Friday 28 November 2014 13:29, UK
Andy Murray's decision to split from his long-term training set-up of Dani Vallverdu and Jez Green is right decision for all parties, says Barry Cowan.
Murray released a statement on Thursday announcing that assistant coach Vallverdu and fitness coach Green would not be a part of his 2015 team. It has been suggested that the long-serving pair were unhappy not to have been consulted before the appointment of Amelie Mauresmo as head coach in June this year.
Sky Sports Tennis expert Barry Cowan says the split is the right decision for all those involved
He told Sky Sports News HQ: "I wasn’t [surprised], I felt that was coming and I feel it’s the right decision for both parties in terms of Danny and Jez, and also for Andy.
"Especially for Jez Green, he’s one of the best trainers out there and has helped Andy enormously; to be able to turn him from potentially a great athlete, to one of the toughest we’ve got in the modern game.
"There comes a time when maybe both have reached the end of the work. Just to keep things fresh – and certainly on Jez’s part – he felt that Andy wasn’t doing what he wanted to do and maybe Andy also wanted to back off a little bit because of his age, 27, because he’s had to work so hard for so many years."
Whoever Andy appoints next has got be for three or four years to try and push to get back competitively winning Grand Slams
The British No 1, who is playing in the International Premier Tennis League in Manilla this week, has stated that preparations for January's Australian Open are already underway.
Cowan believes the former Wimbledon and US Open champion, who failed to beat top three Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal or Roger Federer in 2014, needs to get a new and stable coaching party in place if he is to challenge for a another Grand Slam.
"Whoever Andy appoints next has got be for three or four years to try and push to get back competitively winning Grand Slams," added Cowan.
"Andy needs people in his corner that can help him get back to potentially beating Djokovic, Nadal and Federer and this year he lost all nine matches against the top three and that is something that he has to change for 2015.
"Since he’s worked with Amelie he’s won matches but he hasn’t won the big matches.
"I never felt that Andy would dispense with Mauresmo so soon after they started to work together – six months - because it’s almost admitting that it hasn’t quite worked.
"He will take stock - certainly you would expect for six months - and then probably after Wimbledon he will look at that as a way forward.
"He will need an assistant coach, Amelie is not going to be travelling with Andy full time and I imagine he will look to hire another trainer because at the moment he’s got Matt Little who’s still involved in the team but Matt has duel roles; he works for Andy but he also works for the LTA."
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