Team Focus: Bosz Inspiring Resurgence at In-Form Vitesse

The mascot of Vitesse Arnhem is an eagle but it could easily be a phoenix given their recent rise from the ashes. As clichéd as it may sound, it's been a season of two halves for the men donning yellow and black: what looked destined to be a forgotten campaign has now bred a renewed sense of purpose heading into the home stretch.

A total of five games remain with the goal surely to secure Europa League participation; the impetuous for any highly ambitious club is growth and stability, and finishing inside the top four plus regular excursions in Europe will help establish both. Regarding the former – a distant thought only a few months ago – they sit two points behind AZ who currently occupy the final spot.

Sticking to a long-term vision and strategy, not succumbing to the spectre of short-termism which is suffocating modern football, is equally essential. No question Peter Bosz, who prides himself on tactical awareness, is the right person for the job. The day after their next league game at home, against FC Dordrecht on April 18, he will become the club’s longest-serving manager since 2008 (his six predecessors have averaged just 280 days in charge, where he's been at the helm for 656 and counting).

His forward-thinking and proactive methodology, (displayed at Heracles 2010-2013) who he transformed into one of the more enjoyable sides for neutrals, granted him the opportunity to awaken this sleeping giant. But as the old adage goes, 'Rome wasn't built in a day'. The process of turning Vitesse into consistent as well as viable contenders will be gradual.

It's the fate of every Dutch club; going through a summer of upheaval, with that said even when the pressure was mounting on Bosz in the autumn and winter months he remained levelheaded, never compromising or losing faith in his coaching philosophy, which is largely derived from the school of 'circulation football'. The idea behind monopolisation of possession is to provoke the opposition: only Feyenoord (60.6%) average higher ball retention (58.5%) whilst they are one of only three sides exceeding 400 short passes per game, whilst they are out on their own when it comes to shots on goal (19.6) per game.

Credit where credit is due. By sticking to his guns he's turned the good ship Vitesse around. After a false start, accumulating five wins from their first 19 games, losing 7 in the process and finding themselves as low as 12th in the table, he's got them once again playing efficiently, winning 8 of their following 10 games, picking up 26 points from 30 available. How the Arnhem faithful wished for this exact same form a year ago, when they emerged as title candidates – or punching above their weight as some observers felt – co-leading with half the season to go, before falling by the wayside, eventually finishing 16 points behind Frank de Boer's side.

But that was then and this is now, prior to last season's winter break not much was expected of them so they subconsciously played without a care in the world, and it's been the opposite way round this particular time. Nevertheless every disadvantage has its advantage. Having a wobble to an extent has done some good as newfound anticipation borne out of the last campaign has been tempered, thus allowing Bosz to continue to shape Vitesse in his image. The presence of technicians, especially in midfield, will make that specific job a lot easier. So, retaining the services of Marko Vejinovic, their metronome in the heart of midfield, will be critical.

As discussed on these pages before, the would-be Dutch international has matured into their lynchpin becoming one of the exemplary proponents of the 'number six' role in the Eredivisie. He exudes calmness; sitting in front of the back four, he retains and recycles possession (averaging 60.6 passes per game), allowing those behind him breathing room as well as assurance.

Not exactly ground-breaking, but what a difference going back to basics makes; the same line-up (an offensive 4-3-3) has been played across the past ten games, and that has been the tonic behind their reversal of fortunes, cohesion is, after all, the source for success: keeping five clean sheets and conceding 0.5 goals per game is a stark contrast to the first 19 games of the season: two shutouts and 1.68 goals conceded per game.

Their mini revival has not only illustrated the importance of Vejinovic's tempo setting but has also seen the resurgence of central-defensive duo Jan-Arie van der Heijden and Guram Kashia, the men he screens. Although the axis is set break up after the season's end – Van der Heijden allowing his contract to run out – it's one of the more formidable in the Eredivisie.

As of this previous weekend, they have started 18 games, surrendering 21 goals, and what makes their partnership special is a telepathic understanding, a classic 'number three-four' tandem. Van der Heijden enjoys nothing more than bringing the ball out of defence and starting attacks. He averages more passes (62.8) than any other player in his side, whereas Kashia, club captain, is more strategic, organising the defence with a 'take no prisoners' mentality, and leads in interceptions (64).

Good defensive resilience is meaningless if there's no profiteering. Bosz has struck the right balance; during their current run of 10 games unbeaten (the longest surrent run in the division, and third longest all season) they've managed 17 goals, and a total of seven players have contributed, with most coming from on-loan Chelsea forward Bertrand Traoré (5), whose own future certainly seems bright.

Of course the more prominent Vitesse become the more is expected, though it's fair to say at this stage of their development under Bosz they are not yet ready to duel in the sun. His main objective, understandably, remains developing a battle-hardened squad – creating the mind-set of belonging in the upper echelons of the league – so when they do find themselves in the position of challengers they are not prone to stage fright.

What do you make of Vitesse's recent rise? Let us know in the comments below