Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink will find himself in the unusual position of wanting the Netherlands to lose on Wednesday night.
Hasselbaink was a lethal striker in his heyday, capped 23 times by his country in the era of Dennis Bergkamp, Patrick Kluivert and Ruud van Nistelrooy, but will have spent this week plotting their Euro 2024 downfall with England.
He has been a part of Gareth Southgate’s backroom team for the last 17 months, imparting his knowledge and expertise on England’s forwards in his role as a specialist attacking coach.
It is evident that he is admired and respected within the camp. Numerous players have praised him for his approach to penalty taking in the days since Saturday’s nerve-shredding win over Switzerland. The obvious joke is that England needed a Dutchman to show them how to win a shootout.
“I was really confident in my preparation and the things I’d talked through with Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink,” said Jude Bellingham, the scorer of England’s second penalty against the Swiss.
“He’s stepped up for us massively and it’s the work he does behind closed doors with the lads willing to take on that information that put us in those situations to be able to win.”
“He helps us practise, he coordinates that,” added Trent Alexander-Arnold, the scorer of England’s fifth. “He does it very well and coaches us through it so he has been a great addition to us.”
Phil Foden revealed that Hasselbaink has taken a few players aside after training sessions to practise their penalties against the goalkeeping group, an exercise in sharpening skills and reinforcing muscle memory.
Prior to accepting Southgate’s call, Hasselbaink was a manager himself, starting his second career in Antwerp before returning to England to further his education in the lower leagues.
Gavin Ward worked as a goalkeeper coach under Hasselbaink at Burton Albion and Queens Park Rangers.
“He’s someone that those guys could approach comfortably, particularly the forward players,” Ward tells i.
“What Jimmy will have done is try to put the lads in a headspace where they are in the zone and nothing else matters. The odds are stacked in the forwards’ favour, obviously, but it’s about putting yourself in that mental zone where it’s just you, the ball and the goalkeeper and nothing else matters.”
Supervising spot-kicks is not Hasselbaink’s only remit. As a scorer of 127 Premier League goals for Leeds United, Chelsea, Middlesbrough and Charlton Athletic, Hasselbaink is well-placed to offer advice to England’s front players, captain Harry Kane included.
“One of the things I remember Jimmy saying [to the forwards] was at some point the defender is looking at you and is aware of where you are but just before the ball is going to come into the area, the defender’s attention will be to look at the ball and that’s your opportunity to move,” Ward recalls.
“It’s little gold nuggets of information like that. All of a sudden he’s lost you for a split second and you’ve got a half yard [of space]. Just that one per cent could be the difference between you getting to the ball first and making the finish.
“Don’t forget we’re talking about the Harry Kanes of the world and people who are top strikers anyway. But any little one per cent he could get out of anybody is the difference at these levels.
“I’m sure Jimmy will be talking to these guys about little things. When they’re practising a bit of finishing at the end, the nuances of movement, pulling off the shoulder just at the last minute. He concentrates a lot on instinct.”
Hasselbaink’s experience of playing at the top level and affability on the training ground has endeared him to England’s players.
Ward confirms that the 52-year-old is a much calmer, more relaxed character off the pitch compared to the fiery frontman who collected 44 yellow cards and two reds during his Premier League career.
That side of Hasselbaink came across a few years ago when he tried, unsuccessfully, to act as a peacemaker between Roy Keane and Jamie Carragher as a pundit on Sky Sports, before accepting defeat and sitting back with a nonplussed smile on his face.
“Obviously he was a top player when he was playing so he knows the game, he understands the game,” Alexander-Arnold said.
“He can relate to us as players, he knows the pressures and everything that comes with being a footballer and in tournament football too. So he is good to have around.”
“Jimmy’s got a lot of experience in the game, he knows his stuff,” Foden added.
“He’s just a really nice guy,” Ward says. “Really laid back, chilled out. But when it comes to football he’s the ultimate professional.”
Hasselbaink could be forgiven for feeling conflicted on Wednesday night when he faces his countrymen on the side of his adopted nation.
But Ward is adamant that Hasselbaink’s commitment and dedication to his job will ensure his laser-like focus will remain unaffected. For one night only, he will be siding against the Dutch as an honorary Englishman.
“As far as Jimmy’s concerned this is a business now,” Ward insists.
“Jimmy will be 100 [per cent focused on England]. There will be no sort of affection or allegiance towards the Netherlands. But it’s an interesting [occasion] and a good one for Jimmy.”
from Football - inews.co.uk https://ift.tt/Q8dG1fx
Post a Comment