Sundram gets applause, but short contract, job title rapped

SINGAPORE — Uncharacteristically dressed in a suit, shirt and tie, V Sundramoorthy looked dapper as he was unveiled as the Lions’ new national coach at the Jalan Besar Stadium yesterday afternoon.

But while “The Dazzler” drew applause when the emcee introduced him as the new man in charge of the Lions, there were brickbats and criticism for the Football Association of Singapore (FAS) over the terms of Sundram’s appointment.

The main cause of their ire was the use of the description “caretaker coach” for Sundram, as well as the short one-year contract offered to him by the FAS, which contrasted with the two-year deals that were given to Raddy Avramovic and Bernd Stange when they were first appointed.

During Sundram’s unveiling, fans flocked to TODAY Sports’ Facebook page to voice their displeasure and confusion over both issues.

Football fan Siva Govindasamy blasted: “If (the FAS) trusts him (Sundram) to assume the position after such a rigorous interview process, why not give him a two-year contract like the predecessors? So Sundram, as a local, has less value than his predecessors?”

Another reader, Jaya Jayachandra, said: “He is given (the role) of ‘caretaker’ coach only. Obviously a (foreign coach) is being sought.”

His comments were echoed by Wangchen Rigzin, who questioned “the need to emphasise the term ‘caretaker coach’”.

The FAS tried to explain its way out of the situation but ended up tying itself in knots. Said FAS vice-president Lim Kia Tong: “The term ‘caretaker coach’ is just a form. The substance is that Sundram is indeed the national coach. The length of (Sundram’s) contract also has very little bearing on our trust in him.

“If you look at the contracts of our foreign coaches, they all started out with two-year contracts. Raddy and Bernd came armed with exposure and international experience, and we measured that to the length of their national contract.

“So if you were to ask me, we are giving him (Sundram) this very valuable opportunity to excel ... I would have to say 50 per cent of the contract of what we gave to the foreign coach is a very good offer.”

In the end, it was Sundram himself who negotiated his way out of the controversy with his heartfelt reply.

“I know there are several high-profile candidates for the post, so I am happy that the FAS has given this opportunity to a local coach,” said the former Tampines Rovers coach.

“The FAS and I are happy with the one-year deal which allows me to work until May next year. I know for a fact that I have the FAS’ full support. It has always been my dream to coach Singapore, and the duration of the contract makes little difference to me. This opportunity comes once in a lifetime, and since it’s there for the taking, it’s best that I take it and give it a shot.”

His first assignment will be next week’s AYA Bank Cup in Myanmar which will feature the hosts, Singapore, Vietnam and Hong Kong.

Sundram’s real test though will be the AFF Suzuki Cup at year’s end. He has set himself the target of leading the Lions to the semi-finals after their embarrassing group-stage exit on home soil in 2014.

Lim said however that Sundram would not be judged solely on the Suzuki Cup. “Whether he achieves success or not in the Suzuki Cup, which is only a few months away, may not be used to hold against him,” said Lim. “It is why the one-year period will see Sundram remain in charge for about five months beyond the tournament. There are other factors which we have to consider.”

Sundram will be the first local coach in 16 years to helm the Lions. Vincent Subramaniam, who led Singapore from 1998 to 2000, was the last Singaporean to hold the post.

While fans may be hoping that Sundram’s appointment could lead to more local coaches being involved with the Lions in future, FAS president Zainudin Nordin cautioned that it could take some time before the next generation of Singaporean coaches are capable of managing at an international level.

“It may take a few more years,” said Zainudin who will step down as FAS chief by September. “So a lot of younger coaches are coming up. But they have to (test themselves) daily in S.League, build their team, groom talent, and deal with day-to-day pressure. We need them to have that kind of mettle.” ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY LOW LIN FHOONG AND ADELENE WONG