Rutten: PSV needs to come back to the top!

Fred Rutten has received one objective when PSV’s management appointed him: the club that tumbled out of the top 3 after winning four titles on the trot needs to bring PSV back to the top.

Rutten: “PSV had a howler last season and it’s my task to make sure we won’t glide down further. I need to reverse this process and that’s what I’m working on. It’s clear that last season’s fourth spot is a sign, but I don’t believe in doom thinking.”

Last season is last season, Rutten concludes. “I don’t want to live in the past. I want to look ahead. I can’t say now whether last season was an incident or structural.”

When you look at Rutten work on the pitch, it’s like watching a psychologist at work. “When you’re frustrated you need to up your quality!”. “Be aware”, is another term he yells. And “rhythm!”.

During the trainings camp in Germany, Rutten used the time there to explain his vision. “The team needs to process and understand the ideas we have about football. I want to act and not re-act. PSV needs to lead in football development, My focus now, is on the team. I need time to instill my vision and beliefs on them.”

Rutten wants his players to think. To be conscious in their actions. Every pass needs to have a thought behind it. “We want to make players understand that they need to know and understand why they do something. We want to train that way and play that way.”

Reaching the group stages of the Europa League is a must. Which means PSV needs to survive two qualifying rounds. There has been no games to gain rhythm. The competition starts this weekend. “It’s not ideal but it’s how it is. And you need to act on it. We want to reach the group stages, but that doesn’t affect my working methods.”

Rutten knows there won’t be much room at the top. “A broad group off clubs will vie for the title. The so-called sub-top is approaching and sign players we can’t get. Which means they’re in the game. What happened last season, with AZ, Twente, Heerenveen and NEC is not an incident. The bigger clubs all need to watch their pennies while the smaller clubs spend more.”

PSV needs to lead into that new era in Holland. “We need to stay on our current budget level, at least. We need to differentiate from the competition, and you do that by winning silverware. PSV is a warm club, a family club, but we need to add that pro sport climate. We won’t be overtaken suddenly by another club, but we need to be vigilant.”

Rutten doesn’t want to talk about PSV losing it’s status as top club. “I don’t believe in negative thinking. You need to be able to analyze and you need a clear head. Objectivity.”

Rutten is supported by his technical staff, people he worked with before. Handpicked, like Erik ten Hage (ex-Twente player and ex-Twente assistant coach and culture guardian) and Rene Eykelkamp (ex-Groningen, PSV and Schalke striker who even wore the Oranje jersey). “My first coondition was the ability to select my own peopole. I’m impatient and I’m not easily satisfied. Satisfaction creates complacency. I want quality people around me. People with their own opinion, who can stop me from moving to fast. I need them not to always agree with me. If there’s three people with the same ideas, you have two too many. I need people with different believes, to keep it sharp and to have the contrarian vision.”