All posts by Will Burns

Dauda delighted with Vitesse move

July 26, 2014 Will Burns Leave a comment

On Thursday, Vitesse Arnhem announced they have signed a new striker for the upcoming season, he is Nigerian Abiola Dauda from Serbian club Red Star Belgrade.

Dauda and his agent, Patrick Mork had earlier in the month, played down reports of an imminent switch to the GelreDome, mainly because they did not want to spoil any ongoing negotiations.

However, after the Eredivisie side broke news of the move, Dauda spoke to Nigerian sports website SL10.ng: ”I have signed a three-year contract with Vitesse and I’m happy to be here at this club and have the opportunity to play in the Eredivisie.

‘There was interested clubs from China, Japan, Russia and Turkey but I chose to come here because I think it feels good for me to come and play in Holland and of course to play for Vitesse.

”I don’t have a jersey number yet but I will start training with my new team tomorrow,” a delighted Dauda continued.

It is reported that Vitesse had to pay €500,000 for the 26-year-old who had a successful stint in Serbia for Red Star, scoring 15 goals in 31 appearances in the Serbian Superliga.

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TotalDutchFootball.com WorldFootballWeekly.com

NEWS, TRANSFERS

Roma rule out selling Strootman to Man Utd

July 26, 2014 Will Burns 1 Comment

AS Roma manager Rudi Garcia has ruled out selling Dutch international midfielder Kevin Strootman. On the eve of Roma playing Manchester United in a pre-season friendly, it is thought that new Red Devils manager Louis Van Gaal is interested in signing the 24-year-old.

Garcia said: “Strootman is a Roma player, he will be a Roma player this year. There is no doubt about that. Only he can say whether he wants to stay but it was never an issue for him to go to another club. There is no question of it.”

“Strootman is following a normal recovery programme,” said Garcia. “He has stayed in Boston to work with our physios and he will start running any time soon.” The central midfielder sustained a cruciate knee ligament injury in March, which ruled him out for the Netherlands at the World Cup in Brazil.

Van Gaal is thought to be a huge admirer of Strootman who he described along with Robin Van Persie and Arjen Robben as one of his three captains in the Dutch national team.

Due to Strootman’s injury, Van Gaal had to change the Netherlands formation from 4-3-3 to 5-3-2 as he felt that he did not have a central midfielder of the same quality as the former PSV Eindhoven man. With the midfielder seemingly having returned from injury quicker then expected reports in Italy claim United may make a £30 million bid. Roma however don’t have to sell as they unlike the Red Devils can offer Champions League football and Strootman dependent on his fitness may not even pass a medical were a bid to be accepted.

If Strootman was to leave Roma to join Manchester United then it is most likely to happen in the January transfer window or next summer when United are in a better position to negotiate and with the player having fully recovered form his long term injury.

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NEWS, TRANSFERS

Sunderland clinch Van Aanholt from Chelsea

July 25, 2014 Will Burns Leave a comment

Dutch youngster Patrick van Aanholt told reporters last week that he was unsure where his future lay, he was certain that it would not be at Stamford Bridge where he would by plying his trade next season. Sunderland have signed the Dutchman on a four year deal for an undisclosed fee.

Van Aanholt, who has had several loan spells while being under contract at Chelsea has finally decided it is time to leave in order to play regular first team football. It is a decision that has several teams on high alert.

The Sunderland deal was completed on Friday evening due to the fact that their sporting director, Lee Congerton, was an employee of Chelsea while van Aanholt was coming up through their ranks and has worked with the player before. He will now set off to Portugal to join the Black Cats in their summer pre-season tour.

The 23-year-old was initially thought to have been targeted by Vitesse Arnhem, a club where he enjoyed a very successful loan spell for the last two years, but Gus Poyet and his advisers are low on defenders and Van Aanholt joins for a rumoured £2 million or less given the fact that he only has one year to play on his contract.

The Dutch defender’s chances at Chelsea were slim to none after the purchase of Filipe Luis from Atletico Madrid. Where Van Aanholt saw an opportunity, Mourinho saw a problem position and it now appears that if Van Aanholt is to continue his progression at another club.

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NEWS, TRANSFERS

Southampton interest for Celtic defender

July 25, 2014 Will Burns Leave a comment

While Gus Poyet sent scouts to watch Celtic defender Virgil van Dijk, it appears the Dutchman is keen to team up with countryman Ronald Koeman at Southampton. It seems a prerequisite to declaring interest in the 23-year-old is that your club name starts with the letter S, with Swansea, Sunderland and now Southampton in the mix.

Celtic are looking for £10 million for their man, a figure that has scared away teams who enquired previously but with the Dejan Lovren to Liverpool rumours that just won’t go away and a decent transfer budget being handed to Koeman, he has van Dijk in his sights as a replacement for the Croatian if he leaves.

Koeman is desperate to hold on to the services of Lovren, but has stated that if he is to leave then only the healthiest of bids will suffice. The new Dutch boss also believed he has a capable replacement in the form of van Dijk, and with the Dutch connection, it is believed to be a move that both parties are keen on.

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FEATURE

Daley Blind could be Man Utd’s surprise signing

July 24, 2014 Will Burns Leave a comment

Since Louis van Gaal was announced as the new Manchester United manager in late June, if you are Dutch and not linked with a move to Old Trafford then you can count yourself unfortunate. Speculation around who the new boss is going to bring with him was always going to be elevated because of the third place finish they achieved which was well above expectations writes Joe Maloney.

A number of eye catching displays were noticed throughout the tournament especially after the 5-1 and 3-0 thrashings to Spain and Brazil. In truth, you wouldn’t have found many people picking the likes of Nigel De Jong, Stefan De Vrij, Wesley Sneijder Memphis Depay and Jordy Clasie as the players who were going to reinvigorate a team that finished its worst ever Premier League campaign in seventh place. It is clear, Manchester United require an influx of new faces if they are to mount a serious title push this coming season.

One player who should be high on the list however is Daley Blind. A man who was very familiar to the Dutch management structure for this tournament, with his father Danny being employed as LVG’s right hand man. Blind, 24 who graduated through the famous Ajax academy (a club close to Van Gaal’s heart) possesses a number of qualities that would ensure him to be an important player in the new United regime.

His outstanding display at left wing back, against defending champions Spain, was one of the outstanding performances of the tournament. Few forget Robin van Persie’s remarkable diving head was met from an outstanding cross field ball from Blind. Left-back, his most natural position, is something United will need cover for because of the recent sale of Patrice Evra to Juventus. There is no other recognised left back remaining except for new signing Luke Shaw.

Although Shaw has been brought in from Southampton for £27 million, it will be impossible to ask an eighteen year old to play his first full season at one of the biggest clubs in the world without a dip in form or injury. Blind has demonstrated his ability to play at wing back, should Van Gaal decide to utilize the 5-3-2 system that worked so well for the Netherlands over the summer.

One of the attractions to Van Gaal’s style of management is his ability to recognise things are not working how he would like and switch to a different system that his players know like the back of their hand. He did this a number of times during the tournament, which saw Blind perform well in a slightly deeper defensive role, while the team changed to a vintage 4-3-3 formation. He has also tailored his game to be a useful central defender. The new boss has made it clear to the clubs hierarchy that it is a priority to bring in players within this area after losing the experienced figures Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic. The only recognised centre defenders remaining in the squad are Johny Evans, Chris Smalling and Phil Jones, all of which struggled with injuries and form last season.

After beating LA Galaxy in their first pre season game 7-0, Van Gaal insisted United would continue playing the 5-3-2 when the season began. Therefore, it is obvious signings will need to be made. Darren Fletcher finished the match Pasadena at the back because of the lack of depth available. Daley’s international team mate Stefan De Vrij has also been linked with a move to Old Trafford, although he appeared to struggle whenever tactics were switched to a 4-3-3 system and he had only one central partner. De Vrij has been put up for sale by Feyenoord since the conclusion of the World Cup which casts major doubts over his capabilities.

The most valuable problem Blind will be able to solve in United’s team is the holding midfield role vacated by the injury to Michael Carrick. Although Carrick remains an important player for the reds, it is obvious this area of the team requires refreshing. Currently, it lacks pace, power, energy, drive, creativity and stability. Ander Herrera is an almost certain starter next term yet it is apparent van Gaal would like to add to this area. Marouane Fellaini, brought in by David Moyes for a extravagant fee of £27 million is not good enough for a club of United’s stature. Darren Fletcher is unlikely to ever be the player he once was, before his unfortunate illness, and Tom Cleverley has failed to live up to the promise he once suggested.

Blind was a regular in the Ajax side that culminated in being crowned League champions last season. At the age of 24, he has the majority required, yet years ahead of him to establish himself in the middle of the park. His naturally defensive mind-set may profit Herrera, also in his first year with the club. Herrera, who was second to Fabregas in attempting through balls in La Liga last year, will be expected to create opportunities for Robin van Persie and Wayne Rooney. At the same time he is very comfortable on the ball and uses possession well. National team mate Nigel De Jong is regularly criticised for his passing ability, therefore making him a better option.

Another Dutchman who will likely be signed by Van Gaal is Kevin Strootman. He is a big fan of the Roma anchor man, however the serious knee injury picked up last season ruled him out of the World Cup and he has only just recently started training. Therefore it is unlikely Strootman will be signing for United this summer. That is a possible deal likely to be revisited in January or next summer.

The new United boss has said he wants to assess his options before making any further signings this summer. However, it is predicted a number of investments will be made before the transfer window shuts at the end of August. Deals may happen late in the window. The club starts the season without having to play any of last season’s top six teams in the first six fixtures of the new campaign. Therefore the panic for deals to be completed isn’t as frantic as in past seasons. If United are to regain the title from neighbours Manchester City next May, they will have to have the best squad because of the strains the Premier League creates. Flexibility is key for the different types of opposition that will be faced. Consequently the signing of Daley Blind may not be the biggest signing Manchester United make this summer but it may just be the valuable one that helps Louis van Gaal deliver success in his first season at Old Trafford.

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EUROPA LEAGUE, EUROPA LEAGUE REPORT, NEWS

EUROPA LEAGUE: FC Groningen 1-2 Aberdeen

July 24, 2014 Will Burns Leave a comment

THURSDAY 24TH JULY

EUROPA LEAGUE – SECOND ROUND QUALIFYING – SECOND LEG

FC GRONINGEN 1-2 ABERDEEN

Aberdeen win 2-1 on aggregate

FC Groningen crash out of the Europa League at their first hurdle after Derek McInnes led his Aberdeen side to a 2-1 win thanks to first half goals through frontmen Adam Rooney and Niall McGinn.

It was an exciting start to the game inside the Euroborg and the hosts were unlucky not be ahead after just four minutes. From a Nick van der Velden corner, Johan Kappelhof rose above everyone at the back post but Aberdeen’s Jonny Hayes nodded off the line.

A few minutes later, Groningen had another golden opportunity to grab the lead but Serbian attacker Filip Kostic dragged his shot wide after he had worked hard to get himself through on goal.

The game slowed down until 24 minutes when Peter Pawlett, tricky throughout, jinked his way into the box and Brazilian defender Eric Botteghin clumsy tripped the striker. Polish referee Daniel Stefanski pointed straight to the spot and Adam Rooney sent Sergio Padt the opposite way to give the Dons the lead.

Rooney was involved in the second goal on 33 minutes. The striker held off the challenge of Kappelhof and lobbed Padt but the ball clipped the cross bar and bounced out. The Groningen defence were statuesque as they waited for the foul on Kappelhof to be awarded. Niall McGinn pounced on the rebound to slot past the keeper to double Aberdeen’s advantage.

The home side were given a lifeline just before half-time as a pin point accurate cross from Nick van der Velden found Maikel Kieftenbeld at the back post to power a header past Jamie Langfield who will be disappointed after getting a hand to it.

At half-time, Edwin van der Looi replaced the ineffective Danny Hoesen and Maikel Kieftenbeld with attacking pairing of Jarchinio Antonia and Michael De Leeuw to take the game to Aberdeen.

Just past the hour mark, Aberdeen had Langfield to thank for keeping the 2-1 advantage. After a great touch and flick into De Leeuw from Van der Velden, the substitute looked destined to grab the equaliser but the veteran keeper rushed out and forced the ball away with his feet. The groans around the Euroborg were drowning out the cheers from the 1,100 travelling Aberdeen fans.

Those travelling supporters had a massive sign of relief when Kostic worked his magic down the left wing and drove a low cross into the box. With De Leeuw arriving at the back post, Mark Reynolds got across to stick a leg out and force the ball behind for a corner. Replays showed that Reynolds was very lucky not to push the ball into his own net.

The hosts began pushing knowing they needed to two goals to send their fans home happy. However, the Eredivisie side were halted by the wall of red shirts and Groningen were reduced to long range efforts which Langfield kept at bay.

At the full-time whistle the Euroborg ended disappointed and the strife of the Europa League playoffs for Groningen last season came to no avail. Aberdeen progress to play La Liga side Real Sociedad in the third qualifying round to face last season’s Eredivisie top scorer, Alfred Finnbogason.

TEAMS

FC GRONINGEN: Padt, Hateboer, Botteghin, Kappelhof, Burnet (Van Nieff 62), Kieftenbeld (Antonia 46), Chery, Lindgren, Van der Velden, Hoesen (De Leeuw 46), Kostic.

SUBS NOT USED: Van der Vlag, Magnasco, Hiariej, Islamovic.

GOALS: Kieftenbeld 44.

BOOKINGS: Lindgren 63.

ABERDEEN: Langfield, Logan, Anderson, Reynolds, Considine, Jack, Flood (Low 90), McGinn, Hayes, Pawlett (Robson 66), Rooney (Goodwillie 74).

SUBS NOT USED: Brown, Murray, Taylor, Smith, Robson.

GOALS: Rooney 26P, McGinn 33.

BOOKINGS: Hayes 72.

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TotalDutchFootball.com WorldFootballWeekly.com

NEWS, TRANSFERS

Sunderland chase Celtic defender

July 24, 2014 Will Burns Leave a comment

According to today’s Daily Record, the latest Dutchman to be linked to the Premier League currently plies his trade in Scotland in the heart of Glasgow Celtic’s defence. 23-year-old Virgil van Dijk has been scouted by Sunderland ahead of a possible bid that would probably need to far exceed the £2.6 million that his current team paid FC Groningen for his services.

In his first season at Parkhead, he won the Player of the Year award and has impressed largely since his summer move last year. Swansea were previously linked to the big centre-half, but were scared off by his hefty price tag placed on him by Celtic, who are in no hurry to sell the constantly improving defender.

After a deal for Ashley Williams fell through, the Black Cats manager Gus Poyet seems keen on van Dijk to fill a void left by the release of Carlos Cueller and Andrea Dossena in their defense. The aging Wes Brown and John O’Shea are currently holding down the fort but a young aggressive defender who can score goals would be perfect for a team in transition and Gus Poyet seems keen to make that happen if his recent scouting is anything to go by.

Van Dijk began his career at FC Groningen where he appeared 62 times scoring seven times, and moved to Glasgow in 2013 where he appeared for Celtic 36 times scoring five times.

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EREDIVISIE, FEATURE, PLAYER SPOTLIGHT

The Dutch prodigy targeted by Tottenham and Man Utd

July 23, 2014 Will Burns Leave a comment

Memphis Depay is a name on everybody’s lips after he showed himself to be one of the brightest talents in football at this summer’s World Cup with two goals and one assist. During the tournament he became the youngest Dutch player to score at a World Cup at the age of just 20. He was nominated for the best young player of the tournament award, but was beaten to the accolade by Paul Pogba, but it’s clear that Depay is one of the most exciting young players in the world.

It’s not surprising that he has been linked with a move to England as Tottenham and Manchester United have both been linked, but it is believed it would take a fee upwards of £15m to get him, with PSV keen not to miss out on a big pay day for the player that needed a lot of development, especially when it came to the mental side of the game.

Although he is now known by some as the ‘Dutch Cristiano Ronaldo’, he had a lot of problems in his teenage years. He was a complicated child and was designated a life coach by PSV, who referred to Depay as ‘very angry’. The World Cup star struggled to adapt to the set up at the Dutch club, mainly due to his problems with authority. This developed from the problems he went through with his parents, who divorced when the winger was only four years of age, causing a great deal of emotional stress. It remains evident to this day as he wears ‘Memphis’ on the back of his shirt as he doesn’t feel a connection with his father or his name. Every great footballer normally has a troubling story and Depay is no different.

He overcame his personal issues to focus on football, and featured for Holland in several age groups, highlighting how he was always ahead of children of the same age when it came down to ability. In 2011, he was part of the under 17 side which won the European U17 Championship, scoring in the final. His experience at youth tournaments will have helped him a lot this summer when he excelled at his first senior tournament and nobody would doubt his ability to shine at more major tournaments in the future. He is often seen as a character who sometimes becomes over confident and even cocky when it comes to his own ability, but self belief is crucial in reaching the top of the game, and that is exactly where Depay is headed.

Depay was only 17 when he made his PSV debut in the Dutch Cup during an 8-0 demolition of WSB Noordwijkerhout, making his name with two goals. Yet he didn’t make his Eredivisie debut until he was a year older, making a cameo appearance against Feyenoord in 2012. His first league goal came against Heerenveen in a 5-1 victory, despite only being brought on for the closing stages of the match. It was clear he was going to become a key player for PSV very quickly, playing in 20 league matches during the 2012-13 season, but it was last season that he became a consistent starter, featuring in 32 matches.

After establishing himself at PSV, he quickly became one of the best players in the Eredivisie. Last season he netted 12 goals and managed to get 7 assists, while he also managed to score his first ever European goal. This summer saw him add his first international goal against Australia in a very nervy match for the Dutch, clearly showing his determined character. He wasn’t struck down by nerves, which happens to a lot of established players at international tournaments, let alone young players finding their way in the game. It’s clear Depay is only going one way and he may need to leave the Eredivisie to achieve his goals, the only question is whether that will be this summer, or at a later date.

For those who are unfamiliar with Depay, he is a player who can play all across the attacking positions, but it best suited to playing wide left. He is somebody who likes to dribble with the ball and has excellent ball control. His pace is crucial to his game as he can often use it to beat defenders of to make runs in behind the opposition defence, while he is also very skillful which makes him difficult to defend against. Depay is most dangerous from range as he has a terrific long shot, which resulted in a lot of goals last season. He is equally dangerous from free kicks. His main weakness is his decision making as he can often shoot when he has better options around him, but that is a trait common in young players and it will start to fade with experience.

It’s is unquestionable that the Dutch international is an exciting talent, whose reputation has been enhanced after his impressive performances at the World Cup, but it would be a gamble for a side to pay a big transfer fee for him. He has only had one full season as a first team regular and still has a lot to develop, in order to become a consistently good performer. It may be in his best interest to remain in the Eredivisie for another season to develop further, before making the move to a bigger league. It would do him no good to make a move to early and stagnate on the bench at a club like Tottenham who have a lot of attacking talent. A move to Manchester United may be perfect as he will be working with a manager he knows and the competition will be less fierce. He clearly has the right character to progress in the game, but a young player relies a lot on timing when it comes to his first big move. Is this summer the right time to leave for pastures new? The jury is out on that one.

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NEWS, TRANSFERS

Dutch keeper joins Tottenham Hotspur

July 23, 2014 Will Burns Leave a comment

Dutch international shotstopper, Michel Vorm, is on the verge of being announced as a new player of Tottenham Hotspur. The move which comes as somewhat of a surprise given Hugo Lloris’ presence in Spurs’ squad, means Vorm will be given the chance to compete for a place against French international, Lloris.

No fee has been mentioned, but Vorm himself has spoken of his excitement at such an opportunity. The London-based club are set to compete in the Europa League next year, and Vorm expects to be given game time based on the hectic nature of their schedule next season.

Speaking to De Telegraaf, Vorm said “Every club has two top goalkeepers in their squad,” which might suggest he is happy to be second choice but continued, “It suits the club’s philosophy that there are two of us with Hugo and me. Especially when we see that Tottenham is active in a lot of competitions.”

Vorm clearly believes in his own ability to make an impact and capitalise on any chance that he is given with the first squad. Vorm was the third choice goalkeeper for a Netherlands’ squad that made it to the semi-final of the World Cup, but only featured a few seconds of play in the Third/Fourth place playoff during the competition.

Spurs’ and Vorm’s former club, Swansea, are currently swapping players at quite a rate. Icelandic forward Gylfi Sigurdsson is set to move back to Swansea, and Ben Davies has already signed for Spurs’, and joined them in Toronto on their preseason tour, from the Welsh club. Vorm is the latest transfer between the clubs.

Vorm turns 31 in October and began his career at FC Utrecht, amassing 157 appearances for the club before moving to Swansea City during the summer of 2011 and spending the last three years as the Swans number one.

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EUROPA LEAGUE, EUROPA LEAGUE PREVIEW

EUROPA LEAGUE PREVIEW: FC Groningen vs. Aberdeen

July 23, 2014 Will Burns Leave a comment

THURSDAY 24TH JULY

EUROPA LEAGUE – SECOND ROUND QUALIFYING – SECOND LEG

FC GRONINGEN vs. ABERDEEN

WhiScottish Police are set to travel with Aberdeen fans to the Netherlands in an effort to control any trouble before and after the second qualifying round Europa League match-up against FC Groningen. There is expected to be some fireworks on the field as both teams try to qualify for the third round qualifying game to be played at the end of the month.

Groningen will be favorites having held the Dons to a scoreless draw in the first leg, at Pittodrie. The Scottish outfit have new summer signing David Goodwillie to call upon with an eye on finding a goal to see them through. Aberdeen will have to curb the influence of the Dutch side’s talisman, Filip Kostic, if they are to stand a chance and forcing playmaker Tjaronn Cherry to cough up possession will be key for the visitors.

You can expect Groningen to take the game to their opponents and expect Danny Hoesen to be a force up front for the hosts.

FC Groningen have not played a role in Europe since 2007 and they will be looking to make sure they will progress to play Real Sociedad in the third qualifying round of the competition. Groningen should win this tie but Aberdeen should make it tough so the bet to look for should be Groningen to win with Both Teams To Score, which Bet Victor offer at a great 13/5.

BEST BET: FC Groningen win with Both Teams To Score (13/5 – BET VICTOR) – Click here to bet with BET VICTOR and receive up to £25 free bets for new customers.

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TotalDutchFootball.com

EREDIVISIE, FEATURE

Who are the Eredivisie new boys?

July 23, 2014 Will Burns Leave a comment

WILLEM II

The North Brabant side of Willem II Tilburg, are a well known team in the Netherlands mainly for their appearances in the promotion/relegation play-offs as they to and fro from the Eredivisie to the Eerste Divisie each year.

Despite never winning the Eredivisie, Willem II have had the guilty pleasure of having Jaap Stam, Marc Overmars and Sami Hyypia star for their side, with the latter making 100 appearances for the club.

Willem II were automatically promoted with 79 points last term finishing ahead of FC Dordrecht. They will be relying on their defensive captain Jordens Peters to keep them out of the relegation spot this season. The club will be managed by Jurgen Streppel, who has managed the club since 2011 and the boss is well known for his antics on the side line as he asks his players for nothing less than 101% on the pitch. The clubs colours have been adapted from the national flag, red, white and blue. The stadium, Koning Willem II holds over 14,000 people and getting bums on seats should not be a problem for the club this season.

The club has decided to loan in many players such as Goalkeeper Kostas Lamprou from Feyenoord, Thomas van Milert (NAC Breda) and brought in former Chelsea striker Ben Sahar from Hertha Berlin on a two year deal. That is just to name a few, as the club are preparing to increase the squad size considering it could be a long season ahead for the newly promoted side attempting to resist the drop zone.

There is no doubt in my mind that this group of players will fight until the very end to stay up and with the type of coach like Streppel he will expect the very best from his players on and off the pitch. I am sure that Streppel will try to build a fortress at home and with such a strongly supported team the opposition will not enjoy coming to Tilburg. Although, I believe picking up points on the road will be a challenge for this side and collecting points against mid-table sides will decide whether they will stay up or not. Many Dutch fans will agree, it is too hard to call this one.

FC DORDRECHT

The side from Dordrecht were founded 130 years ago and they play their matches in the GN Bouw Stadium. The club is known as the ‘Sheep Heads’ or in Dutch ‘SchapenKoppen’.

The team will be managed by the former Dutch international Ernie Brandts who earned 28 caps for the national team and scored five times, also played in the great 1978 World Cup team. The last time he managed in the Dutch top flight was with NAC Breda from 2006-2008.

Brandts brought great success to the side finishing third in the Eredivisie and making it to the semi-finals of the KNVB Beker. That season was NAC’s greatest season in the clubs history. His skills and well mannered defence should be enough to keep Dordrecht up this season.

Finishing second, Dordrecht ended the season six points behind the Tilburg side after earning 73 points over the season including 21 wins out of a possible 38. The team scored 83 times (the most goals scored by a team that season in the Eerste Divisie.) The team qualified through the Eredivisie play-offs, beating VVV-Venlo 5-2 on aggregate, Dordrecht then went on to beat Sparta Rotterdam on aggregate 5-3 in the third round and secured promotion to the Eredivisie. The last time the club has been in the top flight was in 1994, when they finished bottom of the league with only 20 points. That season was one to forget after finishing with a minus 27 goal difference, although that year, they were called ‘Dordrecht ’90’.

I boldly believe that Dordrecht will be able to avoid relegation this season and for several reasons. The team have proven that they can score goals and having such an experienced manager will also be a big advantage to younger players. Although the gap between both divisions is rather immense, I still think that Dordrecht will be able to hold their nerve and survive the season.

EXCELSIOR ROTTERDAM

The smaller team of the two Eredivisie sides from Rotterdam, Excelsior also reached the top flight through the promotion/relegation play-offs. Excelsior have returned after two seasons in the Eerste Divisie by overcoming FC Den Bosch 5-2 on aggregate they then went on to win a 4-2 battle over Erwin Koeman’s RKC Waalwijk.

Excelsior play their matches in the Woudestein stadium, which will be the smallest stadium in the league, only being able to hold a little over 3,500 fans. Their matches will also be played on an artificial turf which should give them an advantage over their opposition when they play their home matches.

The side will be managed by Marinus Dijkhuizen and it is his first professional managerial job and with little experience I cannot see the club staying up this season. The club acts as a satellite club of Feyenoord, and the Eredivisie giants give Excelsior a payment and loan youth players. So far this transfer window, there has been little or no movement at the club.

I believe that the club will need to bring new players into the squad including a forward that will be a treat to the top defences in the league. If not I think they will struggle to stay in the top flight, unless they take their few chances on goal and defend bravely. If not then sadly I cannot see the side remaining in the Eredivisie.

A lack of experience in the side will also be a factor while they battle relegation but hopefully this team will be able to prove all the experts wrong and survive the season.

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NEWS, TRANSFERS

Feyenoord want Man City striker

July 22, 2014 Will Burns Leave a comment

John Guidetti is a strong candidate to replace Graziano Pellè at Feyenoord. After Wolfsburg striker Bas Dost has laughed off reports that he return to the Eredivisie, the Rotterdam club’s sporting director Martin van Geel has stated Guidetti is on the list to replace the Italian.

Talking to RTV Rijmond, Van Geel spoke highly of the young Swedish striker, “The name of John Guidetti will always be remembered by our supporters. John has become this legend since the season he was here, he was incredible. He’s always in our thoughts and he ticks all the boxes for us. We will make our best move for him. Preferably as soon as possible”

Guidetti has struggled at the other clubs he went on loan to, but took to the Eredivisie like a fish to water, scoring 20 goals in 23 games for Feyenoord during the 2011-2012. Ronald Koeman, who was manager of Feyenoord during Guidetti’s loan spell, might be interested in bringing him to his new club, Southampton, as a replacement for the departed Rickie Lambert. It was Sven Goran Eriksson who spotted the youngster and brought him to Manchester.

However, it hasn’t all been upward trending for the young Swede. In 2012, Guidetti ate an infected piece of chicken, lost the feeling in one of his legs and lost an entire season due to the mishap. He has returned with a point to prove and at the age of 22, it could be time for the striker to get a fairer share of first team football. With Manchester City’s striking options, it appears unlikely he will be given these chances in the Premier League.

If he were to return to Feyenoord, it would be to warm welcome from the fans. We’re quite sure that he would welcome them back into his life, also.

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FEATURE

Rooire Marck – A Feyenoord Legend

July 22, 2014 Will Burns Leave a comment

Rooire Marck was a lifelong Feyenoord supporter and a popular and much loved member of the club’s legendary supporter group known as Het Legioen. Sadly, Rooire had been battling cancer and had been told by doctors that he had little time left to live. After hearing this, Rooire had one wish which was to see Feyenoord once more… writes Andries Oosterveen.

Feyenoord is a club like no other in Holland or Europe for that. The predictable thing to do would have been to hold one minutes silence, write something in the programme or send a signed t-shirt with one or two players to the hospital. One of the many things that makes Feyenoord really special is that the fans turn up in large numbers no matter if the team is playing well or bad and even if it is just a friendly. The tickets always sell out within minutes.

It is a Feyenoord tradition that fans turns up in their hundreds if not thousands to the first training session of the new season. They put on a spectacular pyro show, sing songs and greet both new and returning players. This is not a family day out to the beach. However the 2013/14 season was not about the players but about Rooire Marck. Rooire was at the training session, on a hospital trolley with family and friends. He was too ill to even stand up. He watched from the side as supporters in the stands welcomed the players on to the field by setting off lots of flares. Rooire could not just lie there, so he summoned up all his strength and stood up with the roars of the fans and chants also motivating him. He applauded the players with a huge smile on his face and a tear in his eye. However, there was a nice surprise in store for him, planned by his fellow supporters.

This is what the first training session of the season looks like

His fellow supporters had not forgotten him and what he was going through and revealed a huge banner with a drawing of Rooire on it. At the same time, they hurled beach balls into the air and set off flares and smoke bombs in tribute to one of their own. They showed their support even more by singing the most passionate version of Liverpool FCs anthem “You Will Never Walk Alone“.

Despite the seriousness of Rooire’s illness, what happened next was amazing. As he walked with his family and friends to the opposite side of the stadium whilst holding a flag, the Feyenoord players came on to show their respect and tribute to one of their biggest fans. The whole squad lined up to shake hands and embrace the man who thought of them as heroes and presented him with his own t-shirt. Rooire then delivered a passionate speech to the players whilst thumping the Feyenoord badge on his shirt.

As he then got closer and closer to the fans, they roared louder and louder. More songs were sung for Rooire and the stadium was filled with smoke from more pyro in his honour. The chants of “Come on Rooire, Come on Rooire” filled the air. When he was almost 20 yards from the fans he pushed away his family and friends who had been supporting him and walked the final steps and blew kisses to the fans whilst again thumping the Feyenoord badge on his shirt. He then led the crowd in the chant of “Feyenoord Till I Die” and thanked them all for their amazing support.

Todays football is all about television deals, merchandising, making profits and keeping shareholders happy. Fans are just seen as customers sadly. The story of Rooire Marck is a strong reminder of what football is really about and again another reference as to why Feyenoord football club and its fans are the best in Holland and quite possibly Europe.