Tag Archives: Georginio Wijnaldum

Depay or Wijnaldum? Did Manchester United buy the wrong player from PSV?

January 30, 2016 Will Burns 1 Comment

PSV had perhaps their best team for years last season and clinched the Eredivisie with relative comfort, with Memphis Depay and Gini Wijnaldum taking most of the plaudits. Both managed to secure a move to the Premier League, but they have had differing fortunes in England. The former has struggled and has lost his place in the side to the homegrown Jesse Lingard, which shows how Depay has under-performed this season. Meanwhile, Wijnaldum has been a revelation for Newcastle, despite their struggles as a side. He has stood out as a complete midfielder capable of taking his Eredivisie form into the Premier League, which begs the question, why weren’t there bigger clubs in for him last summer? And did Manchester United buy the wrong player from PSV last summer asks Jake Jackman.

Manchester United wanted to add some attacking talent to their squad over the summer and opted for Depay, who was excellent last season for PSV, scoring 22 goals and getting 5 assists. However, Manchester United don’t play out and out wingers, which has prevented Depay from settling in. Also he is only 21 years old and perhaps Manchester United underestimated how much time the Dutchman needed to reach his best form. He has scored just two goals in 17 league appearances and has looked like a weak link at times, especially against Stoke when the first goal was down to his poor touch.

The one time dominant force of English football haven’t managed to get a balanced partnership in central midfield, with Bastian Schweinsteiger, Michael Carrick and Morgan Schneiderlin being very similar, and none of them offer that attacking impetus from deep, which makes the team one dimensional in attack. This is why I feel Georginio Wijnaldum would have been a better fit for Louis van Gaal’s side this summer, as he can play in central midfield, and he is a forward-thinking player, who would have given their midfield another dimension. It’s odd that the club didn’t at least try to sign Wijnaldum, considering that the manager knows him well from his time as manager of the national side.

Another reason why Wijnaldum would have been a better fit is that he has been involved in transferring clubs before, and he is far more experienced than Depay. This has allowed him to be better prepared for moving to a new league, which is evident in his immediate impact. He has nine goals and three assists for Newcastle, and he still has 16 games to play. The Dutchman has a great chance of securing a big goal tally for the season, which is rare for a midfielder in his debut Premier League season. He has the potential to be one of the most complete midfielders produced in the Netherlands since Wesley Sneijder. Although he would have had less freedom at Manchester United, he would have been a better fit than Memphis Depay and would have been a big improvement on their current midfield options.

It is concerning to see the failures of Depay this season and Manchester United doesn’t look a good fit for him. Hopefully he manages to make an impact in the second half of the season as he has a lot of talent and it would be a shame for his confidence to be hit so soon after his big money move. If he doesn’t do any better before the summer, he should try and look for a move away from Old Trafford, unless van Gaal departs as it doesn’t look like he will ever have sustained success under his former national team manager. In hindsight, Depay should have moved to a smaller club, in order to bridge from PSV to a huge Champions League club, like Wijnaldum has.

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EREDIVISIE TO PREMIER LEAGUE, FEATURE

Depay, Wijnaldum, Clasie and Co – Eredivisie to the Premier League

July 30, 2015 Will Burns Leave a comment

With Holland being a constant production line of talent, here is a post that profiles some of the players making a move from the Eredivisie to the Premier League this summer writes Oliver Baise.

Memphis Depay: PSV to Manchester United- £25 million

By far the most high profile and expensive move across the North Sea, Memphis (as he likes to be referred to as) arrives at Manchester United with huge reputation following a season where he scored 22 Eredivisie goals, thereby cementing his status as one of the most exciting young players in the world.

Though he was primarily deployed by PSV as a left-winger that cuts in on his right foot, it is being suggested that Memphis may well be groomed as the eventual heir to Wayne Rooney as the man to lead the line at United, a rumour that has been strengthened by the fact that he has been handed the number nine shirt for pre-season games. For now, however, it is likely that he will compete with Ashley Young for the left wing spot in Louis van Gaal’s 4-3-3, as well as backing up Rooney up top.

Memphis will have to deal with the pressure of making a step up to a club of United’s stature, particularly with comparisons to Cristiano Ronaldo being made by sections of the Old Trafford faithful, due to his trickery and eye for the spectacular. However, his most impressive trait that he shares with Ronaldo is his obsessive desire to fulfil his immense potential and to improve day in and day out. It is this factor, beyond all else, which persuaded Van Gaal to part with £25 million for the 21-year-old.

Georginio Wijnaldum: PSV to Newcastle United- £14.5 million

With Ligue 1 long being Newcastle United’s Chief Scout Graham Carr’s quarry for bargains, the capture of Wijnaldum may be the start of a shift of focus towards trawling the Eredivisie for additions to Mike Ashley’s investment portfolio. This is because even at £14.5 million, a sizeable transfer fee for the Magpies’ standards, Wijnaldum has to be one of the coups of the season, as is the player’s immense quality. Not many can claim to have captained their club to a league and cup double at 24 but this, alongside having been a regular starter for the Dutch national team for several years now are but two feathers in Wijnaldum’s cap.

More impressively still has been the fact that he has excelled in a number of roles during his short career, including the right wing, central midfield and number ten position, emphasising both his completeness as a player and his professional attitude. He has however stated that his favoured position is playing just off the striker, and there may be concerns that he, Siem De Jong and Moussa Sissoko may cause an overload in one position for The Toon. Questions may also be raised in why a player who has achieved so much in the last two years on both the domestic, European and international stage has moved to Newcastle United.

One certainly hopes that his relatively modest destination ensures that he remains a regular first team starter as his presence should be a real treat for Premier League fans (except maybe the Sunderland ones).

Jordy Clasie: Feyenoord to Southampton – £8 million

A player who has followed in the footsteps of Graziano Pelle and Dusan Tadic in following Ronald Koeman from the Eredivisie to England. Saints fans will certainly be hoping that Clasie can emulate the success of his new team-mates. Given his most recent season at Feyenoord, they certainly have every reason to be hopeful. A defensive midfielder, Clasie has seemingly been signed to take the place of Morgan Schniederlin, although he is by no means a like for like replacement for the Frenchman.

At 5”7 and resembling a 12-year-old boy, Clasie lacks Schniederlin’s physical presence. Although he more than makes up for this with his tenacity (cue a lazy comparison to Edgar Davids) it will be interesting to see how he handles the step up in physicality that the Premier League presents him with. Where Clasie does offer an improvement to Schniederlin is in his technique and intelligence. He is one of those players like Michael Carrick or Xavi who always seems to have time on the ball and can dictate play to a level that belies his 24 years.

Though he is a shy and introverted character who displayed nerves when he came onto the scene at both club and international level, his close relationship with Koeman should ensure that Clasie does not disappoint Southampton fans — that is until Liverpool or Manchester United inevitably utilise their newest feeder club.

Cuco Martina: Twente to Southampton – £1.5 million

While certainly the less exciting Southampton import from the Eredivisie, Cuco Martina may yet play an important role for the Saints this season, particularly given their involvement in the notoriously squad-stretching Europa League this year.

The player had an unremarkable season in what was a poor campaign for FC Twente last season, and it is his versatility rather than his individual quality which likely brought him to St Marys. He is a natural right-back but can play anywhere across the back four or in defensive midfield.

Though he is unlikely to start regularly in any of these positions, barring injuries to team-mates, he may yet prove to be an important signing following the departures of Nathanial Clyne and Toby Alderweireld. Don’t expect fireworks though.

Steven Berghuis: AZ Alkmaar to Watford – £4.5 million

A free scoring winger who had a trial at Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur as a youngster, Steven Berghuis is a player that AZ fans will certainly miss following his 11 goals for them last year. Despite this, there are some concerns about his suitability in joining a club like Watford.

Although he is by no means a lazy player, he may well prove to be too lightweight to be effective in a team regularly playing on the back foot in games, and although he has the creativity to unlock defences in tight games, he is by no means complete enough to carry a struggling team.

In short, his personal success may be heavily predicated on the success of the Watford project as a whole. If they can thrive in the Premier League continuing their attacking style, Hornets fans are in for an exciting prospect as he certainly compliments this strategy. However, in games where Watford need to sacrifice inspiration for perspiration Berghuis may well be the fall guy.

Kristoffer Nordfeldt: SC Heerenveen to Swansea City – £800k

Though not likely to be a starter ahead of Lukas Fabianski, especially considering the Pole’s fine form last season, Swansea City’s signing of Kristoffer Nordfeldt is a further example of the value that can be found in the Eredivisie this window.

The goalkeeper was Heerenveen’s player of the season last campaign, keeping ten clean sheets and making the most amount of saves out of everyone in the league. He will certainly be one of the better second choice goalkeepers in the Premier League this coming season, despite being one of the least expensive. If Fabianski were to suffer an injury or dip in form Nordfeldt would certainly offer a solid replacement and may prove hard to dislodge, particularly given the fact that his ability with the ball of his feet endears himself to Swansea’s possession based style.

For now, however, it is likely that the principal of “if it ain’t broke don’t fix it” means that Nordfeldt will begin this coming season on the bench.

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TRANSFERS

Why should Georginio Wijnaldum join Newcastle United?

July 9, 2015 Will Burns 1 Comment

Over the last few days, Georginio Wijnaldum has been heavily linked with a move to Newcastle United in both the British and Dutch press. Although there have been differing reports, there is definitely talks going on between the two clubs and some sources such as the Daily Mail suggest that a deal has been agreed between Newcastle and PSV Eindhoven. Some observers have commented their surprise that Wijnaldum would consider a move to Newcastle, especially after such a good season captaining PSV to their first championship since 2008 writes Jake Jackman.

The Eredivisie has always been a league which has some excellent young players, and Wijnaldum has been one of those for a number of years now. However there has to be a time when players leave Holland to try and reach the very top of the game as sadly the Eredivisie isn’t the platform to do that.

The rumours about Wijnaldum have created a buzz on Tyneside as he is a very exciting player, who will bring goals and assists to St James’ Park. He is a number ten, who can also play in central midfield and on the wing, making him a versatile option in the final third for Newcastle. It isn’t a position that Newcastle need to strengthen, but the Dutchman will add quality and competition in the attacking positions and that is never a bad thing. Steve McClaren has a good knowledge of the Dutch game after managing FC Twente on two separate occasions and he has had a big role in Newcastle’s decision in chasing Wijnaldum and this suggests he has a role in mind for the PSV captain.

He scored 14 league goals last season and contributed 3 assists. The Premier League is a physical league, and Wijnaldum has the pace and strength to adapt quickly to the league. He is a skilled dribbler, who likes to run with the ball at pace. The main strengths in his game are his dribbling ability and his quality when it comes to playing through balls to his team-mates. The Dutchman isn’t the best when it comes to the defensive side of the game, and he will need to work on his tackling especially if he does join Newcastle.

The key reason for Wijnaldum to consider a move to Newcastle is that it would allow him to play regularly in what many consider to be the best league in the world. The midfielder has the ability to play for one of the biggest clubs in Europe, but they won’t be willing to pay the money for him until he proves himself in a bigger league than the Eredivisie. The likes of PSG and Manchester United have been linked with the midfielder recently, but Wijnaldum would be far from guaranteed regular first team football at these sort of clubs. Newcastle may not be in European competition, but they are televised across the world and there is a clear path to Champions League clubs as Yohan Cabaye, Loic Remy and Mathieu Debuchy have showed in recent seasons.

Newcastle are pouncing now for the playmaker due to Wijnaldum’s own desire to leave the Eredivisie which gives the club more leeway to get the midfielder for a better price. In January, or last summer, it would have been much more difficult for any club to sign Wijnaldum, but the game is becoming more centred on player power and the progress made in this transfer highlights that.

If he does make the move to St James’ Park, it will be a good environment for the midfielder as he will be surrounded by fellow Dutchman in Vurnon Anita, Tim Krul, Daryl Janmaat and Siem de Jong, which will allow Wijnaldum to settle quickly into life in the North East. Playing in a side with fellow compatriots will mean that he still has a great chance of playing a huge role for the national side. Tim Krul and Daryl Janmaat have remained part of Holland squads throughout their time on Tyneside, showing that moving to Newcastle wouldn’t dent Wijnaldum’s Euro 2016 hopes.

The reason Newcastle will appeal to the PSV captain is that it will give him the platform to perform on a bigger stage and attract interest from Champions League clubs. If he remains at PSV, he would have to impress these clubs in the Champions League, which may only be the group stage for the Dutch club, which only gives the midfielder six matches to impress.

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FEATURE

Total Dutch Football 2014/15 Player of the Season

May 18, 2015 Will Burns 1 Comment

After yet another set of entertaining Eredivisie and KNVB Beker campaigns, the TotalDutchFootball.com workforce has been voting all week and we are now ready to dish out our prestigious first ever ‘End Of Season’ awards.

All staff were asked to name their top three players. Each first pick received three points, second place received two points and one point was awarded for the third pick. The results are below…

Winner – MEMPHIS DEPAY (PSV) 15 points

Like his manager, Philip Cocu, Depay was a unanimous winner picked first by all five voters. Over the past season no-one can doubt that without Depay, PSV would not have experienced the success they have this term. Depay notched 22 Eredivisie goals along with five assists that earned him major plaudits across the globe and a four-year deal at Louis van Gaal’s Manchester United next season.

His superb free-kick technique led to seven of those goals – leaving most goalkeepers stranded as he lined up the set pieces from the edge of the area. The flamboyant winger hit an average of 5.4 shots per game (according to Opta) and three assists (from 2.1 key passes per game).

With his tremendous determination, speed, skill and awareness, Depay has linked up well down the left with Jetro Willems (our runner-up). Connecting with the left-back has helped the 20-year-old create 13 goals in the league (an Eredivisie high).

This cocky youngster is heading to the Premier League, to a team who used to try and contain the cockiness of one Cristiano Ronaldo. He has all the attributes and swagger to hold his own in comparison to the now-Real Madrid star.

PSV and Eredivisie watchers will thank Depay for the memories this season and it is sad to see him go abroad but I’m sure all, including all the readers of this website, wish him good luck and keep chasing those dreams.

2nd – JETRO WILLEMS (PSV) 6 points

Depay’s team-mate is runner-up after a successful season appearing in 30 out of the 34 leagues games for PSV. Willems was a vital part of the Eindhoven set-up this year under Philip Cocu and they will be hoping to hold onto him as long as they can.

OTHERS

JASPER CILLESSEN (Ajax) 2 points

GEORGINIO WIJNALDUM (PSV) 2 points

LUUK DE JONG (PSV) 2 points

MICHIEL KRAMER (ADO Den Haag) 1 point

HAKIM ZIYECH (FC Twente) 1 point

MARKO VEJINOVIC (Vitesse) 1 point

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NEWS

Five Things To Expect In 2015

January 5, 2015 Will Burns 2 Comments

The year of 2014 is over, and it was undoubtedly a year to remember for Dutch football. A largely unfancied National Team finished 3rd place in the World Cup, demolishing Spain 5-1 on the way, Frank de Boer won a fourth consecutive title with Ajax, becoming the first manager to do so, and Louis van Gaal took on one of the biggest jobs in management when he when he was appointed as the Manchester United manager. 2015 is sure to be another big year, but just what can we expect?

Frank de Boer will leave Ajax

In 2010, off the pitch, Ajax was in turmoil, with Johan Cruyff clashing with the board. On the pitch however, Frank de Boer was on his way to his first eredivisie title with the Dutch giants. He has gone on to win three more league titles, playing the “Ajax way”, focusing on developing the club’s youngsters and playing an attractive style of football. He has gained many plaudits for this and has attracted the interest of some of Europe’s top clubs in recent seasons, but has always claimed to be happy at Ajax, saying that he wants to do well in Europe with them before he leaves. However, yet again his Ajax side fell at the first hurdle in the Champions League, and at the age of 44, with his stock higher than ever, it’s looking more and more likely that he’ll leave for one of Europe’s major leagues. As for his successor…

Jaap Stam will take over the reigns at Ajax

Due to the revolution of 2010 at Ajax, the majority of staff now are former players, that include the likes of Marc Overmars, Dennis Bergkamp, Edwin van der Sar, Wim Jonk and Jaap Stam. When Frank de Boer leaves, it is likely that Ajax will appoint someone within their ranks to replace him. Overmars and Van der Sar both have roles off the pitch, whilst Bergkamp has stated that he never wants to become a manager. That leaves Wim Jonk and Jaap Stam, and whilst de Boer has stated that he thinks they could both do a good job, Stam seems like the more likely option.

Ronald Koeman will win Manager of the Season

At the end of last season, Southampton lost their manager, Mauricio Pochettino to Spurs, and also lost many of their star players to bigger English clubs, so by the time Ronald Koeman had taken charge, many pundits tipped them to struggle, and some even said they could be drawn into a relegation battle. However, Koeman brought in two players who had been excellent in the Eredivisie for the past two seasons in Dusan Tadic and Graziano Pelle, and has lead the team to an impressive start in the league, currently sitting fourth in the table, and if they can hold on for a top four finish, Koeman will surely be crowned the Premier League’s manager of the season, surpassing the achievements of his predecessor, even after losing many key players.

Memphis Depay, Georginio Wijnaldum and Jordy Clasie will leave the Eredivisie

2014 was the year that many of the biggest Dutch talents left the Eredivisie after impressing at the 2014 World Cup. Daley Blind moved to English giants Manchester United, Bruno Martins-Indi moved to Portuguese powerhouses Porto, whilst Stefan de Vrij and Daryl Janmaat moved to Lazio and Newcastle respectively. However, Jordy Clasie, Georginio Wijnaldum and Memphis Depay all decided to stay at their Dutch clubs for another season. All three have continued to impress in Holland and are attracting the interest of Europe’s biggest clubs. Clasie and Wijnaldum have both performed well on the pitch and have demonstrated good leadership skills in captaining their respective teams. Both have been linked with teams abroad, with Italy looking like likely destinations for both of them. With 10 goals and 3 assists in 13 appearances, Depay is clearly too good for the league, and is destined for much bigger things, with the likes of Real Madrid and Manchester United showing interest.

PSV will break their seven year title drought

PSV were the dominant team in Holland from 1999 to 2007, winning seven league titles, and even reaching the Champions League semi-final in 2005, narrowly missing out on reaching the final. However, since then, Louis van Gaal has led AZ to the Eredivisie title, Steve McClaren did the same with FC Twente in 2008-09 and Frank de Boer’s Ajax have dominated since then. This season though, Phillip Cocu has built a young side capable of reclaiming the title. With the likes of Depay, Wijnaldum and Willems leading the charge, it looks like Ajax’s four year reign is about to be over, and with a four point lead at the top of the table, PSV hold their fate in their own hands, and come May, should be champions.

Ron Vlaar will join a bigger club

Ron Vlaar, the Aston Villa captain, has been linked with a move away from Villa Park for the last year, due to his contract expiring at the end of the season. Vlaar’s stock rose due to impressive performances at the World Cup, including a semi-final performance in which he silenced Lionel Messi. It is likely that Vlaar will want to seek a move to a bigger club, it is just a question of when. Villa can either cash in on him in January or choose to keep hold of him until the end of the season and let him go on a free transfer. Arsenal and Liverpool have both been linked with him, but with Van Gaal at the helm, and the side in need of defensive reinforcements, Manchester United looks like the most likely destination.

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TEAM OF THE WEEK, Uncategorized

Eredivisie Team Of The Week – Round 3

August 25, 2014 Will Burns Leave a comment

Welcome to week three of our Eredivisie Team of the Week which leads into our Eredivisie ‘Player of the Season’ competition. All players have performed so well this weekend that Martijn Hilhorst and Will Burns have decided they should be in our team of the week. Each player in the eleven receives one point and whichever player is declared ‘Player of the Week’, he receives an extra point.

GOALKEEPER

JEROEN ZOET (PSV): Second week in a row for Zoet after keeping Ajax at bay to clinch a vital 3-1 win for PSV in the title race, even this early on in the season.

DEFENDERS

JOSHUA BRENET (PSV): The young defender held firm against the likes of Lasse Schone and Davy Klaassen on Sunday and made attacking runs with ease.

MAIKEL VAN DER WERFF (PEC Zwolle): The big defender, who missed a penalty in the Europa League midweek, made amends with a great performance capped off with a free-kick goal in the 2-1 win over Vitesse.

LUCAS BIJKER (SC Cambuur): Man of the match in the 1-0 win over Heracles on Friday with a match-saving tackle in the dying seconds of the game.

AARON MEIJERS (ADO Den Haag): Sitting in at left-back, Meijers linked play up well and caused many problems to Groningen in ADO’s 3-0 win on Sunday.

MIDFIELDERS

ALI MESSAOUD (Willem II): An influential performance topped off with a great goal leading Willem II to their first win of the season, 3-0 over AZ Alkmaar.

ROLAND ALBERG (ADO Den Haag): Alberg is playing the best football of his life at the moment and created two excellent goals to dispatch FC Groningen with ease 3-0.

GEORGINIO WIJNALDUM (PSV): Wijnaldum is in the TOTW for the second week in a row and was a constant threat to Frank de Boer’s Ajax on Sunday. Four shots and four successful dribbles earns his another week in our team.

ATTACKERS

ADNANE TIGAHOUDINI (NAC Breda): Young winger Tigahoudini frightened the life out of FC Twente’s defenders and won his side an unlikely point against FC Twente.

LUCIANO NARSINGH (PSV): Narsingh was excellent and looked back to his best so his named our Player Of The Week. With an assist and an excellent goal, Narsingh combined with Depay looks a mouthwatering prospect this season for PSV.

TOMMY OAR (FC Utrecht): The young Australian seems to improve every time he plays and created both goals in Utrecht’s shock win against Feyenoord.

Click here to see the ‘Player of the Season’ standings.

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EREDIVISIE, EREDIVISIE REPORT

EREDIVISIE: PSV 6-1 NAC Breda

August 16, 2014 Will Burns Leave a comment

SATURDAY 16TH AUGUST 2014

PSV 6 – 1 NAC BREDA

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

TEAMS

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

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

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

BOOKINGS: Arias 29.

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

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

GOALS: Tighadouini 30P.

BOOKINGS: None.

MAN OF THE MATCH: Memphis Depay (PSV)

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EREDIVISIE, NEWS

After five month absence, Wijnaldum returns

February 10, 2014 Will Burns 1 Comment

After been out of action for five months, Georginio Wijnaldum returned tonight in Jong PSV’s Eerste Divisie clash with Helmond Sport.

The Dutch international scored after just 10 minutes in Jong PSV’s 3-0 win in first game since PSV’s 2-2 away draw against FC Twente on 14th September last year.

Wijnaldum has been suffering with back complaints since the UEFA Under-21 European Championship last summer in Israel. PSV coach Philip Cocu has experienced a poor campaign in all competitions and could have certainly done with having his club captain in the team.

The first team of PSV next host Heracles in the Eredivisie this weekend but that game may come too soon for Wijnaldum’s fitness. However, it may be more likely that he will feature in a few more Eerste Divisie games, starting with Jong PSV’s game at Telstar on Friday night.

Cocu will be hoping that within the next few weeks his creative playmaker will be back, in the team he starred so well for earlier this season before being out with the back injury.

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TEAM OF THE WEEK

EREDIVISIE TEAM OF THE WEEK #2

August 11, 2013 Will Burns Leave a comment

Welcome to our weekly section at TotalDutchFootball.com – the Eredivisie Team of the Week. Below you will see our ‘Player of the Week’ also – each player will be allocated points and at the end of the season we will declare our ‘Player of the Season’. Each player will be given one point for being named in our team and the ‘Player of the Week’ will gain two points.