Feyenoord the surprise, AZ the favorite

Ajax’ new signing De Zeeuw

With the real experts having had a go at the crystal ball ( us!!), it’s now time for three former coaches to enlighten us.

Ron Spelbos – former AZ, Club Brugge, Ajax and Oranje defender, former coach and currently scout for Bert van Marwijk – has been hailed for his analytical skill. So much so, that the NOS decided to give him an analyst job for to accompany football tv broadcasts. Only to find out, that despite his skills, he couldn’t string an interesting sentence together for telly .

It went something like this:
Interviewer: Ron, we’re in the break of Ajax – Inter Milan… Ajax can now decide to defend the lead or they can go for the second goal. What do you think…?
Ron Spelbos: Well, it’s interesting really… Eh…I think….you know… Ajax could just defend the lead of course…eh….or….eh….another thing…they could go for the second goal. You just don’t know. We’ll see….

Willem van Hanegem. One of Holland’s best players ever. Unfathomable on the pitch, sphinx like as a coach and downright hilarious – or annoying – as an analyst.

Interviewer: Johan Cruyff was the best football player ever, right?
Van Hanegem: Johan? Ah, he was alright…

Aad de Mos. Former Ajax and KV Mechelen coach, hailed for his tactical prowess but since his Mechelen stint in the 1980s Aadsje has never been successful anymore.

Interviewer: What do you think the coach will need to do in the second half?
De Mos: It’s simple. He needs to instruct the left back to squeeze more and if the holding midfielders drops 2 yards back, the shadowstriker can make diagonal runs and therefore create space for the right winger to attempt runs through the middle, but only if the left back blocks that number 4 of the opponents in crossing the ball in …….blabblabla….

So what do these guys think?

Feyenoord’s Wijnaldum

Which clubs intrigue you for this coming season?

De Mos: “Feyenoord. I’ve got the feeling there’s something wonderful blooming there. Obviously, the group has more potential now, with the new signings and the recovery of De Guzman and Vlaar. I think Mario Been is the ideal man for the club and with the mix of old hands like Gio, Makaay and Tomasson and the young guns like Biseswar, Wijnaldum and Fer something wonderful could happen.”

Spelbos: “I’m keen to see PSV and Feyenoord this season. They both had a tough season last year and I’m interested to see their developments. I’m not overly impressed with PSV’s group but Rutten will surely make something out of it. I think this season, the traditional top 3 will reclaim their positions.”

Van Hanegem: “I think Feyenoord will surprise, but any fool can see they will do better than last season. I always have to chuckle when people say that with “this new coach the players will perform better”… I never understood that. You don’t play for a coach, do you? Clubs like Ajax, PSV and Feyenoord will always have to play for the title, even if the groundsman is the coach.”

Last season, “provincial” clubs like Twente, AZ and Heerenveen competed for the prizes. Do you think the traditionals will be on top again this season?

Spelbos: “That’s not a given. AZ can win the title again, but you never know. There’s so many aspects in play. De Zeeuw was a crucial player for AZ, in terms of scoring ability and drive. Those three clubs didn’t have pressure last season, they did fair well in the so-called players-coach relationship and if that changes it can become tough for any club.”

Van Hanegem: “Last season, AZ and Twente operated as real teams. They performed over and beyond their normal capabilities. That’s all good, but I think it’s vital that we start to perform internationally. Some people like to see a club like NEC or Heerenveen make it into the Champions League but they really do not belong there. We don’t stand a chance internationally with those clubs, with all due respect. I would like to see one of our clubs, and for all I care it’s Ajax, perform at the European level.”

PSV’s new signing Manolev

De Mos: “I think PSV, Ajax and AZ will dominate the competition. Feyenoord will tag along, like Twnete, Heerenveen and Groningen. I think the lack of pressure last season was what allowed them to play their careless football, while top clubs always have that pressure. But this season, the fans of Twente and AZ will expect even more. Both clubs have lost some key players, so they’ll suffer the “sophomore” season virus. It’s going to be interesting to see if they can stay on top now that they got there.”

Which club is your fave for the title?

Spelbos: “AZ has the quality to win the title again, although statistically it’s hard to win the title twice on the trot.”

De Mos: “I don’t have a favorite for the title, but I think AZ, Ajax and PSV will dominate. AZ has lots of potential, but they also have to play Champions League this season, and that’s quite an extra load.”

Van Hanegem: “AZ still seems to be in good shape, they have a tremendous group. PSV is a tough team to beat, but Ajax played very well at the Amsterdam Tournament, at times.