Eredivisie 2014-2015

[Geoffrey de Ste. Croix]

Quick drive-by post from deepest darkest France to get the Pays Bas premier division thread up and running for this season. Purely due to the fact that PEC Zwolle beat Utrecht 2-0 in the opening Eredivisie fixture to become the season's first koploper. A great way to celebrate being drawn against Sparta Prague in the Europa League earlier today.

All the rest of the initial fixtures take place tomorrow and Sunday.

[hawkvshandsaw]

Eredivisie 2014-2015

Bumping this so I don't forget about it (I armchair- follow Utrecht, having been on a few holidays there. They've had a squad overhaul but are losing 2-0 to PEC Zwolle).

[Geoffrey de Ste. Croix]

Eredivisie 2014-2015

Let’s start this season’s infancy by talking about longevity. In his appearance against Excelsior yesterday, NAC Breda’s goalkeeper Jelle ten Rouwelaar set an Eredivisie record for consecutive appearances- 205 appearances and 18,370 minutes on the pitch since he turned out for NAC against AZ on August 31st 2008. Unfortunately for ten Rouwelaar, NAC could only achieve a 1-1 draw against the Rotterdam new boys.

Drugs. Renowned amateur club SV Spakenburg are under investigation after two former players told newspaper NRC Handelsblad that during the Topklasse 2011-2012 season which Lance Armstrong’s favourite Dutch amateur club won, the team were ripped to the tits on Metylhexanamine. According to the whistleblowers, the drug was mixed with water in bottles and given to the players. Both SV and the KNVB are investigating. There is significance to this story given that SV are a famous amateur club playing in the third tier of Dutch football, reputedly cheated the 2012 championship and that doping may indeed be prevalent in the Dutch game. Watch this space.

To the Eredivisie . All of the traditional three won their openers, Ajax in an easy 4-1 win over Vitesse, PSV 3-1 away to Willem II but Feyenoord struggled to a deeply unimpressive 1-0 win over an ADO side who played all of the second half with 10 men. Feyenoord notably started the game with 6 players either 20 or under.

Daley Blind and Ronald de Boer have clearly been reading the OTF football dictionary thread, being that their utterances regarding Blind’s exit have been textbook. Blind described being flattered by interest from Manchester United and Barcelona, apparently he would find it hard to turn down these offers, especially considering the fact that La Liga suits my style of play, but I’m still happy to be in Amsterdam. For his part, de Boer has heard the rumours but is confident that Blind will stay another season. All of which meant Blind was on the bench to watch the champions easy win.

Speelronde 1

PEC Zwole 2-0 FC Utrecht
SC Heereenveen 1-2 FC Dordrecht
SC Cambuur 1-1 FC Twente
NAC Breda 1-1 Excelsior
Heracles Almelo 0-3 AZ
ADO Den Haag 0-1 Feyenoord
Go Ahead Eagles 2-3 FC Groningen
Ajax 4-1 Vitesse
Willem II 1-3 PSV

[ursus arctos]

Eredivisie 2014-2015

Great stuff.

Are Vitesse once again Chelsea Reserves, or was that a one year arrangement?

Are Den Haag's support still renowned for their senseless violence in the (figurative) shadow of the Peace Palace?

[Geoffrey de Ste. Croix]

Eredivisie 2014-2015

Cheers ursus.

Vitesse continue their reserve arrangement with Chelsea, having Wallace, Traoré and McEachran on loan from Stamford Bridge.

Despite Rotterdam-Den Haag-Amsterdam match ups being less than friendly, the ADO-Feyenoord fixture didn't see any noticeable trouble. There was a tribute to an ADO fan who died in the MH-17 plane crash. But yes, ADO still lead the nutcase stakes in terms of troublemakers in Dutch football.

Did anyone catch Sky's coverage of the Eredivisie? What was it like? I see on their website that they refer to PEC Zwolle as FC Zwolle, so the omens aren't good....

[SoccerScribbler]

Eredivisie 2014-2015

To be fair to the Sky presenter Pete Graves, he did refer to the club as PEC Zwolle even though the fixtures caption made them FC Zwolle.

Sky's coverage was functional, with Graves (a token male from Sky Sports News) in front of a generic studio canvas with only Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink for company.

Iain Dowie was co-commentator on the Den Haag-Feyenoord game. He may have a face for commentary, but he's an interesting observer. His enthusiasm is genuine and he's clearly not of the "let's all laugh at the funny foreigners' names" school.

Efan Ekoku was the co-commentator for the Ajax match. His is a more sober, serious approach. I didn't find him offensive.

All in all, It's a boon for anybody with an interest in Dutch football and a very nice addition for those with BT Sport as well as the UK pay-TV sports channels are now covering pretty much all of the top leagues in Europe between them. That said, I think there's a market for a weekly two-hour European football highlights show with, say, highlights of four of the biggest games across the continent each week and a goals round-up to tie up the rest. Life's too short to sit through the entire 90 minutes of Mainz v. Augsburg.

As much as I enjoy the droll James Richardson, BT's European Football Show is rather too much of a talking shop and rather too light on match highlights to make it worth watching on a weekly basis. To me, it's a missed opportunity as their portfolio would allow them to do just what I've suggested above.

[KGR]

Eredivisie 2014-2015

Good analysis that scribbler, and thanks to GdSC for his continued efforts towards extending our knowledge of the Dutch game here.

I wonder if the new Sky Sports European football channel, Sky Sports 5, will opt for a magazine format to include all the goals, a bit like how BT Sport do their weekly goals roundup from the Scottish Premier.

[Borracho]

Eredivisie 2014-2015

SoccerScribbler wrote: As much as I enjoy the droll James Richardson, BT's European Football Show is rather too much of a talking shop and rather too light on match highlights to make it worth watching on a weekly basis. To me, it's a missed opportunity as their portfolio would allow them to do just what I've suggested above.

Until about halfway through last season, it was pretty much all highlights. Then, at some point, they decided to make it into a chat show. It's as dull as fuck.

[anton pulisov]

Eredivisie 2014-2015

Blind was on the bench along with all the other World Cup lads, who are being given an extra rest.

[Borracho]

Eredivisie 2014-2015

Incidentally, and without wanting to derail this thread, Jelle ten Rouwelaar is the most Dutch name I have come across in many a moon.

So let's have a sub-thread inside this thread where we can try to surpass it. I'll start off with a couple of nominations, such as Leo van Veen, a journeyman defender who played for Ajax against Celtic in a mildly memorable European Cup tie in 1982. A name which positively reeks of late nights, decent beer, salty seadogs and dimly-lit backstreet bars.

Henk Jonkers is another one. I believe he was/is some kind of Dutch indie rock answer to Steve Albini.

Both of these people actually exist, in case anyone's wondering.

[anton pulisov]

Eredivisie 2014-2015

And don't forget Dutch Socialist Party senator Tiny Kox.

[Geoffrey de Ste. Croix]

Eredivisie 2014-2015

Many thanks for that analysis SoccerScribbler. I'm pleased to see Dutch football being given a higher profile on UK TV.

As for names, it is a rich seam which can never be exhausted. I came across Ab Plugboer, ex player and head youth coach for FC Utrecht the other day.

[Etienne]

Eredivisie 2014-2015

Feyenoord stalwart (another one for the football dictionary thread) Kees van Wonderen is another candidate.

[Flynnie]

Eredivisie 2014-2015

Selected Ambient Works 85-92 wrote: Incidentally, and without wanting to derail this thread, Jelle ten Rouwelaar is the most Dutch name I have come across in many a moon.

So let's have a sub-thread inside this thread where we can try to surpass it. I'll start off with a couple of nominations, such as Leo van Veen, a journeyman defender who played for Ajax against Celtic in a mildly memorable European Cup tie in 1982. A name which positively reeks of late nights, decent beer, salty seadogs and dimly-lit backstreet bars.

Henk Jonkers is another one. I believe he was/is some kind of Dutch indie rock answer to Steve Albini.

Both of these people actually exist, in case anyone's wondering.

In a mixture of uber-Dutchness and being a genuinely great player, you can't go beyond Wim van Hanegem.

[beak]

Eredivisie 2014-2015

Meanwhile, Samuel Eto'o to Ajax sounds like it might be a thing that actually happens, him having watched their game against Vitesse and allegedly said he'll make a decision by Wednesday as to what he's going to do.

[Geoffrey de Ste. Croix]

Eredivisie 2014-2015

Yeah, apparently Ajax are looking to break their wages ceiling for Eto'o as there is no transfer fee involved. He's obviously being brought in to strengthen the attack for the Champions League. There was a bit of a spat between PSV and Ajax when PSV technical manager Marcel Brands sniffily stated Eto'o was offered to them first but cost too much money for them to consider.

If anyone is interested in Dutch culture and football, here is FC Knudde, a football cartoon that is an institution here and syndicated across different newspapers and media.

Here he is commenting on Feyenoord's failure to strengthen the team for the new season. Let's just say that if a cartoon such as this appeared in any UK newspaper, the internet and Daily Mail would implode and emergency questions asked in Parliament.

[Logan Mountstuart]

Eredivisie 2014-2015

He avoided controversy there by making the entire team white.

It's usual in the Netherlands to hear total bollocks whenever Feyenoord are discussed.

As for Dutch names, surely Johan Cruijff is the iconic one?

I also like Wim Jonk, and anyone with the christian name Boudewijn.

Nice start to the thread, Geoffrey.

[anton pulisov]

Eredivisie 2014-2015

Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink

Mostly because "of" means "or" in English.

[The Awesome Berbaslug!!!]

Eredivisie 2014-2015

What does the writing mean?

[beak]

Eredivisie 2014-2015

[loosely]

"Still no strengthening at Feyenoord" / "It'll be difficult with a bare squad"

The coach is sighing.

[Geoffrey de Ste. Croix]

Eredivisie 2014-2015

re great names in Dutch football, I give you 1970's FC Amsterdam and Vitesse player:
de Leeuw is Dutch for the Lion.

[beat]

Eredivisie 2014-2015

I was at the Ajax game. Never the rowdiest of crowds, things were especially subdued yesterday due to the collective decision of some of the 'hardcore' fans to lay low after they were told off by the club's board after last season's cup 'shenanigans'. If you can call throwing fireworks at your own keeper shenanigans.

Said keeper (Kenneth Vermeer) was excellent, by the way. Saved the day on multiple occasions, although in typical Vermeer style, also provided a couple of nervous moments. As did defender Mike van der Hoorn (which, incidentally, is a very, very Dutch name, even if the 'Mike' might suggest otherwise), who only redeemed himself with a neat headed goal from a corner. They could do with some livening up in attack - Eto'o might be just the ticket.

[The Awesome Berbaslug!!!]

Eredivisie 2014-2015

Ajax always win the strange player names competition. Where is hedwiges Maduro these days?

[ursus arctos]

Eredivisie 2014-2015

PAOK

[Logan Mountstuart]

Eredivisie 2014-2015

According to TPC, Ajax have a squad player called Queensy Menig this year.

Alas the best Feyenoord can do is good old Lex Immers.