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Jan, 2014

Cruyff & Ajax's "Way Forward"

Cruyff & Ajax's 'Way Forward'

 

“The idea now is that we are trying to create complete, exceptional players”

For those who read the recent article "Are Academies Restricting Creativity" you will know that I have been reading Dennis Bergkamp's book and quite frankly loving every bit of it. In that article we discussed the importance of providing players with the freedom to express and think for their-selves, as well as the possibility that academies require too much 'conformity' to allow true expression. In the final chapter of the book Bergkamp talks of the future of Ajax and the new ideas that Cruyff and his staff are implementing. This is what we will look at and discuss in this article. 

 

 

 

“We believe that in the future tams, clubs, countries will copy this. We will be in the forefront again” Dennis Bergkamp

The conflict of old and new

 

During 2008-2010 Ajax experienced a power struggle involving Johann Cruyff and the present board and coaching staff. Cruyff felt the club had stagnated in its development of players and teams befitting the 'Ajax way'. There was a sense he felt that the 1995 Champions League success had stopped the club from moving forward. That success had frozen Ajax in time. 

 

Of course the landscape of football changed signficiantly during the 1990’s and that Ajax success was perhaps the last of the 'classic' way. After an increase in the transfers of players, the Bosman ruling and the allowance of foreign players in sides opened the doors to mult-national teams. Money became the ultimate form of success, developing one’s own became a thing of the past. 

 

Ajax never reached those heights again, perhaps they felt it was no longer possible, or perhaps they were afraid to do new things. Cruyff felt it was the second. He was witnessing the reign of Barcelona in 2006-2010, watching Rijkaard and then Guardiola bring success and for him most importantly quality and entertainment to the Nou Camp. 

 

Yes it was done by spending money yet ultimately the success came from what he himself had laid down two decades earlier. Cruyff revolutionised the way Barcelona developed players and made sure to make this their philosophy. He brought the Ajax methods and beliefs to Barca and made them one of, if not the greatest side football has seen. It was hard for him therefore to see what happened to his Ajax side. 

 

After a failed ‘coup’ in 2008 Cruyff waited patiently, assembling his ideas and staff until in 2010 he could no longer take it. Martin Jol was ‘the worst he had ever seen’. For Cruyff ‘Ajax was no longer Ajax’. At the end of 2010 Jol was fired, the fans had turned against him, they had sided with Cruyff and agreed that this was not what Ajax were about. In came Frank De Boer, on the approval of Cruyff of course. 

 

After months of conflict and fighting the Ajax board resigned in April 2011 stating it was ‘impossible’ to work with Cryuff. This was what he wanted. He wanted complete control because he wanted to revolutionise the club. He wanted to make them the world’s best school of football once again. 

 

It was a difficult period for the club during 2011, Cruyff did not accept small changes but wanted complete change. It caused many issues and arguments. This blog wrote about a grassroots club in England who were resistant to change and it was no different at Ajax. “They were comfortable in their positions and the only thing they wanted was to stay comfortable. That’s why they resisted us, tooth and nail.”  

 

The resistance was a big strain and the two camps; the pro Cruyff and pro Van-Gaal groups fought hard. Finally in February 2012 after Cruyff took the matter to the courts the resistance fell and Cruyff was free to implement the changes he wished. 

 

The problem for Cruyff was that Ajax were no longer producing world class players, more average professionals. For some this was acceptable yet Cruyff does not know the word, or at least approve of it. He wanted more from his club and he would make sure the foundations were put in place to make it possible. After almost 15 years of stagnation and holding on to past glories, a revolution of their development was under way. As Berkgamp says about the Ajax academy in his book “It’s still good, but the standard had gone down a bit.” 

 

Educating genius 

 

Developing your own, especially for a side like Ajax is essential in today’s world. Dutch football is not close to one of the big leagues, especially financially. They would need to generate finance from selling star assets, yet for Cruyff it was not just about selling but developing individuals to make Ajax a force in Europe once again. As Cruyff says “if you have the eleven best trained footballers in Europe in your team you will automatically reach the European top.” High ambitions indeed, yet Cruyff has always dreamt and reached high.

 

For Cruyff he felt that the Van Gaal philosophy which had been with the club since the early 90’s was now wrong. For him the focus on tactics, systems and teamwork was not in-line with the modern development of players. For Cruyff he felt that the future game required youth development which would develop ‘extraordinary individuals’. Ajax would now focus on encouraging and educating genius’.

 

This blog could not resist discussing what Ajax are doing under the guidance of Cruyff and the leadership of De Boer, Bergkamp and Jonk. So what is the revolution? What are the methods which Cruyff believes are necessary for future world class development? Well, it is ‘individual training’, intense individual work for players to become exceptional technicians and tacticians. 

 

Ajax’s new idea is to think of player development as just that, as Berkgamp says “Our idea is: don’t think about teams anymore, just think about individuals. It’s all about developing the individual.”

 

Their new way is to neglect tactics until 14 years of age. Before that it is all about technical skills. Laying the foundation for the future development of the player. As I say in “The Way Forward” these ‘key’ years of learning 7-12 years are the most important for the laying of neurological pathways and the building of ‘myelin’. 

 

What young children do in this window can determine their future. Therefore it is essential that they are given the best environment to lay great pathways. Is this the case in our coaching culture though? Uneducated ‘coaches’ who are ‘teaching’ our future generation? Even academies tend to put their less qualified coaches with these age groups. It is insane when you think this is the key for the future.

 

The pleasing thing for this blog is that in my book “The Way Forward” a key solution for England’s future player development was an increase in individual work with the guidance and coaching of a full time ‘technical skills coach’ who would work with the players on their individual technique and skill. This has been seen to be of great value at Man Utd with Rene Meulensteen with the Academy and Quieroz with Ronaldo. 

 

Also at Southampton they hired the French coach George Prost who took their young players to another level. Clive Woodward recently spoke of his marvel at what Prost was doing when he was working at Southampton. Jurgen Klinsmann brought in technical skills expert Alf Galustian when he was coach at Bayern. It is the technical skill level of players which is vital to be able to handle the speed of the future game. This is ‘the way forward’ for player development. Every play needs to be a great technician. Individual training helps increase a players development because of increased repetition and in-depth focus of detail.

 

Developing exceptional people

 

As well as technical skills Ajax seek to develop smart players and people. It is important they are good people for others, who respect and appreciate the world. It is important that he is “someone who is genuinely interested in helping or changing the world.” A strong vision and one which fits with Cruyff's beliefs on making change.  It is one which English football is starting to see value in also. 

 

Not every player can ‘make’ it so it is important that we as coaches have helped them improve as a player yet also as a person. The lessons they learn as young footballers can define who they become, therefore it is important that every player is helped to become a better ‘person’ first and foremost.

 

This ‘new’ approach may sound similar to some, and completely new to others. Personally I work with a number of individual players to enhance their technical and physical skills as well as their psychologically attributes. I believe it is key for players to get to the level required to compete in this ever difficult environment. In the US 1-1 coaching is big business as parents want to get the upperhand for their children’s development. 

 

However Ajax and Cruyff believe that the key is having ‘great’ players impart their wisdom and expertise on the players. This part of Cruyff’s vision will perhaps annoy and frustrate many reading this. 

 

He felt and believed that in order to develop great players for the future, they would need greater former players who had been educated and played at Ajax. These players would be there to educate, not just about football but life. Ajax’s youth players would be smarter, intelligent and wiser than any other in the world. This is the vision. 

 

As he says “there’s no better place in the world to be a young player than at Ajax.” For Cruyff it is important that his vision has people working for it who love football, who did it because they want to and not because it’s their job or their paycheck. He has a clear disdain for non-footballing executives who think too much about the money and not the football. And he is right. 

 

How can you teach, inspire and develop players if you haven’t got the love of the game allied with a deep knowledge of the game? English coaches have lots of enthusiasm yet few possess a real knowledge of the game, therefore they can’t really teach players can they? 

 

Some may scoff at Cruyff’s beliefs yet he knows what is required for the top levels of the game, he is not talking mediocrity but the top eight of the Champions League. He is talking the elite levels and he wants to develop players for that. If he believes that it requires great players to educate young players then can we argue against that? 

 

Of course we can argue that an education as a player at Ajax is a completely different one to what ex-pro’s got in the past 50 years in English football. Yet there is an argument for the ‘deeper knowledge’ assertion. Which leads to the question; as coaches, how many strive to learn more, to go deeper and learn more about the game? 

 

If you want to be an elite developer of talent, or put young players on that journey, then you need to know what is expected and how to get them there. That’s hard if you haven’t played at the top level, these great players have insight of the game which most coaches can only dream of or imagine, yet not impossible.

High demand, high support

 

Above all the lesson about Ajax’s new philosophy is about standards. As Berkgamp says “I watch everything and it bothers me when I see performances which don’t meet the standards we expect. If anyone – anyone – isn’t pulling their weight, then the details aren’t in order and that is unacceptable. Sure we’re very tough, but we want to be a top club and to accomplish that you have to be ruthless in maintaining top standards.”

 

I believe this is the most important message in the book. Top standards, never allowing mediocrity to creep in. My personal philosophy for myself and the coaches I work with is “High demand, High support”, expect a lot of your players and staff and make sure to offer them all the support, guidance and education necessary to take them further. 

 

Bergkamp’s book is an education in football and should be something read by every coach out there. As for Ajax’s future, it looks to be in good hands once again, a revolution was required to take them out of their slump, the lessons learnt from it are important; yes there will be resistance, people scared or fearful of change, yet sometimes change is required to raise standards once more. 

 

Ajax spent too long in the past and got too comfortable. They now have a new vision, a new ‘way forward’ which may help them develop world class players once more. 

 

It is evident that the world of football and player development is changing and evolving and the levels are becoming higher and more demanding. Are we in England prepared and able to take our players to these levels, to compete with his global market? A revolution may not be required yet significant change and investment will be if we are serious about competing in the coming years. 

 

The Whitehouse Address @The_W_Address

 

 

Passionate about youth development? Care about English football's future? Then you need to read "The Way Forward"! 

 

"Whitehouse, while still relatively unknown, has written a masterpiece. Young, forward thinking and passionate about the English game, this is a book you'll be hearing a lot more about over the coming years" 

These Football Times

Buy it now >> 

“The Way Forward: Solutions to England’s Football Failings” 

 

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