W

hat makes someone in football like Alex Ferguson (Manchester United's manager), Jose Maurinho (Inter Milan's manager), Guus Hiddink (Russia's manager), or Pep Guardiola (Barcelona's manager) so special? Generally speaking, it is because of their ability to organize a team and to win a decisive game. But if we take a deeper look, we will see that they are very special because of their ability to tame the stubborn but gifted and talented players and make them do their best.

And this is something we expect from President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono; that he is going to be like one of the football managers. As we can see from his supporting parties and ministerial team, he is surrounded by almost all types of people: the pure academicians, the tricky politicians; the religious fundamentalists, the liberalists (or neoliberalists), or the military tacticians.

SBY is one of the smart people who are able to keep things on an even keel, but at the same time, if he can manage them properly, these people will be very dynamic because of all their potential energy.

Positively thinking, if he can manage the explosive energy, like we see inside an engine block, the different potential of each will hopefully speed up the development of the country.

The buying of Wayne Rooney, for example, by Manchester United was a sort of gamble because of his stubbornness and disruptive behavior. So too was Samuel Eto'o.

Even someone like Marco Materazzi, who disgustingly provoked Zinedine Zidane in the previous World Cup, often does something decisive to enable his team to win because of that special something beneath his moody character.

But to some extent, with SBY and what he has done to gain support, it is also like letting the snakes lay in the grass. Tricky politicians or smart businessmen could be a most dangerous opposition if they are not accommodated. But giving them a lot of space and creating high expectations could put the voyage of the ship in danger too. Too much space for officials will only decrease the space for the passengers, who pay their fares and are the real stakeholders.

So, SBY and Boediono must be able to act as the real managers, with recognized authority. If a player is off form, for example, they should not hesitate to replace the player with a substitute.

Even though Ronaldo (of Portugal) is the most expensive player in the world, Manuel Pellegrini (the Real Madrid coach) should have the courage to change out Ronaldo for other player when his team is in a critical situation.

On the other hand, if you are the supporter of a certain team and, based on the lineup of players given by the coach, feel that something is unacceptable, please be patient. As what makes both football and politics, and to some extent chess, exciting are the unpredictability and the possibility.

We can predict anything we like if we are playing the tables, but what comes up is not always what we hope. And so it is with possibilities. In the European Champions League AC Milan just beat Real Madrid.

Many observers were hesitant about AC Milan with Leonardo as coach and predicted their defeat, especially after the club sold players like Kaka.

So, there is always a chance of unpredictability and possibility. What we must do then, as the passengers on the ship, is to increase the possibility of the ship moving smoothly and arriving safely with the least loss, if not with a victorious win.

Weren't the protesting Argentines silenced when Maradona successfully secured his team a spot in the upcoming World Cup in South Africa after a series of defeats and, therefore, criticism of the legend? Why then did Martin Palermo, a veteran, score the decisive goal for the team? So far, nobody has the answer to that.

I could understand, for instance, when one of my friends was disappointed looking at the ministerial composition and updated her Facebook status, telling her social network of her anger, and her friends made various comments.

But we are not the decision makers in this case. We are only the passengers, the weak stakeholders who often live with a limited number of choices, if not obligated to take the single available one.

Surely, what we have, in the end, is only hope and the wish to hope. But it often happens, however, that smart moves can be made when the situation looks hopeless. As the weaker stakeholders, we should be learning from how a single strand gains strength when joined with others in the broom. We should be active watchdogs instead of being passive ones. If we have no rattan, as the old proverb says, we will use the roots. This way, we are keeping democracy alive.