• The Magazine
  • Interviews
  • Current
  • Nostalgia
  • Legends
  • European
  • World
  • Log in
  • Subscribe
Menu
  • The Magazine
  • Interviews
  • Current
  • Nostalgia
  • Legends
  • European
  • World
  • Log in
  • Subscribe

Dutch master fires a broadside towards his former club

Pink by Pink
August 26, 2015
in Latest
Dutch master fires a broadside towards his former club

BY STEVE MITCHELL

The great Dutch footballing superstar of the 1960’s, 70’s and 80’s Johan Cruyff, has heavily criticised his former club Ajax and the country’s top-flight football league, the Eredivisie, over its current coaching strategies.

In a frank interview last week, the three-time World Player of the Year stated that the coaching staff at the Dutch giants were “ignoring the basic principles” after the club was eliminated from the Champions League qualifying rounds by Austrian side Rapid Vienna.

Growing up inside the Ajax youth academy in the late 1950’s, Cruyff exploded onto the scene during the mid-1960’s before going onto become the greatest player of his generation throughout the early 1970’s under the watchful eye of master tactician Rinus Michels. Four back-to-back league titles from 1966-70 was followed by a famous European Cup Final win at Wembley in 1971 against Panathinaikos before Michels departed for Barcelona. Cruyff’s Ajax team retained European football’s greatest prize for two more seasons before he re-joined his mentor in Cataluña.

Speaking about Michels’ philosophy this week Cruyff, now 68, explained that; “He was able to look at football in a simple way” adding that; “he taught me things like if you’re not a good header of the ball then don’t try to win headers, or try to sprint past someone who is faster than you. In other words, when you are not as strong as someone in certain aspects you need to be smarter.”

In a successful managerial career where he built the “dream team” at Barcelona in the mid 1990’s, Cruyff explained that he used these basic principles in exactly the same way; “I took what Michels taught me and added my own ideas for example, I always believed a friendly match to be much more useful than a training session. At Barcelona I let our goalkeeper, Andoni Zubizaretta, play as an outfield player to improve his ball skills.”

Having just seen his beloved Ajax eliminated from the Champions League before the end of August Cruyff stated that; “At the moment Ajax are ignoring these basic principles,” before going onto explain that; “This is not an attack on coach Frank de Boer, he is just the last piece in the chain, there are many people involved.”

Now Cruyff has seen enough and on his recommendation, Ajax have brought in former player Tscheu La Ling in an advisory role to try to get to the bottom of what is wrong at the country’s biggest club and with the football coaching system in general in the Netherlands. Cruyff clearly has his own ideas stating that; “Just look at Dutch clubs in Europe, it was clear to see how little the ball was played to the forward moving player, this is a basic positional tactic. Here is a player where you do not play the ball to his feet but play it a few meters ahead of him. This rarely happens now in Dutch football and it is a big problem.”

Cruyff clearly still cares passionately for the game. In a trophy laden career both as a player and coach, he cites Michels as the single most important influence on his life, a man who tried to make the beautiful game as simple as possible to understand. Its over 40 years ago that Dutch football ruled the world and whilst Cruyff is all too aware that it would be foolish to predict that it can ever return to the glory years of the 1970’s, going back to the basics that made it great in the first place would be a good place to start.

YOU CAN FOLLOW STEVE ON TWITTER @barafundler

Related Posts

RBC Heritage Odds
Latest

RBC Heritage Odds, Picks, Predictions, and Best Bets: Where to Bet on the PGA Tour Event

The Grand Slam events might get all the attention on the PGA Tour, but that doesn’t necessarily make them...

by Jamie Ingram
April 13, 2023
0
Latest

Mexican Open Tennis Betting Odds: Where to Bet on the 2023 ATP Acapulco Tennis Tournament

Tennis fans are in for a treat with the upcoming 2023 Mexican Open (ATP Acapulco) lineup. We’ve got a...

by Jamie Ingram
February 17, 2023
0
Latest

Best Greyhound Betting Sites in the UK – 9 UK Websites with the Most Competitive Greyhound Betting Odds

  Greyhound betting is as exciting as ever, only now it’s possible to do it with just a few...

by Jamie Ingram
May 5, 2023
0
Latest

NBA Playoff Odds, Pools, and Predictions: 2023 NBA Post Season Futures Odds

The playoff picture is starting to become apparent with the NBA season past the halfway point. All the best...

by Jamie Ingram
February 14, 2023
0
Load More
Next Post
Inside Sky Sports News – An Interview with Pete Graves

Inside Sky Sports News – An Interview with Pete Graves

Virtual Horse Racing UK
Current

Best Virtual Horse Racing Betting Sites in the UK for 2023: Latest Odds, Lines, and More

by Jamie Ingram
May 31, 2023
0
0

Virtual horse racing betting has a super-fast turnover and the software is better than ever - but to truly enjoy...

Read more
belmont stack betting

Belmont Stakes Betting Guide & Odds – How to Bet on the 2023 Belmont Stakes Online

May 30, 2023
0
Canelo Alvarez Next Fight

Canelo Alvarez Next Fight Predictions: David Benavidez, Caleb Plant & Dmitry Bivol Rematch

May 29, 2023
0
indy 500 odds

Indy 500 Odds & Predictions: Who Will Win the 107th Spectacle in Racing 2023?

May 25, 2023
0
Preakness Stakes Betting

Preakness Stakes Betting: News, Odds, and Expert Predictions on the Race at Pimlico

May 19, 2023
0
Menu
  • About
  • Contact Us
  • Profile

© Copyright 2023 – Football Pink

  • About
  • Contact Us
  • Profile

© Copyright 2022 - Ronnie Dog Media All Rights Reserved. Live Score

Pin It on Pinterest

Share This
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • Gmail
  • Print Friendly
  • LinkedIn
  • StumbleUpon
  • Tumblr