Dutchman Rini Coolen has outlined what is in store for Adelaide United for the upcoming 2010/11 Hyundai A-League season – but admits it might be a while before the Reds can translate it onto the park.
United’s new head coach will return to the Netherlands on Tuesday before arriving back in Adelaide on July 16, three weeks ahead of the Reds’ opening game against Newcastle at Hindmarsh Stadium on August 6.
Coolen said he will need time to analyse the squad and see what is at his disposal, before the Reds can emulate the ‘Oranje’ brand of football.
“I am a Dutch coach so you think in a Dutch way,” he said.
“You prefer to play with a good organisation, a lot of goal chances, technical moments, not too much high balls, nice football. Everybody wants to play like that.”
“But I think if you are a good coach, you have to analyse your players, what they can do and what they can’t; that, I have to find out. I have to take time for that, can they play the way I want them to? Do we need time for that or can they already do it?”
“How you play depends on the quality of the players and I’m going to find out if it’s possible with this squad.”
Coolen said while he has already received information about Adelaide’s current squad, the Dutchman isn’t paying too much attention to the reports he’s been given, preferring to form his own opinion.
“You have to analyse your squad. What is the possibility of your squad,” he said.
“I don’t want too much information from people. They may say something about the players but I want to see for myself. Otherwise I am looking in a different way at the players.”
One thing is for certain though, Adelaide United will again be without the services of a marquee player after club CEO Sam Ciccarello announced that that spot would remain vacant.
Salary cap, budget constraints and the fact United is still without an owner are all factors in being unable to find the required funds for a big-name signing.
“No, we won’t have a marquee player,” he said.
“We’ve got the budget parameters and the salary cap that we’ve got to work with and that’s been clearly explained to Rini as well and what he’s got to work with, so we won’t be having a marquee player.”
Coolen said while it wasn’t a priority during his trip to the Netherlands, he would use his connections in Europe to source potential recruits for United.
He added that many players from the Netherlands were interested in coming to play in the Hyundai A-League but confirmed he wouldn’t limit the search to within the borders of his homeland.
However, the 43 year-old said he wouldn’t sign a foreign player just for the sake of it – any potential Reds’ signing would have to be of exceptional quality.
“I know the rules about foreign players, if there is a possibility for money. We have to find out what the possibilities are,” he said.
“There are a lot of players from Holland that would like to come over and they are good enough to play here but I don’t know if it is possible.”
“For sure if you take a foreign player, it has to be a real good one, better than a lot of players. And, if he is not then you don’t have to take him. So of course I will look for players from Holland, but not especially Holland.”
Coolen brings to United a very European approach to coaching, admitting he is more of a manager than a coach.
The Dutchman said he will be handing plenty of responsibility to assistant coach, Phil Stubbins and other coaching staff, enabling him to stand back and view training more clearly.
“I more of a manager, I like to delegate,” he said.
“I don’t say I’m the boss, I don’t see it that way. I decide what happens and I take responsibility for everything that happens. The staff will get a lot of responsibility and the coach, Phil, will have to do a lot of work like he’s doing now.”
“I prefer to let him (Phil) do some very important training so I can see it more from a ‘helicopter’ view. The important moments of training will be mine, the whole training will be mine but I can’t do it alone.”
