Tag Archives: Riechedly Bazoer

EREDIVISIE TEAM OF THE WEEK – Star man Berghuis can’t stop scoring

Welcome to Total Dutch Football’s Team of the Week which leads into our 2020/21 Eredivisie Player of the Season Tournament.

Each player that is selected for the Team of the Week receives a point and the Player of the Week receives two more points. We count these up over the season and then award the player with the most points as the Player of the Season.

Read on to see who has been awarded the points for this week.

GOALKEEPER: Yven Mvogo (PSV)

After a few shaky weeks, the Swiss stopper showed the Eindhoven faithful what he is made of – keeping a clean sheet pulling off five quality saves at home to Fortuna Sittard.

DEFENDER: Glenn Bijl (FC Emmen)

The full-back won eight of nine challenges with four interceptions and a pair of clearances. Played his part in his side’s equalising goal against highflying FC Twente.

DEFENDER: Ko Itakura (FC Groningen)

The Japanese defender did not give the Ajax attack a kick winning 100% of challenges and six clearances.

DEFENDER: Riechedly Bazoer (Vitesse)

Bazoer is excelling in his new central defensive role nailing 90 out of 96 passes in the win over Heracles. This included an accurate 18 out of 19 long balls, one which helped his sides notch a goal.

DEFENDER: Ridgeciano Haps (Feyenoord)

The 27-year-old left-back scored a goal in Feye’s 4-1 win away to Willem II and was an attacking threat throughout performing with three out of three successful dribbles.

MIDFIELDER: Oussama Tannane (Vitesse)

The Heracles man punished his old side with the winning goal in the 3-0 win and was a menace throughout linking up well with Oussama Darfalou and Luis Openda.

MIDFIELDER: Joao Teixeira (Feyenoord)

Dick Advocaat’s Portuguese import has settled in no problem in Rotterdam grabbing two assists in the weekend’s win over Willem II.

Eerste training Karlsson in beeld - AZ
One to watch – Jesper Karlsson of AZ Alkmaar

MIDFIELDER: Jesper Karlsson (AZ Alkmaar)

The Swedish debutant made his mark notching two assists before his side’s 4-0 collapse to draw at Sparta Rotterdam. He’s certainly going to one to watch.

FORWARD: Oussama Darlafou (Vitesse)

One goal and one assist for the Algerian which looks to have a new lease of life under Thomas Letsch and linking up well with Oussama Tannane and Luis Openda.

FORWARD: Zakaria Aboukhlal (AZ Alkmaar)

The 20-year-old winger grabbed his first senior goals in the unreal 4-4 draw away to Sparta. Notching twice set his team up to a coasting win before the horrendous collapse – the youngster hardly put a foot wrong.

FORWARD: Steven Berghuis (Feyenoord)

PLAYER OF THE WEEK

Another two goals to the tally for the former Watford man. Three out of three for dribbles. Landed 55 out of 66 passing attempts and even managed to win five tackles. Steven grabs his first player of the week award of the new season – probably won’t be his last.

See the full standings table for the tournament at this link.

TotalDutchFootball.com

EREDIVISIE TEAM OF THE WEEK – Christian Kum claims award as Brighton loanee shines

Welcome to Total Dutch Football’s Team of the Week which leads into our 2020/21 Eredivisie Player of the Season Tournament.

Each player that is selected for the Team of the Week receives a point and the Player of the Week receives two more points. We count these up over the season and then award the player with the most points as the Player of the Season.

Read on to see who has been awarded the points for this week.

GOALKEEPER: Joel Drommel (FC Twente)

Earned his side a point and nearly grabbed all three saving Steven Berghuis’ first spot-kick.

DEFENDER: Jan-Paul van Hecke (sc Heerenveen)

The young defender on-loan from Brighton and Hove Albion put in a solid debut in the 3-1 away win in Sittard claiming five interceptions and winning 6 balls in the air.

Our Player of the Week Christian Kum (VVV) stops Mimoun Mahi in his tracks.

DEFENDER: Christian Kum (VVV-Venlo)

PLAYER OF THE WEEK

Despite being a 35-year-old, Kum put in a performance that saved claimed VVV a point on Friday evening. A total of 11 clearances, four blocked shots, three interceptions and a clearance off the line sees the veteran claims Player of the Week.

DEFENDER: Riechedly Bazoer (Vitesse)

The former Ajax midfielder is excelling in his new central defensive role in Arnhem. In Saturday’s 2-0 win over Sparta, Bazoer stuck his foot in and produced a 94% accurate pass percentage with four key passes and created two big chances. He also managed to nab himself a shot on target too. Unlucky not to win our POTW award this week. A close second.

DEFENDER: Philipp Max (PSV)

The German left-back is impressing everyone in Eindhoven and was involved in both goals in his side’s 2-1 win over Emmen. He was sadly involved in Emmen’s goals (Mvogo’s blunder) but we can’t blame for that but he might think twice about playing the ball to the Swiss keeper in future.

MIDFIELDER: Oussama Tannane (Vitesse)

Tannane announced himself to the Arnhem faithful with a sublime performance in the 2-0 win over Sparta Rotterdam topped with a wonderful long-range free-kick smashed in with unreal techinque.

MIDFIELDER: Joey Veerman (sc Heerenveen)

After being close to the Player of the Week award last week, young Joey Veerman continued his good form with his second appearance in our #TOTW in as many weeks. He converted a penalty and again was inspirational for his side’s win. Accurate with 10 of his 15 long balls was incredibly noticeable as well getting his foot in when it mattered.

Mohammed Kudus wins man of the match award in Ajax win
Ajax have seem to discovered another phenomenal talent in Mohamed Kudus.

MIDFIELDER: Mohamed Kudus (Ajax)

The 18-year-old Ghanaian/Norwegian enjoyed his first experience of the Johan Cruijff Arena with a ‘Man of the Match’ display against RKC Waalwijk. Ajax look like they have a jem on their hands once again.

FORWARD: Vangelis Pavlidis (Willem II)

Two goals in the 4-0 win over Heracles. Standard behaviour from the Greek striker.

FORWARD: Henk Veerman (sc Heerenveen)

The big man showed unique skill for his goal this weekend and assisted another with great forward thinking. Looks like he’s settled back in at Heerenveen already.

FORWARD: Dusan Tadic (Ajax)

The usual suspects are amongst the goals already and the Serb completes the eleven this week. A superb piece of technique shown for his goal in the 3-0 win over RKC. Not only lethal in front of goal, Tadic created some big chances to extend the lead in Amsterdam on Sunday.

See the full standings table for the tournament at this link.

TotalDutchFootball.com

Could these five Eredivisie players be on the move this summer?

As one of Europe’s second tier leagues, the Eredivisie will always be at risk of losing its best players, as has happened in recent years. Last season it was Memphis Depay, Gini Wijnaldum, Luc Castaignos, Jordy Clasie and Oussama Tannane who were the big names to leave Holland. This year’s Eredivisie has had an intriguing title race with both PSV and Ajax level on points going into the last two matches. Meanwhile, there have been young players breaking through lower down in the league that will attract big interest this summer. The following are the five players that I feel will attract the most interest and are ready to try their luck in another league tells Jake Jackman.

Hakim Ziyech

The FC Twente attacking midfielder is almost certainly going to be leaving the league this summer, as he has outgrown the Eredivisie and his club are in desperate need of cash. Ziyech is a number ten, who is capable of scoring and creating goals as shown by this season’s tally of 17 goals and 10 assists. He has already tied Memphis Depay’s goal and assists haul from last season, and with two matches to play, he is set to beat it. Ziyech is a dead ball specialist, while his vision is also incredible as he often plays key passes that open up opposition defences. He has also showed his leadership ability as he has captained FC Twente this season after opting to remain at the club last summer.

I’d expect Ziyech to be available for a reasonable fee all factors considered, which could make him the bargain of the summer. He has been linked to Barcelona, Leicester City and Fenerbahce in recent months and it is impossible to predict where he will end up. The 23-year-old will be known to a lot of scouts across Europe and with the potential of making a huge profit, there will be lots of clubs asking about the midfielder.

Vincent Janssen

This year was Janssen’s first in the Eredivisie, but he is en route to being the league’s top scorer and he has also made his Oranje debut in recent months. He made an impact against England, getting a goal and an assist as the Dutch recorded a famous victory at Wembley. This match may have brought him to the world’s attention, but the AZ striker was already well known to regular watchers of the Dutch top flight. Janssen is a complete forward who is very capable of leading the line on his own. His strengths lie around the penalty box as he is a strong finisher, while he is good at anticipating potential chances. Janssen is a capable dribbler, while he also brings midfielders into the game in the final third.

He has an incredible 25 goals in his first Eredivisie season, which surpasses his tally from last season with Almere City. His rise to the top has been staggering and at the age of 21, he is likely to improve a lot more, which is exciting for Oranje fans, especially after the disappointment of missing the European Championships this summer. Janssen would suit Premier League football, and has been linked to both Liverpool and Manchester United. If he does move to a new league in the summer, fans will have to be patient and give him time to adapt as he is still very young. Janssen has adjusted quickly to every challenge he has been set in his career and I think he would be a huge hit wherever he goes.

Jetro Willems

Jetro Willems would have probably departed the league last summer if it wasn’t for his injury problems. He returned in the second half of the season and has performed well for the most part, but he has yet to find his form from last season. He has one goal and three assists to his name from just 13 league games, which shows that he is still a very effective player going forwards. Meanwhile he showed his defensive qualities in both legs against Atletico Madrid, playing a key part in two clean sheets. Willems is a modern day full back, who loves rampaging forwards. He is a good crosser of the ball and his ability to make the decision when on the ball in the final third shows intelligence beyond his years.

He has been linked with several clubs including Manchester United, Liverpool and Arsenal in recent months. It is got to the point when he should consider moving to another league to test himself and to continue progressing. He would risk stagnation if he remains in the Eredivisie as he is comfortable and established as the best left back in the division. He could cost up to £10m this summer, but he would be a great signing for any of the clubs mentioned as he has the potential to become one of the best full backs in world football. Also, he brings experience of the Champions League and has a winning mentality, both of which will be invaluable when he finally leaves the Eredivisie.

Riechedly Bazoer

The Ajax academy is still bringing through great talents in each generation and Riechedly Bazoer could be the best for a long time. He has already established himself as a starter for both club and country, while he has interested the likes of Napoli in recent months. The central midfielder is a great passer of the ball, while he is capable of carrying the ball, which is often does as he drives Ajax forwards. His reading of the game is superb as he rarely makes mistakes. Moreover, he is able to score goals with his tally standing at five for the season, with his long shots being another strength.

He is only 19-years-old and his potential is enormous. Bazoer is likely to go for a big fee when he does eventually leave Ajax. He has been linked with a move to Arsenal recently, but he may feel another year in the Eredivisie would be beneficial for his development. A move too soon to the wrong club can leave your growth at a standstill as Memphis Depay has learned the hard way. If he does leave this summer, he will be a great pick up for one of Europe’s premier clubs.

Sebastian Haller

The striker has had a great season in the Eredivisie and at the age of 21, he will develop a lot more in the future. Haller is all the attributes to succeed in a bigger league. He is great in the air, a strong finisher and capable of beating defenders on the dribble. The Frenchman is also contributes defensively, especially when it comes to defending set pieces. He almost joined Norwich City in January for £6.5m and although his value may be more in the summer, he will still be a cheaper option for clubs. He is an exciting prospect and it might be worth taking a risk on him now at a fee around £8m, than waiting and seeing his value rise.

Haller has scored 17 goals and has 4 assists, an impressive return which has helped his club get in contention for a Europa League spot for next season. He remains inconsistent and often scores his goals in streaks, but that is to be expected given his age. Tottenham have been linked with him in recent weeks, but they may be looking for a more proven talent to be a back up to Harry Kane, especially with the Champions League next season. He may opt for one more season in the Eredivisie, there will be interest in him this summer though.

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Eredivisie Team Of The Week – Round 7

Header-TeamOfTheWeek

Welcome to week seven 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.

TeamOfTheWeek-7

GOALKEEPER

ERWIN MULDER – SC HEERENVEEN: The big goalkeeper was invaluable for Heerenveen in their goal-less draw at home to Vitesse.

DEFENDERS

RICK KARSDORP – FEYENOORD: The youngster is having a real breakthrough season and his performance in the 2-0 win over PEC Zwolle on Sunday begins to ask the inevitable question – should he be considered for the Oranje squad next time round? Well, that is for all to debate but one thing is for certain… he is our PLAYER OF THE WEEK

JEFFREY GOUWELEEUW – AZ ALKMAAR: Gouweleeuw notched his first goal of the season as AZ start to put a run together in a 3-1 win over Heracles.

JOP VAN DER LINDEN – AZ ALKMAAR: Jeffrey’s partner at the back, Van der Linden, put in a shift to protect all three points for AZ against Heracles.

ROBBERT SCHILDER – FC TWENTE: A vital 2-1 win over Roda JC to get their season on track with Schilder playing a great part in the victory.

MIDFIELDERS

HAKIM ZIYECH – FC TWENTE: Ziyech pulls all the strings in the Twente midfield and in Sunday’s 201 win over Roda, it was no different.

RIECHEDLY BAZOER – AJAX: What a talent this young man is. Coach Frank de Boer stated this was Bazoer best match in the 2-0 triumph over FC Groningen – we agree.

SIMON GUSTAFSON – FEYENOORD: Cool and composed on the ball, the Swedish youngster showed Jens Toornstra and Lex Immers that there is a new guy in town and he wants their place in the first eleven.

ATTACKERS

BARTHOLOMEW OGBECHE – SC CAMBUUR: The Nigerian striker notched a double in the 3-3 draw with FC Utrecht.

MIKE HAVANAAR – ADO DEN HAAG: See above. Two goals from Havanaar in ADO’s 3-3 draw against Excelsior.

ELJERO ELIA – FEYENOORD: The former Southampton winger has been an inspirational for the Rotterdammers so far this season and he notched himself another goal in the 2-0 win over Zwolle.

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

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Eredivisie Team Of The Week – Round 5

Header-TeamOfTheWeek

Welcome to week five 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.

TeamOfTheWeek-5

GOALKEEPER

KENNETH VERMEER – FEYENOORD: Deserved clean sheet that protected all three points for Feyenoord against an persistent Willem II side.

DEFENDERS

SANTIAGO ARIAS – PSV: The Colombian faces a tough test against former team-mate Memphis Depay on Tuesday night but he prepared superbly in the 6-0 win over Cambuur with an assist.

SEAN KLAIBER – FC UTRECHT: Commanding display at right-back in Utrecht’s 2-1 win over Vitesse. Great attacking outing.

TIMO LETSCHERT – FC UTRECHT: The big central defender was untroubled by Vitesse in Utrecht’s excellent 2-1 win over Vitesse.

RAJKO BREŽANČIĆ – FC TWENTE: Great debut from Twente’s new Serbian left-back and a great goal to match in a 2-2 draw with Ajax.

MIDFIELDERS

REICHEDLY BAZOER – AJAX: The youngster improves with every outing and was influential in Ajax’s comeback against FC Twente.

MARKUS HENRIKSEN – AZ ALKMAAR: Two quick fire goals for AZ in their first win of the season over De Graafschap.

HAKIM ZIYECH – FC TWENTE: The playmaker notched a spot-kick and was an constant thorn in Ajax’s side in Twente’s 2-2 draw.

ATTACKERS

LARS VELDWIJK – PEC ZWOLLE: The loanee from Nottingham Forest notched a hat-trick in Zwolle’s 3-0 win over Excelsior which makes him our PLAYER OF THE WEEK.

LUUK DE JONG – PSV: The big target man will not get an easier hat-trick than he did in the first-half against SC Cambuur on Sunday. Took all three goals well.

JÜRGEN LOCADIA – PSV: The youngster seems to have patch things up with coach Philip Cocu and scored twice after coming off the bench in PSV’s 6-0 demolition of Cambuur.

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

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Eredivisie Team Of The Week – Round 2

Header-TeamOfTheWeek

Welcome to week two 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.

TeamOfTheWeek-2

GOALKEEPER

KEVIN BEGOIS – PEC ZWOLLE: Quality commanding display from the Belgian stopper in Zwolle’s 3-0 win over De Graafschap.

DEFENDERS

KEVIN DIKS – VITESSE: At only 18-years-old, Diks is showing all the doubters that he is not too young to play at the right-back position for Vitesse. Great through ball for Abiola Dauda’s goal.

CALVIN MAC-INTOSCH – SC CAMBUUR: If if were not for Calvin, Cambuur may have suffered a larger defeat than the 2-0 issued to them from Feyenoord.

GURAM KASHIA – VITESSE: Strong outing for the big Georgian and one of the many stars in the Vitesse team in their win over Roda.

BART VAN HINTUM – PEC ZWOLLE: Notched a rare goal for Ron Jans’ side in the 3-0 win over new boys De Graafschap.

MIDFIELDERS

JEFF STANS – EXCELSIOR: Great goal in a great 2-2 draw against top side AZ Alkmaar.

ANDRES GUARDADO – PSV: Battler. Attacker. Defender. Creator. The Mexican has it all and showed it once again this week in the 2-0 win over FC Groningen.

RIECHEDLY BAZOER – AJAX: Strong performance from the youngster in the 3-0 win over Willem II. He held the midfield well, and he is making the position his own.

ATTACKERS

LUCIANO NARSINGH – PSV: Two goals from the winger who is currently showing Eindhoven fans what life after Memphis will be like. PLAYER OF THE WEEK

ANWAR EL GHAZI – AJAX: Another brace for the Ajax striker, he goes from strength to strength.

RUBEN SCHAKEN – ADO DEN HAAG: Nabbed his first goal for ADO in their 4-1 thrashing of FC Twente in their own backyard.

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

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Unveiling four emerging stars of the Eredivisie

One of the positives of not being one of Europe’s biggest leagues and having relatively small finances is that the Eredivisie is a fertile ground for bringing through young players. A lot of the clubs rely on the money that they receive for their youth graduates to run their clubs.

FC Groningen are well known for their ability to bring players through and have seen the likes of Arjen Robben and Luis Suarez develop at their club in recent years. Although the latter was brought in from Uruguay, it would be wrong to suggest that the club didn’t have an impact on where he is now.

After the news that Depay will join Manchester United, clubs have been reminded of the rewards that come with producing talented players and in this article Jake Jackman talks about some of the young players coming through who may not be well known yet.

Steven Bergwijn (PSV)

An obvious place to start is with a player who is at PSV with the reputation as the next Depay, and that is Steven Bergwijn, who made his debut at the weekend to become the youngest player to feature in the Eredivisie this season. The winger’s style of play has been compared to both Depay and Arjen Robben, which is high praise indeed, but the 17 year old has a long way before he can truly be talked about in the same breath as either. Last summer, he played an integral part in the Holland U17 side as they made the final of European Championships and Bergwijn won the award for the tournament’s best player. The winger is quick and direct which makes him difficult to play against, while he has a very good shot on him. Next season will be key to him as his chances in the first team will increase now that Depay has left the club.

Riechedly Bazoer (Ajax)

Ajax are well known for their ability to produce their own players and one of the most promising coming through at the moment is Riechedly Bazoer. He has been talked about as the future of Dutch football by Frank de Boer, while he has been compared with Clarence Seedord, Frank Rijkaard and Patrick Viera, which is big praise for an 18 year old. He is a complete midfielder as he can pass the ball well and he is more than capable in the tackle. As you would expect from an Ajax player, he has excellent vision on the pitch and has the ability to play defence splitting passes from deep. He has featured in a handful of games this season and showed his ability against FC Twente when he scored a wonderful volley to give his side the lead. He is seen as a key part of the new look Ajax side and it will be surprising if he isn’t a regular in the Eredivisie next season.

Bilal Ould Chikh (FC Twente)

The Twente player is another very talented attacker coming through and like Bergwijn, he is only 17 years old. He has been linked with a move to Manchester United in recent weeks after Louis van Gaal was impressed with the winger’s performances at the U17 European Championships. He has already featured for the first team at Twente, managing to score his first goal against Heracles in January. He is a very good dribbler and has already showed that in the Eredivisie, which is impressive given his tender age. He is another quick and direct attacker, who likes to run with the ball in the final third, which Holland have a lot of. Ould-Chikh is very mobile and stands at only 5’6” which makes him difficult to mark at times as he likes to weave in and out of defenders. He is set to leave FC Twente this summer which could be a mistake given he is already featuring for the first team.

Richairo Zivkovic (Ajax)

Many believe Ajax forward Richairo Zivkovic to be Holland’s next number nine, which is a big claim, but this 18 year old has already made his mark on the Eredivisie. He is another player developed by Groningen before moving to Ajax last summer. In his first season in Amsterdam, he hasn’t featured much for the first team, but he did make his Champions League debut, which was a huge achievement for the striker. He has also opened his league account for the club, although last season he managed to score 11 times in the Eredivisie for Groningen. He will be eager to feature more for Ajax next season as he attempts to make his mark on the league. He likes to run with the ball, and has the pace and strength to beat defenders when he does. The striker is very good in front of goal when the chances come his way and once he has been embedded into the Ajax style, he could be a very clinical forward for them.

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