Arsenal’s new Academy director, Andries Jonker, says the club have encouraged him to hire fellow Dutchmen as he looks stamp his authority on the Gunners youth system.
The former Barcelona and Bayern Munich coach took over from Liam Brady in July and has overseen a raft of personnel changes at Hale End and London Colney including the signing of compatriots Frans de Kat and Jan van Loon who’ll oversee the under-18s and under-16s respectively.
Speaking to Arsenal Player for the first team since joining the club, Jonker revealed why he made his appointments: “One of the pieces of advice I got from people at Arsenal was to bring in a Dutchman because then there is always a certain influence of myself on the facility.
“I looked for people I can trust, reliable people, people with experience in educating other people, people who have experience in leading an academy. I brought Jan van Loon, who is coach of the under-16s and leading coach of Hale End.
“On the other hand there is London Colney, with under-18s and under-21s, and i had the same advice from Arsenal: bring in a Dutchman. So I brought in Frans de Kat who has the same qualifications as Jan. So I feel very comfortable – I know them both from back in 1990 when I started in the Dutch federation and they also started. So I know them for quite a long time, we have experienced a lot together and we worked together at Willem II in Holland. I think they are very able to do the things I ask.
“With the English guys I asked Liam [Brady], ‘What is your advice?’ and he said, ‘They are good – keep them.’ They are all there and I am trying to let them work together with the Dutch guys and so far the start was fine.”
Inspired by the 18-year tenure of Liam Brady, Jonker also stressed that he has a long-term vision that requires all parties to be patient.
“I give you an example, Liam Brady. [He was] 18 years at Arsenal and he had the patience to stay in the job and Arsenal also had the patience to leave him in his job. For sure there have been years when no players were presented to the first team, and years when it has been successful. That is the thing with youth, you have to be patient.
“The manager, the staff and in fact the players have to wait for a chance and you need to have confidence in the choice the manager makes, because the manager of the first team has to make sure the team wins.
“If he thinks the chance is bigger without the youth players, he shouldn’t bring them [in] but if he thinks the chance is bigger with the youth team players, then please [take them]. I think having an academy demands patience from everyone involved and conviction about the quality of the work you deliver.”
The full interview is worth a watch/read (if nothing else because Jonker comes across like the most laid back man in the world) – you can catch it here.
Arseblog News knows of a certain Dutchman currently teaching kids at the Ajax Academy how to score goals. We wonder how long it’ll be before he’s tempted back to North London to pursue a similar role. Maybe a statue will turn his head.
And i thought there was ONLY ONE DUTCHMAN!
There is only one Dutch STATUE!
His long term project involves me as the new Ronaldo, be patient with him.
If you’re the new Ronaldo……can I be the new Frimpong!??!?
That’s just not going to end well for anybody. Except social media followers.
Preparing for the return of God
Or the old one? There was ONLY ONE LIAM BRADY though.
Bring Bergkamp and let Giroud and Sanogo learn how a meat first touch is actually done.
I was going to link that beauty of a first touch Giroud had when he scored that great goal against Villa (West ham?) last season but since you were such a bad human for forgetting your punishment is to find it yourself.
But then again, We are not exactly spoiled with those kind of goals From Giroud. as a YouTube search on all Giroud Arsenal goals will show you.
He is best when he can just stick out his foot and guide a pass in to the net.
Elegant touches, skill moves, volleys or taking the defense on a carousel ride before putting it in the top corner like Bergkamp could is not something you will see Giroud do to often. But ye that goal you referred to was classy though 🙂
Excellent realistic comment!!
*the old ronaldo
Sometimes I think I’m Jonkers, cos I get Barca kids for free!!
Franz de Kat and Jan van Loon?
They sound like cartoon characters!
This is definitely a wind up. Crazy Dutch bastard
Arsenal going Dutch !…..I now expect our youngsters to be well educated in the areas of Drugs and Porn !. Excellent schooling by The Arsenal !. 😆
No doubt in my mind. AJ can roll a fantastic speeef
Arsenal is going Total Football. Welbeck to play CF, DM, CB,…
What if, instead of having a rotating 3 behind the striker… We just had a rotating XI? Just think of the potential… Mertesacker volleying into the top corner, Alexis making a save at full stretch…
An interesting quote from the interview:
…when I spoke in the beginning with Ivan Gazidis and he explained to me the philosophy of the club, and later Arsène Wenger, I felt very at home with it…
And another:
The other way is to make sure you have the players available in every age group who can play in the system we want to play with the first team. That is what I have to find out from Arsène – how much value he gives to us all playing in the same way. So far he doesn’t say a thing about it and I am just watching what sort of choices people make.
I’m very surprised to read that.
Nice find.
Or perhaps Jonkers hasn’t realised that it is him who’s being watched on what choice he’ll make? 😉
Watch out, Jon!
AW seems very distant from all of this?
In the interview he was comparing two ways in which to develop youth players. He said that either you play the way which gives the youth the best chance to develop and then when they reach 15/16 you show them how to play like the first team so that you can win games ( Which is how I think he wants to do it from what I can gather from the interview ). On the other hand you can develop the players that would fit into the first team and teach them how to play in the first team from… Read more »
Laid back dutchman? Never hand me bach my splifth
How bout no you crazy dutch bastard
Glen Helder?
Lol AJ kinda looks like hes explaining how to roll a joint in that picture
They are not born but designed: spell some footballer
That Jonkers is Bonkers!
Wenger Jonker… Cool name
Sorry tried Austin powers joke with 2 comments as a dialogue but looking at thumbs down for first comment maybe should of used just one comment for the dialogue so can be understood as a joke. Just wanted to make arseblog laugh after a gruelling into the night transfer blog
There’s only two kinds of people i can’t stand – those intolerant of other cultures, and the Dutch!
Future Arsenal manager in the making
Agree with DACAtHome. Those quotes are a bit weird/worrying/distant. AJ (lets be honest, a big fish) and AW should already be inside each others heads. And as for Ivan and philosophy? Balance sheet and twitter target philosophy more like.
Speaking of spleefs
https://v.cdn.vine.co/r/videos/433518FDD81036113108441464832_1e8d5648ff6.3.2_bHapRggt1StpfdL6SNf4bbWeogNiNtMOoXS.i5KJRr.U8nHpoQ_X7IGjoyqCFtud.mp4?versionId=MfS6J6bnf27m_YLnZfZjD.6iTdnK9ysr
Frank the Cat and Loony Jan??
Now we just need Pieter Knuckles and Johnny Two-times (two-times) and we’ll be ready to bring the pain!
Not distant, just not a micro manager. We all know Wenger is all about the macro.
All about the philosophy. We see this in the way he gives players freedom on the pitch. (Sometimes too much?!) Good managers give their people the vision they want to achieve and trust people to use their own good sense and initiative to achieve it.
Apparently 🙂
outstanding hair and skin
Good idea.
Arsenal players played horribly for england.
http://lolpundit.wordpress.com/2014/09/04/ox-not-a-winger-even-beckham-and-zidane-played-on-the-wings-not-buying-it/
Fuck. OFF.
If people cannot identify satire should they be online at all?
So we have a Jonkers and a Loon in charge of the youngsters!
I like it 😉
Arseblog fans bunch of pricks! Go on suck off fat gooner!