach alone, emphasizing that players must take responsibility for their performances.
“How can you blame the coach when the players are not performing? No one can convince me that a coach should be blamed for a player not performing,” Mireku told GhanaSportsPage.com
He further explained that a coach’s primary role is on the training ground, where he can correct mistakes and set tactical plans. However, during actual matches, it is up to the players to execute the game plan effectively.
“Do the coaches play football? A coach’s biggest work comes at the training grounds. That’s where he can stop play and correct mistakes, but in games, he cannot stop play when his player makes a mistake,” he added.
The former Hearts of Oak defender also highlighted the importance of having intelligent players who can adapt and improvise during matches, a quality he feels is sometimes lacking in the current squad.
Hearts of Oak’s title hopes to. A huge hit after losing four games in a row. But the Phobians need their poor run with a 1-0 win over Medeama to get back on winning ways.
They trail league leaders Kotoko by 6 points as they visit Vision FC on matchday 27.