All of a sudden, Australian coaches are tearing it up overseas. Ange Postecoglou is winning hearts, minds and games at Celtic – five on the bounce now – while his successor at Yokohama F.Marinos, Kevin Muscat, is mounting a J-League title challenge. But most impressive of all is Pete Cklamovski.
First known for being Postecoglou’s No 2 at Yokohama and then struggling in the top job at Shimizu S-Pulse in 2020, the 42 year-old has engineered a stunning turnaround after taking over Montedio Yamagata in May. Arriving with the club 17th in the second tier, he has collected 31 points from a possible 33 to turn an expected relegation battle into fifth place and a genuine push for promotion.
It is the complete opposite of what happened at Shimizu last season when the Sydney-born tactician won just three games out of 25 before leaving in November. Perhaps that spell in the shadow of Mount Fuji will be as valuable as the years spent working with Postecoglou in Australia, Greece and Japan. “There were circumstances last season that would have challenged the best in the world but I am not about to make excuses,” Cklamovski says. “Last season provided important lessons that I will cop on the chin to make me a better coach, a better man and better everything.”
Perhaps the most important lesson was choosing the right club and heading north to take over at Montedio seems to be a good decision. “My thinking had some synergy with Yamagata. They have a modernised way of operating and it really excited me. Looking at the squad, it had a balance across the positions which was good with talent that could be developed. I can create something special for the club and the region but we will have to work hard.”
While hard work was a given, the run of results has been anything but. “The first mandate was to dodge relegation. As soon as I got my hands on the squad, I injected everything I had into the sessions and pushed as hard as I could. It is important that we don’t look too far ahead. It is not one game at a time but one day at a time.”
The last of Yamagata’s four seasons in the top flight ended in 2015 and the club have been hopeful of a return ever since. Cklamovski, whose mantra is one of constant improvement, has ambitions at the club that go beyond promotion. What comes first however is introducing and improving the attacking and aggressive style that Postecoglou introduced to Yokohama in 2018 and delivered the title in 2019. Cklamovski shared videos of his team playing the way he wanted and the message is obviously getting through.
“We are playing some really good stuff and we are getting better. There are some areas of growth that we need to keep refining as we go. We are creating chances and the fans are excited. You have to find the right balance for everything: providing knowledge and education to the players and there is also the physical stuff and how we can get fitter and we can improve there but among all this you have to remember that there is also a game on the weekend. We want to improve every day too.”
It has led to an unexpected promotion push, one of the most thrilling experiences in football. “The J2 is really interesting. It is a 22-team league and there is a legitimate push by 10 clubs who think they are J1 so nearly half are going for promotion. The other half are fighting for their lives. It is a ding dong every week. I love it.”
It is something that many would love to see in Australia, including Cklamovski who worked as a fitness coach for Perth Glory, Adelaide United and Melbourne Victory. “There is a way to get it done and it can only benefit the game. It creates interest and development opportunities in all aspects. It creates competition, rivalry and means there is something on the line every day and it gives more opportunities for more players to play. The [Australian] federation have to plan the steps and I am sure they are.”
The debate about the practicalities of promotion and relegation will continue but all can agree that Australian coaches succeeding overseas is welcome. It is early days for Postecoglou in Scotland but if he can deliver trophies, it is not only Celtic who will see the benefits as others can follow in his footsteps. “I am not sure why Australian coaches have been overlooked before,” said Cklamovski. “I just know that everyone will keep working hard and getting better. This is the Aussie mentality and Ange is showing that.
“Ange is a pioneer for all Australian coaches and he continues to inspire everyone. The move to Celtic is a great reward for his hard work over a long, long time. He is at a club that suits him, a big club. He is one of the best in the world. Now he just needs to showcase himself to the world. He will turn Celtic around.”
If Postecoglou can do it half as quickly in Glasgow as his former No 2 has done in Yamagata, it would be impressive indeed. “I push myself to be the best I can. My motto is to focus on the day and get better. That’s it and where that takes me, we’ll see.”
