New coaching paradigm needed?

Writing those posts on the Bosman law, Henk ten Cate and coaching I had to think about the changes needed in coaching. Ten Cate is going to work according to the “English” model, with a manager (Grant or Ferguson at Man United) who work with specific coaches and trainers in on the field. The manager is responsible for communication (board, press, sponsors), buying/selling/contracts and club identity and strategy. For specific tactics and technical elements, specialized coaches are used. Henk ten Cate will work well in a situation like that…

So, let’s look at the coaching paradigm that’s been in use since the 60s. And that sounded like this: “the club is forever, the coach is a passerby”.

That was in the days, that players sometimes stayed their whole career at one club. Think Ruud Krol (left Ajax after 10 or 12 years!), Wim Suurbier, Sjaak Swart, Piet Keizer, Coen Moulijn, Willem van Hanegem, Kees Kist, Willy van der Kuylen, Danny Blind, Joop Hiele… In the 80s and 90s however, in particular after the Bosman arrest, players became more mobile. And didn’t stay long with their clubs. Willem van Hanegem left Feyenoord at a ripe age to “rake in some dollars” in the US and to return to Holland to play for a couple of other clubs. Nowadays, Van Persie, Van der Vaart, Sneijder, Drenthe, De Ridder…they keep on leaving at a younger age…. So, that begs the question…who is the passerby these days?

In the 60s, coaches were hired on the basis of specific new skills. Ajax was in trouble and Michels was a angry young new coach, with not a lot of experience to back him. But he was different. Ernst Happel had made a name for himself and proved himself a tactical wizard. Kovacs, Kessler, Boskov…all interesting coaches with new skills or insights that were hired in to leave some of their specific skills behind at the clubs they worked for.

Today, Ajax picks ex-players at random, it almost seems… Leo Beenhakker left for Madrid and assistant Louis van Gaal moved on to the head coach positiion. When he left, Ajax felt they needed a big name coach, that belonged at a big name club. Morten Olson. Then it was the inexperienced Wouters (why??), Adriaanse (back to the Van Gaal style), then Koeman (ex-player but still…why? What did he prove?), to be followed by Danny Blind (ex-player, but why Blind as a coach?) and when that didn’t work it became Ten Cate….

But, as I wrote earlier, the players have become the passersby. Compare Feyenoord, PSV or Ajax of three seasons back with the teams they have now. Incredible, almost.
So, if the players aren’t the continuity factor anymore AND if Dutch clubs are forced to act as youth development “factories” for the big European teams, why treat a coach as a passerby?

Just accept the fact that players are way more mobile and use the English model for the Dutch clubs. Call it a Culture Guardian, or an Identity Keeper or Technical Director or whatever but get a guy who is highly linked with the club (Wim Jansen & Feyenoord for instance) and allow these guys to build the technical side of the club. Get “field trainers” for the actual training side of it… Scouts for tactical analysis of opponents, specific striker-trainers for the strikers, etc etc and allow the technical director to build that youth development factory. Don’t make objectives like “reaching the quarter finals in the CL every third season”… Bullshit! Make the objective: “selling two players per year to a big club in Europe for mucho dineros”…. Develop a housestyle, play accordingly. invest in youth and buy experienced players to balance the team and settle in your role as talent-factory.

Try to invest in the technical director with the aim to keep him for at least ten years. The Henk ten Cate’s of this world – ego-driven – aren’t the ones you want. They will hop in their second season to bigger name clubs with bigger paychecks. Lesson number 2: every coach that said stuff like “since I was a kid I wanted to work at club ABC” or “this feels like coming home…”….do not hire these guys. It’s their ego that drives them. They chase kids-dreams or use false sentiments. The minute they land at the club the dream become reality and suddenly it’s not that much fun. Same with coaches who come back as the hero at the club they once were successful. It doesn’t work!
Ten Cate (I have dreamed of working at Ajax) is gone. Leo Beenhakker (Feyenoord is like coming home) left for rival Ajax. Guus Hiddink left PSV after his second stint in trouble. Huub Stevens, the RODA JC saviour left for HSV. Louis van Gaal had to leave Ajax when he had gone back as Technical director… Let’s just hope Bert van Marwijk is the exception to prove this rule is correct.

In this model, Marco van Basten could be ideal for Ajax. His vision is clear, he loves working with and using young players. He may not be the brightest light in tactical terms, but Ajax can compensate that with the right people as “field-trainers”. Adri Koster would be one of the them. But, it should be an honor for the man in question to take the job and his intention should be to stay at the job.