Team Focus: Calculating Van den Brom has AZ on the Right Path
To say the last few years for the club from Alkmaar have been eventful is an understatement. AZ, crowned Dutch champions in 2009, ended last season eighth, 16 points behind third-place FC Twente. With two games remaining there's a possibility they can make their highest finish since winning the title.
The man who last guided them to the promise land was of course Louis van Gaal and currently at the helm is one of his many protégés John van den Brom, parachuted seven games into the season after then manager Marco van Basten – due to heath reasons – decided to end his managerial career.
Heading into the penultimate weekend, hosting struggling NAC Breda, there's a wave of optimism and every chance of usurping Feyenoord, their rivals for third spot, who have been stuttering of late. Van den Brom, like he's done at his previous Dutch clubs, has shown a breadth of tactical flexibility and acumen. Regardless of the system preferred (4-3-3 or 4-3-1-2) they are organised and the right balance is almost always struck. To date he's used 23 players with more than half (16) featuring in 15 games or more. A consistent selection accelerates cohesion.
And that has been the biggest success; those already at the club have immediately got to grips with his methodology, subsequently picking up 44 points from 75 available. Van den Brom, who had a modest playing career, as far back as he could remember always wanted to be a coach, a dream realised in the last decade. His method isn't quite Van Gaalian in the purest sense (though he does preach collective responsibility) as it's slightly reactive in nature.
Accusation of negativity need not apply here though. Instead a good word to describe him is 'calculating' on account of his resourcefulness. He could easily set out to play a possession-based game, heavily characterised by a copious amount of short passing, but Van den Brom would obviously need the right players, hence why only a certain few clubs across Europe can execute the 'circulation football' style Rinus Michels propagated. As intelligent and talented as the footballers are at his disposal they are predominantly workmanlike, which neatly fits his modus operandi of preferring to limit the risk factor. One by-product is relinquishing outright control (averaging 47.6% ball possession).
Cautious, yes, but as pundits often stress a successful team recognises their strengths and limitations, the former being an ability to effectively attack set pieces (27% of their goals have come via this route). There's nothing wrong with going down this road – and no right way of playing the beautiful game – and in some ways this approach is a microcosm of the whole club. AZ aren't a leading power so they have to be clever in the way they operate, which means having a practical coach on the field and seeking a competitive edge off it, such as appointing Billy Beane as an advisor - the baseball guru behind the Moneyball philosophy.
Given his previous employment at Ajax's esteemed youth academy he is unsurprisingly best suited to working with those willing to follow his lead. AZ's average age of 23.2 makes their squad the fifth youngest in the Eredivisie. Highly rated attacking midfielders Dabney dos Santos (18) and Thom Haye (20) – both making their senior debuts within the last year – have greatly benefited from his arrival. His knack of getting the best out of those under his tutelage regardless of ability is infectious and places him above most of his contemporaries, but like the modern football manager he's not afraid to argue, persuade and encourage discussion.
Sacrosanct as his system may be – each individual outfield player has a set of instructions to be followed – freedom of expression is allowed. No one has benefited more than central defender Jeffrey Gouweleeuw, who incidentally sees himself as a libero, roaming forward and joining the building phase of an attack. The Heemskerk native averages the second most passes in the team (45.1) and is number one when it comes to interceptions per game (3.6).
Gouweleeuw's endeavour doesn't hide the fact that inconsistency remains a thorny issue; but when they do get it right they've shone. Their recent victory over FC Twente – who are, it has to be said, in dire straits at the moment – was a fine example. A win orchestrated by the double pivot of Celso Ortiz and Nemanja Gudelj, with nothing finer than a number 6-and-8 working in tandem. Despite the latter seeing red with 22 minutes remaining he's been to all intents and purposes the brightest light in an AZ shirt this season.
Playing between the midfield and forward lines Gudelj's industry and work rate (2.4 tackles and 1.8 interceptions per game) galvanises those around him – if anything it demonstrates the positive effect of having a natural born leader in a team – and is reflected by a rating of 7.36 (third highest at the club).
His impressive record in front of goal, with 11 strikes (across 31 games) by far his best return during a single campaign, has added another string to his bow. If he is to move on to pastures new, having been strongly linked with a departure to either PSV or Ajax, it would be a huge blow, but such is the life of every club inhabiting the Netherlands, reinventing and restructuring on an annual basis.
Van den Brom's adventure in Alkmaar has only begun. His contract expires in May 2016, and his acquisition has so far proven to be astute on the grounds that his long-term vision is one shared by his employers. Seven months into his tenure, which has been promising, there's a renewed sense of confidence among the fans. Whether it leads to better days remains to be seen but one thing's for sure, the powers that be wouldn't want anyone else in charge going into the summer.
Can AZ steal third spot from Feyenoord and how impressed have you been with Van den Brom since his appointment? Let us know in the comments below
