Eredivisie in 2008: Feyenoord needs Wim Jansen now!

Johan Derksen’s colum in www.vi.nl

For club in peril Feyenoord, 2008 was a horrible year. Bert van Marwijk won the national cup in the summer, but other than that it was all doom and gloom. In the meantime, the Eredivisie has a new phenomenon. The anchor man. The Face. A strong personality, with charisma. A club man. The man who creates goodwill, who talks to the media and absorbs the blows. He takes responsibility in hard times, he keeps employees out of the storm. Riemer van der Velde was such a man, at Heerenveen. Ron Jans plays that part in Groningen. Joop Munsterman in Twente and Jan Smit at Heracles. Marco van Basten is the new prince at Ajax, Mario Been impresses at NEC and Louis van Gaal is AZ.

Feyenoord has it’s anchorman too, but the man himself doesn’t want to carry the load. He wants to pull at all the strings, but always in the shadows. That man is Wim Jansen.

The current constellation shouldn’t have been accepted at Feyenoord. Wim Jansen was a “consultant” for a while. The personal friend of technical director Peter Bosz is now officially the assistant coach. When Jansen was Feyenoord’s adviser, it didn’t come as a surprise that suddenly Peter Bosz was appointed. He was sacked as coach of De Graafschap and worked in the Eredivisie bottom with Heracles. He didn’t have any experience when he accepted the technical director’s job at one of Holland’s biggest clubs. Stanly Brard, Wim’s brother in law, was appointed manager youth development, while John Lammers, Peter Bosz’ best mate, was signed as strikers’ trainer. Jansen is also involved in a questionable football academy in Brazil, managed by his son. As Feyenoord’s team coordinator one would expect a Feyenoord man. But instead, Bas van Noortwijk, former Sparta goalie and ex-players’ manager, was selected.

Wim Jansen avoids people and social contacts. He refuses to talk to the media and leaves De Kuip silently through the back door. Jansen acts the role of Mr Feyenoord but forgets to stand up and speak out for his coach Gertjan Verbeek. The Feyenoord management lacks the clout to be taken seriously, and Jansen’s role should be to be Feyenoord’s ambassador in these difficult times.

Financial manager Jacobs is a solid accountant. General manager Gudde a former civil servant of the city of Rotterdam, but lacks charisma. Peter Bosz plays mute and hides behind his cliche-filled “strategic plan”.

Verbeek has to make do with a group of players selected by Peter Bosz. The latter does think his 350.000 euros per year aren’t enough and demands 420.000 euros. Most recently, AD reporter Salomon was signed as press officer. A man not taken seriously by his peers.

No one has the guts to tell the fans the real story. Feyenoord is still suffering financially. Kuyt, Kalou and Drenthe were sold with huge profits, but the debts in Rotterdam are astonishing. Experienced players like Makaay, Van Bronckhorst, Hofland, Timmer, De Cler, Landzaat and Tomasson earn a hefty paycheck every year, but only the first two are really worth it. The rest fails to deliver or are continuously injured. Ajax and PSV can’t be reached anymore in financial terms, but also clubs like Heerenveen, Twente and Groningen seem to have their finances under more control.

Foreign investors aren’t interested. Former commercial manager Woerts wanted to sell the club for 200 million euros. Today, Jacobs would be celebrating if someone forked out half. Thanks to the financial meltdown, local investors don’t pick up the phone. The fans have a right to know what’s going on. Someone needs to step up and tell the real story, because the club has been fooling too many people too long. Gudde seems to hold on to the last straw, the new stadium, but it’s hard to find investors for the new home, costing 500 million euros.

The sincere Verbeek remains the man in the center of the tempest. Former club doctors blame him for the wave of injuries, something that could be true but definitely something you don’t talk the press about. The poor Verbeek has to make do with Bosz’ players group and with the incestuous support staff, led by Wim Jansen.

In theory, Verbeek is the ideal manager for Feyenoord. Hiis maniacal hardheadedness works against him and he doesn’t seem to gel with Bosz’ players. Still, I think Verbeek will be more valuable to Feyenoord than all the failing experienced players added together. The fans sort of feel that as well.

I am waiting for the moment Jansen will take the microphone and explain the fans why he only employs friends and family and what he’ll do for his club’s future.

It’s time he will stand in front of his coach, instead of fleeing through the back door.

It was a disastrous year for Feyenoord and with this management team and paranoid consiglieri Wim Jansen I doubt it will turn for the better. I do hope Feyenoord will recover soon, but I’m definitely not holding my breath…