Johan Derksen believes that the KNVB cannot end up with Louis van Gaal in the search for a new national coach ‘not forever’. The 69-year-old coach is emphatically mentioned as the successor of the recently resigned Frank de Boer as the new national coach of the Dutch national team. Derksen says in the program The the Dutch Summer from SBS6 It is time for the KNVB to tap into a new generation of trainers.
“Well, look, we can’t visit that Louis forever,” Derksen says. “Louis is an elderly man with a very big mouth. His great burden is his overestimation of himself. He has done very well as a coach. But if there are problems, we have to go to a new generation to solve them. In two years we’ll have the same problem and then we’ll yell, “Louis!” Well, it will stop with Louis once.”
Hans Kraay junior said in the early broadcast of The the Dutch Summer although he is not very enthusiastic about the possible arrival of Van Gaal. “I moved in Nico-Jan Hoogma, who makes a terribly bad impression. He said he wants a boss, which is very derogatory to Frank de Boer. But how many bosses are left? Louis van Gaal? Henk ten Cate? Then I am afraid that they will go for Van Gaal, who has not done anything for a number of years. Many players think he is the best coach they have worked with, but we don’t want to deny our football philosophy, do we? Attacking football? 4-3-3?”
“I think that 4-3-3 is nonsense, it depends on the players you have,” Derksen responded. “The longer I think about it: we shouldn’t end up with the ancient Van Gaal, Advocaat or Hiddink every time there is a problem. We have to move to the generation of the fifties. Cocu and Van Bronckhorst have a fantastic track record as footballers. They have the life experience at their age to take over. We must give them the opportunity and increase their shortcomings in the bargain. Frank de Boer had technical and verbal shortcomings.”
“If you think that Van Bronckhorst does not yet have the leadership qualities, you have to put a strong team manager next to him who supports him. A boy with his football career must have the vision to put the players in the right place,” continued Derksen. René van der Gijp did not immediately agree: “Van Bronckhorst, Cocu and De Boer have not impressed me. Not even when they are on television and talking about it. It’s meaningless. Van Gaal impresses with his resume. Dick (Lawyer, ed.) too.”
“You have to give that boy the opportunity to build such a resume. As a footballer, he has a great resume. He has had Feyenoord in a very difficult period. He dared to take unsympathetic measures. If you dare to take Kuyt out of Feyenoord, you also dare to take Memphis out,” Derksen responded. Pierre van Hooijdonk recently mentioned Henk Fraser as a possible national coach. “I think Henk Fraser is a great boy, he is doing well at Sparta”, says Derksen. “But I don’t know if Henk is suitable for the Dutch national team. I also don’t know if he is unsuitable for the Dutch national team. We will have to make a choice from that generation. We have to get rid of those old men.”