Football – New Dutch coach returns to traditional tactics

AMSTERDAM (Reuters) – New Holland manager Ronald Koeman says he will return to traditional Dutch ways of playing after his predecessor Ruth van Gaal changed the team’s approach during his tenure and confused sensibilities. Told.

Koeman, who had already been named as Van Gaal’s successor last year, was officially announced at a press conference on Monday, again with four defenders instead of the three centre-backs and two wing-backs Van Gaal had. Said to assemble a team with…Priority over the past 18 months.

“In principle, we return to the system in which we played before,” said Koeman, who was the Dutch manager from 2018 to 2020 and suddenly moved to Barcelona.

“We may change the system, but we stick to the basic principle of four defenders.”

The Dutch sensibility for tactics was frustrated when van Gaal abandoned the traditional 4-3-3 approach for a more counter-attacking game.

Van Gaal insisted it was the only way to become world champion, but Koeman sometimes felt after watching the World Cup in Qatar that the Dutch could have had a little more flexibility in their approach and tactical set-up. said.

The Netherlands lost to eventual winners Argentina in the quarterfinals last month.

Koeman, who turns 60 in March, said he had already discussed the issue with some players. “I’ll have to ask them what they think about it.”

Asked if he had spoken to van Gaal, who was always planning to leave after the World Cup, Koeman said: “No. I’ve never done it and I don’t think it’s funny. I have the thoughts and the experience, I don’t think it’s necessary.”

Koeman said he will pursue trophies starting with the Nations League in June. The Netherlands will host a four-team knockout tournament against Croatia, Italy and Spain.

But his first match in charge will be against France in the European Championship qualifiers in Paris on 24 March.

(Written by Marc Gleeson, Cape Town; edited by Christian Radnage)