Another failure-season for Feyenoord?

De Kromme

A blundering goalie, bad luck, four experienced players out… There were lots of excuses last Sunday.

But after the loss against Willem II there’s only one conclusion. Again, a failure of a season for Feyenoord. Only if Heerenveen and/or FC Twente lose their last match, Feyenoord will end on the number 5 position. Oh, it does need to win the last match themselves of course.

After a optimistic start this season, with Van Marwijk back in De Kuip and many new exciting names in the group it was all booing and middlefingers stretched when the Feyenoord players left the pitch.

The Dutch Cupfinal is Feyenoord’s anchor in these black days, April 27 against Roda JC. Because despite all these excuses, a club with so many internationals can only be called a bunch of losers if they finish on position 6.

Peter Bosz, Feyenoord’s technical director, doesn’t want to go in on the current debacle. “It’s too early to call this season a failure or not. We have one competition match to go and we could end on the 5th place. And there’s that Cup final. So, let’s wait until the fat lady sings before we go into a public discussion.”

Gert Jan Verbeek already spends one day a week with the Feyenoord management to look at next season. Bosz: “We are working on it, we know what we want and need to do but I am not going to go into details right now.”

Willem van Hanegem in his column:

“Some coaches have problems with my columns. Bert van Marwijk recently didn’t want to shake my hand. And why? Because I criticized him and Feyenoord. At least, I think that’s the reason. But I don’t have a hidden agenda, so what’s wrong with criticism?

I think that Feyenoord, with all those new players, needs to perform better. That’s all. They play defensively, the young talents sometimes make childish mistakes that are easy to correct and I think Feyenoord should have been able to play for the title. I am not assassinating any one’s character with this, but if Van Marwijk is pissed off because of this, we’ll have some fun once he becomes Oranje’s team manager.

And don’t get me wrong. I think Bert is a great guy and a good coach, but we should be able to be critical at one another. He may criticize me too. He said recently that FC Utrecht plays naive football. I don’t mind. Even stronger, I tend to think about these comments.

I do think he’s wrong by the way. But, I do believe confrontations make you stronger and wiser. I learned that as a player too. Playing against stronger opponents will make you better. Don’t hide, but face the criticism and try to better yourself.”