Team Focus: Champions PSV Have Cocu to Thank For Eredivisie Success
It is often said a great player doesn't always make a good manager, which neatly brings us to events in Eindhoven where Phillip Cocu – widely regarded as one of Europe's brightest young coaching talents – is proving the old adage wrong and more importantly starting to realise his potential.
Guiding PSV to their 22nd championship – their first since 2008 and secured with three games remaining – has been emphatic as any of those won during the halcyon days of Guus Hiddink, who must be proud of his protégé. Getting there, when you consider the resources at his disposal, was only a matter of time, however it shouldn't reduce his coaching prowess to a mere afterthought. He is every part the reason behind their resurgence.
Upon entering office at PSV (initially on an interim basis) in spring 2012 – before leaving that summer only to return full-time the following year – Cocu recognised that the path he would have to embark on was going to be long and arduous: short-term pain that will hopefully lead to long-term pleasure. Ernest Faber, his assistant, likened the inherited situation to a "small virus" infiltrating the human body. After going through plenty of ups and downs, they have returned to the apex of Dutch football.
PSV, close to being imperious, are first among equals: 26 wins from 31 games (6 more than second best) and scoring 84 goals (20 more). The hallmark of champions – winning without playing well – has been prevalent throughout. Sometimes, with a young but gifted squad – the average age just 23 (the third youngest in the Eredivisie) – it takes a man of distinguished calibre to get the ball rolling; Cocu has brought a winning mind-set.
His background as one of the most accomplished midfielders of his generation plus being drenched from head-to-toe in the culture of PSV, grants him instant respect. Formerly a coach at academy level, he was the ideal candidate when it became apparent that club policy was to be centred on youth and development. As history has shown, cultivating a distinct set of values, such as promoting from within and putting down deep local roots, can lead to a more self-sustainable future.
Looking back all the signs were there for a career in the dugout. Here was a footballer celebrated for his tactical acumen, constantly analysing the game as it was being played, making sure the manager's instructions were being followed, adjusting if required through his intelligence and leadership. His other prominent trait was the versatility to play (expertly well) in multiple roles. "The only positions I've not played in is goalkeeper and right-back". This astute comprehension of the game allowed him to lay claim to being the modern 'total footballer'.
Knowledge is power. A few years after making the changeover, Barcelona (where he held the record for the most capped foreigner until Lionel Messi came along) reportedly wanted him to coach their B team. Some at the club saw him as a credible successor to Pep Guardiola, like his former Barça teammate Cocu is what you'd call a student of the game. "There is no book that can teach you. Ideas are king," as Guardiola once said. Hiddink, Dick Advocaat and Louis van Gaal made the biggest impression on him and consequently many of their approaches are incorporated into his own coaching philosophy.
In a short space of time Cocu has demonstrated the foresight and flexibility needed to survive and succeed in this business – showing he's not one-dimensional (there's always a 'Plan B') – impressing numerous observers along the way. Aggression before aesthetics is the hidden mantra that embodies PSV and one he's fully in sync with, but don't be mistaken, there's nothing direct about their play, it is just that he prefers not to take up to thirty touches before a shot on goal, instead creating scoring opportunities with the fewest amount of passes possible – incidentally, no team has scored more on the counter (7). Cocu nonetheless wants to dominate games through possession; so far this season PSV have the fifth highest average in the league (52.1%) and rank third when it comes to pass completion (81.9%).
Consistency, leading to stronger cohesion and better understanding of teammates, is the bedrock of their renaissance. No fewer than ten players have played 25 games or more (four of whom are so far in WhoScored's team of 2014/15). Compared to last season, it's as different as night and day. The presence of Andrés Guardado, a silent force in the middle of the park, is an underlying factor, the experience he's brought has galvanised his more youthful teammates. His energy and discipline – 50.8 passes, 2 tackles and 1.6 interceptions per game – has become the kernel around which the rest of the side's play is constructed.
And the most flamboyant is mercurial winger Memphis Depay. With 20 goals (from 5.4 shots per game) and 3 assists (from 2.1 key passes per game), he is certain to finish the season as 'Footballer of the Year' and could catch Luuk de Jong as WhoScored’s highest-rated. It's not a one-man show, though, as others have equally had inspired campaigns. Most notable is left-back Jetro Willems, joint-leader in the race to be crowned 'assist king' (12 goals created), and reinvigorated striker De Jong (19 goals in 29 games).
The biggest success though has been at the back: 27 conceded after 31 games (at this stage last season it was 42), Cocu's first port of call was strengthening the defence. For too long their soft underbelly, he kept faith with his young central defenders – Jeffrey Bruma and Karim Rekik (on loan from Manchester City) – and they've repaid him.
By inspiring them to adopt a take-no-prisoner mentality, thus becoming leaders, Bruma-Rekik has developed into one of the division’s more commanding pairings. On their own just two promising Dutch defenders, together they make a classic 'number three-four' tandem. Bruma averages slightly more passes (48.4); both enjoy bringing the ball out of defence and starting attacks, whereas there's little to separate them when it comes to interceptions. Bruma, the more strategic, is ahead (1.6 per game) and Rekik leads in tackles made (1.9). The duo’s development, coming on leaps and bounds, is a microcosm of the clubs development as a whole in this new economic reality.
As the festivities die down attention will no doubt turn to next season, when the challenge will be to stay at the top. That will be put to the test if, as expected, Memphis and inspirational skipper Georginio Wijnaldum (12 goals and 3 assists in 30 games), leave for pastures new. Whether they can replicate the recently dethroned Ajax and create a dynasty of their own remains to be seen but no question about it, there's a renewed sense of pride in the City of Light and they have one man to thank.
How impressed have you been by PSV and Phillip Cocu this season? Let us know in the comments below
