Re-appointed Melbourne Heart coach John van ‘t Schip is excited by the prospect of a second stint at the club he helped build, but knows that changes have to be made if they’re to get off the bottom of the ladder.
Following the sacking of John Aloisi, van’t Schip said that he had no hesitation in returning to the club as head coach, even on an interim basis.
“When the club asked me to help them out after I was back in Europe, I had a talk with my wife and decided to do it and to help the club because it’s a club I’m very close to,” van ‘t Schip said.
“I helped build up [the club] a few years ago and still all the people inside the club are very close to me and very nice to me always.
“I feel that we can still do some good things here and that’s why I accepted to come back.”
The return of van ‘t Schip was no surprise given his recent stint as technical director at the club.
While there were rumours that he was brought in to help Aloisi manage the sinking ship, van ‘t Schip insisted that there was absolutely no direction given in terms of the day-to-day running of the club.
“I had some discussions of course with John and Hayden [Foxe] and I was involved in the time that I was here with them,” he said.
“I said in the beginning that I will let you guys do your job freely and I’m here for advice.”
Now thrust back into the role he pioneered since the inception of the club, van ‘t Schip felt that changes are necessary given how far they’ve fallen off the track.
“In normal life, if you are not having success with a certain way of thinking, of playing then you should try to do something new and that’s what I’m here for now, to try to do things a little different and try to get results in the right way.
“The mindset has to change to enjoying being on the pitch as an individual and as a team, and I think that’s something maybe in the last few months because of the results, the pressure got to the players and they didn’t perform as they can.”
van ‘t Schip also let it be known that reputations have no effect on his team selections from here on, as there is now no room for complacency.
“I’m going to have a good look at players that are willing to play, who are not afraid – and maybe that’s not always the better player for many people but it’s about effort now that’s important,” he said.
“If I can see some younger players that are knocking on the door then for sure they will get an opportunity to step in.
“I’m just looking at the training sessions, at the games and every player gets a new chance and a new start and I’ll be open to have a look at every possibility but I’m not here to change the team because of changing.
“It’s just looking at what’s best for the team at the moment.”
van ‘t Schip’s first challenge is to not only overcome the club’s long winless run this week against the Central Coast Mariners, but also to break Heart’s away hoodoo that goes way back to his first spell in charge at the club.
The Dutchman is confident his side stand a chance of getting a positive result in Gosford, not least because the Mariners are having problems of their own.
“They have to feel free and go out there and play as good as possible,” he said.
“Central Coast Mariners are having a season with lows and highs, maybe because of the change of coach, and some players that are gone.
“Now [they’re] missing Flores who is out as well so they will have their things to solve as well.
“But I think we have a chance against them, we have to think about ourselves and that’s the most important thing.”
Melbourne Heart travel to Gosford to take on the Central Coast Mariners. Kick-off is set for 5pm, Sunday 5th of January.