Melbourne Heart FC Assistant Coach Jesper Olsen is confident the club’s recruitment campaign is on track as preparations continue for its Hyundai A-League debut later this year.
Melbourne Heart FC Assistant Coach Jesper Olsen is confident the club-s recruitment campaign is on track as preparations continue for its Hyundai A-League debut later this year.
The Heart has announced the signings of four players to date, including Qantas Socceroos Matt Thompson and Dean Heffernan, who recently departed for a loan spell with Huddersfield Town in England.
However, with more acquisitions poised to be announced in the near future, Olsen believes the club is well placed.
“We have signed a few players already from the A-League which are the bones of the team, but we want to add some international quality and that is what we are trying to do now,” he said.
“We are doing a bit of scouting abroad at the moment so hopefully there will be a mixture of players from the A-League, youngsters from the likes of the AIS and, some exciting players from abroad.”
A former star and team mate of Heart Head Coach John van ‘t Schip at Ajax Amsterdam, Olsen is well acquainted with the attacking and pressing philosophy which will form an integral aspect of the team-s structure.
Drawing inspiration from Cruyff-s 4-3-3 system, which is used effectively in modern day football by the likes of FC Barcelona, speed of movement and incisive passing will form the basis of Heart-s playing formation.
Olsen, however, is aware the club needs to continue to attract players displaying the necessary technical ability to excel within the intended system.
“I think we all have an idea of how we want to play the game. There-s a lot of influence from continental Europe within the club at the moment, and I think the 4-3-3 system is something that will suit Melbourne Heart as a team,” he said.
“John van ‘t Schip has very much emphasised that we are going to play attacking football with a lot of flair as well. I think the exciting thing about this is we can teach the young players a lot. There is a system we want to play, and I think we can get them very quickly to a different level.
“But first, we-ve got to identify and recruit the right players for that system, and that is the task we are working on at the moment.”
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