The changes made by JVS to turn around the national team
John van’t Schip has made wholesale changes on all fronts in a bid to revive the Greek national team. AGONAsport takes a closer look.
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Time will tell if the Greek national team has finally turned the corner but the first signs under the John van’t Schip (JVS) revolution appear to be very promising. The experienced Dutch coach made an array of changes and tangible progress was evident at a tragically empty OAKA on Tuesday night as the Ethniki triumphed 2-1 over Bosnia. Despite it being a meaningless match in terms of qualifying for UEFA Euro 2020, Greece displayed qualities such as hunger, determination, and passion which had been missing for too long.
Here is what JVS has focused on so far during his stint as Ethniki boss.
Accountability for Errors, Not Accepting Justifications
Fans stopped supporting the team a long time ago, hence the near-empty crowds. JVS came in and essentially wiped the slate clean. He knows the team needs to start winning matches and playing good football to bring the fans back. Instead of lamenting the poor crowds, the Dutchman did not seek to justify why this is the case. He even understood why this has occurred, stating “we have to show we deserve to play in front of good crowds.”
For far too long, errors have been made on and off the field and accountability was missing. JVS has urged the playing squad to take action, accept their mistakes, and learn from them. Instead of finger pointing after mistakes such as the Andreas Bouchalakis handball that led to a penalty against Italy, or Kostas Stafylidis losing his man that led to the Bosnia equaliser, the philosophy under JVS is to accept the blame and move on, rather than trying to justify what went wrong. Even after the nightmare 1-1 draw at home to Liechtenstein, JVS stated that the visitors “scored off their only chance created in the game.” He saw what went wrong and made the required changes, rather than dwelling on it.
In an off-field context, look no further than Giannis Fetfatzidis. The man who was dropped for the visit to Rome due to the fact that he turned up late to a team meeting. To be included in the squad for the Bosnia game, he must have accepted his mistake and learnt from it. His reply was emphatic - playing a key role in the winning goal.
Possessing the Right Mentality
JVS would have been made aware how his predecessor Angelos Anastasiadis was sacked. Senior players in the form of Sokratis Papastathopoulos and Kostas Manolas publicly campaigned against him and in essence, this created an “us against the coach” mentality. When you lose your leaders as a manager, it is all but over.
JVS opted to select younger players in the remaining qualifying matches, not only to observe them and determine if they have a long-term future in the team, but also to see the mentality they possess. These younger players such as Kostas Galanopoulos, Pantelis Hatzidiakos, Dimitris Limnios, and Vangelis Pavlidis demonstrated the hunger and passion that had been synonymous with the Greek team over the years. They battled for every ball and played on the front foot. Youngsters will be grateful to their coach for presenting them with the opportunity in the first place. As a result, the “us against the coach” idea becomes void. Instead, it builds a culture of unity and togetherness, and it means everyone is equal. There is no one above the team.
Rules, Discipline, and Procedures
The case of Fetftatzidis as mentioned above best sums this up. JVS laid down simple ground rules in order to create team unity and weed out the egos. One of them was to be punctual. Fetfatzidis broke this rule by turning up late and was subsequently punished. This set a great example to the rest of the squad that rules must be adhered to in order to be apart of the Ethniki moving forward. To his credit, the player accepted his mistake and was rewarded with a chance to enter the Bosnia match as a substitute.
However, the call up of Fetfatzidis into the squad was also intriguing. JVS has implemented procedures that lead to players being called up - that is playing regularly for your club and performing well. Fetftatzidis has played very well for Aris so far this season and was rewarded with a call up. For too many years, previous Ethniki bosses such as Michael Skibbe remained loyal to a select group of players, rewarding mediocrity as a bunch were not even first team regulars at club level. JVS has wiped the slate clean for every player and everyone is eligible for a call up. Interestingly, even Greeks abroad from the diaspora such as Greeks in Germany and the Netherlands have been rumoured to be considered.
Motivation and Hunger
In order to have the ‘right mentality’ mentioned above, traits such as motivation and hunger are required. Invariably the younger players will possess this in abundance as they have a point to prove, whereas older players may have already achieved what they sought out to already. Pavlidis best summed this up when he stated that the coach “wanted us to show the passion and hunger that had been missing.” He led superbly from the front, but the team also showed a great, resilient character defensively.
Settling on a Defined Playing Style
JVS does not want a team that rests on its laurels, and plays cautiously and defensively. He wants a team that plays on the front foot at a fast pace, particularly in transition. Keeping possession is also another key trait of the football played under JVS. With the increased possession, more goal scoring chances will be created and it puts less pressure on the back line. However, what it does mean is that the players selected need to be able to pick the right pass and make the right runs into spaces. A sound awareness is also needed. Greece have struggled to produce such players that are technically gifted and good with the ball at their feet. The addition of Galanopoulos is a positive one, but JVS also deserves credit for instilling this into his players during training sessions. To keep the ball so intricately, a lot of practice is needed.
Furthermore, the return of a mercurial talent in Kostas Fortounis will do wonders for this team. He should be slotting back into this new-look team seamlessly upon his return from injury.
JVS illustrated his tactical flexibility throughout the last two games by tailoring the tactics to suit the opposition. Against Italy away, there was more emphasis on defence but the team grew into the game and pressed higher up the pitch. On top of this, the Ethniki spurned two great chances to take the lead before Italy scored. Then against Bosnia, the players were urged to attack and target a weak defence.
No One is Safe, Big Name Players are not Automatic Inclusions
JVS shocked the Greek football world when he named the squad to face Italy and Bosnia. Big name players such as Papastathopoulos and Manolas were left out. Which previous Ethniki coach would have the guts to do that? The elite Greek players were so safe under JVS’s predecessors, namely Skibbe, that they knew they would be selected no matter how poorly they played. JVS has flipped the status quo on its head and put everyone on notice.
Top class defenders from Arsenal and Napoli respectively are no longer guaranteed inclusions. It will be interesting to see what JVS does next as Hatzidiakos and Dimitris Siovas were solid.
Kostas Mitroglou and Andreas Samaris have also been frozen out by JVS. The duo have notoriously been underperformers at international level but played for top European clubs and were automatic selections. These types of omissions pave the way possessing the right mentality and characteristics as mentioned above.
The big name players, egos and those with a ‘good reputation’ are no longer locks in the team.
