As we draw closer to the New Year, we say goodbye to what has been an excellent 2014 in the Eredivisie. With shock cup winners PEC Zwolle celebrating success throughout the year and Ajax winning their 33rd title, the 2014/15 season was eagerly anticipated by all.
So far, it’s not disappointed. Shock results occur week after week, and a clear champion can’t be determined as the title race goes on throughout the festive period. However, this article closes in on a team that found life hard at the beginning of the season, but have pushed on to be the most in-form side in the Netherlands; Feyenoord.
How they’ve done so far:
As previously stated, Feyenoord had a shaky start to the 2014/15 Eredivisie campaign. Despite earning 3 points away at Den Haag on the opening day of the season, Feyenoord just couldn’t get into the rhythm of beating teams like we’ve seen on various previous occasions. After this victory, Feyenoord were without a win in the next 5 Eredivisie fixtures, including a 1-0 defeat at home to rivals Ajax.
During this poor run of form, Feyenoord managed 4 consecutive defeats in all competitions, which featured an early exit from the KNVB Cup after losing 2-0 away to Go Ahead Eagles. 3 days after their crushing Cup departure, Feyenoord once again travelled to Go Ahead, this time recording a dominant 4-0 victory. This result seemed to kick start Feyenoord’s season, and ever since then they’ve made their poor start a very distant memory. In the next 14 games in all competitions, Feyenoord went on to only lose one (a 3-1 Europa League defeat against Rijeka).
Their record currently stands at 2 losses from 16 games, due to a heartbreaking, yet entertaining 4-3 defeat at the Philips Stadion against league leaders PSV. As Feyenoord sit 3rd in the table, their horrific form in the early stages of the season is still haunting them, as they find themselves 8 points adrift of 2nd placed Ajax and a whole 12 points behind leaders PSV. But all is not lost, there’s still a long way to go of course, and Feyenoord’s recent form implies that they’re not allowing the top two clubs to escape so easily.
Having sailed through the Europa League group stages, all seemed dreamy on the European front. However, a daunting away trip to AS Roma awaits them and they have little chance of defeating the Italians over the two legs. Despite this, bowing out of the Europa League shouldn’t be seen as a negative. Playing on Thursday nights and then immediately at the weekend screams signs of injury and tiredness, which is exactly what the Rotterdam side want to avoid if they wish to keep on Ajax’s tails.
Standout players:
At the start of the season, very few players stood out and took games by the scruff of the neck. However, as the campaign has progressed, more and more names are beginning to stand out. In terms of a goal-scorer, Colin Kazim-Richards is the man who poses the most threat in front of goal. Since joining Feyenoord on loan from Bursaspor, the Turkish international has netted 7 times in 13 appearances, making him the top scorer for his club this season. His pace and strength, twinned with his natural flair for converting chances makes him a key player in Rutten’s side.
Another name that springs to mind is Jean-Paul Boetius, as his pace and skill often lead defenders bamboozled in his path. The Dutchman is a mere 20 years of age, and looks sharper as each week passes. He’s been a consistent starter for Rutten’s men, and rightly so, as he gives an extra dimension of pace to their typical 4-3-3 setup. The addition of a familiar name, Karim El-Ahmadi, in the summer brought joy to fans at Feyenoord, but his name has been kept in the shadows due to the pairing of Jens Toornstra and Lex Immers.
Collectively, these two midfield giants have contributed 7 goals this season, and make the midfield 3 that Rutten utilises ever more daunting to their opponents. Immers’ height and power, combined with Toornstra’s natural footballing ability have been key in making sure that their side maintain precious momentum throughout the season. Other names such as Luke Wilkshire and Jordy Clasie are worth a mention, as they have also helped in keeping Feyenoord’s heads above water.
Where can they strengthen?:
Well, this question has become harder and harder to answer as the season has progressed. It’s safe to say that this section would be significantly larger if this question had been addressed earlier in the season, but Feyenoord seemed to have fixed all of their previous problems. However, another striker wouldn’t hurt the team, as Mitchell te Vrede hasn’t really been up to scratch compared to his colleague Kazim-Richards and neither player has managed to fill the gap that Graziano Pelle left after his move to Southampton.
Te Vrede’s hold-up play and distribution is barely average, and the Dutchman has only netted 5 times in 13 appearances for the club. Some healthy competition for the front line to consider would maybe spur them on and cause them to maintain their recently high levels of performance. Defensively, Feyenoord are up to scratch.
They’ve conceded the second least amount of goals in the Eredivisie this season (15), behind league leaders PSV (14), four of which were against PSV themselves. However, Feyenoord have only managed to score 30 goals, which seems petty compared to Ajax’s 43 and PSV’s astounding 48. So, an addition to the attacking line-up would definitely be more logical than switching around their solid defensive outfit.
Predicted finish:
Where will they finish? Considering everything that’s been previously mentioned, it’s most likely that Feyenoord will finish where they enter the New Year; in 3rd place. Whether PEC Zwolle, who sit in 4th place, have the ability to keep momentum throughout the rest of the campaign is hard to predict, but Feyenoord’s squad depth gives them a great advantage in staying one step ahead. Ajax and PSV should battle it out for the top two places, as it’s very unlikely that a dip in form would cause them to drop into the Europa League places. If Feyenoord start the 2015/16 season as they are currently performing, then a title challenge wouldn’t be an unrealistic target.
