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An evening with Ronald Koeman...

saint97

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  • 2 months later...
spyinthesky

spyinthesky

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Worst comedian I've ever seen by a mile.

 

Blimey I have seen far worse comedians than him, at least 2 who didn't make it more than 10 minutes into their set .

 

He was mildly humourous at least.

 

Lots of rumours flying about re Charlie Austin buying a pad at Hythe Marina.

 

Ergo 2+2 = 5 and he is on his way despite Ronald's rebuttal.

 

Ronald said that pre season transfers of Clyne and Morgan were big losses which perhaps suggests that their replacements haven't lived up to expectations which for £11m cost versus £37m income is probably to be expected

 

Have to say that the catering at the De Vere continues to be poor (only noticed 3 or 4 tables occupied in the main restaurant which shows they still struggle to get guests to eat there)

 

The veggie option on the evening 'do' main course probably cost less than 50p a head for ingredients

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Saint-Armstrong

Saint-Armstrong

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Here's a verbatim transcript of what Ronald said that evening, which lasted for around 45/50 minutes...

 

...therefore, I've broken it down into 25 sections so that it's a bit lighter to read, and people can quickly see what they do (or don't) want to read about.

 

I attended the event and originally wrote the transcript for work purposes, but happy to share as I'm sure some would like to know what was said.

 

Hope it's of interest.

 

 

 

  1. Philosophy
  2. Saints ‘a victim of own success’ ?
  3. Growing up
  4. Being competitive
  5. Street football
  6. Using Twitter
  7. Koeman’s mum writing to the papers
  8. Playing for Groningen and PSV
  9. Wiping his backside with Olaf Thon’s shirt
  10. Van Basten’s goal against the USSR
  11. Leading Holland to their only trophy win
  12. Is managing Holland the final piece of the jigsaw?
  13. The 1992 European Cup Final
  14. Glory days at Barcelona
  15. Cruyff, Guardiola, Gullit, Rijkaard
  16. Taking time out
  17. How to deal with stress
  18. 1993 vs England
  19. “If’s don’t count in life”
  20. Top tips for a successful career
  21. Working and falling out with Louis van Gaal
  22. Working with Mourinho and his attitude now and then
  23. Erwin Koeman
  24. The Neville Brothers and Valencia
  25. Quickfire Questions

 

 

 

 

- - -

 

 

 

 

 

 

1. You have that unwavering target, and you will never change from that blueprint?

 

 

 

No, I don’t say ‘never’ because sometimes we change the system. But, normally our basic system is to play with four defenders, three midfield players and three front players. Because, I think that’s out of the quality of the players.

 

 

 

It’s not, as a manager, that you decide to play a system, the players what you have is what makes a system. And that, in my opinion, is most important.

 

 

 

We are a club that started the season without any thoughts about 40 points. Most of the Premier League team, they celebrate when they reach 40 points. We like to play good football and we think, if we play good football, we will keep the position in the Premier League.

 

 

 

 

 

2. Is the club almost a victim of its own success? The fact that you’ve been able to succeed, having sold so many high-end players, the fact you've got such a strong academy - is it almost a downfall that you’re able to keep replacing them? Or would you not have it any other way?

 

 

 

I think you have to look always to the academy. If you lose a player, look always first to your academy. And, for example last season, we had more injuries than this season. We had seven under-21 players making his debut. One of the reasons to have more competition in the squad was that we had a good hope to play European football. Still, if there is any young player and he is on the same level as another football player in Southampton, they will give that advantage to the young player. But it is not so easy because the first team is developing, is playing on a higher level. It is still more difficult for young players to come into the first team. But still, we are working. We have a lot of advantages to our academy, and I think that’s one of the successes of the football club.

 

 

 

 

 

3. I want to take you back to when it all started for you, when you were a youngster yourself. Back at Groningen, your father played for that side and played internationally as well, and both you and your brother player for that side. Were you always going to be a footballer, simply from the influence of your father or was there ever anything else?

 

 

No, no, no. There was nothing. If we had a birthday or Christmas, it was very easy. Buy a football and they are very happy. From the beginning, we were crazy about playing football and of course the influence of our father was enormous. Every holiday, when my father was training we went to the football and were doing exercises on the pitch on the side of the first team of Groningen. The one thing was ‘try to be a football player’ and that was only in our mind from young.

 

 

 

 

 

4. I read an article earlier on today from your former youth team coach, he said that you had a burning allergy to losing and even when you were a young kid, were you super competitive?

 

 

Yes, in every sport. Not only in football, but even when we played billiards at home. We hate losing. And still, I a little bit more than my brother. Maybe about my red hair, when I was young, like Harry Reed in Southampton. But, yes, no, no, all about winning. I think that’s really competition. Of course, some people said about young players that it’s not about winning. I understand, because it’s about playing football, doing sports and enjoying it but in the end, it’s always nicer if you win than if you lose.

 

 

 

 

 

5. I also read that you were so dedicated when you were a child - I’m sure many people in this room when they were kids, the moment that you would hear the bell ring or your mum calling from the other end of the garden saying ‘it’s time for dinner, it’s time for dinner you've got to come in!’ and it would be the worst feeling in the world. I heard that your mum would almost throw down peanut butter sandwiches so you could carry on playing but still get your fuel. Is that true?

 

 

That’s true. Because in the time between school time and the weekends and the holidays, and that was nice in that period. Because you didn't have that kind of cars on the street and you play on the street, football with your friends. And that was fantastic, it was the whole day - football. I think that was a big advantage for us when we were young, because we played the whole day. And now, the boys are on the computer and it is all social media, and it’s not like before. And I think they miss that, because you grow up with the football on the street and you make decisions on the street. That’s really a competition that’s missed a little bit by the new generation.

 

 

 

 

 

6. You mention social media, you’re a bit of a rarity in the Premier League in the fact that you’re a Premier League manager on Twitter. Does that open up a can of worms - to coin an English phrase - maybe you think I don’t necessarily want to hear people’s thoughts about me day-in, day-out, do you like it, do you enjoy the close interaction?

 

 

Yes, I like it and I do it by myself. But not every day. I think the fans, the people of Southampton, sometimes like to know what my opinion is about different things: about the game, about the result, about the way how we played. I think I can do it on Twitter. The press also is looking to all the Twitters and they make - sometimes - interviews out of Twitter. But also, my job is to give some information - serious information - it’s not about in which restaurant I had dinner. It’s all about football, it’s about Southampton. That’s something different what I like, but very few out of the business do it.

 

 

 

 

 

7. When you were growing up, I also read - obviously we all know you were an attacking central defender - and there was maybe a little bit of criticism early on when you were young that you were fantastic going forward and maybe you weren't the best defender. And your mum would sometimes counter these reports by writing to the local newspaper and almost countering the criticism, protecting you. I suppose nowadays she could do it on Twitter, but I guess then she had to write a letter…?

 

 

Yeah, that’s true. But okay, that’s sometimes the most difficult part for families, when you have your son doing football and all the critics in the press and the television. Sometimes it’s difficult, because they don’t accept critics. But we have to live with all those critics, but sometimes it’s difficult watching television - for example, Match of the Day, where they're not so very critical, but you have some problems in Holland - and if they talk about your son, you’re not happy that evening, watching the television and you have to get used to that.

 

 

 

 

 

8. Just charting your career after Groningen, you won the league and cup at Ajax, you then went on to PSV and you won three league titles there. In between, you obviously won the European Cup, you beat Benfica and you scored the first penalty in the final. And I was amazed to read that you scored 26 goals that season as a central defender, bombing forward. Presumably that include a lot of penalties, but wonderful free-kicks as well. Does that season in particular - 87/88 - does that hold the highest level for you as a player just due to the amount of goals you scored?

 

 

Yes. In Holland, yes. Because I played for the best team in Holland and we had some great defenders defending my position so I got the opportunities to play in the midfield and use one of my qualities, my shot. But that ’88 was season was fantastic. We won the title, we won the cup, we won the European Cup - that’s now the Champions League - and finally, you mentioned it already, in ’88 we won the European Championships with Holland. And that season, you’ll never forget it, because you won everything and that was really amazing.

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Saint-Armstrong

Saint-Armstrong

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9. It was obviously great for you, you beat England which was pretty standard. Marco van Basten scored a hat-trick in the game against England, and then you scored later on in the tournament in the semi-final against West Germany. Famous win, got you to the semi-final. But infamous for another reason. Just tell us exactly what happened, because I wouldn't be asking you this - a man of your stature, I’m a little bit scared of you - I wouldn't be asking you if you hadn't ever talked about this before. Just explain what happened, if you can. It was an ‘interesting’ moment where you were almost caught up in the occasion of beating West Germany.

 

 

You mean about the shirt?

 

 

 

Yeah, the shirt. Yeah. Tell everyone!

 

 

*laughs*

 

 

 

Okay, it’s not a nice story but… I was young and you do some mistakes.

 

 

 

We won against Germany of course and it was our rival at that time, and still but not in the way that it was in ‘’88. We had some problems always with the Germans, because our opinion about the Germans was that they were always asking for yellow cards and diving, and we are more honest than the Germans. It was the semi-final in Hamburg and we won it 2-1 finally, and we went around the stadium and I changed my shirt with Olaf Thon, and I had the shirt in my hand. It was in June, it was very hot. And we went celebrating to reach the final with the Dutch fans, I think it was around 10,000 of the 55,000 in Hamburg. And we passed all the Germans and they threw everything and they put the middle finger up and shouting, and I make a reaction like this with the shirt…

 

 

 

*acts out wiping his backside*

 

 

 

No, it was not the best reaction of that moment and I was so unlucky, because somebody put it in the press the day after and I get some problems from it.

 

 

 

 

 

10. Obviously, most people remember the final. And it was your brother that actually set-up the first goal with his head for Ruud Gullit against the Soviet Union. So Ruud Gullit scored the first, and then we saw what? The greatest goal that you’ve ever seen live? Barring your own…

 

 

One of the best, because normally that kind of goal, you score that kind of goal you score in a friendly or something. But not in the final of the Europeans in ’88. It was amazing. The goalkeeper was Dasayev,, maybe the people know who Dasayev was. He was a great Russian goalkeeper. It was a cross, far to the second post and one time he shot the ball into the corner of the first post. It was 2-0 and then the goalkeeper of Holland, van Breukelen, stopped a penalty and finally we won the final, because we lost against the Russians in our first group game. But it was amazing, because that was, and still is the only one that Holland won. We played twice the world champions, in ’74 and 78’, and in 2010. We played three finals and we lost them all. But still, we are the winners for Holland in the Europeans.

 

 

 

 

11. I guess that’s not great for the country now that you haven’t gone on and won another. But you’re amongst friends here: we’re used to that, it’s however many years now since 1966. Aside from your achievements at club level, going on and captaining your country, you must walk around like a God at home. You’ve never had to buy a drink, have you?

 

 

No, no. But in Holland we are very critical. We don’t put the famous people on a high level. We are a bit more critical to the people who are doing well. Not only in football, but different sports and even in business. We like to catch against that kind of people, but it is of course a disappointment that Holland didn't qualify for the Europeans and it’s a difficult period for Holland. But still, we have and bring good young players and that’s the future. We hope that next time we will be at the tournament.

 

 

 

 

 

12. I know you’ve been linked over the last couple of years with doing the job at national level, is that something down the line? Is that the last piece in the jigsaw? At some point, would that be what you would like to do?

 

 

Yes. Yes, I think it’s a pleasure and a great opportunity to be the manager of your country. I think it’s maybe the final of your career and I think it’s nice to be one day, the coach of the national team.

 

 

 

 

 

13. As far as your career after 1988, you then went on to play for Barcelona, scoring the goal in the final, in extra-time in 1992, to beat Sampdoria. Is that your proudest goal that you have scored?

 

 

Yes. I think it was the best moment of my career. Because it was the first European Cup for Barcelona and the first one is always the most special one and it was a great final. It was at Wembley, and Wembley is a great place to play football and to play a final. And if you score the winning goal… amazing. Amazing for Barcelona because it was the first time, and yeah, that was the best moment in my life.

 

 

 

 

 

14. Was that club time, was that the best of your career, as well? The most enjoyable, the best football, the most flamboyant times…?

 

 

Yeah. Six years I played for Barcelona ’89 until ’95 and it starts in ’89, a little bit more winning against Madrid because before that time it was always Madrid was the best team, won most of the titles in Spain. Johan Cruyff came to Barcelona in ’88 as a coach and he changed a lot. He changed the way of playing, he changed and we won. In six seasons we won four titles in Spain and we beat Madrid. For the Catalan people, that was a change in life because they were always fighting against the big city, the big place, Madrid. And finally they started to be proud about the football club.

 

 

 

 

 

15. You were playing in what was known as the Barcelona dream team at that point - alongside the likes of Pep Guardiola, who’s obviously gone on to great things in management. Were you able then, even in yourself, to say ‘I want to be a manager’ and could you see other players at the time that you thought ‘they’re nailed on to be successful managers’ ?

 

 

No, when I played for Barcelona not. It starts in the last couple of years, when you play football because sometimes you think about the future and what you'd like to do. In Holland we had a great opportunity because the licence would normally be about four years of studying to do everything to be a coach, and we got an opportunity to do it in one season with Ruud Gullit, with Frank Rijkaard, and with Johan Neeskens. We did the course together and that was great, and then it starts and you think about ‘okay I’ll try it, maybe I’ll enjoy it, maybe not’. Still, the best is playing football. After that, being a manager is nice because you’re in football, you’re working with young people and it’s amazing. And of course, in a team some players you know can be a coach and Guardiola was one of them because he was always tactical, talking and at that time he was crazy about Ajax in Holland, the way how they play football. And that was when I said to myself he will be a coach when he stops playing football. Other players, not so much. I was surprised that Ruud Gullit and Frank Rijkaard were one day coaches, because attackers are different types of players and different people. Gullit was never watching football. When there was a final on the television, he was looking at… something else, and not the football. Maybe it was a movie or that kind of thing. But he was not really interested in what happened around him and around his team and around his football. I was very interested in everything and still I am very interested in everything. It’s part of my job, but still, I watch everything, if I can.

 

 

 

 

 

16. Are you able to disconnect and stop, and go home and be with the family and not talk about it, or do you take it home?

 

 

As a player, not. You can keep it away. But, as a manager you have seven days of football in your head. We had two days off, I went back to Holland for Sunday and Monday and you think about Southampton, you think about the Aston Villa game and what we have to do the next game, with good players what we have to do in the training sessions. It never stops as a manager, it’s seven days a week but it’s not a problem.

 

 

 

 

 

17. What do you do, if you feel yourself getting too stressed?

 

 

Golf. Really, that’s a sport where if you start playing golf you totally are away from football. You are busy with that small ball and not every swing is good and you never hit it how you'd like to hit a ball, but that’s totally out of football and it’s really relaxed.

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Saint-Armstrong

Saint-Armstrong

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18. Just continuing on through your career, and we have to ask you, a lot of people wanted to ask about 1993 and the fact that you played such a key role in changing English football - maybe for the better. The penultimate game of World Cup qualification - 0-0 in Rotterdam, Netherlands against England - 56 minutes gone, David Platt goes through and you sort of… brush past him and he fell to the ground. Outside the box, not in the box. Just take us back to that moment, because it’s a key moment which a lot of people remember you for…

 

 

Yes. Yes, it was a foul but still I believe it was outside of the box. And the referee was strange, because it was a German referee… I was expecting the red card. I got a yellow. And finally we get a free-kick and some English players came too fast out of the wall and I had the possibility to repeat it, and I scored the 1-0.

 

 

 

I remember because when I played for Feyenoord, we played one time, European football against Everton. Every ball that I touched that night, the whole crowd was whistling. It was about England. And still, some English people are talking about that. And some Irish and Scottish people give me a big hand! They like the action.

 

 

 

 

 

I just want to go back briefly to that free-kick, because the commentators at the time were both saying ‘he’s gonna dink it over the wall’ and David Seaman was doing something to his far post, I don't know what, and there was a big gaping hole in the goal. Did you just see it and think: ‘right, here we go, you’re making me do this!’

 

 

I think you are right, the position of the goalkeeper, it was bad. It was very bad. Because, he was close to the second post and my intention was only to hit the ball over the wall and into the first corner. It was difficult because the free-kick was on the 18-yard-box and the wall was close. If you shoot hard, then it goes over. It was most important to get the ball over the wall and into the goal because the goalkeeper was so bad in position. And it happened.

 

 

 

 

 

19. I said before that it might have changed English football for the better, because you never know what would have happened. You might have got sent off and we might have gone and won, Graham Taylor might’ve stayed on. But if we hadn't not qualified for the World Cup in 1994, we may never have got Terry Venables and we may never have got that wonderful EURO 96. Although we lost out, it might have been that Ronald Koeman played a big part in making EURO 96 so good… I’m clutching at straws here, I’m trying to look for a silver lining here ladies and gentlemen…

 

 

Maybe advice for everybody is: if’s don’t count in life.

 

 

 

 

 

20. Your top tip to a successful career?

 

 

There is not one thing. It is many things: enjoy football, try to have good coaches, keep working, do a lot and not only in sessions. One of the reasons we reached a high level in football is because we did so many different exercises out of training sessions. I think that’s the key to improve and to be a good football player. Of course, you need talent. But still, hard work beats talent if the talent doesn't work hard, and that’s everything.

 

 

 

 

 

21. I wanted to ask you about when you started in your managerial career - you were assistant to Guus Hiddink and you were also with Louis van Gaal at Barcelona. There’s obviously been a lot written about the falling out between you two. Has that relationship been repaired now, or is it just that you keep a safe distance?

 

 

Yeah, I still keep a safe distance.

 

 

 

We had a problem in Ajax. I was the manager there and Van Gaal came in as the Technical Director. We had problems about the team, about players and before we were good friends because I was assistant to Louis in Barcelona. It’s about that problem in Ajax, the problem is still the problem. But if we play against United, we shake hands and we drink a glass of wine, but we don't see each other.

 

 

 

He has a house in Portugal, maybe 300 yards from us, but we don't see him. But what happened, happened and okay, that’s no problem.

 

 

 

 

 

But what was the problem when he came in above you in a Technical Director role? Was it that his style didn't match yours?

 

 

Yes.

 

 

 

 

 

And is that style still the same style that he has now and is criticised for?

 

 

Yes, the same style.

 

 

 

It’s very difficult for a manager if the technical director is still a manager. I work together now with Les Reed, but he is really a technical director. He is not discussing with me about the team, or about player. When I had Van Gaal as the technical director and we spoke every Monday, it was like an audition. I had to go to the technical director to go and talk about the Sunday game. When he was one of the candidates, I said that ‘I think he is a very good candidate’. But I didn't think that he was out of the ‘manager’ role. He was still in that function, and that was the problem.

 

 

 

 

 

22. Did you, and I’m not quite sure about this, when you were at Barcelona and you were his assistant, was José Mourinho there at the time working as an interpreter?

 

 

No. José was already assistant coach. Mourinho came as the interpreter with Bobby Robson, from Porto to Barcelona. But at that time, when I went to Barcelona to be an assistant, José was already one season, two seasons before that, an assistant. He was an assistant, he was not a translator.

 

 

 

 

 

Was he, at that point, the character that you see now?

 

 

A little bit, yes. He was close to some Portuguese and Brazilian players. We had Figo at that time, we had Rivaldo and he was close to them because Van Gaal was struggling with them because Van Gaal likes wing players really wide. Figo and Rivaldo need freedom to go inside, outside and that’s why he was struggling. José had very good relations with those players and he was trying to do the best for the club, but you saw that character. But not so much as in the last few years.

 

 

 

 

 

Does it surprise you now, that he’s going through this bizarre period of non-success?

 

 

No, I think it’s part of life. Nobody, when he is 25 years into coaching is 25 years successful. I think he is a great manager. He is still a great manager, but maybe the team is not playing like last season. Maybe the defensive organisation is not the same. Maybe a little bit more unlucky, but I think fighting against everybody makes it more difficult.

 

 

 

Referees are human people. If you see, every weekend, Mourinho talking about referees, referees, referees: ‘we had a penalty, we don’t get a penalty, we lost because of the referee’

 

 

 

Referees are human people and they sit together. And what do they think about Mourinho? They don’t help him. It’s normal. It’s a human reaction.

 

 

 

That’s I think, not the way, if you lose you lose. Sometimes it can be about the referee. But, until the end of the season I think it’s in balance. Maybe one penalty that wasn’t a penalty, but it’s not 10 points less that you have because of referees.

 

 

 

It’s too easy, I think, to have excuses and it’s not the way we have to handle when we have problems or difficulties. It’s part of the job, but he had so many successes and he will learn from this period as well.

 

 

 

 

 

23. Is it good for you to have your brother alongside you to tell you, maybe when you, I don’t know if you necessarily ever get to the situation… I’ve seen you bite your tongue more often than not, but is he there to keep a reign on you? Does he tell you to stop better than anyone else?

 

 

Yes. We are different. We are different characters. He is more quiet and more of the second position, and if I need confidence from one of the stuff - it’s your brother. It’s the best that you can have. Out of my brother, we have Sammy Lee who is a great man to have in the staff. Because he has the knowledge about the Premier League and a lot of experience, he was a great player in Liverpool and we’re doing it together. Of course my brother, if I need advice, gives that. We have a good understanding, and finally, it’s my responsibility.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

24. Are you interested to see how the Neville brothers get on at another one of your former clubs, in Valencia? Is that a job that can work for the Neville brothers, do you think?

 

 

It’s possible. Only, it’s a very difficult club. I know… because I was sacked after five months!

 

 

 

 

 

Are you an advocate of working with your brother? Is that something that just works?

 

 

It’s a great feeling because you go outside your country. We had a lot of contact by telephone, he was busy with his coaching and I was busy with my coaching. We didn't live close to each other in Holland and now we have daily contact. We go out for dinner with the family, or when the family is in Holland and it’s great. It was a pleasure for our father. Our father died in one week, three years ago already. But he was crazy about the Premier League. He was always watching Match of the Day and England was one of his favourite competitions. Of course, he would be very proud if he knew we were at Southampton together in the Premier League.

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Saint-Armstrong

Saint-Armstrong

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25. QUICKFIRE QUESTIONS

 

 

 

 

A whole stack of fan questions now… are you going to buy a striker in January?

 

 

If we sign a new player, it will be a striker.

 

 

 

 

 

Is it going to be Charlie Austin?

 

 

He’s too expensive.

 

 

 

 

 

The greatest goal that you scored?

 

 

That’s the final - Barcelona vs Sampdoria.

 

 

 

 

 

Messi or Ronaldo?

 

 

Messi.

 

 

 

 

 

Who is the most promising youngster that we don't know about yet at Saints?

 

 

They know him. In my opinion, the best that we have as a young player is Matt Targett.

 

 

 

 

 

Apart from Southampton, which other Premier League club would you like to manage?

 

 

I was, when I was young, I was a fan of Liverpool. I don’t say Tottenham.

 

 

 

 

 

What do you enjoy most about living on the south coast?

 

 

The weather.

 

 

 

 

 

Is it the Netherlands or Holland?

 

 

Holland.

 

 

 

 

 

Who was the greatest player you played with and against?

 

 

With, it was Marco van Basten. And against… I had one night, a big problem with George Weah. He played for Paris Saint-Germain and we played European Cup against them and he played alongside Ginola, a great player. He made me crazy. He was strong, he was fast and clever. He played fantastic.

 

 

 

 

 

Describe yourself in three words?

 

 

Straight. Sympathetic. Likes Southampton.

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vince

vince

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Thanks for that, a great read (and I read it with Ronalds voice in my head). Agree with Saint Charlie about it being interesting that he says Targett is the best young player. You've got to question the person who, when you can ask anything football related of such a man as RK, that asks "Is it the Netherlands or Holland" though.......

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