Aboubakar Ouattara was recently named as the new manager of Accra Hearts of Oak SC replacing Martin Koopman. Under the Dutch gaffer's stewardship, the Phobians never saw a blueprint developed and established.
What quickly became evident, even for those who deemed his appointment as a necessary evil following poor results on the pitch, is the extent to which considerable frustration set in on the terraces as he was unable to progress Hearts stylistically.
The arrival of Ouattara who is known for his predilection for expansive attacking football marks a major departure from his predecessor Koopman, whose turgid football and bizarre tactical decisions was the reason he wasn’t in the good books of the fans.
Ouattara boast of a rich managerial history and but the Phobian family still need to show patience. However, in the modern game, no manager can survive without a quick start.
Here are four things Ouattara must do to hit the ground running.
Field players in their best – or at least correct – positions
There are many reasons why Koopman's tenure felt aimless and many strange tactical decisions that suggest he was out of ideas, but chief among them was his odd team selections.
This first point should be easy enough to fix: the Ivorian manager must avoid the pitfall of putting square pegs in round holes, and no more shoving as many forwards onto the pitch as possible.
Hearts need basic organisation and a clear strategy, something that Ouattara will surely work towards. His teams are consistent in playing short-passing aesthetic football.
Put Martin Karikari at centre stage
The midfielder is a very special talent, the sort that every manager should build his team around. Karikari loves to dictate the tempo of the match in a free role, roaming deep to collect possession and driving the team forward with his clever one-twos and mazy dribbles.
It is best not to try to contain him, but rather organise his team-mates around him. In theory, Ouattara's expansive football – centering on high-tempo interchanges and domination of the ball – is perfectly suited to get the best out of Karikari.
Preach patience and lower the club’s expectations
The Board Chairman of the club, Togbe Afede XIV has thrown money at the problem with a petulance and impatience reflecting the club’s disbelief at its own ‘giant’ status.
This short-termism has led to extraordinary amounts of waste, a lopsided squad based on the disparate visions of several managers, and a sense that Hearts are on the brink of sliding into deeper trouble.
That cycle has to end now. An important part of Ouattara's job will be in interviews and press conferences, in which he must highlight the need for patience as he embarks on this new project.
It will take time for his ideas to take hold, but it will be worth it: hope of a short spike of form is a deeply flawed plan.
The Hearts fans, management, and the board need to give Aboubakar Ouattara time to rebuild the club organically.
As head coach, his job is to dampen expectations by explaining the intricacies of the project, building a strong relationship with fans that allows for gradual improvements to be made without the instant pressure of results.
Find his best XI and stick with it
Too much chopping and changing over the last few years has held the club back, and so Ouattara must use his first few weeks in charge to decide on some key positions.
Hearts needs to settle on a clear number one and back four, which in time can improve the club’s poor defensive record, and then decide which of Kashala Ramos, Hamza Issah, and Kassim Cisse will be his trusted goalscorer.
Strikers need a run of games to get confident, while defenders rely upon mutual understanding to eliminate errors. Too much instability under Koopman and Tijani Abdul Azziz undermined Hearts at both ends. This is unlikely to be the case under Ouattara.
Finally, Hearts fans will get to know who their manager likes and dislikes, which in turn should set the ball rolling for a tactical revolution.
