Romania is a clear underdog in their Euro 2016 group having been drawn against Switzerland, France and Albania, but coach Anghel Iordanescu has a good pedigree and has brought some extremely promising results since he took the job in 2014.
Tactical setup
Iordanescu showed his managerial acumen with a strong finish in the qualifiers. The 66-year-old has a clear defensive mindset, as his side only conceded two goals in the entire campaign. Their excellent defence was enough to see them finish second in their group, a point behind North Ireland, but it also reveals a growing problem for Romania. The team;s attack has displayed a few signs of weakness, mostly from their defensive play. Iordanescu appears to prefer a single striker up front, a strategy which has served him well in the qualifying rounds as they routinely earned 1-0 victories, but this simply will not be enough against the likes of France and Switzerland. Romania need a result against the hosts and the Swiss if they are to have any hope of reaching the knockout rounds, and will need to look at improving their attack.
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Previous tournaments
Iordanescu’s history reveals a wealth of experience in Romanian football and knockout competitions. He won the European Cup with Steaua Bucuresti in 1986 and then went on to manage the same team where he won four Romanian league titles and a runner-up position in the European Cup. Iordanescu moved on to ply his trade in the Middle East where he won two Asian Champions League titles with Al Hilal and Al Ittihad. The Romanian’s knowledge of football in his home country and knockout competitions certainly makes him a smart choice as head coach for the Euros.
Conclusion
Overall, Anghel Iordanescu is a worthy manager for Romania and has shown that he has the knowledge and ability to take this side far in the competition. His defensive mindset served the team well in the qualifying stages and prove that a cohesive defensive unit can be created. If he can put a bit more power into Romania’s strike force, then Iordanescu could surprise a few big nations with his team at Euro 2016.
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