Four challengers, one trophy. The state of play in the Eredivisie title race
Posted by Joe Baker on March 18th, 2023 10:41 AM | No Comment
It has felt a while since the Eredivisie had a genuine title race.
Granted last season ended with PSV Eindhoven only two points behind Ajax, yet Eric ten Hag’s side barely broke sweat in the run-in, going 10 games unbeaten. They ...
Virgil van Dijk remains world class – so why should he no longer start for the Netherlands?
Posted by Joe Baker on March 11th, 2023 06:00 PM | 1 Comment
Near the end of this month the Netherlands will begin their latest international tournament cycle, leading to Euro 2024 next summer. And, just like they did during qualification for Euro 2020 and again for Word Cup 2022, they are doing ...
Traditional but effective – why Wout Weghorst should not be underestimated
Posted by Joe Baker on January 17th, 2023 10:28 PM | 1 Comment
Football players are a bit like clothes. They come in and out of fashion. For a period of time a certain type of player, fulfilling a certain role in a team becomes the main trend. Remember when it was in ...
Why joining Liverpool might not be the best long-term move for Cody Gakpo
Posted by Joe Baker on December 28th, 2022 05:29 PM | 4 Comments
After watching the rise of Cody Gakpo over the last few years in the Eredivisie, one of the first things you notice is how good his decision-making is. Yes, he is excellent off both feet, a creator as well as ...
Uninspiring but effective – A defence of Louis van Gaal’s Netherlands side
Posted by Joe Baker on December 1st, 2022 10:19 PM | 7 Comments
For a fan, tournament football can be a complex and conflicting beast. If your team has the potential to go a long way, maybe even all the way, the main priority is surely to just keep progressing forwards, no matter ...
Five things we learned from Netherlands v Senegal
Posted by Joe Baker on November 24th, 2022 06:15 PM | 1 Comment
A team’s opening World Cup fixture is rarely easy, no matter how good you are. Just look at the shocks Argentina and Germany experienced at the hands of Saudi Arabia and Japan respectively.
That’s why the Netherlands should feel optimistic following ...
Explaining Louis van Gaal’s obsession with Daley Blind
Posted by Joe Baker on November 18th, 2022 07:15 AM | 5 Comments
There is always at least one selection in a World Cup squad that causes eyebrows to rise into hairlines. Often that player is deemed to reflect a wider weakness with the manager and becomes a lightning rod for criticism.
Representing the ...
Xavi Simons – the star no longer going under the radar
Posted by Joe Baker on October 29th, 2022 11:17 AM | No Comment
Much has rightly been made of Cody Gapko lighting up the Eredivisie this season, with the PSV Eindhoven captain delivering the kind of numbers which underline why so many Premier League clubs were interested in signing him last summer.
However, Gapko ...