The 2022/23 Eredvisie Preview: Part 2/2
Today's the day! The Eredivisie starts once again. Heerenveen and Sparta are going to face each other, and how about that: both those clubs are covered here. If you're interested to see that but need some convincing, this preview is here for you (Part 1 can be found here). It will of course also cover one of the main title contenders as well as those looking for midtable and play-offs. As always, I've contacted fans of the club and asked about their spicy takes for the upcoming season. Please enjoy.
SC HEERENVEEN
- City: Heerenveen, Friesland
- Established: 1920
- Stadium: Abe Lenstra Stadion, 27,224
Last Season
| Position | Played | Win | Tie | Loss | GF | GA | GD | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8th | 34 | 11 | 8 | 15 | 37 | 50 | -13 | 41 |
- Manager: Johnny Jansen, Ole Tobiasen
- KNVB Cup: Round of 16
Heerenveen endured a season in flux. While Johnny Jansen was well liked, it was over after they failed to score five games in a row. Ole Tobiasen taking over on an interim basis. It took a while, but with some surprising big signings in the winter, Heerenveen’s fortunes improved and even managed to snag the final play-off spot. Sure they lost in the first round against AZ, but it was a while when they actually got that close.
u/Jenserino11: Ahead of the season I was not the most confident about our team, I saw some people even predict us to fight against relegation and while I was not that scared of it, I certainly didn't expect us to end up in a European playoff spot. After selling both Veermans we seemed to be in a bit of a slump but after some nice results towards the end I'm happy with where we ended up.
This Season
- Manager: Kees van Wonderen
Optimism is in Heerenveen, thanks in part to the appointment of Kees van Wonderen, coming off a great season at Kowet. Also important is that the squad has remained intact, with van Hooijdonk returning for another loan. It is a somewhat thin squad, but there’s the sense that Heerenveen has the potential to surprise. It should very much be the goal to reach the European play-offs.
u/Jenserino11: I hope that we can build on our momentum towards the end of last season, while we didn't end up winning the playoffs. I liked that we showed fighting spirit and that we didn't make it easy for AZ who certainly are the better team on paper. I feel like we had a good transfer window and I predict that we will atleast make the European playoffs again but hopefully more!
Transfer Highlights
IN
| Player | From | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Simon Olsson | Elfsborg | 1,300,000 |
| Alex Timossi | Bayern Munich | 550,000 |
| Sydney van Hooijdonk | Bologna | Loan |
| Andries Noppert | Go Ahead Eagles | Free |
OUT
| Player | To | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Ibrahim Dresevic | Fatih Karagümrük | Free |
| Siem de Jong | De Graafschap | Free |
Potential Lineup
Players to Watch
Amin Sarr: Has looked worth the large investment. Versatile, quick and with an eye for the goal; he should be fun to watch this season.
Sydney van Hooijdonk: The step from the KKD to Serie A proved too far, but on loan formed a good tandem with Sarr. Has inherited his dad’s free kick skills.
Amin Sarr: I feel like he started to get comfortable towards the end of last season and I hope he can continue that form. Also we paid 2.3m so I hope that was worth it haha
Alex Timossi: New guy coming over from Bayern, I don't know too much about him yet but I guess that explains why I'm excited to see him play!
Andries Noppert: I think Noppert is a solid replacement for Mulder and I'm excited to see what he can do.
Why Should I Support Heerenveen?
u/Jenserino11: sc Heerenveen has one of the most unique and strongest identities in Dutch football in my opinion. Not only because of our unique kit based on the Frisian flag but also because it is a football club of the people all around the province, not just a singular city. Also we have produced a lot of quality players over the years which is something that i think we can be very proud of!
NEC NIJMEGEN
- City: Nijmegen, Gelderland
- Established: 1900
- Stadium: Goffertstadion, 12,500
Last Season
| Position | Played | Win | Tie | Loss | GF | GA | GD | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11th | 34 | 10 | 8 | 16 | 38 | 52 | -14 | 38 |
- Manager: Rogier Meijer
- KNVB Cup: Quarterfinals
NEC's return to the Eredvisie was largely stress free. They remained in midtable for almost the entire season, with players like Akman, El Karouani, and Tavsan standing out. However, NEC did have the worst home record in the league (only three wins), and also had to deal with their away stand literally falling apart thanks to celebrating Vitesse supporters. Eventually, the 1-0 defeat against Fortuna meant that NEC did not reach the play-offs, but the plan was always staying up.
u/Seliepeter: Things didn't look great after losing the first match away at Ajax with 5-0, though that later turned out to be in vogue this season. It was clear that we wouldn’t get into a relegation fight after picking up wins to a number of midtable teams. Losing both derby’s, a collapsed stand and missing out on play-offs put a damper on the season, but all in all we can look back proudly and use the momentum to become an established midtable team again.
This Season
Despite some key departures, including both legends Rens van Eijden and Edgar Barreto retiring, NEC has kept the core of the team and will want to keep fighting for a comfortable midtable spot and potentially more than that. It's still quite a young squad but one that carries a lot of talent that Rogier Meijer will continue to develop.
u/Seliepeter: Avoiding second season syndrome at all costs! A lot depends on how the rest of the transfer window pans out. We absolutely need a striker, a back-up centre-back and some more options on the wings. Fighting for European play-offs would be great and a deep cup run could give some colour to the season. Oussama Tannane, if he keeps his head cool, is a great player for this level and could help us making steps towards play-offs.
Transfer Highlights
IN
| Player | From | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Pedro Marques | Sporting CP | Free |
| Oussama Tannane | Goztepe | Free |
| Joris Kramer | AZ | Free |
OUT
| Player | To | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Jonathan Okita | FC Zurich | Free |
| Cas Odenthal | Como | Free |
| Rodrigo Guth | Atalanta/Fortuna Sittard | Free (loan over) |
| Rens van Eijden | Retirement | Free |
| Edgar Barreto | Retirement | Free |
Potential Lineup
Players to Watch
Dirk Proper: Mainly functioned as backup to Barreto but should get his chance now. The short midfielder has been on the books as one of NEC’s biggest talents.
Ibrahim Cissoko: Local lad who already lived the dream of scoring the match winner for his boyhood club. Left winger with a lot of room to grow.
Oussama Tannane: Technically a great player, has shown some incredible things before in the Eredivisie, but tends to lose his calm.
Elayis Tavsan: One of those wingers that annoys you to no end and then does something incredible. Can always pull a rabbit out of a hat, which is fitting as Tavsan means rabbit in Turkish.
Mattijs Branderhorst: Has improved immensely over the last few years and is now one of the best goalkeepers in the league.
Why Should I Support NEC?
u/Seliepeter: We play in a forest. We have ambitions to become a top 8 regular, so could play European football once every so often in the future. We have Lasse Schöne and a bunch of academy kids in the first team. We have not sold our soul to petrodollars. You won’t find another club playing in red, green and black apart if you ignore Glentoran.
PSV EINDHOVEN
- City: Eindhoven, Noord-Brabant
- Established: 1913
- Stadium: Phillips Stadium, 35,150
Last Season
| Position | Played | Win | Tie | Loss | GF | GA | GD | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2nd | 34 | 26 | 3 | 5 | 86 | 42 | 44 | 39 |
- Manager: Roger Schmidt
- KNVB Cup: Winners
- Europe: UECL quarterfinals
The second year of the Schmidt era started off very promising, but that quickly disipated. A big issue with Schmidt’s side proved to be stepping up when it really mattered: losing to Benfica in the CL-play offs can happen, but crashing out in the UEL group stage and failing to win their Eredivisie games against Ajax and Feyenoord less so. Still, they won the KNVB Beker, reached the quarter finals of the Conference League, and players like Mauro, Gakpo (who won Player of the Season) and Boscagli developed really well. Schmidt’s tenure might not have gone as hoped, but it was far from a total wash.
u/LightningMcMicropeen: Last season was full of ups and downs. A flying start in the CL play-off rounds and winning the JC-schaal vs Ajax. It fell apart all after that with a defeat to Benfica, poor results in the EL group stage and big losses to Feyenoord and Ajax in the ED. Drommel was terrible and started blundering more and more, and players got COVID or injured. Super January was a bust but we at least put on a good display againt Ajax. The main issues were a weak defence, uninspired attack patterns and lots of injuries. Schmidt did help us develop young talent though, turned Mauro, Guti and Doan into quality players and got us the KNVB Cup, as well as reaching the quarter finals of the Conference League. Overall, a disappointing season, but with some shine in the end.
This Season
- Manager: Ruud van Nistelrooy
- Johan Cruijff Schaal: Winners
- Europe: UCL qualifiers
After some convincing, the club is now led by Van the Man himself. Van Nistelrooy has taken his time getting ready to manage PSV, and what has been shown so far is promising. There’s been heavy investment in the squad, with Walter Benitez, the return of Luuk de Jong, Guus Til and Instagram boy wonder Xavi Simons. They already won the JC Schaal in an incredibly entertaining 3-5 win, but AS Monaco awaits in the Champions League qualifiers, and that will be a big test. PSV seems ready to put up a title challenge. If they remain more consistent and can step up when it matters, they will be capable of achieving that.
u/LightningMcMicropeen: Main goals would be: 1. Fighting for the league title until the last game 2. Reaching CL group stage or reaching the UEL knock-out stage, and 3. Less injuries and goals conceded. I’m hoping for a fresh take on tactics and style under RvN. We brought in a lot of new players, so it’ll be an exciting season of competition for starting places but also plenty of chances for everyone to play. Ajax and Feyenoord were becoming stronger and stronger lately, but I expect their squads to be of lesser quality compared to last year. Hoping to win some big games this year, especially in the ED.
Transfer Highlights
IN
| Player | From | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Luuk de Jong | Elfsborg | 3,000,000 |
| Guus Til | Spartak Moscow | 3,000,000 |
| Walter Benitez | OGC Nice | Free |
| Xavi Simons | Paris Saint Germain | Free |
| Ki-Jana Hoever | Wolves | Loan |
OUT
| Player | To | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Ritsu Doan | SC Freiburg | 8,500,000 |
| Mario Gotze | Eintracht Frankfurt | 4,000,000 |
| Eran Zahavi | Maccabi Tel Aviv | Free |
Potential Lineup
Players to Watch
Walter Benitez: One of the best goalkeepers in Ligue 1 last season. Will bring the leadership and quality necessary to lead the defense.
Xavi Simons: Siigned a long-termcontract at PSV rather than staying at PSG. Can show the Netherlands if he’s genuinely a great player or mere Instagram hype.
Savio: Seen as a exciting prospect in Brazil, the young winger might get more chances than expected with Madueke out for several months.
Walter Benitez: We had a LOT of goalkeeper issues in the past couple seasons. With Benitez, I’m hoping we’ll concede less goals and that he can help organize a strong defense which we direly need.
Luuk de Jong: We all know Luuk and his qualities. He’ll be good, but the question is how good? Hoping to see lots of goals.
Johan Bakayoko & Jeremy Antonisse: With Luuk up front, we’ll need the wingers to be better than ever. Gakpo and Madueke are well known by now, but I’m excited to see these two young prospects find their spot in the first team.
Why Should I Support PSV?
u/LightningMcMicropeen: PSV Eindhoven was founded as the sports association for Philips, a once prestigious company with a LOT of history in the Netherlands. Eindhoven is also a typical “Brabant” city, which means warm, friendly people. Lots of great players played for PSV, like Ronaldo (9), Romario, Robben, Ruud van Nistelrooij, Cocu, Koeman, Depay and of course Luuk de Jong. PSV also has a decently rich history of winning prizes: Europacup I (‘88) Europacup II (‘78), 10 KNVB Cup wins and 24 League Titles. That’s more international trophies than PSG and Man City combined, so what’s not to like?
RKC WAALWIJK
- City: Waalwijk, Noord-Brabant
- Established: 1940
- Stadium: Mandemakers Stadium, 7,500
Last Season
| Position | Played | Win | Tie | Loss | GF | GA | GD | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 34 | 9 | 11 | 14 | 40 | 51 | -11 | 38 |
- Manager: Joseph Oosting
- KNVB Cup: Quarterfinals
RKC has managed to skirt on the line of being in the relegation drop while staying safe, and did so once more under new manager Joseph Oosting. They spent the entire season on the lower end of midtable but players like Odgaard, Touba and broodje kroket connoisseur Michiel Kramer kept them out of it. Also they had not one but twoof the best special edition jerseys of the competition, and that’s worth points on its own.
u/TheMadLaddy: I thought it was a pretty good season! Did we spend most of the time hovering just above the relegation zone? Yeah, but we never were in it. Not even once, so I see that as a win. It was still a season of ups and downs, like going on a 8 and 6 match winless run respectively, but also nearly qualifying for the European playoffs on the final day of the season. Overall a pretty good and exciting season.
This Season
RKC has lost some important squad members this transfer window. Still, Oosting proved himself a capable manager last season and will do his best to keep RKC out of trouble. A lot will hinge on the new defensive duo/trio as well as the attacking talentwhom they’ve loaned. Staying up might not be as comfortable as before, but they have the experience to achieve it.
u/TheMadladdy: My main hope is to just stay up again. We've lost a lot of strong players and haven't been able to replace all of them yet. My main expectation this season is for it to basically be Heart-attack Central again each game, since consistency and being normal are not words you're gonna find in RKC's dictionary. 13th/14th place should be doable with maybe a higher position if everyone around us screws up.
Transfer Highlights
IN
| Player | From | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Zakaria Bakkali | Anderlecht | Free |
| Julian Lelieveld | De Graafschap | Free |
| Mika Bierith | Arsenal | Loan |
| Julien Lobete | Celta de Vigo | Loan |
OUT
| Player | To | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Ahmed Touba | Istanbul Basaksehir | 2,000,000 |
| Melle Meulensteen | Vitesse | 1,000,000 |
| Alex Buttner | De Graafschap | Free |
| Jens Odgaard | Sassuolo/AZ | Free (loan over) |
Potential Lineup
Players to Watch
Julen Lobete: Not often RKC signs a Spain youth international, even if it's on loan. Being multifunctional should compare him nicely to Jens Odgaard.
Patrick Vroegh: A known commodity for Oosting having worked with him back at Vitesse. A young midfielder hungry for more game time.
Mika Biereth: He's a young and promising player we've loaned from Arsenal for the entire season. He's scored in every friendly he's played in thus far so that’s promising.
Michiel Kramer: You love him when you have him and hate playing against him. He's turned his career around with us and had his first 10+ goal season since Feyenoord's championship season.
Why Should I Support RKC?
u/TheMadLaddy: RKC is a club of which you never know what to expect. One game, you get aboslutely smashed, and after that you suddenly win 5-1. Second, despite what you hear about us being 'boring', we do have a fun atmosphere and crowd actually. We know we're one of the smallest clubs and fanbases in the country. We make fun of ourselves for that. No one actually hates us as far as I know. Whenever I say I support RKC, I either get laughs, a "Oh ,really?" or someone that says ''who?''. Finally, we're a loyal, open and inviting club. It's easy to make new friends or just talk to people in general. And the true fans never leave before the final whistle, no matter how bad the result is. Our motto is ''we zullen altijd blijven zingen'' for a reason.
SPARTA ROTTERDAM
- City: Rotterdam, Zuid Holland
- Established: 1888
- Stadium: Het Kasteel/The Castle, 11,926
Last Season
| Position | Played | Win | Tie | Loss | GF | GA | GD | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14th | 34 | 8 | 11 | 15 | 30 | 48 | -18 | 35 |
- Manager: Henk Fraser, Maurice Steijn
- KNVB Cup: 2nd round
If you’re a messy bitch that lives for drama, Sparta was the club to follow last season. It felt like there was a volcano under het Kasteel ready to erupt, and it did. The DoF departed acrimoniously , with manager Henk Fraser close as well. However, results were not going Sparta’s way, and they spent almost the whole season in the relegation zone. When new DoF Nijkamp wanted to sack assistant manager Rankovic, Fraser walked as well. After that, you’d expect them to be doomed, but under Maurice Steijn, they hit that new manager bounce, going four games unbeaten in the last stretch and catapulting to safety.
u/TheBand1969: Our previous season was a rollercoaster. The tension between our board and the manager was evident throughout the course of the season, and it did not help the squad. To focus on the actual football, our defense was nothing to write home about. Heylen was a shockingly bad player and cost us a lot of points. If we did manage to play well we often had difficulty finishing our chances. This resulted in a lot of draws that could/should have been wins. Somehow, during our last run of games, we found an amazing run of form. I think no one expected that after Fraser had left the club. Bittersweet sure, but hey we are playing Eredivisie next season.
This Season
- Manager: Maurice Steijn
Sparta has heavily invested into new players. The midfield especially has gotten a upgrade with the likes of Joshua Kitolano, Younes Namli, and Jonathan de Guzman returning to the Eredivisie. Maurice Steijn has a history of playing a pragmatic style back at Venlo, but actually played more attacking when he took over, so it's possible he’ll continue that route. Sparta fans will mostly just want a bit of comfort after the wild ride that was last season.
u/TheBand1969: First: Thank you Emmen and Helmond for taking Heylen and Beugelsdijk off our hands. I don't want to see thm in a Sparta shirt again. I hope we will perform more consistently against clubs in 'het rechterrijtje'. That's where we wasted a lot of points. My heart honestly cannot handle another ending like las season . FInally, I hope we play more attractive football. Fighting relegation means you have to be realistic and focus on getting points, but I hope that with the incoming transfers, we can at least play a bit more attacking. The club owes it to the fans after last year.
Transfer Highlights
IN
| Player | From | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Joshua Kitolano | Odds BK | 610,000 |
| Tobias Lauritsen | Odds BK | 450,000 |
| Nick Olij | NAC Breda | Unknown |
| Younes Namli | Krasnodar | Free |
| Omar Rekik | Arsenal | Loan |
OUT
| Player | To | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Maduka Okoye | Toulouse | 2,500,000 |
| Tom Beugelsdijk | Helmond Sport | Free |
| Lennart Thy | PEC Zwolle | Free |
Potential Lineup
Players to Watch
Joshua Kitolano: Surprising he ends up at Sparta after interest from Feyenoord a year ago. A versatile midfielder who I have a personal soft spot for thanks to FM.
Nick Olij: Has big gloves to fill following the departure of Okoye, but was consistently one of the best goalkeepers in the KKD.
Younes Namli: Immediately added more attacking prowess to the team and Sparta will be very pleased he’ll remain for at least another year.
Omar Rekik: Rekiki's little brother. A amazing deal for the likes of us. You don't play for the Arsenal youth academy if you aren’t at least decent.
Sven Mijnans: Probably our best presser and a great link-up player for the attack and midfield. Will hopefully develop further.
Jason Lokilo & Koki Saito: I can't say I am familiar with them, but looking at the teams they have played for in the past, I'm cautiously optimistic.
Why Should I Support Sparta?
u/TheBand1969: Personally, when I saw our stadium for the first time, I thought it was an old museum or castle of sorts. The Kasteeltribune has the most unique facade of any football stadium in the Netherlands. Second, we are a smaller, but more classy, down-to-earth club. We don't have any issues with hooligans and we are open to fans of any age group. As for a more footballing-focused answer: we have a fun squad with some good youth prospects, proven Eredivisie veterans, such as Namli and Auassar, and we have the most handsome and charming centerback of the Eredivisie in Bart Vriends.
FC TWENTE
- City: Enschede, Overijsel
- Established: 1965
- Stadium: The Grolsch Veste, 30,205
Last Season
| Position | Played | Win | Tie | Loss | GF | GA | GD | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4th | 34 | 20 | 8 | 6 | 55 | 37 | 18 | 68 |
- Manager: Ron Jans
- KNVB Cup: Round of 16
Twente wanted this season to be way more consistent, and they ended up achieving that goal. Granted, they didn't start great (1-1 draw against Ajax aside) but found their footing and became a threat to almost every team. While they briefly had 3rd place in their sights, Feyenoord ultimately held on to that spot, but a late 2-2 draw between Utrecht and AZ meant the 4th spot was sealed and Twente would return to Europe for the first time since 2014. While a great season, it was also marred by the sacking and later tragic death of Jody Lukoki, with FC Twente paying him tribute in one of the final games of the season.
u/RitaTovenaar: Where do I even begin? To get back from relegation was fun and all but boy did I hate the first season back in the Eredivisie with all the sh*t happening inside our club. To get back from that feels way more special to me than the promotion. We finished 4th last season, 4th! When the goal is just to get to the Play-offs, that's just incredible. I don't care if we get knocked out by FC Whatever from Vegwegistan; we are playing in Europe babyyyy. Our team was just amazing and Streur worked some miracles in the transfer market, with a starting line-up that was basically ''free''. I could go on for hours but I mean.. I don't think there are enough words in the Dutch and English language to express how happy I am with how our club is doing right now.
This Season:
- Europe: UECL qualifiers
Twente has managed to hold onto almost its entire squad, signing up Vlap, Sadilek and Brenet on permanent deals, while swatting away interest for players like Zerrouki and Hilgers (for now). Entering the European play-offs should remain top priority, with another 4th spot possible but unlikely. The Conference League should hopefully be a fun journey for Twente. They could achieve similar things as Vitesse depending on the draw, but lets see them actually enter first, which might be tough with Fiorentina as their final opponent.
u/RitaTovenaar: I won't settle for anything less than winning the title, cup and Conference League. #JANSOUT if I don't see those three pieces of silverware added this season. But seriously, the dumbest thing we can do right now is go; ''Oh we got 4th last season the only way is uuuuuup'' (we of all clubs should know that). I expect us to have a good season. Probably not 4th but to be in the playoffs. The squad has remained largely the same, including some potentially good new signings. (no idea about Tzolis. I had never heard of him until David Ornstein posted a tweet which I had to read 432 times to make sure it said ''FC Twente'' lmao). So I’m expecting a 6th place, a hopefully good run in the KNVB Cup, and let’s just enter the Conference League groups stage for fun and games now.
Transfer Highlights
IN
| Player | From | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Michel Vlap | Anderlecht | 2,000,000 |
| Michel Sadilek | PSV | 1,500,000 |
| Joshua Brenet | Hoffenheim | Free |
| Sem Steijn | ADO Den Haag | Free |
| Christos Tzolis | Norwich | Loan |
OUT
| Player | To | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Jayden Oosterwolde | Parma | 3,000,000 |
| Jesse Bosch | Willem II | Free |
| Dimitrios Limnios | 1. FC Koln | Free (loan over) |
Potential Lineup
Players to Watch
Mees Hilgers: Named FC Twente’s Talent of the Season last year. The centreback has quickly grown into one of the best young defenders in the league.
Ramiz Zerrouki: The Algerian international is key to Twente’s midfield, and can even score the occasional absolute banger.
Gijs Smal: Absolutely bossed the game in a 4-1 friendly against Bologna (1 goal, 2 assists), ‘Smaldini’ will be keen to keep that form with competition on the way.
Christos Tzolis: No idea, everyone says he is good and since he plays for Twente now he is a future Ballon D'Or winner.
Sem Steijn: He was very good at ADO, he has played very well in our friendly games and I saw him do bicycle kick so I'm sold.
Michel Vlap: Remember how we didn't have any money because uh.. reasons. Sike, here’s 2 million! He has been good in our friendly games and I just hope he can find his old form back so I don't have to hear ''He was very good at Heerenveen'' for another season.
Why Should I Support FC Twente?
u/RitaTovenaar: Do you like creative accounting and red shirts? Do I have the club for you! But well.. I mean just watch our games and see if you like our team (we really do have nice shirts tho).
FC UTRECHT
- City: Utrecht, Utrecht
- Established: 1970
- Stadium: De Galgenwaard, 23,750
Last Season
| Position | Played | Win | Tie | Loss | GF | GA | GD | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7th | 34 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 51 | 46 | 5 | 47 |
- Manager: Rene Hake, Rick Kruys
- KNVB Cup: 2nd Round
FC Utrecht talks a big game and actually invest in becoming a part of the big boys, but it always goes wrong at some point. They performed really well, becoming the first side to beat Ten Hag’s Ajax as well as trouncing Feyenoord. All seemed set for Rene Hake to sign a contract extension, when everything fell apart. A 5 game winless streak casted doubts, and once Utrecht fell into another spiral, Hake was sacked and Kruys had to finish the season off. It didn’t give them the new manager bounce, but he steadied the ship enough for them to reach the playoffs, which they then lost to Vitesse in the first round.
u/ZyzzwasaChad: Last season started out very well. Beating both Feyenoord and Ajax and being 3rd with 20 points after only 10 games. Form started dropping after the international break in October however. We lost our top 3 spot and after the winter break we were in 6th. We only won against Heerenveen, Willem II and Heracles before the winter break. In March, poor results continued and Rene Hake was sacked. We won once in the final 7 games and finished 7th with 47 points. Not a great season for us but also not the worst.
This Season
He didn't get the exit that he wanted at Sparta, but Henk Fraser coming in is seen as the right move for Utrecht, bringing in a discipline and realism that has felt lacking in Utrecht. Fraser was keen on keeping both Adam Maher and Quinten Timber, but both have since left (albeit for quite a bit of money). But it's not like Utrecht has stayed still, having signed ten new players. They won’t speak publicly about it, but Utrecht will want to do what Twente did last season, or at the very least win the European play-offs.
u/ZyzzwasaChad: I hope European football, but I expect us to finish 6th or 7th. We have signed quite a few players, many of whom look decent, and rivals like Vitesse have considerably weakened. But we did lose a lot of key players, like Willem Janssen, Adam Maher and Quinten Timber. We had a decent transfer window but it's not enough to catch up with AZ, Twente and Feyenoord.
Transfer Highlights
IN
| Player | From | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Luuk Brouwers | Go Ahead Eagles | 900,000 |
| Bas Dost | Club Brugge | Free |
| Taylor Booth | Bayern Munich | Free |
| Nick Viergever | Greuther Furth | Free |
| Modibo Sagnan | Real Sociedad | Loan |
| Daishawn Redan | Hertha BSC | Loan |
OUT
| Player | To | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Quinten Timber | Feyenoord | 8,5-10,000,000 |
| Adam Maher | Damac FC | 1,800,000 |
| Maarten Paes | FC Dallas | 1,000,000 |
| Willem Jansen | Retirement | Free |
| Simon Gustafson | BK Häcken | Free |
Potential Lineup
Players to Watch
Djevencio van der Kust: Worked his way into the squad in the second half of the season. The young wingback can work across the entire leftfield and be a source of many assists.
Taylor Booth: The young American will hopefully fill in the playmaker role left behind by Timber. Done well in preseason.
Rocco Robert Shein: Part of a good generation of young Estonian footballers. The midfielder has already joined the main squad after half a season in the U21’s.
Bas Dost: Obviously. Amazing finishing, good header and has a great mentality. Has had 30+ goal seasons at Heerenveen and Sporting CP.
Mobido Sagnan: An aggressive defender has signed on loan from Real Sociedad and seems like a good player to me.
Why Should I Support FC Utrecht?
u/ZyzzwasaChad: The supporters. We are really fanatic in supporting our club. We destroyed our own stadium in 1982, according to some Liverpool fans we were the loudest away support they've ever seen. We are a club that has been saved by its supporters multiple times and our owner is a big fan of the club.
VITESSE
- City: Arnhem, Gelderland
- Established: 1892
- Stadium: Gelredome, 21,248
Last Season
| Position | Played | Win | Tie | Loss | GF | GA | GD | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6th | 34 | 15 | 6 | 13 | 42 | 51 | -9 | 51 |
- Manager: Thomas Letsch
- KNVB Cup: Quarterfinals
- Europe: UECL Round of 16
First of all, I don’t think anyone could have predicted how far Vitess would come in Europe. After beating Anderlecht to reach the group stage, they survive the group containing Rennes and Spurs (thanks, COVID), and only crash out until the Round of 16 against Roma. Not a moment to forget, unlike their Eredivisie season. While a good first half, it was clear that the European run had them gassed, barely winning the rest of their games. It was enough to reach the play-offs where after beating Utrecht, they’d get spanked by AZ to make sure they won’t have another European run like that again.
u/runimaginable: Vitesse's 21/22 season was pretty good. The performances in the Eredivisie were mostly a snoozefest with only 1 or 2 goals, but overall the tactic was effective enough to sneak away with 3 points. The Conference League more than made up for the games in the Eredivisie however. Compared to the Europa League performance in 17/18, results were actually ending in our favour in the most tense possible way ever. Roma was a logical end of our journey and I can't be too disappointed about that. Losing by so much in the play-off final to AZ was a bitter but realistic pill to swallow.
This Season
Vitesse now has a very different squad compared to last season, with player's loans either ending (Openda, Rasmussen) or running out their contract (Doekhi, Bazoer and Dasa). That leaves Vitesse without some of its best players of last season and with a very different squad composition. While with Letsch they still have one of the better managers of the Eredivisie, it's not going to be surprising if Vitesse struggles to get the play-off spot now. One positive thing is that their Russian owner has stepped aside and wiped away their debt.
u/runimaginable: Vitesse is in a tough position due to its financial situation and at first sight, the team doesn't look very good. This has been the case for a couple of seasons however and we can make it work usually. I think we'll still make the playoffs, but it will be tighter than last season. Letsch will be tested to see if he can turn his playstyle around to suit the players he has available to him. Otherwise we might end the season with a different manager. Lastly, change of ownership and a disagreement with the stadium owner make this a very curious season for Vitesse fans.
Transfer Highlights
IN
| Player | From | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Melle Meulensteen | RKC Waalwijk | 1,000,000 |
| Ferro | Benfica | Loan |
| Ryan Flamingo | Sassuolo | Loan |
| Mohamed Sankoh | VfB Stuttgart | Loan |
OUT
| Player | To | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Lois Openda | Club Brugge/Lens | Free (loan over) |
| Jacob Rasmusen | Fiorentina/Feyenoord | Free (loan over) |
| Riechedly Bazoer | AZ | Free |
| Danilho Doekhi | Union Berlin | Free |
| Elia Dasa | Unknown | Free |
Potential Line-Up
Players to Watch
Ryan Flamingo: Already has one of the best names in the competition, but the talented centre-back has also a keen eye for goalscoring.
Max Wittek: Mr. Conference League himself. With a lot of the old guard gone, he’ll be looked at for leadership and asked to provide plenty of assists.
Million Manhoef: Comes from Vitesse's youth team. He brings a lot of pace and creativity to the team which the team severely lacks.
Mohamed Sankoh: Looking to be the new Openda. I think once he warms up to the Eredivisie he definitely has the potential to be a proper replacement.
Ferro: Was at one point seen by Benfica as almost as good as Ruben Dias and now he's training with us at Papendal. Very excited if he can fill Bazoer's boots.
Why Should I Support Vitesse?
u/runimaginable: Vitesse is a mid-sized Dutch club. It has gone through highs and lows, which for me makes the highs so much more memorable. Although the squad is often quite a foreign legion, this has made for unique and amazing players to play in the GelreDome. Kashia, Nakamba, Rashica and Kalas are players who otherwise would've never played in the Eredivisie. Currently there is more emphasis on youth with some breaking through at this very moment. Alongside that, Vitesse organizes quite a lot of other activities. The highlight being the Airborne match which commemorates the veterans of WW2 during Market Garden. There is always a special Airborne kit which looks really nice.
FC VOLENDAM
- City: Volendam, Noord Holland
- Established: 1920
- Stadium: Kras Stadion, 7,384
Last Season
| Position | Played | Win | Tie | Loss | GF | GA | GD | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2nd (KKD) | 38 | 21 | 12 | 5 | 81 | 53 | 28 | 75 |
- Manager: Wim Jonk
- KNVB Cup: 1st Round
Once an Eredivisie mainstay in the 90’s, Volendam had been in the second division for more than a decade. In 2019, they started a revitalization project with manager Wim Jonk, who alongside his history at Ajax and Inter is also a born and raised Volendammer. After getting close through promotion playoffs, this was the year they finally succeeded. Volendam was far and away one of the strongest sides in the competition and remained in the champions spot for the longest. Eventually they had to relent the championship to FC Emmen, but second place was enough for the Palingboeren to automatically promote to the Eredivisie.
u/SPLEESH_BOYS: We finally got the promotion we’ve been fighting for. I can only be happy about last season. Ever since Wim Jonk has been the coach there’s been a clear and steady improvement of the teams performance and it finally paid off last season.
This Season
Volendam already deserve points for their new home kit, inspired by the Netherlands’ EURO 88 kit. Volendam kept its squad largely intact, including keeping Inter loanees Stankovic and Oristanio. Signing local lad Henk Veerman has been their only other piece of business though, which leaves you questioning how ready this squad is. Jonk has been highly regarded and linked with several bigger jobs, and Volendam is keen to continue growing. The job is simple: not immediately relegate, but it will be tough.
u/SPLEESH_BOYS: The jump from the KKD to Eredivisie is always hard and it’s difficult to gauge how the team will match up against other Eredivisie squads, the goal this season should simply be to try and not get relegated, preferably without having to play playoffs. In my opinion it’s a realistic possibility that we will stay up, especially now that we’ve gotten Stankovic back on loan again and gotten Veerman as an additional striker. He should be able to help us a lot if Mühren loses his form.
Transfer Highlights
IN
| Player | From | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Henk Veerman | FC Utrecht | Unknown |
| Carel Eiting | Huddersfield | Free |
OUT
| Player | To | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Alex Plat | NAC Breda | Free |
| Mike Eerdhuizen | Sparta Rotterdam | Free |
Potential Lineup
Players to Watch
Francisco Antonucci: Has not worked at Feyenoord, but has been an important part of Volendam across several seasons and looks to properly contribute in the Eredivisie.
Carel Eiting: Signed to help his former youth coach . Has had rotten luck with injuries, but remains a very capable, smart midfielder.
Robert Mühren: If he manages to keep his goal-scoring form from last season he will absolutely be the most important player for the team.
Filip Stankovic: Was great for us last season and the fact that we managed to keep him for another year should help us a lot. He’s still young with quite a bit of potential .
Why Should I Support FC Volendam
u/SPLEESH_BOYS: Volendam as a club is almost completely run by people from the community/town itself, from the youth to the absolute top of the club. It's something that isn’t as common anymore today which makes Volendam in my biased opinion, a nice addition to the Eredivisie. And let's be honest here what team has a better nickname than “Het andere Oranje”
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Thank you so much for reading. I would like to thank all the contributors sharing their insight and their excitement or dread for the upcoming season. If your interested has been peaked, consider joining up r/Eredivisie and see what wacky hyjinks await. Enjoy the league.