AZ: where do we go to, my Louis?

I am not an AZ supporter, but I don’t think I’ve seen a more heart-breaking choke to a title race than last year. I know its been well commented on before, but they really did snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. It is difficult to see them having a better opportunity in the future.

And this season it looks like that failure will haunt them for a long time yet.

Posted from  Australia

According to me, AZ syndrom is very simple to explain.
Too many middle-age Dutch players leave AZ ( Mathijsen, Meerdink, Koevermans,…)and only very young and inexperimented players arrive. The team consist mainly of young Surinamese and young foreign players.
No more Leader on the pitch. AZ is the opposite of Feyenoord.
Van Gaal committed a youthful error. He will leave at the end of the season. Co Adrianse should replace him.

Posted from  France

When he guided Ajax to win the CL in 1995, he brought also an experienced player: Frank Rijkaard. I think he is the kind of player that he really needs. He had also Danny Blind, experienced player.

So, Louis van Gaal should buy one or two Dutch experienced players. I don’t know who they are. But, in order to be in top position, you need them.

Posted from  Indonesia

my bet; vGaal will stay at Az for the next 5 years .. no way is Scheringa letting him go … think its very importent for Az to just stay calm … think Jan is right about the shadow of last season, that was a massive blow for the club and its players (and most of dutch fans)
vGaal will only leave Az to be manager of a national team…
btw; its true that Az lacks a real leader on the pitch at the moment

Posted from  Netherlands

Players that have left AZ: Mathijsen, Meerdink, Koevermans, Kromkamp, De Cler, Landzaat.
The departure of these 6 important players mixed with the loss of last year’s title is affecting AZ right now as you all said before. AZ is having a new era and I don’t know if Van Gaal will stay for the next 5 years or not but the only thing I know is that if he do stays for the next 5 years AZ will become one of the most important teams in Holland, not only the team but the whole organization.

I know Louis is very crazy and has said some crazy stuff but he is a very good trainer, we can see that on statistics. OK he didn’t qualify us for the WC 2002 but he was successful at Barcelona I mean he didn’t win the UCL but Barca has only won it twice, successful at Ajax and did very well with AZ and can still turn things around next year.

Maybe if we had more coaches like him we could win things. He has a huge mentality, a positive mentality and never gives up. If we had more coaches like him desperate to coach the national team things would be different. Rijkaard is busy and Hiddink is busy but if you ask an Argentine to coach his national team they wouldn’t hesitate and they’d say YES even if they already have a job.
I actually would give Van Gaal a 2nd opportunity in the national team and I believe he’d be do greaaat.

Koevermans may be a sub. in PSV, but I don’t understand why Van Gaal can’t guarantee him a starting spot in AZ. Look who he brought to replace Koevermans and Aveladze: Dembele is talented but doesn’t know know to finish, so is Ari. Pelle is no way a qualified striker at all! And what’s wrong with Jenner, Donk, Medunjanin, Mendez da Silva? They showed no improvement at all this season. Isn’t it what a coach suppose to do with young players, but obviously Van Gaal failed. Schaars has the potential to be AZ leader, but why he, along with Martens this season, never gets rid of injuries, has Van Gaal and his medical crew ever questioned his way of training? Maybe during the last two years the only young players keeping ascendent form in AZ are De Zeeuw and Dembele(apart from his finishing), but Van Gaal isn’t a personal coach, he is supposed to be helping the whole team grwo instead of only a couple of players. I’m not anti-Loui, and I think he will stay in AZ. But I think he should stop being so complacent and arrogant as he always is.

Posted from  Australia