Exclusive Interview: Head coach Muslin setting underachieving Serbia on right path

With the final international break of the year upon us, all of those in World Cup qualifying action will be hoping to end 2016 on a high. One such nation that know that a winning end to the year would see them in a very strong position is Serbia, aiming to put a bitterly disappointing and unsuccessful campaign to reach the Euros in the summer behind them under new tutelage in the form of Slavoljub Muslin.

Currently top of what many would consider the most competitive group, alongside three sides that did reach the finals in France, Serbia face a big game in Cardiff against Chris Coleman’s Wales this weekend. We caught up with the head coach ahead of the crucial qualifier to discuss the past, present and future of a side that many deem to have underachieved to now, as well as working with some of the biggest names in football.

When asked if it was fair to say that Serbia hadn't met expectations in the past, Muslin was certainly honest. "The results were absolutely inadequate considering the value and the quality of the players. I was not a part of the FA at the time so I cannot judge the reasons why." He's confident, however, that the changes made during his short time at the helm are putting the side on the right path, which is an assessment with which key man Dusan Tadic agreed in an exclusive interview with WhoScored.com last month.

"I made a thorough analysis of the past matches and the players to determine what changes would be necessary", Muslin stated. "I identified that switching to a more familiar system to the players would enable them to express their abilities to the same level that they do with their clubs."

As of last season, after all, as many as 45 Serbians featured in Europe's top 5 leagues, certainly suggesting that the previous regime failed to get the best of the quality at their disposal. Muslin has been quick to remedy that. "It was important to make the players feel comfortable so that they can give their maximum on the pitch. Also, the new atmosphere that we have managed to implement has been crucial. The players know the importance of wearing the national team jersey and representing their country on the pitch."

He's also a keen advocate of the role that statistics play in the modern game, and particularly their importance to national team coaches. "Statistics play a fundamental role today as a supplement to what a coach sees on the pitch", he said. "When you are a national team coach, statistics are a very important tool in order to keep up with the players' performances when you do not have a chance to watch all of them play live."

In terms of the current players he has to choose from, there's an acceptance that some of the biggest names in the squad, not least captain and most capped current member Branislav Ivanovic, will likely be coming to the end of their international careers by the time of the World Cup. However, the head coach understands the importance of their experience in this campaign. "A team is always formed by various players, some more experienced, some more talented. Only like this you can have a symbiosis that will allow the younger ones to affirm themselves and flourish."

However, the fact that Serbia's U20s won the World Cup for their age group last year certainly offers great hope for the future, as well as an opportunity for Muslin to begin to bring the youth through. "The forthcoming generations in Serbia definitively have a lot of talent", Muslin confirmed. "However, there is a difference between a talented player and a player that is ready to step up."

The coach has a clear opinion on why some of said talents aren't able to make that step. "The problem here is that, in my opinion, the Serbian talents go abroad too soon to big clubs where unfortunately they do not have the chance to play and evolve in a correct way." Marko Grujic was a member of that victorious U20 squad in New Zealand, making the move to Liverpool this summer, but while he is yet to start in the Premier League, Muslin still has high hopes for the midfielder.

"Players like Grujic are the future of Serbian football. They already have been a part of the senior team in friendly matches but the main reason why they are not involved so much right now is that the calendar of U21 matches is also important. However, in the very near future they shall be with us on a more permanent basis."

The team would certainly seem to be in the right hands when it comes to identifying young talent, with Muslin having coached some stellar names in the early years of their careers in the past. Vidic and Ivanovic stand out in terms of the Serbian stars the coach can take some credit for helping to develop, while he also worked with the likes of Lizarazu and Ginola during his early years in management in France. One particular player, however, stands out among those that Muslin has had the pleasure to coach, with Zinedine Zidane named the Ligue 1 player of the year in 1996 under his tutelage before earning a move to Juventus.

"These type of players are not born every day. In the case of Zidane immediately you could tell that this was a huge talent that had appeared. However, to become such a giant of the game, he worked hard, listened and like this evolved every day to become one of the world's greatest players of all time." He isn't surprised, either, that the Frenchman has made the move into management. "Of course, I am very happy to see now that he is also a talented and successful coach. As a man and as a professional he deserves this as he was a very hard worker and talent alone does not make you become great."

Indeed, in our interview with the Serbia head coach it was clear just how important he feels that the mentality of players is, perhaps proving a problem for the national side in the past. "The experience I have gained throughout the years through contact with diverse players of different nationalities at clubs from around the world has given me the chance to learn how to adapt to certain individuals. This has given me a lot of experience and knowledge on how to best deal with the many different mentalities and mindsets of players."

There is no doubting the ability of the current Serbia national team squad after all. If they can continue to improve their mentality then, starting this weekend in Wales, the disappointment of the previous three qualifying campaigns may be forgotten thanks to Muslin.