Bert van Marwijk determined to get best out of Socceroos at World Cup with compact, disciplined play

ONE message - repeated several times - from the unveiling of new Socceroos coach Bert van Marwijk caught everyone’s attention. He likes to win. And he expects a lot of it in Russia, says TOM SMITHIES.

Bert van Marwijk is aiming high with the Socceroos in Russia.

FOR nearly half an hour, there was one thing that Bert van Marwijk didn’t do as he met Australia’s media for the first time – he didn’t smile.

Finally, over the question of how to pronounce his name, came the flicker of a grin. But that was it, and the message was simple. Van Marwijk means business.

The new coach of the Socceroos has precious little time to prepare his side for the World Cup, and he clearly knows it.

Bert van Marwijk is aiming high with the Socceroos in Russia.

I’LL DO IT MY WAY: Bert puts stamp on Socceroos

The gushing introduction from FFA chairman Steven Lowy was met with the slightest nod of the head. His responses to questions – partially, to be fair, no doubt from coming in his second language – were considered but neutral.

There would be no hostages to fortune, no grand statements. There was only the message he repeated several times – “I like to win”.

That, he said, was the creed that will govern all his decisions. The target is to garner enough points in their World Cup group to progress beyond it, and he will work backwards from that.

The hints were that his team would be compact and disciplined without the ball, and look to strike like lightening when they win it back.

After more than 20 minutes of playing a straight bat to most questions, there was a sudden engagement from van Marwijk as he pondered the tactics that have most chance of success. It was as if everything is ephemeral to that central question.

“One hundred years ago the pitch was the same size, but now the players are bigger and fitter and faster and more technical,” ran his sudden riff.

“I like to have the ball but in modern football you must have influence on the game when you don’t have the ball.”

Bert Van Marwijk holds court.

The game, he said, is now all about space and how you use it; Manchester City, he noted, scored more goals than anyone from transition. Win the ball from your opponent and move it as swiftly as possible to the place that will hurt them most.

We can expect the players to have a hothousing in his methods once they gather in late May, with more importance attached to training sessions than friendlies.

But most importance will be attached to winning.

That’s the only currency van Marwijk has any interest in.