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The Crystal Ball, pt 1: The Eredivisie

July 24th, 2009 | By: Jan | 47 Comments »

The warm up towards the new season isn’t over yet and we could still see some big moves happening (De Zeeuw to Ajax?) but for me it seems the right time to shed some light on what we can expect in the next season.

For that, I have looked into my crystal ball and this is what comes up.

The Eredivisie will be tremendously exciting this coming season. Both Ajax, PSV and Feyenoord have the right coach for the job, my Crystal Ball tells me, and we’ll see some vintage football by the top 3.

I’m going to focus on the Top 5.

FC Twente will have a hard season. It’s the typical sophomore season after a tremendous result. They lost Elia, Braafheid and most probably Arnautovic and they will have their focus on Europe again. I think they’ll finish fifth this coming season.

AZ will probably get into CL football, which will lead to defocus. The fact that Koeman is their new coach and that Demy de Zeeuw will most probably leave will result to a disappointing season, I think.
I see AZ finishing fourth.

PSV made the right move with Rutten and Ten Hag. If they get the time and resources, they can put PSV back on top, but I can’t see them doing it this season. In the long run, they will lose Affelay to Arsenal or Valencia and I’m not sure what PSV has waiting in the wings. If all works out well (Toivonen, Amrabat, Engelaar all stepping up to the plate) who knows, but I think this season is going to be average. Timmy Simons and some other players (Ooijer!!) are getting rusty

PSV will finish third.

Feyenoord only has to play Eredivisie (and the National Cup). I think Been will be able to hit the right chord and with Bruins, Biseswar, Wijnaldum, Ell Ahmadi, De Guzman, Fer and now also Fernandez Feyenoord seems nicely balanced. Tomasson and Makaay add some shrewdness. Gio adds leadership. I think Vlaar might be the surprise this season.

I think once Feyenoord gets the winning streak, the wind in the sails, it will finish second place!

Ajax already had a good group last year (with Wileaert and Aissati coming in later in the season) but the wrong coach. Now, with Jol at the helm (and Ajax man Schip still as assistant) I think Ajax will have a tremendous season! Jol will bind the talent into a team. He is a tactical wizard and a great motivator. Suarez and Sulejmani the sly foxes up front, and Aissait behind them with Urby on the left, Eno next to Aissati for the hard tackles and De Zeeuw (or another player) on the right.
The new full back reminds of Hans Peter Briegel and Wielaert will grow balls this season.

I can see Ajax win the title and reach far into Europe.

Nac, Groningen, Heerenveen and NEC will again fight for the spots right under the top 5.
FC Utrecht may be the surprise of the season actually, what with Du Chatinier as the head coach with Jan Wouters as his assistant and Van Wolfswinkel their new striker.

Tags: Ajax, Been, de Guzman, Feyenoord, Group C, Jol, PSV, rutten, Suarez, Vlaar

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Comments

Displaying the most recent 25 comments from a total of 47 comments.

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By Michel-Olivier | July 24th, 2009 at 2:40 pm

@ fares
orange already have siem de jong, aissati, seedorf(never say never), afellay, and bruins.

ajax 1 – 0 a. madrid

Posted from United States

By Michel-Olivier | July 24th, 2009 at 2:41 pm

sno is having a good game

Posted from United States

By fares | July 24th, 2009 at 3:11 pm

@Firezen: first of all thank you for your response.
*you know vorm is a very young gk and i don’t know where timmer will be playing next season (remember of his hawlers against austria 3-4) ;if i was a coach i would never pick timmer(never) and that is what been did exactly ( he first wanted him out of the team before he came…)
*as a back up i haven’t found so many names and we must not forget that mulder could be number 1 in feyenoord(he is injured now..)
*YES ZUIVERLOON MUUSSTT LEAVE WEST BROM(i watched him and he is the best right back in holland!!)
*sorry i forgot marcellis you are right friend .he should be in the place of van der wiel..sorry

@Michel-Olivier: there is no comparison between de guzman and bruins man ; afellay don’t play exactly in the same position; siem de jong don’t even play regularly for ajax and now with de zeeuw coming.. you could have said wijnaldum by far better…and finally seedorf is old and mediocre with milan in the last games of the season look at the pace of sneijder and you will understand

go holland go holland!! world champions in 2010.

By OranjeRules | July 24th, 2009 at 3:44 pm

De Zeeuw confirmed with Ajax??? Never really liked this guy, any games I have seen that he has played in I thought he was the most over rated player on the pitch.

This probably sets Evander Sno back, so much for him ever being in Oranje!

By susanne | July 24th, 2009 at 4:06 pm

Sno?? You wanted to see Sno in oranje?!?! Uhm, I wouldn’t pick the Zeeuw. I think de Jong and van Bommel are good in their roles. Maybe de Jong and Schaars. We need a De Jong (think Davids) type. I know he’s not glamarous, but look just as how he’s been playing for the Dutch team. He is good, in this system. Of course, i want Castelen to be added………………………………………………..

Posted from Netherlands

By finnster01 | July 24th, 2009 at 4:10 pm

Sno is looking for a new watch.

By dirk v.d.Berg | July 24th, 2009 at 4:43 pm

I’m thinking it will be
1. PSV
2. Ajax
3. AZ
4. Twente
5. Heerenveen
6. Feyenoord

Even though I’m a huge Ajax fan, I’m going to give this one to PSV, and I think Feyenoord are coming together pretty nicely too.

Posted from Canada

By Tjeerd | July 24th, 2009 at 4:52 pm

1. Feyenoord
2. The number one team is all that matters.

By dirk v.d.Berg | July 24th, 2009 at 6:07 pm

I’m pretty sure Mario Been is a smart enough coach to know not to play Castaignos this season. Maybe give him 4 or 5 games at the end of the season off the bench, or 1 very early cup tie, but thats about it.

Posted from Canada

By dirk v.d.Berg | July 24th, 2009 at 7:49 pm

Ajax drew 3-3 with Atletico Madrid. Neither team really scored any “good” goals, most of them were defensive errors. Ajax got really unlucky for the first 2 they let in, as the ball took bad bounces on both, but then again Ajax got a penalty out of nothing in the 89th, and their 2nd it looked like Heitinga wanted them to score. On Atletico’s third goal, if you guys ever watch the highlights, you’ll see that there are 4 defenders on Aguero, and no one down the middle watching Rodriguez run in. Ajax’s big note BAD DEFENDING.

Posted from Canada

By sonneveld | July 24th, 2009 at 10:03 pm

anybody watch braafhied in bayern koln game?

By Tiju | July 24th, 2009 at 11:31 pm

Dear all,
We all are predicting well on the basis of available resources. I am an Ajax fan but I support AZ and feynoord too. So I will not cry if Ajax doesn’t get the gold. It’s a one-year programme and injuries will play a huge role in the total process. Last year AZ alkmaar rarely had injuries so they won the cup. Feynoord had several injuries and they struggled a lot. So it will be so early to predict the champions now because the four teams are almost equal. None of them have clear edge over others.
But I am sure Ajax under Martin Jol would be very dangerous and young blood of feynoord will have a remarkable season under Mario Been. Recently one 12-YEAR-OLD BOY PLAYED in Latin American professional league. I don’t know which country he belongs to. If the lads are good enough we should give them the chance. With the experimented oldies you will never get the gold so why not the good young lads????.
I hope Castagionos will play a remarkable season and I wish him good luck.Beacause at present we have only one striker in our orange that is HUNTER. There is no back up for him. I know you peoples will say Ruud will comeback. but be frankly and with all respect to him he is not a big trophy winner.why??/?? Only one reason he doesn’t have the winner mentality, that’s it.

Posted from India

By Jan | July 25th, 2009 at 1:10 am

Haha, I love this job .

I highly respect Tiju and his opinion, but he does have some weird opinions. Kuyt isn’t valuable, Castelen is God and Ruud van Nistelrooy does not have the winner mentality… Right …

Firezen, thanks for the heads up with the Oranje squad. I will let Crystal Ball pt 2 take care of that, so we can all discuss it. Looks pretty good though.

Been will let Castaignos play some games. I think it will motivate the lad to stay at Feyenoord a bit more and it will also help in determining the fee for when he decides to leave. I think currently Chelsea and Co only need to pay a development fee. I could be wrong though….

By Tiju | July 25th, 2009 at 1:33 am

@jan ha ha
I understood the value of kuyt from liverpool statistics.i will prefer him over afaleey at anyday,But cann’t consider him above Present elia and old castelen.Why i like castelen is whenever he played for dutch he never disappointed us.Winner mentality and a balence in the team is very important to win any cup(not only Ruud,Ooiger,heitinga,Vanbommel?etc.unfortunatly we dont have this.what a pitty…..i think we are bound to cry for ever.one more point i would like to add is we invite defeats by appointing wrong coaches and through these coaches we are wasting a talented generation.

Posted from India

By finnster01 | July 25th, 2009 at 3:43 am

I am not a lawyer, but I am a Liverpool fan and I am also a fairly law abiding citizen with a degree of integrity. Now how on earth can Gerrard get acquitted of affray charges on grounds of self defense when CCTV shows him throwing the punches?

That jury must have been an all ‘pool affair.

By Carlos | July 25th, 2009 at 4:43 am

Gerrard is a thug just like Paul Gascoigne was. If he wasn’t a brilliant footballer he would be a football hooligan. Self Defence in a fist fight is putting up your fists NOT throwing them.

Posted from Singapore

By OranjeRules | July 25th, 2009 at 5:49 am

Saying Gerrard is like Gascoigne in terms of drunken buffoonary is like comparing chocolate sauce and mustard in terms of tasty treats on ice cream!

Gerrard was an idiot and being aquitted for that is crazy but the many is not a waste of human flesh like Gazza.

By Miguel Rosado | July 25th, 2009 at 11:20 am

Van der Vaart and Huntelaar didn’t make the 20 man squad for Madrid’s Peace Cup tournament.

By finnster01 | July 25th, 2009 at 12:30 pm

@Miguel: That can only mean that transfer news are imminent.

By Jeff | July 25th, 2009 at 1:27 pm

@Miguel: We always knew KJH would leave but I still cannot understand why VDV is not more appreciated by the coach and the Madrid staff. He has been dominant lately and was superb with Holland. Does anyone know where he might end up? I have heard a return to Hamburg but I hope he goes somewhere else.

Posted from United States

By Kevin | July 25th, 2009 at 3:11 pm

AC Milan wants Huntelaar now after failling to sign Fabiano.

By goose | July 25th, 2009 at 3:32 pm

off topic ; AZ just have beaten Heerenveen 5-1 in the game between last years champions and cupwinner… AZ looked very, very strong great goals alsoo

some fo the goals

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_12LA2A781s

Posted from Netherlands

By Michel-Olivier | July 25th, 2009 at 4:09 pm

Pellegrini: Huntelaar Is Not Required At Real Madrid
http://www.goal.com/en/news/12/spain/2009/07/25/1403743/pellegrini-huntelaar-is-not-required-at-real-madrid

Posted from United States

By Felix | July 25th, 2009 at 7:05 pm