Andy Murray Must Blame Himself, Not Coaches

If I have it right, the way Andy Murray tells the story, he was spending too much time alone with Coach Brad Gilbert, making the relationship uncomfortable. So he fired Gilbert to take up a team of coaches.

Now, the team concept is uncomfortable, so he fired Miles Maclagan this week, and will begin looking for a new coach.

What does he look for now? Murray just keeps adding every day to the evidence that he's a head case.

He keeps firing coaches even though he now has tremendous fitness, footwork and stamina (thanks to Gilbert) and also athleticism, strokes, size, strength, intelligence and work ethic.

The problem with Andy Murray is not coming from the outside. It's the special thing missing between a great player and a champion. Murray hasn't found it yet, and might not even have it.

When Murray wakes up in the morning and looks in the mirror, he doesn't see a champion. So he tries a new coach.

This is apparently coach-changing season in tennis, as both finalists from the Australian Open in January have decided six months later that things aren't right. Directions change fast in tennis.

Roger Federer, who never seems willing to commit to a coach, hired Paul Annacone, Pete Sampras' former coach, on a trial basis. Murray dumped Maclagan, who was the head of Team Andy, I guess, but was apparently not in agreement on Murray's game with another team member, Alex Corretja.

Funny how the same move from two top players can look so different. For Federer, it was a great move, a willingness to finally admit that he has a problem and that he isn't ready, at 28, to start fading. For Murray, it's scapegoating.

"It's easy to start over-thinking things and over-analyzing things," Murray said. "I don't think there's a problem with my game. I just need to get better, and that's something that maybe hasn't happened the last four or five months."



How ironic that he brings up over-thinking and over-analyzing. That's exactly what's wrong with him. He can't find the balance between thinking and following the John Daly model: Grip it and rip it.

He has gotten better through the years. He doesn't run out of steam anymore, and has figured out how to use his speed. He also doesn't choke.

But he tries to masterfully work through a point, keep making shots and waiting for an opponent to make a mistake. It works great except for a couple things:

Roger Federer isn't going to make three sets worth of errors in a major. And when someone who pounds the ball has one of those days when everything goes in, the way Marin Cilic did when he beat Murray at the U.S. Open last year, then they don't have to hit a lot of shots. They just hit winners.

"I had good results against Federer," Murray said. "I've beaten (Rafael) Nadal a couple of times in Slams (majors)."

Murray has beaten Federer six times out of 11. But in majors, Federer is 2-0, in straight sets.

And actually, Murray's victory over Nadal in the Australian Open quarters was particularly frustrating. It was the Murray everyone has been waiting for, as he got aggressive, attacking Nadal. Then he went to the finals to play Federer, and ...

Started dinking again.

Murray can keep switching coaches, but he really needs to search within. Start with a 23-year-old man who apparently still plays hours and hours of video games every day, reportedly the big problem in the relationship with his girlfriend. When Gilbert left Murray, too, he said something about seven hours a day of video games.

Murray said it's all about winning majors now. As a result, he hasn't even won a non-major this year.

How frustrating when someone with so much talent doesn't reach his potential. Murray, ranked No. 4, starts moping on court, gets buried deep in his own mind somewhere.

There is plenty of time, and sports history is filled with people who have been criticized for an inability to win "The Big One." Then, they come around.

Andre Agassi. Phil Mickelson. John Elway. Plenty of others. Maybe that's the deal with Murray, who knows?

Murray said he and his former coach were far apart on their thoughts on his game, but then wouldn't give specifics.

Anyone can see what's wrong with him. He can't expect the best players to hand him a major, but he won't take one.

Rumor is that he might be talking with Darren Cahill, and there is no better choice. Maybe Cahill can get him to attack. But a coach can't make him find a champion in the mirror.

E-mail me at gregcouch09@aol.com