The unpredictable life of a football coach is best exemplified by that of Otto Rehhagel.
Ask any Greece supporter if they felt the German was the best man for the job in October 2002, when they lost their first two qualifying games for Euro 2004 - 2-0 to both Spain and the Ukraine - and the response would have been negative.
Almost exactly a year later, Rehhagel had confounded even his fiercest critics by leading the Greeks to their sixth consecutive win in Group Six and automatic qualification to the European Championships. It would be their first appearance at the finals since 1980.
Qualification was an astonishing achievement given their start and, to finish ahead of a team like Spain, was another indication of Greece's abilities.
For Rehhagel, it was simply the continuation of a long, distinguished and extremely successful career, one which started with playing spells at Hertha Berlin and Kaiserslautern before he hung up his boots and moved into coaching with Kickers Offenbach.
He did not stay long but made enough of an impact to catch the eye of Werder Bremen and then Borussia Dortmund, Armenia Bielefeld and Fortuna Dusseldorf, where he won the German Cup in 1980.
He then returned to Bremen and it was there where he was to establish himself as a coach of some considerable talent.
His 14-year spell at the Weserstadion was to transform Bremen from second division also-rans to an established Bundesliga super-power.
Rehhagel quickly led them to promotion and impressed further by leading them to a fifth-placed finish in their first season back in the big time.
The progress continued - they finished in the runners-up spot three times - before culminating in the 1987 title which saw Rehhagel given the title 'King Otto' by an adoring Bremen public.
The 1991 German cup was the next piece of silverware to wing its way to Bremen and the 1992 European Cup-Winners' Cup, the 1993 Bundesliga and the 1994 German Cup soon followed.
That remarkable run of success marked him out as one of the hottest coaching properties on the continent and it was no surprise when Bayern Munich came knocking before the 1995/96 season.
But the challenge of taking on a highly temperamental squad of superstars proved too much, even for Rehhagel, and he was sacked before the end of the season despite leading the Bavarians to the final of the UEFA Cup.
A return to Kaiserslautern was his next challenge and his next stage for success. Promotion was quickly secured, as was the Bundesliga title, before Rehhagel's departure in October 2000.
He was appointed Greece coach in August 2001 and had a slow start before recovering in glorious fashion. An excellent motivator and supreme tactician, Rehhagel's rivals will be wary of 'King Otto'.
