You can’t see it, but Frans Hoek keeps his goalkeepers on a tight rein, albeit an invisible one. He spends practice matches next to the goal, behind it, or even in it. Sometimes he actually enters the goal area, advancing as far as the penalty spot. There are never more than ten or fifteen yards between him and his protégées. Hoek keeps a line of communication open all the time, watching closely and issuing rapid instructions. And his goalkeepers are more then delighted with the invisible, tight rein.
“He watches all the time and sees everything. He talks a lot, relatively speaking, giving advice and assistance,” reports Thomas Kraft, describing the club’s new goalkeeping coach as “a very agreeable, fun guy”. After the first few weeks of working together, Jörg Butt also praised Hoek. “I’m really pleased at the chance to work with him personally at last,” he said.
With the end of his career in sight, it means the Bayern number one has come full circle. “I’ve know all about Frans Hoek’s approach since my earliest days as a pro,” revealed Butt, “back then, I kept a very close eye on the way he made Edwin van der Sar one of the greats at Ajax.” In the early to mid-90s, Hoek worked in Amsterdam with the man who was to become the Netherlands’ most-capped keeper, and who rates as the prototype of the modern goalkeeper.
Hoek is now implementing his successful training methods at Bayern. The 53-year-old said his philosophy is based on one question: “What does the tactical plan used by Bayern require of its goalkeeper?” To this end, he has meticulously analysed the club’s matches. How many shots will he have to save? How many crosses will he have to deal with? How many back passes will he need to field?
The answers to these and other questions build up an ideal profile for the FCB keeper. “The Bayern goalkeeper makes a large contribution to initiating moves,” he explained, “if the ball’s passed back to him, his role is to switch the angle of attack or relieve pressure situations.”
The FCB number one is also required to act as a form of libero or sweeper, helping defend the zone in front of the penalty area. “We defend higher up the field than many other teams, and we often use man-marking at the back. So the goalkeeper is the back four’s insurance policy.” At the same time, the keeper is responsible for organising his defence, “so we leave no gaps when we lose possession and our opponents attack on the break.”
“He regards the keeper as an eleventh outfield player,” Kraft summarised. Added Butt: “It's the way of the future. The goalkeeper is included in the team tactics and is no longer isolated from the rest of the team.” As the 36-year-old points out: “As Bayern keeper in a Bundesliga fixture, you have maybe two, three or four shots to deal with in the conventional goalkeeping way. Otherwise, there are 10, 20, or 30 moves where you play the ball with your feet, where you’re helping the defenders deal with angled passes.”
Hoek focuses on these very attributes in daily training. “Training with him is very like being in a match. You’re never just dealing with practice shots,” reported Butt. The emphasis is on the keeper’s first touch, passing, positioning, and communication with the defence. “He doesn’t just work with the goalkeepers, he spends a lot of time talking to the defenders too,” said Butt.
However, the coach spends most of the session communicating with the goalkeepers, gesticulating and explaining his ideas, and listening attentively when Butt, Kraft & Co voice their points of view. “He’s not trying to force his philosophy on us, and you don’t have the feeling his ideas are cast in stone” reported Butt, “instead, he tries to persuade us, and work things out together. He’s a very open, inquisitive guy, who’s also looking to develop his own skills.” So Hoek’s tight rein is a benefit to all parties.
