Source: www.guardian.co.tt
Dwight Yorke has been linked to the head coach position for Australian A-League club Melbourne Victory.The ex-Manchester United, Aston Villa, Blackburn, Sunderland and Sydney striker, is understood to be one of a large number of contenders for the vacant Victory coaching position, unfilled since Ernie Merrick’s dismissal in mid-March. Yorke has made it clear in the UK that he is interested in pursuing a coaching career, and with his wealth of experience at the highest levels of both the club and international games—he led T&T to the World Cup in Germany in 2006—he has a profile few, if any, potential rivals for the Victory position could match.
Yorke is taking his coaching badges and has already had stints as assistant coach with Sunderland and the T&T senior team. He has completed his level B certificate, and has already had experience as part of a Premier League management team, stepping in as assistant coach to Ricky Sbragia at Sunderland after Roy Keane’s departure from the club in December 2008. Interestingly, his former United teammate Keane was wrongly linked with the Victory post in a flood of rumours, subsequently denied, earlier this month.
Unlike most big-name foreigners touted for a position in the Australian game, Yorke would understand the complexities of coaching and building a squad in a league which operates under greater restrictions—a tight salary cap, limits on the number of non-Australian players, mandates on the total of young players that must be included in the playing squad—than virtually any other in the world.
In his time with Sydney, Yorke provided plenty of glamour and glitz but made a huge contribution on the field too, winning the Joe Marston Medal for best on ground in the inaugural A-League grand final win over the Central Coast Mariners. Victory is staying tight-lipped over its coaching process, with chairman Anthony Di Pietro yesterday refusing to rule Yorke out or in. “We are keeping our supporters informed of the process and did so with a statement on our Web site before Easter. We have had some 70 applicants, many of a very high calibre, and until we make a decision I will not comment on who has applied or who is on the shortlist,” he said.
Definitely in the frame is caretaker boss Mehmet Durakovic, who, along with assistant Kevin Muscat, has made a fine start to his period in charge. Durakovic took over some 48 hours before the Asian Champions League match against Jeju United, so the 2-1 home loss there should not be sheeted home to him. In the two games he has had time to prepare the club for, Victory has drawn with Tianjin Teda, the group leader, in China and beaten it at home to give itself a long shot at qualification for the knockout phase.