All posts by Will Burns

EREDIVISIE: FC Dordrecht 1-2 PEC Zwolle

August 16, 2014 Will Burns Leave a comment

SATURDAY 16TH AUGUST 2014

FC DORDRECHT 1 – 2 PEC ZWOLLE

A second-half stoppage time Mustafa Saymak winner gave ten-man PEC Zwolle a great 2-1 triumph away to FC Dordrecht this evening ahead of their first ever European clash against Sparta Prague this Thursday reports Will Burns.

Zwolle started the brighter of the two sides with Stef Nijland, again starting in a lone striker role going close on two occasions early on. However, it was an uneventful first half that saw few opportunities created and those that were, saw some poor finishing and neither keeper had a shot to save until five minutes from the break.

After a good interception from Ben Rienstra, the midfielder spotted young New Zealand winger Ryan Thomas breaking after on the left. Rienstra fed the 19-year-old the ball and Thomas finished by sliding the ball underneath the onrushing Filip Kurto.

The goalscorer went over on his ankle soon after the break and was subsequently subbed off for loan signing Tomas Necid from CSKA Moscow. The imposing 6ft 3 striker joined on Wednesday and looked lively with some good touches and great movement for a big guy.

The Czech forward nearly got himself a goal minutes after coming on, after the energetic Jody Lukoki crossed from the right, but Necid failed to connect with his header and the ball sprayed wide of the goal.

Zwolle’s victory looked in jeopardy with just ten minutes remaining when young referee Jochem Kamphuis produced his first ever red card for Bart van Hintum for a double booking. The second yellow was for a shirt pull on Rihairo Meulens.

Just moments later, the scores were level. Hero of last weekend’s win over Heerenveen, Joris van Overeem floated a ball into the area from the right and after some terrible defending by Zwolle the ball fell awardkly for Mart Lieder. The striker just made contact with his spot that fooled Diederik Boer in goal but his effort bounced off the foot of the far post. Giovanni Korte was on hand to punish the Zwolle defence to poke home the equaliser.

However, Ron Jans’ men would have the last laugh with the winning goal with the last kick of the game deep into stoppage time. From Boer’s goal kick, Nedic pressured the Dordrecht defence and carried the ball forward after the defender missed the headed clearance. Emerging into the area, Necid spotted Mustafa Saymak arriving on the edge of the box. The Czech laid the ball into the Saymak’s path who finished superbly for the win.

Zwolle with their third win in all three games of the season so far, their second in the league, nowprepare for Thursday’s Europa League match against Sparta Prague at the IJsseldelta Stadion.

TEAMS

DORDRECHT: Kurto, Fortes, Haddad, Troost-Ekong, Peersman, Ojo, Gosens, Lieder, Korte, Van Overeem, Pisas (Meulens 73).

SUBS NOT USED: Te Loeke, Alisic, Ten Voorde, Vet, Van Deelen, Van Haaren.

GOALS: Korte 81.

BOOKINGS: Troost-Ekong 19, Ojo 55, Meulens 90.

ZWOLLE: Boer, Van Polen, Van der Werff (Lam 64), Broerse, Van Hintum, Saymak, Rienstra, Drost, Lukoki, Nijland (Pereira 81), Thomas (Necid 56).

SUBS NOT USED: De Jong, Ioannidis, Dekker, Moro.

GOALS: Thomas 40, Saymak 90+3.

BOOKINGS: Van Hintum 70.

SENT OFF: Van Hintum 80.

MAN OF THE MATCH: Mustafa Saymak (PEC Zwolle)

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EREDIVISIE, EREDIVISIE REPORT

EREDIVISIE: FC Twente 2-2 ADO Den Haag

August 16, 2014 Will Burns Leave a comment

SATURDAY 16TH AUGUST 2014

FC TWENTE 2 – 2 ADO DEN HAAG

It was an entertaining draw between FC Twente and ADO Den Haag with a couple of great goals, but sloppy defending was at fault for both sides. Either one of them could have taken the three points on the balance of the game, but a draw was a fair result in the end reports Jake Jackman.

FC Twente started the game very well, as some early pressure resulted in Kyle Ebecilio getting in behind the defence, but his effort was smartly saved by Hansen. The home side looked a lot brighter than they did in their opening weekend fixture as their passing looked more crisp and they looked like a team which could challenge near the top of the division. Kamohelo Mokotjo was making his first start for FC Twente and looked assured in midfield.

The home side continued to have the better of the play, but couldn’t find the final ball to create clear cut chances for Luc Castaignos, who should be one of the front runners to be top scorer of the Eredivisie this year. ADO Den Haag played the offside trap excellently in the opening passage of the game, catching their opponents offside frequently. Kasper Kusk came close to opening the scoring with a decent shot which forced a save from Hansen, before a free kick from Mokhtar also brought the goalkeeper into action. The pressure was building.

ADO Den Haag were thinking they could hold on until half time, but an excellent run from Mokotjo saw him exchange passes Ebecilio before slotting past Hansen. It was an excellent goal, and a show of individual skill from the South African. It was deserved, and the home side took a 1-0 lead into the break.

The second half started like the first did with all of the attacking coming from FC Twente, with Mokhtar looking very dangerous. Luc Castaignos had an early chance as he beat the offside trap, but the angle didn’t favour him and Hansen saved comfortably. Against the run of play, ADO Den Haag won a penalty after Michiel Kramer was fouled by Rasmus Bengtsson. Roland Alberg converted the penalty to equalise for ADO Den Haag. The home side nearly took the lead minutes later as Castaignos released Tim Holscher, but Hanson again made a good stop.

After the goal, ADO started to press more and get more of the possession. They took the lead in the 78th minute as Mike van Duinen headed home after his first attempt was saved, the chance came about after a strike from distance hit the post. FC Twente’s level dropped after the equaliser, therefore it wasn’t a shock to see them go behind.

It looked like ADO Den Haag would be able to hold onto the win, after defending excellently all match. However it wasn’t to be as Hansen punched the ball poorly straight to Shadrach Eghan the substitute, who fired the ball excellently into the bottom corner past the outstretched arm of the former Liverpool goalkeeper.

The home side had all of the momentum going into the final minutes of the game, as Torgeir Børven had a late chance, but he failed to score the winner. FC Twente will be disappointed they failed to win against ADO Den Haag, especially as the first goal was avoidable, but their level dropped from the first half, allowing the away side back into the game. The away side will be pleased with the point, but after having the lead, they will be disappointed they didn’t hang on after defending so well in the opening 45 minutes.

TEAMS

TWENTE: Marsman, Martina, Lachman, Bengtsson (Børven 83), Koppers, Mokotjo, Ebecilio, Hölscher (Eghan 66), Castaignos, Mokhtar (Ould-Chikh 82), Kusk.

SUBS NOT USED: Stevens, Schilder, Børven, Breukers, Andersen.

GOALS: Mokotjo 45+1, Eghan 86.

BOOKINGS: Mokhtar 41, Bengtsson 54.

ADO: Hansen, Malone, Zuiverloon, Wormgoor, Meijers, Alberg, Jansen, Kristensen, Houtkoop (Bakker 86), Kramer, Van Duinen.

SUBS NOT USED: Zwinkels, Kanon, Buwalda, Ebuehi, Owobowale, Merencia.

GOALS: Alberg 54, Van Duinen 77.

BOOKINGS: Alberg 79.

MAN OF THE MATCH: Kamohelo Mokotjo (FC Twente)

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EREDIVISIE, EREDIVISIE REPORT

EREDIVISIE: PSV 6-1 NAC Breda

August 16, 2014 Will Burns Leave a comment

SATURDAY 16TH AUGUST 2014

PSV 6 – 1 NAC BREDA

A brilliant attacking display from Depay & Co. sends PSV to the top of the table as both Memphis Depay and Georginio Wijnaldum get braces with Jurgen Locadia getting one and Aleksandr Damcevski scoring an own goal while NAC’s star performer Adnane Tighadouini pulled one back for the away side while the game was still at 2-0. The six goals cover up a sloppy defensive display that would have been severely punished against top sides.

PSV came into today’s game knowing a win would send them top after Feyenoord could only draw last night against Heerenveen and the rest of the division were still to play. In their last game PSV beat Willem II 3-1 in a unconvincing performance while NAC Breda suffered a disappointing opening day draw at home against newly-promoted side Excelsior who are the type of team that NAC need to beat to avoid relegation. PSV started the game with a team all either 23 years old or younger which certainly bodes well for the future of PSV.

Before PSV’s first goal on 20 minutes the game was pretty even with both sides only having half-chances. PSV started very sloppily with players giving the ball away too often including left back Tamata who attempted a back pass which went out for a goal kick near the corner flag. Adnane Tighadouini of NAC impressed early on playing on the left side of a front three. He repeatedly got the better of Santiago Arias at right back and was probably the best player in the first half. The best early chance came from NAC’s new man upfront Kingsley Boateng who drove past a couple of defenders before trying an attempt from a tight angle which was well saved by Zoet.

Then came PSV’s first goal which was a result of a misplaced pass from Depay in the middle of NAC’s half, it was intended for Luuk de Jong but it went behind him and Wijnaldum ran into the box before taking it in his stride and slotting the ball home into the bottom right corner of the net. Then came a period of PSV domination in which PSV hardly left NAC’s half. The pressure paid off in the 25th minute when Depay passed to Arias who ran down the wing and crossed it low for de Jong, only for NAC debutant Aleksandar Damchevski to deflect the ball into his own net.

However, NAC did get themselves back into the game in the 29th minute when the impressive Tighadouini got on the ball and slid a pass through to Erik Falkenburg who was running clear before being brought down by a pull from Arias for a penalty. Tighadouini then stepped up to score the penalty, which brought the game into a more level playing field. Their goal was followed up quickly by two chances from Tighadouini who both times cut inside a poor Arias and attempted an effort into the top corner, one of which went just wide while the other was tipped over by Zoet.

The second half started off badly for NAC with Tighadouini had to come off in the 48th minute due to an ankle injury he had sustained in the early stages of the game. Just after the substitution Falkenburg had a great chance to bring NAC level with a close range effort that was well saved by Zoet. This was quickly followed by a brilliant free kick from Memphis Depay, exactly 21.3 metres out thanks to the on-screen graphics, which curled over the wall and into the right hand side of the net to send the home side two goals clear.

This beckoned the crumbling of the NAC defence, two minutes later Jurgen Locadia drove the ball into the top corner from outside the box after he was set up by a lovely deft De Jong back-heel. This was then followed by yet another goal, this time from Wijnaldum to make it 5-1, he received the ball in an area of space inside the box before lifting the ball into the corner of the net, unforgivable defending from NAC. Despite being 5-1 up and in a seemingly comfortable position PSV still appeared vulnerable to attack from NAC and had they been more accurate with their final balls they could’ve had a couple of goals.

In the 73 minute however Depay got his second from an almost identical free kick to his first to finish off the rout. This well and truly took the wind out of NAC’s sails and they barely threatened after this as the game wound down to the final whistle.

Overall, Phillip Cocu will be extremely pleased with his side’s attacking prowess but will be concerned at the ease in which NAC managed to create some of their attacks from the wing especially, both Arias and Tamata were substituted before the end after poor defensive performances.

TEAMS

PSV: Zoet, Arias (Hendrix 73), Bruma, Rekik, Tamata (Brenet 46), Wijnaldum (Vloet 78), Hiljemark, Maher, Locadia, De Jong, Depay.

SUBS NOT USED: Pasveer, Narsingh, Jozefzoon, Vloet, Ritzmaier.

GOALS: Wijnaldum 21 & 57, Damcevski 25OG, Depay 51 & 73, Locadia 53.

BOOKINGS: Arias 29.

NAC: Ten Rouwelaar, Ssewankambo, Drost, Damcevski, Amieux, De Kamps, Falkenburg, Matic, Hooi (Seuntjens 69), Boateng, Tighadouini (Sarpong 49).

SUBS NOT USED: Babos, De Roover, Sarpong, Suk, Swerts, Van der Weg.

GOALS: Tighadouini 30P.

BOOKINGS: None.

MAN OF THE MATCH: Memphis Depay (PSV)

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EREDIVISIE, EREDIVISIE REPORT

EREDIVISIE: Feyenoord 1-1 Heerenveen

August 15, 2014 Will Burns Leave a comment

FRIDAY 15TH AUGUST 2014

FEYENOORD 1 – 1 HEERENVEEN

The points were shared at De Kuip, despite Heerenveen having to play the last third of the match with ten men. Feyenoord are still adjusting to life without the stars of last season, but their start has been encouraging.

Despite having differing results on the opening weekend, there was little difference between the sides in the first half, as both sides had chances to take the lead. It was an entertaining start to the match as both sides had a good chance each within the opening ten minutes. Heerenveen forward Luciano Slagveer went on a powerful run through the opposition half, but his show sailed harmlessly wide. Feyenoord then had a chance of their own as the ball was fired across the box to Basacikoglu, who fired wide with a powerful drive.

The match was end to end, but neither side stayed calm in the final third, as they both struggled to create clear cut chances. It’s clear Feyenoord are missing the host of stars that were sold over the summer, while Jordy Clasie didn’t feature against Heerenveen, his future is far from certain.

In the final stages of the opening 45 minutes, the hosts came to life. They started to pass the ball with vigour in the final third and a nice interplay saw Tony Vilhena receive the ball on the edge of the area, his stinging shot was well saved by Nordfeldt. Moments later, Basacikoglu found space to deliver an excellent cross, but the resulting header from Mitchell te Vrede was pushed wide by the Heerenveen stopper. The momentum was building, yet Heerenveen nearly nicked a goal before half time on the break as Van Den Burg’s shot from long range was well stopped by Mulder and Uth could only head the rebound over the bar. Despite their late chance, the away side will have been pleased to make it to the break still level.

Minutes into the second half, powerful play from te Vrede allowed him to turn his marker after he controlled the ball from a throw in. The striker then scuffed his effort wide, however the strength showed was encouraging. Feyenoord continued to attack with purpose as Immers couldn’t control his effort goalwards after an excellent cross into the box from Boetius.

Heerenveen almost scored in the 60th minute after clever play from Slagveer to skip inside and hit a left footed shoot low past Mulder but the post came to the home side’s rescue. Then Van Den Burg received his second booking for a silly foul in the middle of the pitch, meaning Feyenoord were playing ten men for the second Eredivisie match in a row.

Yet it was the team with the numerical disadvantage which opened the scoring as Hakim Ziyech curled a free kick over the wall and past Mulder, who will have been disappointed to have been beaten by that strike. The home side quickly equalised after Schaken beat his man on the right wing, and put in a great cross, which was headed goalwards by captain Lex Immers, but it flicked off Te Vrede on the way in.

Feyenoord were in control of the game for the final half an hour, having lots of possession in the final third, Nordfeldt was forced into a save from Manu’s shot after the ball fell to the Feyenoord player in the box. Although Feyenoord continued to push, they couldn’t make their one man advantage count, unlike in their previous match, with Te Vrede coming closest to a winner after Nordfeldt saved smartly from his header.

Although they didn’t win, Feyenoord will be pleased with their four points from two games as the team starts to settle without the players who starred last season, with Mitchell te Vrede being a particular highlight, he looks like he could be set for a great season. Heerenveen will be relieved they hung on for a point in the end.

TEAMS

FEYENOORD: Mulder, Wilkshire, Van Beek, Mathijsen, Kongolo, Vormer, Immers, Vilhena, Basacikoglu (Schaken 57), Te Vrede, Boëtius (Manu 76).

SUBS NOT USED: Verhoek, Hahn, Nelom, Steenvoorden, Karsdorp.

GOALS: Te Vrede 70.

BOOKINGS: Vilhena 74.

HEERENVEEN: Nordfeldt, Marzo, Buijs, Van Aken, Van Anholt, De Roon, Van den Berg, Ziyech (Wildschut 83), Sinkgraven, Slagveer (Schmidt 87), Uth (Raitala 67).

SUBS NOT USED: De Fockert, Otigba, Thorsby, Dalgaard.

GOALS: Ziyech 67.

BOOKINGS: Van den Berg 13.

SENT OFF: Van den Berg 60.

MAN OF THE MATCH: Luciano Slagveer (Heerenveen)

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FEATURE, PLAYER SPOTLIGHT

Heerenveen new boy ready to shine in the Eredivisie

August 15, 2014 Will Burns 1 Comment

Earlier this week, Heerenveen coach Dwight Lodeweges signed the highly-rated Swedish winger Sam Larsson from IFK Göteborg for around €1.4m. Will Burns spoke with Swedish journalist Markus Wulcan of Aftonbladet about the 21- year old starlet.

New signing Sam Larsson ready to take Eredivisie by storm – image courtesy of sc-Heerenveen.nl

After selling Bilal Bascikoglu to Feyenoord earlier this month, Lodeweges went out shopping for a new creative force to provide opportunities for new Danish striker Thomas Dalgaard. On Wednesday evening, it was announced that Larsson had swapped the blue and white stripes of Allsvenskan side IFK Göteborg for the blue and white stripes of De Superfriezen.

Swedish writer Wulcan predicts big things for Larsson and expects the young Swede to take to straight the Heerenveen fans hearts. Many pundits in Swedish football are angered by the low amount that Göteborg received for Larsson and think that his value could rise up to €10m within a few seasons.

Larsson began his career at the small club of IK Zenith before joining Swedish giants Göteborg in 2010. In this teens, he was also a great floor-ball player and has said that he “could have been one of the three best players in the world.”

Larsson is primarily a right-footed left-winger although Markus thinks he is better utilised behind the striker: “In my opinion, Larsson’s best position is as a second striker, a number ten. He has a very good sense of playing with his excellent technical skills. He likes to dribble and is good one and one. The Heerenveen crowd will love him.”

Wulcan states that Larsson has progressed so much over the last year, but at just 21 there is still improvements to be seen from the new Heerenveen signing: “Sam has been much stronger this year and more consistent. The hard work in the gym did pay off and he used this to his advantage. But of course, he is a young guy and can improve a lot of things. He could be more active over 90 minutes, not just a few good flashes of skill.”

Wulcan continued to say, although he was possibly the most skilful player in the Swedish top flight last term, he could improve in front of goal: “He could also score more goals and contribute with more assists and become a more determined player and the left foot is not the best.”

Heerenveen is a well known club for nurturing great footballers like Jon Dahl Tomasson, Ruud van Nistelrooy, Klaas-Jan Huntelaar and more recently Alfred Finnbogason. Marcus suggests that this move for the young Swede could be an excellent move for him: “I think the Eredivisie is a perfect step for Larsson, he is a future Swedish star and will be soon ready for the national team, just give him some time.”

By the sounds of things, Sam Larsson could prove to be one of the bargains of the summer.

You can follow Markus on Twitter via @MarkusWulcan

VIDEO

Check out some video highlights of the Heerenveen new boy here, prepare to be dazzled…

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BETTING TIPS, EREDIVISIE, EREDIVISIE PREVIEW

EREDIVISIE WEEK 2: Saturday’s Preview & Betting Tips

August 15, 2014 Will Burns Leave a comment

Saturday brings four more games in the Eredivisie Week 2. Will Burns provides his betting tips with Bet Victor providing the prices.

SATURDAY 15TH AUGUST

PSV vs. NAC BREDA (17:30 BST)

Karim Rekik is back in Eindhoven and although PSV have missed out on signing Belgian midfielder Stefan Defour, they have a squad packed full of talent to make a charge for the Eredivisie title. This week, relegation contenders NAC Breda arrive in Eindhoven to try and halt Philip Cocu’s men, Will Burns seems to think De Boeren will not have much trouble on Saturday night.

PSV’s are Ajax main challengers and the signing of Rekik is a welcome addition in the defence. In more good news for Cocu, morale was boosted by skipper Georginio Wijnaldum penning an extension to his contract until 2018. Club officials are hoping the most-wanted winger Memphis Depay follows suit.

Historically, the odds way in the favour of PSV against NAC at the Philips Stadion. The Eindhoven side have been winning at both half time and full time in six of their last eight home matches against Breda in all competitions. In recent times, to stack the odds against Nebojša Gudelj’s side further, NAC have failed to find all three points in their last 12 league games, and with only two wins away all last season, leaving Eindhoven with anything looks highly unlikely.

With Stijn Schaars and Jetro Willems still not fit, expect Cocu to stick with the majority of the same team that defeated ten-man Willem II 3-1 last Sunday. Rekik may replace Jorrit Hendrix in defence alongside Jeffrey Bruma. Although, the performance was the greatest in the Koning Willem II Stadion, PSV will be out to impress in front of their own fans in the first home game of the season. Expect a convincing win for De Boeren and with the returning partnership of Bruma and Rekik, a clean sheet too. PSV to win to nil is valued at 23/20 at Bet Victor and that is our recommended bet in this one.

RECCOMMENDED BETS

PSV to win to nil (23/20 – Bet Victor)

FC DORDRECHT vs. PEC ZWOLLE (18:45 BST)

FC Dordrecht host PEC Zwolle and the Eredivisie newcomers will look up to Ron Jans’ side as a prime example of a promoted side who can make a success of staying up and progressing. Will Burns predicts Zwolle easily overcoming Dordrecht in an entertaining goal-fest.

With attacking midfielder Stef Nijland playing on his own upfront the last two weeks, Ron Jans added a bit of quality in attack this week with Czech international striker Tomáš Necid joining on a loan deal from CSKA Moscow. Once proclaimed a young prodigy by the experts in his homeland, Necid has struggled in Moscow and was farmed out to PAOK and Slavia Prague the past two seasons. Jans will look to last week’s star man Jody Lukoki to supply the balls for the massive 6ft 3inch hitman if he decides to play the Czech up front.

Dordrecht pulled off the shock result of last weekend, turning over Heerenveen on their own patch, so coach Ernie Brandts should employ the same eleven. Though Rick ten Voorde, Rihairo Meulens and Mohamed Hamdaoui will be itching to get on the pitch and may push for a starting place.

I cannot see anything else but a PEC Zwolle win. A team in form after defeating Ajax and FC Utrecht in recent weeks, I see a resounding triumph for Jans’ men with plenty of goals on show. Bet Victor offer 13/8 for the PEC Zwolle victory but I see PEC Zwolle -1 in the Handicap market at a massive 4/1 at our best value bet.

RECCOMMENDED BETS

PEC Zwolle -1 (4/1 – Bet Victor)

FC TWENTE vs. ADO DEN HAAG (18:45 BST)

An unimpressive Twente grabbed a late point last week against Cambuur, but they will have to perform much better against Henk Fraser’s ADO who suffered a late goal themselves last weekend in the 1-0 defeat to Feyenoord.

Playing the majority of the game with ten-men, ADO were incredibly unfortunate not to salvage a point against Feyenoord on Sunday. The game was a testament of all the hard work Henk Fraser has achieved with the team and ADO will head to Enschede looking to get the season back on track.

Twente could be too strong for ADO in this one and could become a real contender this year with the signing of Kamohelo Mokotjo last Friday for a snip at €1.5m. Mokotjo will be pushing for a start in this one and the South African combining with Kasper Kusk, Kyle Ebecilio and Youness Mokhtar is a mouth-watering prospect for striker Luc Castaignos, who should be eating up the chances created.

It was a valiant performance from ADO last weekend, however I see Twente far too strong for Fraser men on Saturday night. A Twente win gives you a short 2/5 at Bet Victor, however for them to win and keep a clean sheet in the process is a healthy 6/4.

RECCOMMENDED BETS

Twente to win to nil (6/4 – Bet Victor)

VITESSE vs. SC CAMBUUR (19:45 BST)

Cambuur grabbed a great point at home to Twente last weekend, however this weekend they travel to Arnhem for a tough test against Vitesse. Will Burns thinks Cambuur will be overpowered by the Vitesse attack.

Finishing must improve from the home side after missing chance after chance in the first-half away to Ajax last weekend. Anyone watching would have thought how Vitesse had not scored three or four before the half-time whistle. This weekend, that must change and if Peter Bosz’s side can create the same amount of opportunities, they should be home and dry against Cambuur in Saturday’s late game.

The home side will have to watch out for Albert Rusnak, star of the show in Cambuur’s 1-1 draw with Twente. The young Slovak on loan from Manchester City stole the headlines with a great performance last weekend, topped off with a wonderful free-kick goal. Unfortunately for Cambuur, Rusnak was the only real threat and I cannot see Vitesse conceding many in this one.

For a Vitesse victory, Bet Victor offer 4/7 although for true value for Vitesse to win by two goals (-1) is at 11/8 which gives us some decent money back.

RECCOMMENDED BETS

Vitesse -1 (11/8 – Bet Victor)

All odds are with Bet Victor, click here to join and claim up to £25 in free bets for all new customers.

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FEATURE

Dutch Football History Lesson: Faas Wilkes

August 14, 2014 Will Burns Leave a comment

He has put our country on the International Football map

Henk Kesler, KNVB Director 2000 – 2010

Holland throughout it’s footballing history is blessed in having many special and talented players who have always made a difference to each club they have played for. Faas Wilkes was a success on and off the field in each team and country he played in, and along with Gerrit Keizer, Beb Bakhuys and Gerrit Vreken were responsible for putting Holland on the map football-wise. In order to achieve this Wilkes had to leave Holland due to the strict rules of the Dutch football association KNVB who did not allow professional players to play in Holland and were against any player moving abroad to play.

Between 1947 and 1964 as a striker, Faas Wilkes played for a variety of teams. In Holland, he played for Xerxes Rotterdam, VVV Venlo and Fortuna 54. He played a total of 183 games and scored 79 goals. His talent was obvious. Faas was very skilful, fast and comfortable with the ball. He enjoyed beating several players at once and was clinical in front of goal. Despite the five-year ban he received from the KNVB for deciding to move abroad, Wilkes ended up playing for Levante, Valencia, Torino and Inter Milan where his goalscoring exploits continued. However, it is at Valencia and Inter, where even today, he is still remembered with a lot of affection and photos of him can be found in the clubs museum. At Valencia, he became the first foreign idol of the club.

Between 1949 and 1952, Wilkes played for Inter where he played with legends such as Benito Lorenzi, Amedeo Amadei and Istvan Nyers. In 95 games, he scored 47 goals. Despite all his goals and the quality of the team he played for, Inter and Wilkes were unable to wrestle the Serie A title from Juventus. In his last season, he managed 7 goals in 23 games and it became clear that injuries were starting to take an effect. Despite the problems of a knee injury, Wilkes decided to sign for another Italian team who were rebuilding at the time. In 1952, Wilkes was approached by Torino who were building a new team at the time and despite the knee damage, he decided to sign for them where he stayed until 1953 and only managed to score once in 12 games.

In 1953, Wilkes moved to Spain and joined Valencia whom had expressed an interest in him after playing a friendly earlier against Torino. Along with his stay at Inter Milan, his time at Valencia would also be a huge success. Wilkes played a total of 62 games and scored 38 goals which till today, cemented his place as a hero in the club’s history. It is at Valencia where Wilkes would win his only ever trophy, the Copa Del Rey or Copa del Generalisimo as it was known then. Valencia beat a Barcelona side led by the Hungarian great Laszlo Kabala 3-0 but due to rules which did not allow foreign players to play in the final he had to watch from the sidelines.

In 1954, football finally became professional in the Netherlands and when his five-year ban had been spent, Wilkes played for the national side again and in a special team boasting the likes of Kees Rijvers and Abe Linstra. It is his record for Holland that Faas Wilkes is well known for and has his rightful place in Dutch footballing history. Wilkes scored an amazing 35 goals in 38 goals, which was a national record until Dennis Bergkamp broke it 36 years later in 1998.

Wilkes was now 33 and combined with continuing problems with injuries he decided to return to Holland in 1956 and joined Limburg football team VVV Venlo where he played for two seasons between 1956 and 1958. He played a total of 64 games and scored 23 goals. VVV Venlo were only able to reach seventh in the league and in the end, Wilkes decided to leave his homeland again and return to Spanish football, joining Levante.

At Levante, Wilkes played one season between 1958 and 1959 and played a total of 34 games scoring 20 goals. Considering his age and injury problems, this was a good goal-to-game ratio. Despite this, Levante were not able to gain promotion and lost the playoff to rivals Las Palmas. Wilkes was 36 and returned finally back to Holland where he would finish his playing career at Fortuna 54 where he would play for three seasons between 1959 and 1962. He played 88 games and scored 33 times. However before retiring, Wilkes would return to play for his first team Xerxes Rotterdam until his retirement in 1964 at the age of 41.

Faas Wilkes was one of Holland´s first international stars and played at a time when football was in a very different period of it´s history compared to today. Many cup competitions were still in their infancy, to many it was still an amateur game and Holland was seen as a minnow of the game.

In Holland Faas Wilkes received in 1983 from his hometown of Rotterdam the Freedom of the City in 1983 and in 1995 he received the Freedom of the City of Milan in 1995. Johan Cruyff is even known to have called Faas Wilkes “my idol”.

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FEATURE

Eto’wow: The excitement surrounding the Cameroon legends link with Ajax

August 14, 2014 Will Burns Leave a comment

Jos Boesveld makes his debut for Total Dutch Football explaining his excitement when he heard the news of Samuel Eto’o linked with a move to Dutch champions Ajax.

When I first heard the news I was shocked. Almost literally, because I wasn’t thinking straight when I returned to working in our house with the electrics. Maybe stunned is a better word. Samuel Eto’o, striker, world class player and god, could complete a transfer to Ajax.

I always like to find the original source of the news. This time, it was UK tabloid, The Sun. They describe their news as ‘The Best for News, Sport, Showbiz and Celebrities’. News and sport comes first, but showbiz and celebrities are pretty close-by. I’m never sure what to think of such news. So after my first reaction I had to explain to a lot of friends that this is a too-good-to-be-true-story and so on.

But still, wow. Even if there is just a small chance that Eto’o will come to Amsterdam, it would be amazing. I found myself thinking about some man on man combat in the Eredivisie, where Ramon Leeuwin, currently playing for FC Utrecht, would have to take on this beast of a striker. Last season, as Leeuwin played with ADO Den Haag against FK Tauras Tauragė in the Europa League qualifications, Eto’o thought it was funny to score a hat-trick against Manchester United.

I was doing my work just as usual, but Eto’o kept my mind busy. I did not realise it, but he was. Maybe he was the only reason I checked my newsfeed late at night. I immediately saw updates about the Cameroonian legend. This time it wasn’t an English source, De Telegraaf and the Voetbal International both said that Ajax was indeed talking with Eto’o and his management. Mind was, and still is, blown.

The small chance just became a whole lot. I trust both Dutch sources, because not only they have that reputation, they both had quotes from Marc Overmars, who handles transfers at Ajax. Wow. Did I mentioned that Eto’o has played over 500 games, in which he scored a little bit less than 300 goals?

Of course I do understand that bigger clubs than Ajax are interested in Eto’o, who is a free agent now. I do understand that Ajax cannot pay his salary and I do understand that outsiders laugh about our Eredivisie. However, I also know that Ajax is participating in the Champions League and that their goal to finally survive the group stage. With Eto’o, this can be realised. Oh yeah, and Ajax will be champions in the Dutch Eredivisie for the fifth time in a row. I feel like six years old again. In Holland we say ‘Een kinderhand is snel gevuld’, which is best translated as the fact that young children are easily satisfied. Apparently, only the name Eto’wow can satisfy me.

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BETTING TIPS, EREDIVISIE, EREDIVISIE PREVIEW

EREDIVISIE WEEK 2: Friday’s Preview & Betting Tips

August 14, 2014 Will Burns 1 Comment

Week two begins on Friday night inside De Kuip with two big names in Dutch football that had uninspiring efforts last weekend. Heerenveen travel south to Rotterdam to face Feyenoord.

FRIDAY 15TH AUGUST

FEYENOORD vs. HEERENVEEN (19:00 BST)

Friday night in De Kuip, Dwight Lodeweges takes his Heerenveen side to Rotterdam to face Fred Rutten’s Feyenoord in what Will Burns thinks will be an entertaining stalemate.

Last week was it was contrasting starts for both sides, Heerenveen fell to a last-gasp 2-1 defeat against Eredivisie new boys FC Dordrecht, whilst Feyenoord secured victory away to ADO Den Haag with an stoppage time Mitchell te Vrede goal.

Feyenoord and Heerenveen have added to their squads this week. A striker well known in the English leagues, Colin Kazim-Richards, apart from the paperwork being completed, has joined Rutten’s squad on loan from Turkish side Bursaspor. Lodeweges clinched the signing of exciting young Swedish winger Sam Larsson from IFK Göteberg on a four-year deal.

It can be debated that Feyenoord technical director Martin van Geel has had a poor summer transfer window, as Rutten is yet to be supplied with a top forward to replace top scorer Graziano Pellè. Although, it is heavily rumoured that John Guidetti could return to De Kuip before the August 31st transfer deadline. The signing of 21-year-old winger Larsson is an exciting prospect for Heerenveen. The tricky playmaker could prove to be a real force in the Eredivisie and is tipped for big things over the next few years. He could make his debut for Lodeweges’s side on Friday night.

MATCH ODDS

The best price in the ‘Match Odds’ market at Bet Victor for me is the draw at 7/2. The Frisian side proved to be great travellers last season under Marco van Basten only losing four games of the 17 on the road and will look to retain that reputation. With Feyenoord on the ropes in the last month, a ‘lucky’ win against ten-men ADO on Sunday, did not impress many. Although, not withstanding last weekend’s poor performances, both sides can produce goals. However, I think if there is goals, they will cancel each other out. The draw is great value at 7/2 and I fail to see a better bet than that in this one. However, if you want to go further and look for a score 1-1 is valued at 19/2 and 2-2 at a massive 15/1. It is still early days in the league and I think Feyenoord, with three points already in the bank, Rutten’s men may settle for a draw and I know Heerenveen will be pleased to put a point on the board after last week’s home defeat to Dordrecht. If you are looking to add this to an accumulator, Both Teams to Score seems a bit short at 11/20 but may be worth combining with another few games to gain some decent profit.

RECCOMMENDED BETS

Draw – 7/2

Correct Score 1-1 – 19/2

Correct Score 2-2 – 15/1

All odds are with Bet Victor, click here to join and claim up to £25 in free bets for all new customers.

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TotalDutchFootball.com WorldFootballWeekly.com

NEWS, TRANSFERS

Man City defender makes loan move to PSV

August 14, 2014 Will Burns Leave a comment

Young Dutch central defender Karim Rekik has returned to PSV Eindhoven on loan after arrival of Eliaquim Mangala put him further down the pecking order at Manchester City writes Will Burns.

The competition for places in the centre of the Premier League champions’ defence made a major stumbling block for the future of Rekik in Manchester.

The 19-year-old defender enjoyed a successful spell in Eindhoven last term under head coach Philip Cocu, where the youngster formed a great partnership with Jeffrey Bruma and made 25 Eredivisie starts. Then Dutch coach, Louis van Gaal was impressed with the performances of the 6ft 1inch defender, Rekik was selected in the Oranje’s 30-man provisional squad before the World Cup finals this summer.

PSV technical director Marcel Brands has been very vocal about wishing to take Rekik back into the squad this season and with the arrival of French international Eliaquim Mangala from Porto for £32million, City boss Manuel Pellegrini made the decision to let Rekik rejoin the Eindhoven club.

Today saw the announcement from PSV that Rekik has indeed joined on a season-long loan deal and could be ready to re-debut for PSV against NAC Breda this Saturday night at the Philips Stadion. This player must boost PSV’s title challenge and may see rivals Ajax, Feyenoord and FC Twente further strengthen their squads before the September 2nd transfer deadline.

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TotalDutchFootball.com WorldFootballWeekly.com

EERSTE DIVISIE, EERSTE DIVISIE REPORT

Eerste Divisie Week 1 Round-up

August 13, 2014 Will Burns Leave a comment

Header-EersteDivisie

FRIDAY 8TH AUGUST

Twelve teams began their new campaign on the Friday evening, when all matches that evening kicked off at 7.00pm (BST), as the referees blew their whistles around the grounds to signal the start of the match and the start of the 2014/15 season.

Almere City faced MVV Maastricht at the Mitsubishi Forklift Stadium in Almere. It didn’t take long for the host to take the lead, in fact only twelve minutes into the match and Almere had scored their opening goal of the season, which was scored by Vincent Jansen. After a brilliant start to the game Almere found them self’s going into the dressing room at halftime with a two goal lead, as the number 9 Fabian Serrarens had netted the second goal of the game for the home side in the thirty-ninth minute. The teams returned from the halftime break and things didn’t get any better for Lei Bovens Maastricht side, his team conceded twice more in the fifty-first and fifty-sixth minute, this time Norair Mamedov had put himself on the score sheet and Serrarens had his second of the night. Almere continued to dominate the match and it was all credit to their control of the game in midfield thanks to outstanding performance from Jergie Hoefdraad. The substitute Enzio Boldewijn finished off the match in style as he sent his team into a 4-0 lead and wrapping up the win for the side which was never in doubt. Roy Gebbink can be proud of his side from their first week’s performance, it’s a very positive start to the season from the Almere team, and sadly the same can’t be said about Maastricht. It’s back to the training ground for Bovens side as the face next weekend.

FC Oss played host to FC Volendam as both sides began their season with the away side expecting a victory in their opening match against the weak Oss team. It wasn’t until the 78th minute that the deadlock was broken and it was no surprise that FC Volendam had scored after continues waves of attack from the away side they finally found the back of the net, after the homes defence conceded a penalty which was coolly slotted in by Robert Mühren. This wasn’t the only time that Mühren would find the back of the net as it became a night to remember for the striker, who went on to complete his hat-trick just 10 minutes after scoring the opener. The win for the away side was accursed when Mühren went on to score his fourth of the evening in the 90th minute. It looked like FC Oss were going to hold out for the draw but the match was taken from them after the penalty and Volendam showed the travelling support that they are capable to compete for promotion this season. Positives can be taken from this defeat to Theo van Cleef’s team as they fought bravely to hold out the impressive Mühren and his side. Delight for Erik Heijblok as the number one kept his clean sheet, as he hopes to collect several more clean sheets this season, but no doubt he will face stronger opposition in the coming weeks.

Another side that impressed in their first outing of the new season was VVV-Venlo as the Venlo side took on the Jong FC Twente team in De Koel. As the pride of the south set out to gain promotion this season it started off well for the side, Dyon Gijzen scored the opener for the home side in the 20th minute. The Enschede side continued to press as they went in search of equalisers before half time but instead it led to a straight red card awarded to the VVV player Jerold Promes for a disgraceful tackle just before the half time whistle. The second half was a test of Venlo’s defence who came up with the goods as the team defended for their lives and after spending a full 45 minutes with ten men the opposition failed to capitalize, which meant that VVV held the lead to take all 3 points. The home support will be delighted with the character shown from their team, but question marks ring out over a recognised goal scorer needed by the away side, if not it could be a long season with few goals in store for the Jong Twente team.

Helmond Sport failed to make home advantage count in this one as the away side of Fortuna Sittard took the spoils with a Jasper Waalkens goal in the 80th minute, which left the Helmond keeper Van der Steen less than impressed as he steered at his defence in disgust. The attacking formation of 4-3-3 turned out to be a success for the away side. But it was a busy night for the midfield of Sittard which was occupied by Gulpen, Vlug and Voorn as they put in a great shift for the side. Poor start to the season for the Helmond Sport team, but they can be proud of their efforts tonight, I believe there were several opportunities for the home side to end up on the right side of the score sheet but it wasn’t to be in the opening night of the Eerste Divisie.

Just over 250 kilometres separates the two sides that meet in Emmen tonight, as FC Emmen took on a fancied De Graafschap side. The opening goal of the night was scored from the penalty spot after a costly error from the De Graafschap defence, as Bannink went on to slot the ball into the net from the spot on the 38th minute. Emmen went into the break with a 1-0 lead, to the satisfaction of the home support. Most of the game was played in the middle of the pitch until the 87th minute, when De Grafschap’s Vermij scored for the away side. The two sides shared the points as the game faded out to a 1-1 draw. I personally think the home side can have no complaints as their side showed great character to hold off De Graafschap who will be hoping they can finish in a promotion place preferably occupying round two spot into the playoffs, but it’s a long season and nothing is to be taken for granted by the side, a fair result tonight in this match.

SATURDAY 9TH AUGUST

Only one match took place on Saturday evening, When Jong PSV began their campaign at home as they were paid a visit by Achilles 29. The PSV 2nd team took the lead early in the first half with a goal from the Belgian youngster Zakaria Bakkali, the 18 year-old is currently in talks with the English club Liverpool, and no doubt he has a bright future in the game of football. Jong PSV went in 2-0 at halftime, the second goal was scored just before the halftime whistle sounded, when Olivier Rommens netted for the home side. The second half was a complete disappointment compared to the first 45 minutes of the match, Jong PSV failed to extend their lead in the game but Achilles 29 never looked like scoring. Both teams shared the possession but neither was capable of finishing in the final third during the second half. The home side’s keeper Nigel Bertams wasn’t tested by much and held out for his an opening clean sheet of his season. The matched finished Jong PSV 2, Achilles 0.

SUNDAY 10TH AUGUST

Sparta Rotterdam played host to FC Den Bosch in their first match of the 2014/15 season. The opening 45 minutes was a very poor spectacle of football as both sides squandered their opportunities on goal, and pressure mounted on the two side’s defences, as both were hoping they wouldn’t concede an early goal in their new campaigns. The teams went in at half time scoreless. The match didn’t come to live until the 55th minute, when referee Martin van den Kerkhof awarded the away side a penalty for a foul on Barry Maguire. Maguire stepped up to take the penalty and he neatly placed the ball in the back of the neat passed the Sparta goalkeeper Kortsmit. Sparta equalised on the 78th minute from the left back Kenny Teijsse, who is beginning his loan spell at the club from Eredivisie side FC Utrecht. Den Bosch took tip off after conceding, they lost possession rather cheaply in the middle of the park, which lead to another Sparta goal as Johan Voskamp went on to score Sparta’s second goal in the space of two minutes, and put his team 2-1 up in the match. The away side looked dead on their feet after the conceding the two goals in such quick succession, Den Bosch finished the match with 10 men after the number 17 for the away side Boddaert was shown a straight red for dangerous play in the closing minutes of the match. Sparta took all 3 points to the delight of the home fans, although it took the side a long time to find the back of the net, Adri Bogers will be the happier of the two managers after this one. I don’t think both of the two teams look like they can clinch a playoff place this season, but it is very early to call and with the transfer window still open both sides will be hoping they can improve their squad’s depth and quality.

Life began in the Eerste Divisie for last season’s relegated side NEC Nijmegen after spending 20 years in the top flight. De Goffert home of NEC was the venue for the match between home side NEC and visitors FC Eindhoven during a stormy Sunday afternoon in Nijmegen. The home side began lively and created a series of chances but they failed to take their chances until the 35th minute, when the new sighing of Sjoerd Ars scored the opening goal of the match. Delight on the faces of the home supporters and their smiles only grew larger as referee Allard Lindhout pointed to the spot, and another new sighing Tom Daemen stepped up and slotted the ball past goal keeper Muyters. The referee had no other option but to send FC Eindhoven’s defender Durwel off on a straight red card for the challenge inside the box. Putting the home side into a two goal lead going into half time. Ruud Broods side looked in complete control of the match and extended their lead in the 76th minute with a goal from the Iranian international Alireza Jahanbakhsh. FC Eindhoven did pull one back in the 80th minute, when the substitute Torino Hunte scored for the away side, giving the away fans something to celebrate the game was already over for the away side. Jean-Paul de Jong’s side faced a very strong NEC side, whose objective will be to achieve promotion back into the Eredivisie for the 2015/2016 season. FC Eindhoven will now prepare to face FC Emmen this coming Friday. NEC will travel to FC Volendam after both sides won convincingly in the opening week it should be an interesting match in Volendam.

MONDAY 11TH AUGUST

The away side started the match with several newcomers including Steve Olfers, Alair Cruz Vicente, Jonathan Kindermans, Ralf Seuntjens, Anmar Almubaraki and Tarik Tissoudali. The Jong Ajax side was made up of a number of familiar faces to the line-up from the Ajax side in the top flight as Jaap Stam selected a very strong starting eleven including world cup stars Jasper Cillessen and Joël Veltman. The team also included forward Richairo Zivkovic as he hoped to impress the Ajax manager Frank de Boer who watched the match from the stands, also midfielders De Lerin Duarte, Lucas and Andersen all started. It didn’t take long for the red and white of Ajax to take the lead as the 18 year-old Queensy Menig opened the scoring for the home side on the 19th minute. In the opening forty minutes of the match Telstar showed a serious amount of respect towards the home side. Although a series of chances went begging as the white lions failed to make the most of their opportunities, Jong Ajax led 1-0 going into the halftime break. Telstar began the second half in dominant fashion as they went in search of an equaliser but the Ajax side always looked a threat as Lucas Andersen’s shot hit the frame of the goal, the fans didn’t have to wait too long for second goal of the match as Jong Ajax’s Queensy Menig scored his second of the night and put the home side in certainty of taking all three points in the 75th minute of the match. The match was put well out of reach from the Telstar team, when Danish international Lucas Andersen scored his 1st of the night as the Telstar keeper Varkevisser failed to clear the ball and the number 10 of Andersen finished the rebound to make it 3-0 to the home side. The attendance of 1.168 was treated to a game of international class on behalf of the Jong Ajax performance.

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FEATURE

Wiel Coerver – Holland’s Most Influential Export?

August 12, 2014 Will Burns Leave a comment

When one think’s of Dutch football both past and present it is usually the same players and managers names such as Cruyff, Michels, Neeskens, Van Hanegem and Van Basten for example that come up. They are often talked about for special moves, goals, trophies won or a magnificent pass in a game. Andries Oosterveen says what about remembering, respecting and acknowledging a man who created a system some thirty years a go which changed the way the game was being taught and till today is being used by coaches all over the world at all levels of the game?

Wiel Coerver is a very strong candidate for being Holland’s greatest and most influential footballing export. Known as the “Einstein of football“, Coerver was born in 1924 in the town of Kerkrade in Limburg. He managed several football clubs between 1959 and 1977 including teams such as Go Ahead Eagles, Sparta Rotterdam, NEC and the Indonesian national team. But it was not until the 1970s and with Feyenoord that he achieved his most famous success where in his two year stay he won the UEFA Cup in 1974 against Tottenham Hotspur and the Eredivisie title.

The coaching method that Coerver developed in the 1970´s has been taken on worldwide and grown thanks to Alfred Galustian and Charles Cook. Many well known coaches have and still use the methods and include household names such as Bobby Robson, Alex Ferguson, Ricardo Moniz and Rene Meulensteen for example. It is now one of the most widely adopted training methods in the world. To Coerver football was more of a science than an art.

WHAT IS THE COERVER METHOD?

During the 1970s Will Coerver took inspiration for designing this coaching system by spending hours and hours studying some of the world´s greatest players of the time especially Pele and Johan Cruyff. This led him to believe that whilst some players are naturally born with great skill levels others can be taught from a very young age such skills but in a structured academic way. By dissecting the moves of great players Coerver made it possible to teach such moves to young players.

Training systems include a variety of aspects such as ball mastery, the Cruyff Turn, the step over, the feint, 1 vs 1, 2 vs 2, 3 vs 3 and 4 vs 4 situations, and learning how to trick a defender into thinking you will do one thing and you do another. Being extremely comfortable with the ball was essential. The whole idea behind the system was to catch defenders off guard as one cannot always rely only on outrunning an opponent as if you are being marked very tightly you will need to have a way to get out of that situation for example. Passing drills, receiving drills and a strong emphasis on speed of play fast counter attacking was also focused on.

Sadly within Holland, Will Coerver despite his obvious strong and passionate dedication to the game was never used in any aspect by the KNVB. Such a role would have been perfect for him and the game as a whole in the country. Despite not getting the respect he deserves with football historians his legacy lives on and his influences are clear to see.

Will Coerver – A great Feyenoord coach and an amazing planner and thinker of the game. I will leave it to you the reader, Holland’s most influential football export?

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FEATURE

Feyenoord determined to sign Man City striker

August 11, 2014 Will Burns Leave a comment

Martin Van Geel and Feyenoord seem to have settled on Manchester City’s John Guidetti as replacement for Graziano Pellè. He is not a stranger to finding the net especially at De Kuip as during his last loan spell there he scored 20 goals in 23 games writes Andries Oosterveen.

Napoli’s valuation of Colombian striker Duvan Zapata and Wolfsburg attacker Bas Dost’s salary demands have clearly been a stumbling block.

The Premier League champions would want a figure of around €5 million, which could prove to be a small problem for Feyenoord although, hopefully a deal will be sorted out as Guidetti is at the age of 22 of still a huge talent and would be a perfect fit for Feyenoord’s young team.

The fact that Martin Van Geel is speaking to three strikers at once shows the seriousness of the situation. Interestingly, will John Guidetti be the last or the first of a couple?

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