Dutch coaches in England: Ronald Koeman could be just the start

Adam Bate examines why Dutch coaches could offer the solution for English clubs changing manager this summer...

Brentford’s appointment of Marinus Dijkhuizen might have been seen as a left-field decision after a promising season in charge of Eredivisie side Excelsior but he is merely the latest Dutch arrival in English football.

Ronald Koeman has guided Southampton to their joint-highest league finish in 30 years and brought European football to the club for only the second time in that period, while Louis van Gaal has taken Manchester United back into the Champions League.

Meanwhile, veteran coach Dick Advocaat has signed a one-year contract with Sunderland having succeeded in keeping Sunderland in the Premier League, while Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink won the League Two title with Burton Albion – the club’s best finish in its 65-year history.

As a result, Dutch coaches find themselves on the radar of chairmen in England, with Frank de Boer among those being linked with the vacant manager’s job at West Ham. But what is it that makes Dutch coaches such an effective export?

Although Van Gaal’s turns of phrase can be quirkier than most, Dutch language skills ensure that the cultural transition can be swift and most Dutchmen are comfortable working in the head coach role alongside a director of football that is becoming increasingly common.

Perhaps most importantly, Dutch coaches have extensive experience working with young players and – an underrated quality – thinking about the game. “The difficulty in Holland is that every year you have to start with a new group because every year 40 per cent of the players who you work with are already sold or gone,” Dutch legend and former Ajax coach Marco van Basten told Sky Sports.

Every year 40 per cent of the players who you work with are already sold or gone. If you have to do a lot of these things starting from zero perhaps that makes you a better trainer.

“You are beginning the season starting from zero again. Maybe that helps the coaches and the players because they have a lot of experience in helping the team and knowing what is required on the field. There are lots of technical conversations. If you have to do a lot of these things starting from zero perhaps that makes you a better trainer.”

Former Newcastle United striker Rob McDonald was part of a PSV team that included the likes of Ruud Gullit in winning the Eredivisie in 1986 and is now a headhunter for Dutch coaching talent. He feels this could be just the start of an influx of Dutchmen – if more English clubs open themselves up to the possibilities.

“A lot of English chairman like to pick people who have experience of the English way of doing stuff,” McDonald told Sky Sports. “But when was the last time an English manager had experience of winning the league? So it’s been pretty scary when they talk about having to know English culture. I think you’ve got to delve in and see what others have got to say for themselves.

“When I talk to agents and lawyers in England who are close to clubs, they always say that in the Championship and League One you need experience of English football. But there are Dutch coaches out there with that experience. Ray Atteveld was at Everton, Alfonse Groenendijk was at Manchester City and Robert Maaskant (NAC Breda coach) played for Motherwell.”

So with vacancies at Sunderland and West Ham – “If there is any style of coaching that suits ‘the West Ham way’ then it’s got to be a Dutchman,” says McDonald – and Newcastle considering their options as well, who are the potential Dutch candidates capable of filling a Premier League job? Here are just two possibilities…

Bert van Marwijk

Coaching career: Netherland, Feyenoord, Dortmund, Hamburg

“He did a fantastic job with the Dutch national team and did a great job at Feyenoord,” says McDonald. “He didn’t do so well at Hamburg but nobody has done well there. He’s just as good a coach as Koeman and he’s got a good track record. He is well-liked by the players and gives everyone the same attention. Tactically, he’s unbelievably good and he’s always been good at delegating. He’ll get stuck in when he has too but he’s very calm, just like Koeman.”

Henk ten Cate

Coaching career: Ajax, Barcelona (assistant), Chelsea (assistant)

“He knows the game in England and the players absolutely love him,” says McDonald. “He’s been there, seen it and done it. He’s got a great record as far as coaching is concerned. He’s got such a network of contacts including good relationships with the likes of Samuel Eto’o, Didier Drogba and Frank Lampard. He gets on great with all the players. He’s a fiery character but he gets the best out of people. He’s probably more in the style of Van Gaal.”