Ruud Dokter key conduit as Ireland embraces transition

For a man from the Lowlands, Ruud Dokter has been propelled to the highest levels of Irish football since joining the FAI five years ago.

Initially tasked with replacing fellow Netherlands native Wim Koevermans in the role of High Performance Director, a job working in the background to nurture young talent, he’s been at the forefront in a week that rivalled some of the most eventful in the game here.

Dokter, in keeping with his name, has been the common link between the enrolment of Mick McCarthy and Stephen Kenny to the association this week, presented as the conduit for a smooth handover under the most unusual of arrangements.

The arrival of both men alters his own role; the 63-year-old ceding some of his portfolio in the underage ranks to Kenny while linking up with McCarthy’s seniors for their trips abroad.

Along with the logistical changes, there’s also supposed to be streamlining of styles throughout the various international teams, a policy adopted by the superpowers such as Spain, France, and Germany.

Well, that’s the spin anyway.

Coming up on @morningireland sport, Ruud Dokter outlines Stephen Kenny’s role with Irish set up, Champions League, and Kerry have a new minor football manager. Join me after the news at 0830 on RTÉ Radio 1 pic.twitter.com/JMQ5wBh6j1

— Darren Frehill (@Darrenfrehill) November 27, 2018

When Kenny, McCarthy, Dokter – and the man who employed them all, John Delaney – all sat before the media in the past four days, it was difficult to establish cohesion to a set-up which Liam Brady has branded “cosmetic”.

Conflicting statements were uttered and a range of different interpretations abounded; a concoction failing to remove the lingering suspicion that the marriage of convenience stemmed from a reaction to public and media sentiment in the fallout of Martin O’Neill’s sacking.

Now that the timeline is set out, we can only hope the new broom works in practice.

Dokter believes the recruitment of Kenny to the U21 vacancy, replete with a broader role overseeing other international teams, reduces his own workload.

Nevertheless club power has meant international matches at all levels have to be played inside the same windows. Clashes are inevitable.

For example, if last March is anything to go by, the U16, U17, U18, U19, U21 and senior teams will play in the same week across the continent. Dokter encountered that problem only two weeks ago.

“I was in Kerry at U16 Victory Shield games but couldn’t attend all of the matches,” explained the former Dutch FA employee. “I thought, ‘You know, that’s not good because the FAI should always have a presence’.

“The role has expanded so Stephen is there to provide support and assistance.”

But, in this masterplan of joined-up thinking, how could Kenny have been in Kerry when he would have been on U21 duty? If anything, Dokter’s modified brief, entailing the senior squad, exacerbates the problem.

“That’s a challenge alright, so I’ll have decisions to make as to where I go,” he said.

“I can’t guarantee that every match will be covered but we will have a presence, if not Stephen, then one of the other underage managers, such as Paul Osam.”

Anomalies appeared to be evident in their views on implementing that unified approach.

For all the yields from the elite youth teams playing with finesse, reaching the knockout stages of the U17 Euros two years on the trot and the U19s beating the Netherlands to top the group, the seniors under O’Neill operated a route-one style.

Kenny, due to take over that senior brief in 2020, was clear that he expected the chasm to be closed. “Hopefully there will eventually be a proper long-term vision whereby you can show the senior style to the U15s and say ‘that is how I want you to play’,” said the heir apparent.

Dokter, however, admits that will prove difficult.

“You can’t say that we have a defined style at U15s and want to see that in the senior side. That’s not possible,” he explained.

“We work through the same principles on and off and the pitch through all of the teams but it’s up to the managers to make a decision how to play.

“If you are rigid on that, it’s going to be a problem. I appreciate all the difficulties at the seniors. It looks very simple but it’s not.”