Johan Cruyff will always be a factor at his two favorite clubs, Ajax and Barcelona. His opinion will be heard. He will voice it himself ( in meetings, via his column or via his connections) and usually the club listens. There are always times when some faction is in charge that opts to ignore JC, but at the end of the day, his opinion will be noticed.
As a result, his work and his vision can be seen at clubs like Feyenoord, AC Milan, Liverpool and Manchester United, while coaches like Arsene Wenger and Joachim Low have admitted to be influenced by him.
At this stage, in the Eredivisie, Feyenoord rules. Sure, PSV wins the title and Ajax probably finishes second, but in terms of youth development, it seems Feyenoord has leapfrogged Ajax over the last years, with talents like De Vrij, Martins Indi, Clasie, Karsdorp, Nelom, Van Beek, Vilhena, Achabar and Boetius all making it big while the likes of Ake and Rekik also came through the Feyenoord system.
De Vrij is making big impressions in Europe while Sven van Beek will be right behind him one can only assume.
Feyenoord HAD to change their strategy, after signing big name players (with big paychecks) failed and the shenanigans of Wotte, Gullit and Bosz almost bankrupted the club.
It was Cruyff adept Stanley Brard who organised Feyenoord’s youth system, mentored by none other than Wim Jansen and the rest is history.
Currently, Ajax’ biggest talent – Bazoer – was actually developed by PSV.
So, when Martin Jol was playing more realistic football as Ajax coach, Cruyff had enough and stepped in. He started the so-called Cruyff revolution. And with ex Ajax players and icons like Frank de Boer, Dennis Bergkamp, Wim Jonk, Marc Overmars, Bryan Roy and Orlando Trustful (ex-Feyenoord, not Ajax), Cruyff took the club by storm. With support internally from the likes of Mark Geestman and Ruud van Duyvenbode in the admin side of things and in governance, Johan modelled a new organisational structure. From now on, the technical triangle would determine the technical future of the club. The technical triangle being the head coach Frank de Boer, the youth coordinator Wim Jonk and bridge between senior and youth, Dennis Bergkamp…. In the background, Edwin van der Sar is the commercial director while Marc Overmars is technical director at board level.
But…Cruyff does things the JC way. He is a supported of seagull management. This means: coming in from high up, making a lot of noise, and flying off again, leaving a heap of shit. The shit he left, is basically no real in-depth deployment of the structure. It’s more like “you guys do this together and sort it out. Bye. Or better: adio!” And off he went to Barcelona.
Anyone with know-how of organisational design knows you need to do more than that. You need clarity in communication structures, in authority, tasks and responsibilities. Who is responsible for what? KPIs. Etc.
Not something JC will worry about. But with Overmars in the role of technical director – as Ajax is a public company and needs a formal structure – the role of the technical triangle is a bit unclear. Is Overmars part of it? Does Frank de Boer report to Overmars? At De Toekomst, the youth center of Ajax, the situation is not much better. Jonk is supposed to be the leader, but his communication and management skills seem non existent. The second in command at the youth center, a certain Ruben Jongkind , seems to have taken the lead but the poor lad is an athletics coach. So guess what. The emphasis in the Ajax youth center is now all about running and fysiology. And even worse: talented youth coaches like Ronald de Boer, Michel Kreek and Orlando Trustfull have all left. Ronald de Boer is doing tv analyst work, Trustful is coach of Oranje’s youth teams.
Ajax’ De Toekomst (The Future) youth center
It was always the plan to have at least one ex Ajax icon to manage a youth team. Now, after three years, that plan is in the bin. The new strategy is to have coaches rotate every couple of weeks. This is why Trustfull left: “I am happy for Ajax to determine what they think is best, but I feel I can deliver best when working with one team for a whole season.” Other coaches who managed a team have left as well, such as Fred Grim, Yannis Anastasiou, Heini Otto, Michel Kreek and Dean Gorre. Grim and Kreek are now at Almere City, Gorre and Anastasiou have gone abroad while Otto is currently leading Ajax Streetwise, a humanitarian project. Jongkind attracted new coaches, none of them with a football or even Ajax history, but former coaches in American football, athletics, triathlon and pole jump. There are still a couple of individual coaches, such as Simon Tahamata, Richard Witschge and Bryan Roy.
Jonk has refused to spend more time in the technical triangle meetings as he believes Frank de Boer ignores the Ajax youth and buys players Ajax doesn’t need to buy (Van der Hoorn, Duarte, Sinkgraven, Sigthurson, Viergever) while Frank de Boer and Marc Overmars don’t see eye to eye for the same reasons.
And in all of this, the battle between Cruyff and Van Gaal has a role to play as well. Because Bergkamp, Roy, Jonk are most likely all Cruyff adepts, but players like Frank de Boer and Marc Overmars are more Van Gaal supporters. When Cruyff was wielding his influence in Ajax a couple of years back, De Boer never commented on his “revolution”. Always said he was there to focus on the first team and he never wanted to interviewed about it. Only once, when pressed, did he say he was keen to utilise JC’s football know how. But as Martin Jol strikingly said, when his days at Ajax were running out: “If Cruyff is on the stands and shakes his head, you know what time it is….”.
Happier times….
When De Boer was winning title after title, he seemed an untouchable. Now, with a lot of slow backpasses and slow build up, there is no escaping anymore. The minute Cruyff uses his column to address you and your performance, you know you are in trouble.
Sadly for Ajax, the only way they know to make it work again is to ask El Salvador to come to Amsterdam again and fix the issues. Sadly for Ajax, the well paid executives (Overmars, Van der Sar, Jonk, De Boer, Bergkamp) can’t seem to fix it by themselves. Cruyff said it eloquently back in 2013: “They were all great players. They were able to find each other on the pitch without a problem. Surely, they will be able to sort things out.”
It seems not. End of the month, JC will be reporting back in De Arena to sort his pupils out. Board member, former Ajax (and Feyenoord) player, and lawyer Keje Molenaar: “There is a lot to do, but Johan is aware of the situation and is aware what needs to happen. He won’t be racing down immediately, but that has also to do with his agenda.”
Molenaar: “Cruyff will focus on taking the tension away and making sure all factions work and talk together again. But key is also the quality of the play on the pitch. We need to play Ajax style football again and make sure we get people to come back to the Arena.”
Cruyff responded as well: “I think Ajax is in good shape. Four titles in a row, lots of young players coming through and their quality improves by the year. But now we need to take this hurdle and make another step forward. We need to stop playing the ego game and swallow our pride and get on with it. The distance between the youth center and the first team needs to be closed. We need to develop players that will stop the management in trying to find better alternatives.”
Nice inside views Jan. Well JC had been the godfather for Ajax working behind the scenes over the years but I dont think they should hit the panic button jus yet.I think this should be a learning curve for them as they cannot be winning the title everytime.
great victory for Cocu and his men.See ya in CL.
beyond any doubts Depay has been the main man behind PSV sucees to this years title.The question is what happens when he departs and how PSV will cope without him especially in CL.Depay and Wijnaldum are the only two players who are on the brink of exist at PSV with both playing a key role in the road to winning of title. Should Cocu look to Jong PSV to get their backup reinforcement or look for experenced and capable replacements for the two outgoing heros. there is also Bakkali saga still going on and with Depay almost certain to leave will this force Cocu to reinstate him into the main team after the fallout between them.well something to look forward to next season or will there be Dutch /Belgian standoff. Given his contract status I dont think PSV will let him go unless any team comes knoching for him. Celtic also are big admires of his. but either way I think they will need to bring an upgraded striker/wing who can compete with Luuk JOng coz most of Luuk headed goals this season has come from Depays assist and with no Depay next season I dont see him replicating the same form nxt year. Well Davy Propper is on Cocu top list and should Wijnaldum depart he should be an idle replacements. So its the forwards they need to bloster for the nxt season to have a good CL campagin
Denswil is ineligible to play in Europa.
bakkali is a piece of shit and he is belgian…let him go
Club Brugge are on the brink of winning the Juplier league with 3 games remaining. Ruud Vormer scored the winner in their 2-1 win over Anderlecht this weekend. I still remember Vormer used to be on the bench for Feyenoord under Ronald Koeman. He has been regular starter for Club Brugge in all their league games and as well Europa league with Stefano Densweil who currently out injured. Maybe its time Dutch players who are playing in other leagues and doing well be considered for NT, rather than eredivise players who often choke.
Apart from those who have already played for NT,No more new players from eredivise for me.
Hiddink should look at these players, Van Dijik, Buttner,Densweil,Vormer, Van Annoholt, and incorporate them with current squad.
Anita also is turning out to being a beast for Newcastle at LB.
Would like to see Psv go after Ola John and he can link up with luuk de Jong again.
Two great article Jan.(Ajax and Guus)And very very difficult to comment.I hope that the situation in Ajax is not so bad ..Ajax-Dniepro(I have not seen this in that match)but I agree about Feyenoord this season.A spark of the old time in 2014/15.(Topic:Who is better Hiddink or LVG is irrelevant to me)
LVG perfectly knows that analyzes a football game on the Dutch way.And to understand the game opponents.And to find solution on the Dutch way.In a modern way and using computerized analysis.And to put this in the players.It looks the best machine.But something is missing.??And he buys and buys new players.If they do not fit in his vision..he started buying the Dutch players.The circle is closed and managers are coming on the wrong way.Trap.
On the other hand is more realistic Cruyff.He wants to foster creativity in the Dutch players.To think on their own way.Guus Hiddink is closer Cruyff,s opinion.Franck de Boer think that it is not enough for today,s football…I do not who is right..It may be true in the middle..
Let,s move on.Guus:”I told the lads to try and get Turkey to react to what we did.We invited them in they did not come out .”Normally. Fish,fish,fish come to me!!!But the fish do not want to come to me.I have to throw the hook.I will play a wrong combination (always something new like Bas Dost against Turkey) and wait..Another wrong combination(something new )and wait. When they come out I will play the right combination…It is difficult to explain.
My “football career” is similar to Jan,s.1970s and early 1980s in Yugoslavia.Amateur,suburb against suburb,street against street,middle schools etc.I was too shy, too(but not in the football field).And the same thing against big mouth.
I loved a lot of running(not as a headless chicken) to find the “main space of the game” and “main roosters” in it.And I was a very good one on one and I had the perfect killer instinct .When my “spiritual computer” finds the right moments I will attack the opponent,s goal(or pass the ball to another player).Goal and I have existed one in this moment. I called it a Zen moment.
In this case it does not matter how many opponents you have in front of you.
I finished with football(left football) because I did not know how to play against my team and against opposing team in the same time.haha.I loved playing against “big stars” and big mouth , with people in my team (we were the team) who could not to play football well.And win.It was my satisfaction and goodbye.
In which position?Cruyff was my idol.Freedom of movement.Not KJHuntelaar.I loved to hunt…in the wider area..
And about final match Germany -Holland 7.7.74.
Cruyff had to hunt Beckenbauer from the first to the last minute.With joy.To put that cock in a pot or in the mud..and Berti Vogts would have ended in a pan.(concentration on Vogts was deadly) JC would have control,and open space for other players.and also for yourself.
Feyenoord 2015-2016 away kit.
http://www.liveforfootballshirts.com/adidas-feyenoord-away-kit-201516-released/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+liveforfootballshirts+%28Live+For+Football+Shirts+-+For+Fans+of+Footy+Shirts+New+%26+Old%29
koeman should bring Janmaat, Van Dijik, and Krul to Southampton
This will be absolutely insane!
From next season pot one for the group stage draw will include the winners of the top seven league’s ranked by the EUFA co-efficient system, joined by the reigning Champions League winners.
Should the reigning Champions League winners also win one of the top seven European Leagues, then the eighth place will fall to the champion of the eighth seeded league, which is currently Netherlands. So with Barcelona, Bayern Munich, PSG, and Juventus all topping their leagues and in the Champions league last eight, PSV could sneak into pot one.
This will be the only chance for a Dutch club to take advantage of this rule change for a while, with the Eredivisie set to be overtaken by the Ukrainian and Belgian leagues in the co-efficient from next year.
@ Srinjoy,I presume the insane part you mentioned is about eredivise being overtaken by Juipler league and Ukrainan league,but then again this shows that these leagues have have structured their development of players well over the years with the same competition level throughout while the outgoing players from eredivise has relatively made the competition weaker for upcoming talents.This is how PSV has caught Ajax after they failed to replace outgoing players with the same calibre of players.you look at the vaccum left by Anita, Eriksen,Alderweireld ,De Jongs Depature. Now compare this with Feyenoord and how they ventured with the depatures of Janmaat,BMI,Pelle,De Vrij.Kongolo,Van De Beek,,Richards have enhancely filled the void left by them with other players like Manu and Archabhar further supplementing the compactabilty of the team.
Competition wise if you look at Depays goal and assist tally,he was on of the main factors why PSV won the eredivise and when you look at Europa league their performance was a clear indication of the gaps between eredivise and other leagues.
Nice article Jan, personally I don’t think Ajax needs to panic as success should be judged over longer terms not just 1 season and they have won 4 of the last 5 so that is pretty good in my book.
Also I don’t think it is good for the Eredivisie if 1 team dominates year after year, in fact I don’t think it is good for any league, the EPL was boring when ManU kept winning every thing, there is much more interest in the EPL now with multiple winners over the past couple of seasons.
IMO it weakens the competition when you only have 1 or 2 dominant teams and forces the lesser clubs to play in such a manner that can be seen as anti-football and non developmental. Particularly in leagues such as the Eredivisie.
I think Chelsea is the master of this, buying young players that never see the light of day (Ake) and using the older players that are beyond development but know how to get a result.
If Ajax won the CL by parking the bus in every game , would Cruyff by happy?
-“If Ajax won the CL parking the bus in every game, would Cruyff be happy”? I think it is a question for the Nobel Prize.
-LVG targets with ManUtd,Bayern and Barcelona.. to be better than Ajax 95.But something always missing..
-Good football evening. Bayern-Porto 6-1.I loved( in the German league)more Monchengladbach in 1970s(and later) BUT today Bayern played like Holland 1974.(except final match)
A feast for the eyes!
-PSV in pot one for CL!?It is a good if PSV is a good team.A good chance.
once again the eredivise will be raided in the summer transfer window with finest talents departing eredivise making the competition level even more lower next season.
I hope Hiddink has learnt from Bayern and Porto game as to whats at stake if he continues to use BMI in defense. Even though he started at LB, Lahm schooled him like small boy.
Amen…..wilson….
But Hiddink wont do that,he just considers it as offday mistakes…thats huge sad part….BMI,Afellay,weil are the least deserved players who plays for NT.Afellay comes first,BMI second and weil 3.when we removed 2 and 3 we got a great attacck,when we Remove BMI we have better defense,its so simple..as that..
Between LVG was hiding BMI in WC on pitch everytime we faced tough opponents,kuyt marvellously did job for NT,LVg and BMI..
He needs to give a break to Van Dijik. Janmaat,Vlaar,Van Dijik,Buttner. our strikers will never choke again whether its RVP,Hunter,Dost. Janmaat has really stepped up at Newcastle as he is also often deployed at CB.Louis Van Gaal is also keeping as close tab on him as they prepare to offload Raffel.
Also as you mentioned Fer as a false nine could also be intresting.I think Hiddink often scarifies either a defender/midfielder for a extra striker when they are losing which is quiet outdated imo.with you are playing in knock out stages this can easily backfire.
Janmaat is way too intelligent than weil and many overrated brazilian and Arjentina players due to more hispanic population….
Everyone says Blind is physically weak,but it RVP gets physically abused by defenders more..Basdost and a harworkworking hunter would be effective than RVP vs any tough teams…RVP became slow and stays offside all the time to compensate his lack of speed and physical power..Which kills of the game movemnet and cancells out any goal threat.
RVP should not play as striker any more ,at the best he is sub for left winger come shadow striker.thats what he is.
Afellay as i said 100 times,he has got slow brain and physically weak and a less courageous guy..So…he is no where near Depay as winger,Roben as winger or playmakers like Clasie,klassen,Davy proper,toonstra etc..
Weil has very bad accuracy in shots i mean crosses,cannot read the game well.
When Van derweil combines with David luiz,Cavani and emotional Thaigo silva,it becomes epitome of less intelligent team.
brazil and arjentina players are more popular due the large population of hispanic groups..this makes Dutch ,germen players less popular..
“youth development in Feyenoord” And good connections with the first team.
So,I thought the best solution for LVG is Feyenoord(as Bayern 2009).To find new model players like Xavi,Iniesta,RVP(he is not find him but…),Thomas Muller,Toni Kros,Ajax 95..and do something with them.(In the company of Madrid,Barcelona and Juventus(beating Bayern before that,of course).)
Or to sell this model players before these things.
What is the primary target?
It would be the first thing.
-Secondly. LVG wants Manchester(Barcelona earlier) better than Ajax 95.His inspiration!?But..where is the trap?
Ajax 95 was a totality,unity…Ajax had everything to make people happy.
LVG wants better but he can not find unity Ajax 95..Always something missing..And he buys and buys..(I wont be guilty if ManUtd. bankrupts)..Gareth Bale??Depay?Wiel?Wijnaldum?..
It is a hole in the dike.
-If is such a situation ..
Man Utd. played very well against Chelsea.And maybe people will enjoy next season.
-Today..Juventus,Barcelona ,Bayern ,Real…my favorite is Bayern.
-Because Dutch NT 2010,2014 was a great success.
Belive me Depay would be more successful than De maria in Manunited..Mark my words…but same depay goes to liverpool under Rodgers,it can end up as disaster..but seems depay is mentally strong..he might make the cut..
Tiju,Rogers disaster,are you joking or what.Depay will end up like RVP and Blind always getting Van Gaals preference so the last thing for him to do will be to replicate his form jus like at PSV.
The Downfall of Rogers this year was signing Baloteli. Lambert,markovic,Baloteli never lived up to expectation with Surez depature leaving a big hole.They need one good striker to partner Sturidge upfront,DM and RB.they will be CL contenders.if liverpool let him go it will be bad decision.
Bit suprised as to why no team has scouted Beneteke over the years.he is what you call a killer striker.when he is around you have to open your third eye
.
@wilson u didnt get my point,Rogers is not a match for LVG.Coach is not just a coach for me.LVG is head and shoulder above Rogers.No comparison at all..I really dont care whether Rogers is disaster or Master.
.All i care about Depay the young 21 old guy who has shown certain level of potential with strong fighting mentality..I dont give damn about Rogers failure sigings or winning signings…
As a dutchie,,LVG will give more support to Depay tahn Rogers..he will get playing time over Demaria and Co….LVG is a better player developer.
Had Vanginekl Joined a dutch coach instead of Jose he woul have been a star now..this is what my point is..No shit about rogers..or what he does..
LVG prefers Blind for a reason….Blind is 1000 times intelligent player than De maria,Rojo and little more than luke shaw.He works his but off,No more back passes,Great vision,Good ball controll,Good reading of game…a Super bumper siging for Manu in every aspect or best siging of last year…
Tiju,Van Gaal is all about players and without them he will jus like any other coach on the planet. If you compare David Moyes term at Man United to that of Van Gaal,even though Moyes underachieved at Man United,but with the team he inherited,any other coach for that matter would have found it going tough given only two signings of Mata and Fellani.I think Moyes dismaal jus after 1 season was unconsiderate when compared to Van Gaal who was given 150 millons pounds to splash on players like Shaw,Rojos,Herrera,De Maria,Falcao on his arrival.Nobody wants to see the true picture here and are enjoying the Uniteds form under Van Gaal.If Moyes would have been given the same funds obviously the results would have been differrent.
I think ARS has also mentioned about this above on missing unity and Van Gaal buying more and more players.
is in the same boat as Mourinho and Guardiola.
Without players we cannot play….But to stay on top club,u should be a winner and tactician,LVG is master neither Rogers nor David Moyes doesnt stand a clue infront of him…He is a Well proven coach,no matter what u say So is Guardiyola and Jose,what happend to barca when they lost pep?/What happend to Chelsea when they lost jose??its history…Though Dematio won a fluke victory vs Bayern..
PLease dont talk immeerial things,every coach needs unity not just LVG,LVG brings unity and a collective team than individuals,though he utlizes individuals at it best..
AZ…was crap in his first year and everyone knows what AZ was in next year…can any coach from netherlands make AZ as champions over twente,Ajax ,feynoord and PSV????
it says a lot…
Moyes and Rogers are clueless when compared to LVG..No more immeerial talks wilson..
De maria deal was already on paper so was luuk shaw…i think he bottled Falcao career it seems..Falcao is a nice player,who had to sit for a old man RVP.Herrera too suffered,but finally he realised and RVP sits in bench and falcao started vs chelsea but yet again neither falco or RVP doesnt play well.
i feel he shouldnd have signed falcao and Demaria…De maraia is a ball looser,he breaks rythem of team,But Ashly young fidghts for team and team is well balanced when they play with Rooney,felliani,mata,herrera with young,valncia,blind and carrick..
So are you saying without signing all those players I mentioned,Van Gaal would have achieved the same result as now?.
I will agree he is a master techinician but without players he is jus.I think you forget about his second spell at Barcelona.
What ARS was meant about unity was the Dutch contingent at Ajax ,Barcelona
Tiju in simple english,there is a nut and a bolt.Van Gaal is the Bolt and he needs the right size nut to maintain the tighness.Without the bolt,the nut is useless and without the nut the bolt is useless.
I agree he is a master technician but without the players he will be useless.I think you forget about his second spell at Barcelona when his busty up with Rivaldo from previous term resulted him releasing him on free transfer and the replacements he brpught were all disappointing
They Finished 12th in La Liga back then.
Its not only Rivaldo,Luca Toni,Frank Ribery ,Stoichkov all were involved in row under his spell.
He brought the whole dutch contingent to Barcelona during his first spell.
Second spell he failed as his transfer players were all disappointment
Bayern he did the same thing massive signings.
Man United again he wants more signing
The point here is if you are master technician you dont need players to win the game for you,it yours philospy that makes players win the game and this is why van Gaal was sucessfully at Ajax and Alkmaar where it was more about his philospy rather than players when compared Barcelona and Bayern where it was all about the signing new players.
Barcelona 12th under Van Gaal
Man United 6th Moyes
you do the maths.
@Wilson singings with Vigillant eye is very important…LVG has made some number of bad singings..Edson brpaheid siging for Bayern was the most laughable signing amongset them…He had catastrophy with barca and even AZ..When his philosphy doesnt matches with players,then u can expect a colapse…LVG is way too intelligent than Moyes and Rogers,thats why he say i am a good coach…Offcourse everyone makes blunder mistakes like Hiddink does repeatedly with BMI,Afelllay and Weil in NT…LVG tooo does it.But what makes him great is he has won CL,leagues germen,spain and dutch,next year EPL…Took an ok team to WC semi in other continent where italy and so called bigshots choked…What is there for Moyes and Rogers to compare with him???Nothing…
i would say siging of Demaaria,Falcao,Rojos are flop compared to their money value..only worth signing was Luuk shaw and Blind…i feel LVG wasted money for some lesser but popular players…
Tiju,you give any team or coach 150million pounds in Epl whether its Queens Park Rangers,Liverpool,they will be able to replicate Man Uniteds form under Van Gaal for sure.
This is what I was trying to point out all this time.
Nice outings for Nathan Ake on loan at Reading.Though he couldnt play against Arsenal but still twice awarded MOTM.Hiddink giv him a break.
Ake is fu6@###$king his future with plastic money club…
Well at 20 he has topped up with experience of playing with top players and leagues at Chelsea when compared with others in his age group in NT.Definitely a plus for me,only needs to get consistent game time for which he might have to move out on loan to CL team or move out permenantly.
definitely an upgraded player than Blind.When his time comes there will be stppping where it is Danny or Daley Blind.
Big draws in the CL.Bayern vs Barcelona- Madrid vs Juventus.I think given all their performace through out the year,they fully deserve to be in the SF.If Barcelona beats Bayern then there is no stopping. them.
Im jus hopping my man Jordy clasie makes some wise decsion and joins a team in EL or CL.This will be a good transition for him specially at championship level which is quiet overdue.
Virgil Van Dijik has also being nominated for Player of year.He also needs to look at his options with Euros in mind.Fingers crossed Hiddink will give him a chance vs Lativa.
150 million sigings of LVg was mostly waste bar Blind and uuk shaw,i saw 150M as loss for Manu,LVg done with already established players with last year arrival mata and Fellaini..
it money waste in my book,LVg got only befit from Blind and luuk shaw…
Ake is deal no doubt,but Chelsea and other plastic money clubs are Semitry for young players,he should look in Reikik and Bruma,Both went from plastic money clubs…
Bayern players are so intelligent bacra Trio are very skilled,but considering injury of Badstuber and Benatia,Messi,Neymar and Suarez can easilyF34#$$k Dante.
So Barce edge is in the form of injury of Benatia and Badstuber..Though i want Bayern to win…
Bayern is cooective team with extraordinary intelligent players…like Gotze,Muller,Lahm,alonso,Lewei, i dont rate Ribery as as brilliant as Lahm..Lewa will manhandle Barca Pique…Lewa is tsrong and intelligent..
Well hatsoff to the general but I think De Jongs error at milan has come to a end. His one dimensonal game of breaking down the play is outdated and its time Milan look to a more balanced midfielder who can do both jobs simultaneously.His non ability to play at a high line always drags the other midfielders back and this is one reason why the milan strikers have failed to score being deprived of service. When Milan is attacking he always has to maintain his ground so that he can retrieve back on counter situation.This also becomes an awkward situation as the spaces between the midfeilders makes it hard to interplay giving the opposition more time to regain territory adavantage hence the strikers are left isolated.
his efficiency would be best suited when you are winning and want to add defensive reinforcement to see the game out.
well not to write him off, he is more suited when playing against players like Fellani,Toure where their physical factor needs to be matched with the same force.
jus going back to what srinjoy brought up about Tjaronn Chery at Groningen.He has scored 14 goals this season compared Davy Proppers 5 goals but yet both PSV and Ajax are in the market for the Vitesse man. Jus Like Depay 21goal tally speaks for his performance,Chery goals for Groningen also speaks for his calibre and form. its kind of dispointing to see players like him being not picked out and are left to fight their own battel.I think this is where the loose ends needs to be tied up for the shake of player development.
Lex Immers is another player who has been wondering in the wild for all these years.He is one of the most vital member of Feyenoords squad. if you look at Feyennords both leg vs Roma his absence was felt big time in second led when compared to first leg when they took Roma to the wire. I mean how can develop these players if you dont recognise them.
Van Dijik was also in the same boat but is still overlooked even though thriving for Celtic at EL and SPL.
This is where the attitude needs to change to pave way for a friutfull future.
if you look at Serie A and how players like Zaza,Elder,Gabbiadini,Soriano have been given nod by Conte through their performance at club level and how they have taken the opportunity and stamped their mark on the international scene.
I cant remember when was the last time a player outside of PSV,Ajax,Feyenoord in eredivise dawned the NT Jumper.