Category Archives: EREDIVISIE

EREDIVISIE: NAC Breda 1-1 Excelsior

August 9, 2014 Will Burns Leave a comment

SATURDAY 9TH AUGUST 2014

NAC BREDA 1 – 1 EXCELSIOR

Eredivisie newcomers Excelsior clinched a vital 1-1 draw away to prospected relegation rivals NAC Breda which saw two goals scored in a matter of minutes.

The Eredivisie new boys started well and the tricky Jordan Botaka caused NAC a lot of trouble from the start. It was clear that NAC defensive midfielder Joeri de Kamps had a game plan for the young winger, rough him up and keep him out the game. However, it almost backfired when referee Jeroen Sanders made a terrible error on 18 minutes. De Kamps was clearly seen fouling Botaka in the area, although the referee stated it was outside the box. Despite the protests, the free-kick was awarded and NAC had been spared.

Breda’s goalkeeper Jelle ten Rouwelaar was presented a plaque pre-match, for this was his 205th consecutive Eredivisie game for the club. Unfortunately for the stopper, he was beaten on 19 minutes.

Kenny van der Weg got his feet tangled with Excelsior striker Tom van Weert and referee Sanders pointed to the spot. It was a soft decision, possibly making up for the one the officials missed a few minutes previous. Jeff Stans converted the spot-kick even though Ten Rouwelaar guessed the right way and got his fingertips to the ball.

From the restart, NAC were level. Moroccan Under-23 international Adnane Tighadouini hit a first time shot after a poor clearance from the erratic Jordy Deckers, and the ball ended up in the empty goal.

Breda should have taken the lead moments later, again Tighadouini involved. Kingsley Boateng, NAC’s new signing from AC Milan, whipped the ball away from Kevin van Diermen and crossed low across the goal. The Moroccan was arriving at the back post and smashed his finish off the foot of the post.

After the break, NAC had another chance to take the lead but wasted the opportunity again. Erik Falkenburg’s long range effort was pushed onto the post by Deckers and Elson Hooi blazed the rebound over from a few yards out.

Excelsior may have had another penalty in the dying seconds when Boateng was deemed to handball in the area but nothing was awarded. NAC will need to improve their efforts in front of goal or better teams than Excelsior will punish them for the mistakes.

TEAMS

NAC: Ten Rouwelaar, Ssewankambo, Drost, Van der Weg, Amieux, Falkenburg, De Kamps, Matic, Hooi (Sarpong 70), Boateng, Tighadouini.

SUBS NOT USED: Babos, Damcevski, De Roover, Suk, El Allouchi.

GOALS: Tighadouini 20.

BOOKINGS: De Kamps 40.

EXCELSIOR: Deckers, Karami, Fischer, Van Diermen, Brito, Kruijs, Auassar, Stans (Vermeulen 86), Botaka, Van Weert (Gouriye 71), Van Mieghem (Hutten 76).

SUBS NOT USED: Mattheij, Damen, Bovenberg, Maletic.

GOALS: Stans 19P.

BOOKINGS: None.

MAN OF THE MATCH: Jordan Botaka (Excelsior)

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EREDIVISIE, EREDIVISIE REPORT

EREDIVISIE: SC Cambuur 1-1 FC Twente

August 9, 2014 Will Burns Leave a comment

SATURDAY 9TH AUGUST 2014

SC CAMBUUR 1 – 1 FC TWENTE

A Youness Mokhtar equaliser, with just two minutes to go, denied Cambuur of all three points against FC Twente this evening, after Manchester City loanee Albert Rusnák had put the hosts ahead.

Slovakian midfielder Albert Rusnák stole the show and demonstrated to everyone watching that he could be a real force this campaign for Cambuur. Formerly having loan spells at Oldham Athletic and Birmingham City, this was the 20-year-old’s debut on a season-long loan from Premier League champions Manchester City. He announced his arrival on 13 minutes after Kyle Ebecilio fouled Michiel Hemmen on the edge of the area. The 18-year-old stepped up and curled the free-kick into the top corner out of Nick Marsman’s reach. This was Rusnák’s first goal in professional football.

Twente were struggling to get going and Cambuur looked the more likely team to score. The impressive Rusnák showed great movement throughout and worked hard, showing great tenacity to get back deep into the midfield and win the possession for his team.

Twente coach replaced Robert Schilder with new signing Kamohelo Mokotjo at half-time to try and lift his side, however, even though the link-up play improved, no decent chances were created and Leonard Nienhuis’ gloves stayed cold.

With two minutes of play remaining, the game was tied due to a deflected shot from Youness Mokhtar. The winger cut inside and on the edge the box tried his luck, the ball flicked off the boot of Cambuur defender Lucas Bijker and ended up past Nienhuis for the equaliser. An undeserving goal for the team from Enschede.

Twente will feel fortunate to leave Leeuwarden with a point, for Cambuur, it may feel like two points lost although if you would have asked coach Henk de Jong before the game, I’m sure he would have took a draw. Today was all about Albert Rusnak, the Manchester City youngster that we will all be treated to this season.

TEAMS

CAMBUUR: Nienhuis, Droste, Reijnen, Bijker, Pereira, El Makrini, Bakker, Rusnák, Meleg (Schepers 61), Hemmen (Dijkstra 78), Ogbeche (Barto 90).

SUBS NOT USED: Zeinstra, Mac-Intosch, Janzen, Schokker.

GOALS: Rusnák 13.

BOOKINGS: None.

TWENTE: Marsman, Breukers, Lachman (Tapia 81), Martina, Koppers, Schilder (Mokotjo 46), Ebecilio, Castaignos, Mokhtar, Børven, Kusk (Ould-Chikh 72).

SUBS NOT USED: Stevens, Andersen, Hölscher, Corona.

GOALS: Mokhtar 88.

BOOKINGS: None.

MAN OF THE MATCH: Albert Rusnak (SC Cambuur)

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EREDIVISIE, EREDIVISIE REPORT

EREDIVISIE: Heerenveen 1-2 FC Dordrecht

August 9, 2014 Will Burns Leave a comment

SATURDAY 9TH AUGUST 2014

HEERENVEEN 1 – 2 FC DORDRECHT

Ernie Brandts and his FC Dordrecht side pulled off a shock 2-1 win against a poor Heerenveen side that seemed to be lacking something going forward.

The hosts got off to a great start with an opening goal within 13 minutes. Jordy Buijs bombed down the right wing and despite the efforts of Dordrecht defender Sem de Wit, Buijs got a cross in towards the back post. Arriving late was Hakim Ziyech, who rose above the challenge of Marvin Peersman to nod towards goal. Polish goalkeeper Filip Kurto tried relentlessly to stop the header but to no avail.

Heerenveen pressed for a second with Daley Sinkgraven, just aged 19, looking the most likely to make something happen, however Kurto was rarely tested. The youngster came off worse in a challenge with the big goalkeeper before half-time and was bleeding from the top of his head throughout the game.

A minute before the break, Dordrecht found themselves level with a fortunate goal. Former PSV youth player Funso Ojo whipped a free-kick into the area and what should have been an easy catch for Heerenveen stopper Kristoffer Nordfeldt, the big Swede flapped when De Wit jumped with him. Then when Luciano Slagveer botched a clearance, Giovanni Korte was on home to drive the ball home.

Ten minutes to go, the Eredivisie new boys sealed all three points. A mix-up between Nordfledt and young defender Joost van Aken allowed Joris van Overeem steal the ball and slot home to take the win.

Selling Alfred Finnbogason in the summer, new coach Dwight Lodeweges knew it was going to be a massive task replacing him. Aside of Sinkgraven and Ziyech, Heerenveen was missing the attacking threats that we are used to seeing. On the right wing, Slagveer was ineffective and lone striker Mark Uth never got going. New Danish signing Thomas Dalgaard replaced Uth after 55 minutes but himself failed to inspire.

The home side were booed off by their fans inside the Abe Lenstra Stadion as Brandts and his coaching staff jumped up and down in a circle celebrating on the final whistle. Lodeweges will have to pick his players up, as on Friday night they travel to De Kuip to face Feyenoord.

TEAMS

HEERENVEEN: Nordfeldt, Marzo, Buijs, Van Aken, Raitala, Van den Berg, Ziyech, De Roon, Slagveer (Wildschut 54), Uth (Dalgaard 55), Sinkgraven (Thorsby 75).

SUBS NOT USED: De Fockert, Otigba, Schmidt, Varga.

GOALS: Ziyech 14.

BOOKINGS: De Roon 37, Ziyech 75.

DORDRECHT: Kurto, Fortes, Troost-Ekong, Haddad, Peersman, Ojo, Gosens, Van Overeem (Vet 90), Korte (Meulens 70), Lieder (Ten Voorde 82), Pisas.

SUBS NOT USED: Te Loeke, De Wit, Hamdaoui, Van Haaren.

GOALS: Korte 44, Van Overeem 81.

BOOKINGS: Haddad 21, Meulens 84, Kurto 90+4.

MAN OF THE MATCH: Marvin Peersman (FC Dordrecht)

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BETTING TIPS, EREDIVISIE, EREDIVISIE PREVIEW

EREDIVISIE WEEK 1: SATURDAY PREVIEW & BETTING TIPS

August 8, 2014 Will Burns Leave a comment

Week one in the Eredivisie continues with four cracking games on Saturday, Will Burns is back with some recommended bets, good luck.

SATURDAY 9TH AUGUST

HEERENVEEN vs. FC DORDRECHT (17:30 BST)

FC Dordrecht return to the Eredivisie after 19 years, their last top-flight visit to Saturday’s opponents Heerenveen ended in a 1-1 draw, a result which the league newcomers would welcome in the opening week of fixtures.

Leading Dordrecht into the new campaign is Ernie Brandts, who competed in the 1978 World Cup final for Holland. The 58-year-old is a winner and likes to play attacking football, however this make work against him if he heads into the Abe Lenstra Stadion with that game plan. Heerenveen coach Dwight Lodeweges has a fast attack at his disposal, with the speed of Daley Sinkgraven, Hakim Ziyech and Luciano Slagveer sitting behind new striker Martin Dalgaard, this may be too much for Brandts’ men.

Six-foot two-inch Danish striker Dalgaard has the complicated task of filling the boots of Heerenveen’s all time top scorer Alfred Finnbogason who after two successful years left De Superfriezen to join La Liga side Real Sociedad in the summer. Dalgaard has the credentials with great scoring record of his own, notching 50 times in 75 appearances for Danish Superligaen side Viborg FF over the last two campaigns. Although, he will be tussling with Mark Uth for a starting spot on Saturday, with Uth returning from a season on-loan to Heracles.

Heerenveen are heavy favourites in this game and rightly so. I feel the hosts will be too much for the Eredivisie new boys but Bet Victor’s price of 1/2 is very short to get any value. I recommend looking at Heerenveen -1 which means the home side need to win by two clear goals to land the bet.

BEST BET: Heerenveen -1 (11/10 – Bet Victor)

NAC BREDA vs. EXCELSIOR (18:45 BST)

In a potential relegation match-up already on day one of the Eredivisie, NAC Breda play host to another newcomer Excelsior.

Breda just scraped through the relegation battle last year as Serbian coach Nebojsa Gudelj failed to find a win in NAC’s last 11 matches of the season. Excelsior finished third in Eerste Divisie last year and their squad does not look as strong as did, mainly after the loss of 30-goal striker Lars Veldwijk to Nottingham Forest.

NAC do seem to have a real talent on their hands with Kingsley Boateng. The 20-year-old Ghanaian winger is being tipped to be one of the stars of the Eredivisie this season, and we might see a glimpse of that on Saturday against one of the only underdog opponents that Breda may face this season. Signed on a free from AC Milan, Boateng has already made waves with the NAC fans scoring four goals in three pre-season outings.

I feel this will be a low scoring affair with NAC maybe coming out 1-0 winners (available at 17/2 with Bet Victor) but once again, with it being the opening day and game neither will see they can afford to lose, our best bet and safest is in the Both Teams To Score market. Selecting No gives you a decent price of 11/10 and I recommend this in case Excelsior shut out NAC.

BEST BET: Both Teams to Score – NO (11/10 – Bet Victor)

SC CAMBUUR vs. FC TWENTE (18:45 BST)

FC Twente travel to Cambuur with new signing Kamohelo Mokotjo in tow but without two stars from last year, Quincy Promes and Dušan Tadić, who were sold on in the summer. Cambuur themselves have gone under major chance over the last few months with coach Henk de Jong boasting 11 new bodies in his squad.

Losing Promes and Tadić could hit Twente hard but coach Alfred Schreuder has replaced well bringing in Mokotjo from PEC Zwolle and importing highly-rated Dane Kasper Kusk from Aalborg. Both will give attacking support to lone striker Luc Castaignos. Hopes are high this year and they will look to get off to a good start with a win away in Leeuwarden. Youness Mokhtar, former team-mate of Mokotjo at Zwolle, which also be on hand to support but Felipe Gutiérrez and Shadrach Eghan are ruled out with injuries.

Cambuur may have brought in eleven new faces however, they do not look as sturdy as last term. Defender Ramon Leeuwin left for Utrecht and impressive loanees Elvis Manu (Feyenoord), Jody Lukoki (Ajax, but now signed for Zwolle) and Marcel Ritzmaier (PSV) have not returned. Replacements include young loanees midfielder Albert Rusnak from Manchester City and Delan Meleg from Ajax.

Twente should blow Cambuur away but the Cambuurstadion is a raucous arena that can get to the opposition. I see a narrow win for Twente but not without some scares. Twente to win with Both Teams To Score is a massive 12/5 at Bet Victor.

BEST BET: Twente to win with Both Teams To Score (12/5 – Bet Victor)

HERACLES vs. AZ ALKMAAR (19:45 BST)

Marco van Basten has returned to Eredivisie with AZ Alkmaar after leaving Heerenveen at the end of the season as he takes the Cheese Farmers to Almelo to face Heracles.

AZ have slight changes from last season’s team that finished 8th last year in the league. They will miss striker Roy Beerens after he moved to Bundesliga side Hertha Berlin, as well as scoring five times last year he also managed five assists. The club are hoping that his loss will be covered by the arrival of the dynamic Guus Hupperts from relegated Roda JC. The golden-haired youngster scored nine goals from right-wing and if he can replicate that form at AZ then he should help propel them higher this season.

Heracles’ success will feature heavily with the performances of Bryan Linssen. A very direct, pacy and technically gifted wide midfielder, Linssen was the Almelo side’s top scorer last season with 11 goals. Now that Mark Uth has returned to parent club Heerenveen, Linssen will have to develop a quick understanding with the likes of new signing Mark-Jan Fledderus from Roda for Heracles to get off to a good start.

Unfortunately for Henk de Jong’s men I see AZ being too strong as they always seem to Heracles’ number. AZ are undefeated in nine of their last ten matches against Heracles in all competitions and I see that run continuing in Saturday’s late game. AZ to win is 17/10 at Bet Victor and the price is very tempting to have a punt on it.

BEST BET: AZ to win (17/10 – Bet Victor)

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EREDIVISIE, EREDIVISIE REPORT

EREDIVISIE: PEC Zwolle 2-0 FC Utrecht

August 8, 2014 Will Burns Leave a comment

FRIDAY 8TH AUGUST 2014

PEC ZWOLLE 2 – 0 FC UTRECHT

PEC Zwolle were victorious in the first game of the 2014/15 season rather comfortably against a weak FC Utrecht side at the IJsseldelta Stadion this evening, however they left it late to score the goals in a 2-0 win.

As the rain poured down, it was a cautious start, after Jesper Drost headed over in the opening minutes, we had to wait until ten minutes gone to witness our first shot on goal. Mark Diemers, playing in an advance right midfield role for Rob Alflen’s side had a pop from the outside of the area, however, Zwolle goalie Diederik Boer saved easily.

The hosts looking good on the counter attack with the pace of Mustafa Saymak, Jesper Drost and Jody Lukoki sprung open the Utrecht defence when right-back Bram van Polen lobbed a ball forward. Drost rose above Anouar Kali to nod the ball into the path of Saymak, but unfortunately the 21-year-old midfielder latched at his half-volley, and Robbin Ruiter was able to parry as he hurried out to meet the onrushing Saymak.

Zwolle continued to create chances and became the more productive of the two sides especially with the through balls from Saymak, sitting in a role where Kamohelo Mokotjo would have been located, before his transfer to FC Twente this morning. The quick-thinking, creative passing from Saymak made you think Mokotjo was present. In addition, new signing Lukoki was frightening down the right-wing and gave Christian Kum, a summer signing from Heerenveen, a torrid time down Utrecht left side of defence. The fans inside the IJsseldelta Stadion will be pleased the former Ajax man has signed a three-year permanent deal.

Apart from set-pieces, the visitors rarely threatened. Jens Toornstra’s balls from the left with the danger and on 23 minutes, the midfielder whipped one perfectly into the back post for Willem Janssen to nod straight into Boer’s arms.

Zwolle central defender Trent Sainsbury took a knock in a challenge with Leon de Kogel and was subbed off by Maikel van der Werff just before the half-hour mark and Utrecht made a replacement minutes later. Fearful of Lukoki, Utrecht coach Alflen took off Kum and brought on 21-year-old defender Yannick Cortie. Cortie, who is more comfortable in the centre of defence, made a slight improvement but could not keep Lukoki quiet.

Zwolle kept pressing but failed to find a goal before half-time. Chances for Bart van Hintum and Drost went begging and just before the interval, Van Polen went close with a front post flick from Lukoki’s corner. Holding midfielder Ben Rienstra, a new signing from Heracles, got a rare opportunity to get forward and lashed a low shot wide of the goal before referee Eric Braamhaar blew for half-time.

It was a slower tempo in the second half as Utrecht closed down Zwolle’s attacks and took control of the game and started to get into the play, however either goalkeeper’s gloves were hardly tested.

As the hour mark passed, Ron Jans decided to make a change up front with of his new Greek striker, Nikos Ioannidis, on a two-year loan from Olympiakos with a view to a permanent move replaced Stef Nijland as the lone man up front. The 20-year-old got involved straight away, holding the ball up to play Saymak into the area on the right side, but Saymak’s shot was easily parried again by Ruiter.

When it looked like a goal was never going to come it arrived. Another bit of magic from man of the match Lukoki as the winger cross a ball into the area and when Ramon Leeuwin failed to clear it with his header, Jesper Drost was at the back post to finish across goal. This is the 25th consecutive game that Utrecht have failed to keep a clean sheet, not a feat to be proud of.

Lukoki received a standing ovation from the home fans when Soufain Moro, a free transfer this summer from Utrecht, replaced him with seven minutes remaining. The 21-year-old made an impact against his former side with seconds of the game to go.

We have seen it a million times when goalkeepers head up the pitch to try and win the header from a corner in stoppage time to rescue a point. Unfortunately for Ruiter, he was stuck in no man’s land when the corner was quickly cleared and the ball fell to Moro deep in the Zwolle half. After a quick glance at the empty goal, Moro sent a high looping shot and the ball carried in the air perfectly as it flew into the net.

The referee below virtually instantly after the restart and Zwolle pick up an excellent 2-0 win to get their campaign underway. For Utrecht, this resembled more of the same from the Wouters era and unless they get their act together quick, it could be another long season for the Utrechters.

TEAMS

ZWOLLE: Boer, Van Polen, Sainsbury (Van der Werff 27), Broerse, Van Hintum, Saymak, Rienstra, Drost, Lukoki (Moro 83), Nijland (Ioannidis 64), Thomas.

SUBS NOT USED: De Jong, Mahmudov, Dekker, Fernandes Pereira.

GOALS: Drost 75, Moro 90+3.

BOOKINGS: Ioannidis 90.

UTRECHT: Ruiter, Van der Maarel, Leeuwin, Heerings, Kum (Cortie 30), Janssen, Kaloi, Toornstra, Diemers (Sarota 75), De Kogel (Markiet 59), Barazite.

SUBS NOT USED: Verhoeven, Ayoub, Quesada, Antwi.

GOALS: None.

BOOKINGS: Janssen 34, Kali 37.

MAN OF THE MATCH: Jody Lukoki (PEC Zwolle)

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BETTING TIPS, EREDIVISIE, EREDIVISIE PREVIEW

EREDIVISIE WEEK 1: FRIDAY PREVIEW & BETTING TIPS

August 8, 2014 Will Burns Leave a comment

The waiting is over and the Eredivisie returns tonight as Ron Jans’ PEC Zwolle host FC Utrecht, hot off the heels of their Johan Cruijff Schaal win over Ajax on Sunday. Will Burns says backing Zwolle to claim victory is how to get the new season underway with a winner.

FRIDAY 8TH AUGUST

PEC ZWOLLE vs. FC UTRECHT (19:00 BST)

The Eredivisie returns tonight as Ron Jans’ PEC Zwolle host FC Utrecht, hot off the heels of their Johan Cruijff Schaal win over Ajax on Sunday and Will Burns says that backing Zwolle to claim victory is the way to start the new season with a winner.

PEC ZWOLLE

PEC Zwolle head into this opening day full of confidence after claiming their second trophy in 105 days. The Blauwvingers defeated Ajax by the solitary Stef Nijland goal last Sunday at the Amsterdam ArenA. Head coach Ron Jans suffered a blow to his season preparations earlier this morning losing arguably his best player last term, Kamohelo Mokotjo to FC Twente for a meagre €1.5m fee. However, it’s not all doom and gloom as earlier in the week, speedy winger Jody Lukoki arrived on a three-year deal from Amsterdam, the 21-year-old spent last season at Cambuur and should be a great addition to Jans’ selection. The winger should get a start on the right this evening with 19-year-old New Zealander Ryan Thomas on the left. On Sunday, Zwolle lined up with Nijland alone up front, however, Jans has added two Greek strikers to his ranks, Dimitrios Ferfelis (TuS Koblenz) and Nikos Ioannidis (Olympiakos) to help in front of goal, but may start on the bench this evening. Losing defensive rock Darryl Lachman to Twente earlier in the summer was disappointing, although the central defensive pairing Trent Sainsbury and Joost Broerse held well against Ajax on Sunday and should retain their place. In midfield, the defensive Ben Rienstra has arrived from Heracles this window and should protect the back four.

FC UTRECHT

It is a new season and a new manager for Utrecht after a disappointing campaign last year. After working his way up the ranks at the club, Rob Alflen replaced Jan Wouters in May following Utrecht’s horrific campaign which almost saw them involved in the relegation battle towards the end of the season. Looking to rebuild the team, Alflen brings a fresh approach and could hand lots of debuts to new signings tonight. A striker well known to watchers of the Eredivisie, Danny Verbeek arrived on loan from Belgian Pro League side Standard Liège after spending the last two years loaned out to NAC Breda. 24-year-old Dutchman and former Arsenal youth Nacer Barazite joined from Monaco and could line up in midfield. New defensive duo could start Christian Kum (Heerenveen) and Ramon Leeuwin (Cambuur) and Anouar Kali could make a return in the red shirt after a year at Roda. Alflen however, will be missing up to five first-teamers as midfielders Édouard Duplan and Willem Jansen, goalkeeper Robbin Ruiter, centre-forward Ruud Boymans and left-back Michael Zullo all miss out with injuries.

MATCH ODDS

After last weekend’s exploits, PEC Zwolle head into the game as favourites with evens being offered at Bet Victor and due to amount of talent that Utrecht is missing, I recommend this to be a great bet. With it being the opening game, it could be a cautious affair and a narrow Zwolle win could be the outcome, the scoreline of 2-1 to Zwolle at 8/1 looks very tempting. Ron Jans’ tactics may be more productive going forward than defensively this season and his side, as always will be an entertaining one to watch. If Zwolle do attack then Utrecht could do some damage on the counter with Jens Toornstra being the main threat scoring 19 goals in his total 48 appearances for the club from midfield. Toornstra is a menace from set-pieces also and is valued at 23/10 for anytime goalscorer. We all know how the goals can flow in the Eredivisie and both teams to score is an interesting but short price of 8/13, nevertheless, if combine that with a PEC Zwolle win and you can nail a great price of 5/2.

RECCOMMENDED BETS

PEC Zwolle to win with Both Teams to Score – 5/2

Jens Toornstra to score anytime – 23/10

SAFE BET

PEC Zwolle to win – Evens

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EREDIVISIE, EREDIVISIE PREVIEW, FEATURE

AJAX SEASON PREVIEW

August 7, 2014 Will Burns Leave a comment

Ajax

Ajax comes into the 2014-2015 season looking for their fifth straight league title. Hopes are high in Amsterdam as the only notable loss thus far has been former captain and key cog Siem de Jong, who signed with Newcastle United.

While a few others may be on the brink of leaving (Kolbeinn Sigthorsson and perhaps Daley Blind as well as Niklas Moisander), the men in Amsterdam believe they have what it takes to win another trophy. Ajax returns many experienced players from last year’s squad that won the league and nearly advanced to the last sixteen of the Champions League.

Defenders Ricardo van Rhijn, Joël Veltman, and Stefano Denswil return to anchor the defense. They are joined by: now healthy Nicolai Boilesen, newcomer Nick Viergever, and veteran Moisander. Behind the defence stands Jasper Cillessen, who is as confident as ever after helping lead the Dutch national team to a third place finish in Brazil.

The midfield will likely consist of Daley Blind in a deep, central role, flanked by Davy Klaassen and Thulani Serero, in wider more advanced roles. Lerin Duarte and Lucas Andersen will be the primary substitutes used in midfield, with Lerin Duarte to see some action in the starting eleven depending on the opponent and the tactics of manager Frank de Boer.

The attack is where the biggest questions remain. With De Jong gone and Sigthorsson on his way out the door, Ajax needs to find replacement in the attack capable of producing goals. They signed Arkadiusz Milik on loan from German side Bayer Leverkusen as well as Groningen youngster Richairo Zivkovic. Whether these two players are able to produce at the level Ajax needs them to in order to secure a league title remains to be seen. A big factor for these two, or whomever Ajax plays at the number 9 spot, is the service they will receive from the wings.

Lasse Schöne was one of Ajax’s biggest performers last season. A threat from free kicks, Schöne has solidified himself as the team’s first choice right-winger. The left-wing spot belongs to Ricardo Kishna, at least until Viktor Fischer returns from injury sometime during the winter.

Ajax have, under Frank de Boer, been slow starters in the league. In a few instances this has nearly come back to haunt Ajax at the end of the season. After this past weekend’s lost to PEC Zwolle, it looks as if this trend may continue.

Yet, for Frank de Boer it has come to the point where league titles are no longer the only measure of success. What de Boer and Ajax really want is to make it out of the group stages of the Champions League. Many at Ajax believe this would go a long way in helping the club hold onto players who have often been so quick to jump to bigger leagues. As always, two of Ajax’s biggest competitors for the league title will be Feyenoord and PSV. De Boer has had Feyenoord’s number in recent years, but Cocu has something special brewing in Eindhoven, and if PSV can hold onto Memphis Depay, they stand a shot to ruin Ajax’s chances of a fifth straight league title.

TRANSFERS INS AND OUT

IN: Arkadiusz Milik (Bayer Leverkusen), Robert Muric (Dinamo Zagreb), Nick Viergever (AZ Alkmaar), Richairo Zivkovic (FC Groningen).

OUT: Bas Kuipers (Excelsior), Bojan (Stoke City), Lesley de Sa (Go Ahead Eagles), Mickey van der Hart (Go Ahead Eagles), Siem de Jong (Newcastle United).

MANAGER – FRANK DE BOER

A legend at the club, the Ajax fans can’t ask for more from Frank de Boer. However, De Boer wishes to claim every domestic competition and make an impact in the Champions League, the question beckons that does he have the squad to match his expectations?

KEY PLAYER – DAVY KLAASSEN

Davy Klaassen will be looked upon by Frank de Boer to shoulder a heavy load for Ajax. He has been handed the number 10 shirt in the wake of de Jong?s departure. With no true number 9 emerging, thus far for Ajax, Klaassen will be expected to score goals and create chances for the inexperienced forwards of Ajax. Klaassen is a product of the famed Ajax youth system. After narrowly missing out on a spot on the Dutch National Team he is ready to prove himself with Ajax this season. He has shown flashes of brilliance, with some whispers of Bergkamp like potential. Klaassen pledged his future to Ajax through 2017, which should ensure his development. If Ajax are to have a successful season, they will need Klaassen to be a creator, as well as a scorer.

PREDICTION – 2ND

BET VICTOR EREDIVISIE TITLE ODDS: 11/10

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BETTING TIPS, EREDIVISIE, EREDIVISIE PREVIEW, FEATURE

EREDIVISIE 2014/15 SEASON GUIDE

August 7, 2014 Will Burns Leave a comment

Total Dutch Football previews all 18 teams ahead of the new Eredivisie season beginning this Friday night. Click on a club’s badge below to view their extensive preview and how our team think they will fare in the upcoming 2014/15 season.

The Eredivisie is back and for viewers based in the United Kingdom, it is an exciting time. As of this season, Sky Sports have signed a four-year deal to show the Dutch top flight, so we will the breeding ground for some many playing and coaching talent right in front of our eyes. Lots of changes as per usual in the Eredivisie, as is every year when the vast amount of talent the season before, have moved onto bigger clubs across Europe. It is very apt that the league does get named ‘The Stepping Stone’ division as many stars like Luis Suarez, Ruud van Nistelrooy, Robin van Persie honed their skills in Holland before moving on to the big time. In recent times, we have saw Jan Vertonghen, Christian Eriksen and Siem de Jong all leave the Amsterdam Arena for the dizzy heights of the Premier League.

Could Ajax win an unprecedented fifth title in a row or could we see a new winner of the Eredivisie?

Well what are you watching for?

Click on a club badge below and find out who we think will be holding aloft the Eredivisie shield in May.

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EREDIVISIE, FEATURE

PSV Eindhoven – Eredivisie champions 2014/2015?

August 4, 2014 Will Burns 1 Comment

When watching yesterday’s Johan Cruijff Schaal final between former champions Ajax Amsterdam and newbies PEC Zwolle, I could not help think about this year’s exciting Eredivisie campaign. When a small club like Zwolle with a budget of €9 million euros can humiliatingly defeat four-time Eredivisie champions Ajax with a budget of €65 million 1-0, it seems to give a promising insights about the distribution of chance for this year’s contender. Yes I spelled it correct, contender. Because this season will be the year of PSV Eindhoven as league title winners of the Eredivisie 2014/2015 by Lawk Raoof.

While watching the Johan Cruijff Schaal final between Ajax and PEC I was fueled with hope, excitement, relieve and comfort. PEC embarrassed Ajax today with a goal of Ex-PSV player Stef Nijland and a great assist of ‘man of the match’ Kamohelo Mokotjo. The motor and leader of PEC Zwolle. He personally removed every single existing doubt from Ajax to sign him. He was the personification of PEC Zwolle’s dominance and power today. While the Amsterdammers, deemed as many to be this year’s top-favourite contender, looked unmotivated, uninspired and playing boring football. They missed the one thing that Mokotjo had plenty of: heart and passion. However, buying him may not solve their problem.

While Ajax has experienced a huge blow in this game, it does not mean much. The Johan Cruijff Schaal is not an important prize to win for many of the top-teams such as: Ajax, PSV, Feyenoord or Twente. However, when taking into account that every team takes it seriously, it can only mean that I am right. Ajax sold Siem de Jong to Newcastle United and this will result to be a great mistake to do so. He was the leader of Ajax for many years and now there is a gap, which even recent and upcoming transfers will not fill.

While Frank de Boer’s side stutters and proves not to cope with pressure, Feyenoord sells their World Cup star-players and Twente the single most important player of previous season, PSV thrives and buys Luuk de Jong (scored the crucial goal against St. Polten) and highly likely future top-transfer Steven Defour from Porto. Not only that, the World Cup star-players: Georginio Wijnaldum, Memphis Depay and Santiago Arias return to fill the PSV squad with loads of talent and quality. It can be said that PSV has without a doubt the single most talented Dutch squad of this season and is indeed top-contender for the title. And that is not all, the technical manager Marcel Brands is set to buy/loan 3 more players to strengthen the squad.

Yes, it seems that PSV has the upper-hand this season as top-contender for the title. However, is it all good news for PSV? The answer is no. Far from it. Losing the previous six Eredivisie championships, PSV is near the brick of declining into the category of sub top teams where AZ, Heerenveen and Twente are right now. With a budget of €62million it is a shame that PSV was incapable of winning the league title. Every year there were excuses but this is the last year that PSV fans will not accept anything less than first place. I will guarantee that if losing this year’s league title, the whole board, technical director Marcel Brands, coach Philip Cocu and his colleagues will be pressured to resign. And I predict that will not be all, key-players such as Depay, Wijnaldum, Arias and more will not be able to be convinced to stay to play only in the Europa League and they will leave the club. Creating an exodus comparable with the loss PSV had in 2013/2014 when losing Kevin Strootman, Jeremain Lens and Dries Mertens.

More than ever, it seems that PSV need a league championship this season and more than ever, it seems that it is possible this season with a great team like this. However, if Cocu can’t win it this year, PSV has to officially resign there top-team status. We came far from the glory days of Guus Hiddink in 2004/2005. If PSV wants to be league favorite among Ajax and Feyenoord, they need this season’s league title. They don’t have a choice no more.

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EREDIVISIE, NEWS, TRANSFERS

QPR close in on double signing

July 30, 2014 Will Burns Leave a comment

News is emerging today on VI.nl that QPR are closing in on the signings of Leroy Fer and Kolbeinn Sigthorsson, both of whom would be decent additions to an already talented squad. It’s clear Harry Redknapp is continuing to use his wide range of players to get value for money in the transfer market, something that QPR failed to do last time they were in the Premier League. Marc Overmars told VI.nl that they are close to an agreement with the London based side for their Icelandic striker, while the website also confirmed that a fee had been agreed for the Norwich midfielder, who impressed in the Premier League last season writes Jacob Jackman.

Last season for Norwich, Leroy Fer was one of the standout players, showing his capabilities in both halves of the pitch as he played a box to box role for the Canaries. Although he only scored three goals, Norwich were a team which struggled to fine the net, which makes his tally a little more impressive. QPR will benefit from the Dutch international’s energy in the middle of the park and his talent for playing defence splitting through balls will be welcomed as they need more creativity in their side.

The fee for Fer is believed to be around €6m, which will prove to be a snip for QPR as he is still only 24 and has the talent to move to a bigger club in the future if he continues to progress. It is also a deal which lacks risk as the club know the Norwich player can shine in the Premier League. Although there were some reports that linked Fer with a move to Southampton, it appears that the transfer to QPR will be wrapped up in the coming days, making any movements to hijack the deal unlikely. Harry Redknapp told Sky Sports News today that Fer is one of the club’s main targets, when a manager talks openly about an incoming transfer, it normally indicates a deal is close to being completed.

Meanwhile, Marc Overmars has told VI.nl “I have had some good talks with QPR over Kolbeinn. We are pretty close to each other regarding the transfer fee, but the player’s demands are obviously important as well. I think QPR is a good opportunity for Kolbeinn. Just look at how Wilfried Bony fares in the Premier League. He has already caught the attention of some major clubs after just one year in England.”

Kolbeinn Sigthorsson has been targeted to add more goals to a QPR front line which was too dependent on Charlie Austin last season, who is untested at the highest level. The Ajax striker has impressed in the Eredivisie, scoring 39 goals in 91 league matches for Ajax and AZ combined, while he has 15 in 23 caps for Iceland, showing that he is a prolific goalscorer. He is a complete forward, capable of scoring all kinds of goal, and he can also play well with his feet, as you would expect from an Ajax player. Some have compared him with compatriot Eider Gudjohnson and they aren’t inaccurate, QPR will be getting a very talented player. The fee is believed to be around £5m, which could prove to be one of the moves of the summer.

If QPR manage to complete these two deals, it could be seen as a coup for a promoted side, but the London club have a good squad and a manager who is respected around the world, they have the perfect set up to attract players. They should be able to deal with the top flight better this time around and these two will become key parts of the side, if as expected, they join the squad at Loftus Road. Both players could go onto greater things in the game and will need to be consistent performers for QPR to attract bigger clubs. Although this may be seen as a negative reason to move to a new club, it is better for a side like QPR to recruit hungry young players than players who are only interested in a big pay day. That was their fault last time.

Click on Jacob’s name to follow him on Twitter.

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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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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EREDIVISIE, FEATURE

AN INTRODUCTION TO THE EREDIVISIE

July 16, 2014 Will Burns Leave a comment

The launch of Sky Sports 5 centres around Sky’s broadcasting deal to show the Eredivisie exclusively in Britain. Rupert Murdoch has secured a deal for the rights to the Dutch top flight for €1bn, which will last for the next 12 years in America, while the Sky deal on top of that will prove to be a huge financial boost for Dutch clubs. Eredivisie clubs have struggled to hold on to their star players, due to the lack of finances in the league and the fact they fall short to compete in European competitions, but the new broadcasting deals could see that change in the coming years writes Jacob Jackman.

The Eredivisie was founded in 1956. Since then, Ajax have been the most successful club, winning the title 25 times, while PSV Eindhoven are the second most decorated club, winning 18 league championships. Feyenoord, Sparta, AZ and FC Twente are the other sides who have won the Eredivisie since it was formed. In terms of European qualification, the champions qualify for the group stage of the Champions League, while the runners up qualify for the third qualification round of the competition. Then, the third placed side qualify for the Europa League play off, and fourth place for the Europa League third qualification round. The fifth to eighth placed sides compete in a play off to qualify for the Europa League second qualification round.

When it comes to relegation, the bottom placed side is automatically relegated to the Eerste Divisie (second tier), while the winners of the Eerste Divisie win promotion to the Eredivisie. Then the second and third bottom sides in the top flight compete with eight sides from the Eerste Divisie for two spots in next season’s Eredivisie.

There will be a lot of excitement surrounding the launch of the new Eredivisie season, mainly due to the excellent performance from the Netherlands at the World Cup and subscribers of Sky Sports could do a lot worse than following the league this campaign. They may not have the world class clubs that the Spanish league has, but the games are a lot more exciting and quicker paced than La Liga. There is always good football on show as one of the biggest clubs in the history of football, Ajax, continue to play attractive passing football under Frank De Boer, who could be in line for a move to the Premier League in the coming years.

Also the Eredivisie has a reputation as a league which develops a lot of players for the so called bigger leagues. That was particularly evident this summer as Southampton and Newcastle United both shopped in Holland. Southampton landed the very impressive duo of Graziano Pelle and Dusan Tadic, while Newcastle signed Siem de Jong and Daryl Janmaat. Meanwhile, Holland World Cup star Bruno Martins Indi joined Porto and last season’s top scorer Alfreð Finnbogason left Holland to sign for Real Sociedad. It’s not unusual for there to be a large exodus of talent and the impressive academies in Holland mean that there are always youngsters keen to make their mark in the Dutch top flight.

To bring you up to date with what happened last season, Ajax won their fourth successive Eredivisie title overcoming second placed Feyenoord by four points, therefore it will be these two clubs playing in the Champions League this season. Meanwhile Twente and PSV qualified for the Europa League through finishing third and fourth respectively. Groningen won the Europa League play off, while PEC Zwolle qualified for Europe’s second competition by winning the Dutch cup. RKC Waalwijk, NEC and Roda JC were all relegated, with Willem II (champions of Eerste Divisie), FC Dordrecht and Excelsior (winners of promotion/relegation play offs) taking their place in the Dutch top flight.

Chelsea fans will be intrigued to watch more of Vitesse Arnhem, who take a lot of young players on loan through the official tie up they have with the English club. Wallace and Bertrand Traore are the two players on loan currently, but that will no doubt increase in the coming weeks. Meanwhile PSV have made some impressive moves in the transfer market, bringing in Luuk de Jong, who was brilliant during his last spell in the Eredivisie for FC Twente, while they could also bring in Steven Defour before the new season, which would be a real coup. With the likes of Jeroen Zoet, Jetro Willems, Georginio Wijnaldum, Adam Maher, Memphis Depay and Jurgen Locadia already in the squad, the Eindhoven club have a great chance to push Ajax all the way this year. Last season’s runners up Feyenoord are likely to be less of a threat this season after losing several key players.

This season promises to bring a lot more excitement in the Eredivisie, with room for new exciting players to breakthrough. When it comes to the top scorer, American Aron Johannsson could be the man this season. He has all the attributes to play at a higher level, but he will have to show his consistency in front of goal for AZ before such a move comes along. Meanwhile Luuk de Jong could be a contender for the golden boot if he rediscovers the form he showed during the 2011/12 season. Luc Castaignos, Memphis Depay and possibly Bas Dost (if he does indeed join Feyenoord) will be other contenders when it comes to being top scorer. Or it could be somebody else as there are always new players breaking through in the Eredivisie.

Now the Eredivisie will be on Sky regularly, it’s certainly worth taking up the interest and getting into, due to the entertaining football that is regularly on show. Also with Louis Van Gaal and Ronald Koeman managing in the Premier League, a lot more Eredivisie talent could be coming to England in the coming years, therefore it will be useful to know about the stars of the Dutch league.

Click on Jacob’s name to follow him on Twitter.