SoccerMartin Rennie: the next Great Scot?

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Martin Rennie, left, will take over the coaching reins of the Vancouver Whitecaps in 2012. (Canadian Press)

It is one of soccer's stranger anomalies.

In a country of five million inhabitants, where the national team has never progressed beyond the first round of the World Cup, how come Scotland has produced some of the finest managers the game has ever known?
 
The list is mighty impressive. Busby, Shankly, Stein, Dalglish and, of course, Ferguson have all written themselves into the pages of football history. From humble beginnings they all enjoyed remarkable success and achieved legendary status in their own lifetimes.
 
What was their secret formula? Could it be as simple as a gritty determination combined with a tireless work ethic bordering on obsession? Their nationality apart, these individuals shared one other essential common bond. They were all driven men.
 
They all had to start somewhere. Shankly was once rejected by Liverpool and went on to manage Grimsby and Huddersfield before finally landing the Anfield job eight years later. Ferguson was infamously fired by St. Mirren before the glory days arrived, firstly at Aberdeen and, ultimately, Old Trafford.
 
Apparently, Martin Rennie has plenty to live up to. The newly appointed head coach of the Vancouver Whitecaps won't take up his new role until the end of the year. If the performance at D.C. United on Saturday and others is anything to go by, he can't get there quickly enough.
 
Midas touch

The 36-year-old seems to have the Midas touch. His stock in coaching circles has been rising for some years. Rennie has turned the Carolina Railhawks into a leading force in the second tier NASL. He did much the same in a two year stint with the Cleveland City Stars.
 
It was only a matter of time before Major League Soccer came calling. Rennie was said to be among the leading candidates to guide the Montreal Impact into MLS next spring. Without naming names, the Whitecaps admitted they had to act quickly to secure his services.
 
Has Vancouver learned nothing in its expansion year, a season in which it has tried to run before it can walk? The 'Caps have hired a European coach with a proven track record in USL. Methinks they fired a far more experienced European coach with similar credentials less than three months ago.
 
In other words, Rennie must prove himself all over again. His qualifications, in terms of coaching badges, are impeccable. His winning percentages have made him a sought after commodity. But he has never coached an MLS team and nobody can say for certain his elevation from the shop floor of US soccer will meet with success.
 
What Rennie does bring is a very different perspective to coaching. His methods are a reflection of his personal experiences. When injury cut short his own playing career, Rennie had to find another way to pay the bills. He believes life in the corporate world of computer software and pharmaceuticals prepared him well for a return to the soccer industry.
 
The lessons he learned away from the game, in terms of man-management, may have contributed to his achievements on the field. Clearly the players under Rennie's direction have responded quickly to his unorthodox technique and excelled at their particular level.
 
Rennie, for example, doesn't believe in treating all players equally. His business training was to identify and single out high performers - a philosophy he brings to his personal coaching manual. He admits it is an attitude which "flies in the face" of convention, but insists the team as a whole can benefit if the 'star' is stimulated and understood.

Career in coaching
 
It is no coincidence Rennie is building a career in coaching. The world of corporate business also taught him about "goal-setting, communication and motivation" - strategies he has followed through and, thus far, has successfully transferred to professional soccer.
 
This is a man who has set himself lofty goals and is determined to achieve them. The last manager I got to know well, who shared a similar philosophy to Rennie, was another Scot who, by his own admission, was an "average centre half". As his playing days were winding down, he had already plotted his managerial career path. His name is David Moyes.
 
The Everton boss has worked on a shoestring budget for nearly 10 years. Season after season he continues to perform minor miracles with the players at his disposal. Moyes has the intelligence to discover what makes an individual tick. By doing so he gets the best out of them and in return earns their respect.
 
Martin Rennie has a long way to go. The chance to take the next step up the coaching ladder is understandably irresistible. Whether he can bring instant gratification to a franchise impatient for success is highly debatable.
 
But if he is prepared to take a page or two out of the coaching manuals of his illustrious compatriots, and if he is given the time and freedom to build a team around which 'confidence' is a byword, Rennie could just be the next great Scot.

Follow Nigel Reed on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/#!/Nigel_Reed

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