Marink Reedijk's hands-on training methods at Hibs' warm-weather camp in Spain left players with startled facial expressions, as the new Dutch manager prepares for the return of Premiership action next weekend.
Reedijk's Approach at Easter Road
Hugh Keevins, writing for the Record Sport, watched footage of one of Reedijk's sessions and described it as an eye-opener. The former Beveren coach, who led the Belgian side to promotion without a single defeat last season, has a hands-on approach both figuratively and literally.
Unlike former Hibs manager David Gray, who Keevins said had the look of a man who had just heard that smiling was about to become taxable, Reedijk was not grim-faced in Spain. Instead, it was the Hibs squad members who showed a mixture of startled expressions as the Dutchman put his points across in no uncertain terms.
Continental Influence in Scottish Football
The influx of continental coaches at club and international level is, for Keevins, an invigorating demonstration of conventional thinking being given a kick up the backside. Scotland's new head coach Sebastien Pocognoli said before last Tuesday's Nations League game against Switzerland: "Tactics can not be executed properly if the mentality is not right."
With the arrival of Reedijk at Hibs, five Scottish managers out of 12 now occupy top-flight hotseats, tipping the balance in favour of the United Nations within the Premiership's dugouts. McInnes is at Rangers, McGlynn at Falkirk, McCann at Kilmarnock, McLeish at St Mirren, and McPressley at Dundee.
Upcoming Test at Tannadice
Keevins looks forward to seeing what effect Reedijk's shock and awe approach has on Hibs players when they go to Tannadice to face Dundee United next weekend. They should bear in mind that the much-loved Gray got the bullet at Easter Road on the back of their shabby performances, which included seven home games in a row without a win.
Reedijk's credentials are vouched for by his unbeaten promotion season at Beveren, and Keevins would not like to see him in the away dressing-room if his career in Scotland starts with a defeat on Tayside. Discontent is multilingual for single-minded coaches, so nothing will be lost in translation.
