It’s a lot like a statement. Earnest Stewart, PSV’s director of football affairs for four months, first wants to say something on Tuesday at the presentation of the new coach Peter Bosz. The top of the club has recently discussed what PSV wants to stand for, with which style of play the club wants to distinguish itself. That is less clear with PSV than with competitor Ajax, which identifies with offensive, well-groomed football.
“Being a big club”, PSV wants to play football “forward”, Stewart now says. “In the opponent’s half, dominant, attractive.” That a PSV policymaker expresses this so emphatically is new. The game philosophy has changed regularly this century, influenced by different coaches – most recently Mark van Bommel, Roger Schmidt and Ruud van Nistelrooij. Stewart says he believes in the “continuity” of a style of play that must be continued throughout the club. “Whether that is for training your talents, or for scouting. That gives everyone something to hold on to, when things are going a bit less.”
The arrival of Bosz therefore represents a more fundamental change of course in Eindhoven. His vision becomes that of the club – and vice versa. Bosz has proven at several clubs, including Ajax in the 2016-2017 season, that he has mastered an offensive style of play, says Stewart. As a result, after the sudden departure of Van Nistelrooij in May, it was “very clear” who should be the new coach. “We actually only had one candidate.”
Crave for a prize
He enters the full press room of the Philips Stadium on Tuesday at 12:00 p.m., and sits down in shorts. He leans back relaxed.
Bosz notes that it has been “a while since” for both him and the club that they have been “successful”. Both are chasing a big prize. PSV last won the national championship in 2018. After Ajax, Bosz worked abroad for six years: Borussia Dortmund (June – December 2017), Bayer Leverkusen (December 2018 – March 2021) and Olympique Lyon (June 2021 – October 2022). He was fired from all three clubs after disappointing results.
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The criticism of him is that he takes too many offensive risks, so that his teams get goals against too easily. His vision of how he wants to play has not changed in the years abroad, he says, but the implementation has. He learned from assistants he worked with over the years. “The organization will have to be better to get fewer goals against, to be in a better position if you lose the ball.”
It is a project for the longer term, Bosz (59) has signed for three years for a reason. Two days ago he moved into an apartment in the center of Eindhoven, with a view of the stadium. But the short term leaves little room: in exactly one month, August 4, the match for the Johan Cruijff Scale against Feyenoord awaits. And, more importantly, a few days later is the first game in the preliminary round of the Champions League, in which the club is assured of at least around 35 million euros in revenue when placed.
Selection not up to scratch
There is little time and the selection is not yet up to scratch, not yet equipped for Bosz – certainly not defensively. Between the lines and the happy faces, there is the tension between Stewart and Bosz. The director indicates that there is still little movement on the transfer market, that he does have many conversations with agents and players, but that it still leads to little. “It’s a great puzzle game.”
It will be very intensive
Peter Bosz PSV coach
While Bosz wants to make full use of the preparation to hone his playing style and must therefore do so with a selection that is far from complete. “Annoying, difficult, but it is reality,” he says. “I am a trainer who bangs on the door, how are things going?” For the time being, only striker Ricardo Pepi has been bought, who comes from FC Augsburg, which rented him out to FC Groningen last season. Whether star player Xavi Simons will stay is still unknown – Bosz has already spoken to him.
Bosz stipulated that he could bring along two trusted staff members, assistant coach Rob Maas and performance coach Terry Peters. Former player Stijn Schaars, who must represent the ‘PSV DNA’ in the staff, is moved up from the Under-16. It is important to him that Bosz was able to take along physical trainer Peters: conditionally a lot will be asked of the players. “We will be sprinting a lot. It will be very intensive.”