Fufa please save Micho from Twitter, social media
Disclaimers tend to be insulations against what is bound to be a negative delivery. But still let me say this; I have the highest respect for Milutin ‘Micho’ Sredojevic and what he has achieved with the Cranes.
But that’s beside the point here. My issue is that Micho has established a habit of using social media to engage in all kinds of wars. If it isn’t against pundits who dare comment on the methods of his teams, like David Obua did during his stint on Supersport as Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) pundit, it is with ‘all Ugandans’ who dared to have an opinion about last Tuesday’s Champions league game between PSG and Barcelona.
His responses don’t appear to me like qualified judgments though. They are more like part of a social mission, a crusade to free Ugandans from the thorny business of debating a football game.
Now, call me a cynic, but this commitment to liberating us from the complicated matters of football debate seems a tad arrogant for a man, in whose job, the Ugandan public has a stake.
Still, if there’s one thing stronger than my instinct to disapprove here, it’s my desire to see more Ugandans getting interested enough to debate the intricacies of football. So Michos’ tweets have left me wondering. What is wrong with sharing an opinion? Are the rest of ‘us’ wasting precious time encouraging debate? Who needs an opinion when the national team coach already has one, right?
Going back a few months ago, I did have a telephone conversation with Micho during which he came off as a man with a clear sense of purpose. He was mindful of the tough circumstances in which he run the Cranes but also convinced that a lot could be achieved if we established common understanding and basic discipline.
As well as regaling me with his casual, but thoughtful opinions, he empowered me with further truths, such as his likes (professionalism) and dislikes (imposters). If this conversation wasn’t enough to convince me that he had it all figured out, then our tidy, albeit futile performance in Gabon, did.
But as I scroll through his tweets, I can’t help but wonder if, despite having the intellect and authority to speak out, he hasn’t forgotten about the importance of healthy debate in generating common understanding.
Well Micho here is what. All opinions matter, particularly as triggers of introspection. And ridicule shouldn’t be the hammer we take to the reputations of those who express them.
I therefore recommend to the nice people at Fufa, that they appoint a Cranes press secretary, if they don’t have one already. And to that office alone be left all matters of media.
And this shouldn’t be viewed as the stifling of personal comment, but as a tool to aid Micho balance the rights and responsibilities of his office.
Why? Well, pandering to the weakness of our instinct to hit back when we feel wronged, only inflames the relationship between manager and fan. Neither party needs that.
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