Team Focus: Rutten With Work to Do Following Feyenoord Upheaval

For some it serves as an inconvenience but in Feyenoord's case the international break couldn't have come at a better time. Another summer of upheaval – 14 players leaving and eight joining – has meant rebuilding, for now, is their primary objective.

Such is the life of a Dutch club in today's economic reality – tracing its roots firmly back to the 'Bosman ruling' and subsequent globalisation of the game – with each passing season it's becoming more and more difficult to retain the experience and cohesion forged over the past 12-18 months: squads weakening and becoming more inexperienced (essentially bereft of the excellence needed to compete on the continental stage). It’s a shame as, under the previous regime headed by Ronald Koeman, they were onto something special. His successor Fred Rutten, no stranger to working in a pressure cooker environment, to borrow a cliché, has big shoes to fill.

First port of call is winning the hearts and minds of 'Het Legioen', who questioned his appointment and whether he's the right man to entrust with reconstruction, mainly due to his managerial type as a 'people's manager', better with a more experienced group of players. Many felt that Feyenoord, after Koeman, needed a 'teacher', someone best suited to a squad needing guidance. Although the average age of the squad is 25 it's still a team laced with many in their early 20s.

What he can fall back on is their saving grace, Varkenoord, one of Europe's premier youth academies. It's enabled them to keep afloat, each year more and more come off their conveyor belt of talent. There were times in the previous two seasons that Koeman was fielding, on average, eight players educated at the club during their formative years. Louis van Gaal took five of them to Brazil this summer – all but one featured in his final game against the hosts – three (Daryl Janmaat, Stefan de Vrij and Bruno Martins Indi are now representing Newcastle United, Lazio and FC Porto respectively) have since left for pastures new.

Nonetheless of the six players with a WhoScored.com rating above 7.00 left in the squad this season, four are academy graduates (the oldest being 23). One of those is central defender Terence Kongolo, their leading performer (7.44), whose exploits last season in a breakthrough campaign at left-back (eight games) and in central defence (six games) earned widespread praise as well as inclusion in Van Gaal's squad, much to the surprise of many. Everything, it seemed, was going too fast.

Kongolo, who went as defensive cover, only featured in the final minutes against Chile but the whole experience was invaluable, something that could accelerate development as well as maturation. Now part of a new defensive line alongside Sven van Beek - another Varkenoord alumnus - the process of becoming compact and resolute will be gradual: Janmaat, De Vrij and Martins Indi were part of a unit that conceded 40 goals last season (in their second campaign together), which was bettered only by FC Twente (37) and Ajax (28).

It’s early days but you can start to work out Rutten's approach: Feyenoord are one of five teams averaging 400+ passes per game – number one and fourth respectively when it comes to crosses (34) and long balls (81) per game – third (56.2%) in terms of monopolising possession. The old 'if you have the ball opposition can't harm you' trick. However, they are being hurt (conceding 12.8 shots per game) and while proactive football is all well and good, without the intelligence you can only go so far.

 
The supporters, who demand a particular style in line with their traditions, might not like it but it seems they're better off – in the interim period – playing reactive football: something Rutten is very well capable of doing, but such is the worry of backlash, it's a path he is careful to tread. He is certain to make enemies before friends. Even though the spectre of modern football demands instantaneous results, Rutten should be afforded time, especially when you put things into perspective. He's not inherited the squad of the quality that finished runners-up last season.

And that is their biggest concern at the moment. This is Feyenoord post-Graziano Pellè (50 goals in 57 league games across two seasons) and finding the back of the net has been a problem, only Heracles (2) – who've lost all four games to date – have scored fewer than Feyenoord (3). What makes matters worse is the Rotterdammers are holding 31% of possession in matches in the opposition half and averaging 18 shots per game (in both cases the most by any side), though 6.3 on target puts them in fourth, which is still pretty high.

Rutten doesn't have the luxury of calling upon the Italian marksman or anyone of his ilk. An inability to replace Pelle in the market has given an opportunity to Mitchell te Vrede. It’s one he's starting to seize. The scorer of all three goals (two via set-pieces) from 27 shots (6.8 per game) – could have made it four but missed from the spot away to FC Twente last time out – as you can tell it hasn't dispelled his profligate image. As harsh as it may sound in a side ambitious as the Rotterdammers he's better off as an impact substitute rather than leading the line as the skills required for both are like night and day.

Feyenoord, who resume with a solitary victory under their belt (which came on the opening weekend, away to ADO Den Haag, secured in stoppage time), know it's shaping up to be another testing season for a club desperate to once again be top dogs.

Can Fred Rutten get Feyenoord challenging for the Eredivisie title once again? Let us know in the comments below