The 50-year-old is expected to leave his position as the performance director of the Dutch Olympic Committee replace Dave Collins, who UK Athletics will officially announce today is not having his renewned when it ends in March after Britain's disappointing performance at the Beijing Olympics where they won only four medals, one short of the target set by Government agency UK Sport.

 

Van Commenee labelled Sotherton a "wimp" after she settled for the bronze medal in the heptathlon at the 2004 Olympics in Athens, rather than chase the silver he believed she was capable of.

 

But she acknowledged that without his expertise and support she would never have reached that level of their support.

 

Sotherton said: "Charles is a great coach.

 

"He's worked with world and Olympic champions and he knows how to get results.

 

"He is very tough and not short of words.

 

"There's only a few of us still around who know what he is like and I think some people will get a very rude awakening.

 

"He works hard, and nothing is left to chance.

 

"If things happen, it is because he has made them happen."

 

Van Commenee's appointment will not be officially confirmed until later this month after the Paralympics, where he is currently serving as Holland's Chef de Mission.

 

Sotherton's view was supported by Lewis, who van Commenee guided to the Olympic gold medal in the heptathlon in 2000 and which led to him being employed by UK Athletics as its director of mulit-events.

 

He was the favourite to replace Max Jones after he retired as performance director but instead took the job in Holland after growing frustrated with the length of time it was taking UK Athletics to make an appointment.

 

Lewis said: "Van Commenee should have been given the job ahead of Collins after the Athens Games in 2004.

 

"But it now seems the powers that be realise the clock is ticking, and appreciate that they need his technical ability and frankness if they are to develop what is a promising group of young athletes in time for London.

 

"British athletics can expect a large dose of honesty.

 

"He won't do what the British so often do and fluff things up and make them sound nice.

 

"Like a lot of people from Amsterdam, he is blunt.

 

"I used to find it quite funny, but it's clear that this approach will not be pleasant for some people.

 

"It can't be about individuals.

 

"It has to be about performance.

 

"We need to get the best out of the sport.

 

"I remember after I won a silver medal behind Sabine Braun in the heptathlon in the World Championships in Athens in 1997,I was so pleased with myself and thought I had given one of the best performances of my career.

 

"He couldn't understand this, and asked me why I was rejoicing my silver.

 

"He just said I had lost the gold.

 

"But for me that was inspirational, and it was that sort of directness that drove me through to Sydney in 2000, when I did win eventually win my gold.

 

"He was that someone who could push me beyond my physical boundaries and mental limitations.

 

"But what I really admire about him is that if he really doesn't know the answers, he will source someone who does know.

 

"That's a sign of a good leader.

 

"Charles will not have to start from scratch.

 

"There are some really good British athletes out there who are on the fringe of making that jump to podium finishes.

 

"Somewhere in those athletes' planning, goal-setting and training models there is room for improvement. Charles will bethe right person to ask the right questions."

 

A note of caution, however, was sounded by Brendan Foster, the 1976 Olympic 10,000 metres bronze medallist whose criticism of Collins while commentating for the BBC during the Beijing Games contributed to the pressure on him.

 

He said: "It's not an easy job.

 

"It's a very difficult task, it's not a squad like in other sports where you have squad training, there is a lot of individuals.

 

"This is not the panacea.

 

"We all know football clubs who change their managers and it doesn't make any difference.

 

"It's not the definite recipe."