Sunday 31 August 2008 at 16:30h CET (3:30pm BST)
DSB Stadium​

Gijs Luirink and Graziano Pellè are injured (what is up with Luirink's knee injury? It's been years since he last saw a pitch).

Van Gaal declared the Olympians are in good form and he was impressed by their dedication; when Van Gaal offered them an extra day of rest they unanimously refused. Surely that means he'll field the strongest squad as opposed to his earlier statement of fielding a squad he'd been able to experiment with during the prep stages.

Probable line-up:

SERGIO ROMERO


GILL SWERTS | KEW JALIENS | HÉCTOR MORENO | SEBASTIEN POCOGNOLI


DEMY DE ZEEUW | STIJN SCHAARS


BRETT HOLMAN | MOUNIR EL HAMDAOUI | MAARTEN MARTENS


ARI​

I guess Van Gaal might choose to squeeze Dembélé in there but there were so many absent players during the pre-season stage that this is the best prediction I can come up with.

Final score: 2-1 :thumbsup:

Just to illustrate how much has changed since the Co Adriaanse era; at the start of this season, we wouldn't even meet the 6+5 rule should that ever be enforced. Not one of the players in the starting line-up was part of Adriaanse's squad.

 

Great to see Schaars and Martens are back.I think we win 3-0 any streams for the match and what time is kick off in UK time

 

Romero
Swerts - Jaliens - Moreno - Pocognoli
Mendes - El Hamdaoui - Schaars - Poulsen
Dembélé
Lens​

What the hell does he think he's doing? :undecide:

any streams for the match

Go here (thanks to Styg):
http://pagavoetbal.awardspace.com/v2/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1&Itemid=5

 

3.30 pm your time; it's always minus one hour.

I don't know about any streams, you should send a PM to Stygmata, he's the stream guy

 

FT and 1-2 to NAC.

This is ridiculous. First Van Gaal states he's going to field a team he's been able to practice with over the summer. Then he says the Olympians were so impressive he might field some of them. The end result is the weirdest line-up I've seen in a long time. Some sort of ridiculous compromise. Naturally, it bombs so VG tries to fix it with substitutions; too little too late.
I should also mention Van Gaal had planned to start Van der Velden instead of Mendes but he couldn't because they (today) found out he was suspended. Imagine that midfield for a second, if you will. Now try to hold in your vomit.

Schaars managed to push the team forward during several stages in the match, but it's hard to lead this team, for whichever reason. Passing was often inaccurate, but when it wasn't, they basically tried to pass the ball into the goal. SOMEONE JUST TAKE A SHOT ALREADY.

Our defense is painfully weak. Of course, we knew that already but I didn't think it'd be this obvious in the Eredivisie. Jaliens is a ****, he was effectively strolling along with the NAC forward when he scored their second goal.

Ari looked alright in the handful of minutes he got to play. If he doesn't start next match, we can officially conclude Van Gaal has lost the plot.

With no decent signings, a rubbish defense and a really weak team spirit (they looked devastated when NAC scored), we're looking at yet another disastrous season. Maybe we can finish in the top half this time though. I'm an optimist.

 

Miss the game was in the bookies.Slagathor who were the scorers.And in the English press today.There is a rumour of Holman being sold to Blackburn for 2.5 million with Ooijer coming to AZ.What do you think of this.

 

Miss the game was in the bookies.Slagathor who were the scorers.

24' Amoah (0-1)
38' El Hamdaoui (1-1)
56' Amoah (1-2)

And in the English press today.There is a rumour of Holman being sold to Blackburn for 2.5 million with Ooijer coming to AZ.What do you think of this.

Sounds ridiculous, to be honest. We only bought Holman a few weeks ago. And I'd hate this too, Ooijer is past it. We have no use for him.

BTW, could you merge this thread with this one:
http://www.xtratime.org/forum/showthread.php?t=234503

I accidentally created two Eredivisie match threads.

 

AZ just got him :googly: Why sell him that fast ?

 

Prepare for another shit season... AZ is dead.

 

I agree. The Adriaanse years were just another blip on the radar like the Molenaar brothers era. Only less successful.

 

at least you guys attempted to play football. Some decent passing moves from AZ today but still obviously a poor result

 

Why did Holman not play.Hope it does not mean he is off to Blackburn

 

Transfer window is closed and there's no mention of it on the official site or in any Dutch media so I think Holman is staying.

Why he didn't play though, that's a good question...

 

Window isn't closed yet. It will today.

 

Saturday 13 September 2008 at 19:45h CET (6:45pm BST)
Forepark​

The Hague... :lazy:

Luirink is the only one injured, everybody else should be fit depending on how tired they are after the mid-week World Cup qualification matches.

Probable line-up:

SERGIO ROMERO


GILL SWERTS | KEW JALIENS | HÉCTOR MORENO | SEBASTIEN POCOGNOLI


DEMY DE ZEEUW | STIJN SCHAARS


BRETT HOLMAN | MOUNIR EL HAMDAOUI | MAARTEN MARTENS


MOUSSA DEMBÉLÉ​

I'm basing that line-up entirely on the last match against NAC Breda with one vital difference: Van Gaal initially wanted to play Nick van der Velden where I put Holman. When he was told Van der Velden was suspended, he put in Jeremain Lens. So I guess we should be ready for that but I refuse to write that down because it's such a ridiculous midfield line-up. If I had my way, I would also field Ari instead of Demélé, but then I guess Van Gaal likes to field teams without actual strikers.

 

ADO Den Haag 3-0 AZ Alkmaar
Goals: 54. Knopper 1-0, 72. Cornelisse 2-0, 86. Meric 3-0.
Yellow cards: Holman, Van der Velden, Jaliens, Ammi.
Red cards: Holman (2 x geel)
Referee: J. van Hulten
Attendance: 7.833

3-0 :howler:

Just for kicks, let me give you the squad Van Gaal decided to start the game with:

Romero
Mendes - Jaliens - Moreno - Pocognoli
Schaars
Van der Velden - Holman - Demélé
Lens - El Hamdaoui​

Don't get me started on that defense. Mendes can't even play in the center when he's got other people covering his mistakes; when he's exposed on the flank he's the biggest joke to have worn the AZ shirt since the start of this century.

Once again; no striker. No Ari = a squad of midfielders. We pass fine up until the penalty area. Then it all goes to hell because there's no target man. Naturally, Van Gaal doesn't realize this until the situation has already become hopeless and Ari comes on the pitch to fire some shots at goal that won't make a difference anyway. Pathetic.

The really worrying thing is that ADO outclassed us big time. They were more determined and their passing was far more accurate. A deserved victory for the most hated team in town.

How is Van Gaal still in charge? The man is a joke. The sad part is that everyone will say Holman's red card turned the tide, refraining from passing blame to Van Gaal. Like a red card for an invisible player will make you lose big time against ADO. Come on...

Lovely to see our transfer policy in action btw. Marcel Brands, kiss my ass.

 

What's with the Niek vd Velden love?
is he some silent force no one heard of bar Brands and van Gaal ?

ADO Den Haag 3-0 AZ Alkmaar

Attendance: 7.833

pathetic figure

 

I wasn't too suprised to see you lose, but 3-0 and then Van Gaal still saying that you played the best game in half a year. Blaming the refs for the loss.

 

He's an idiot. Won one prize with a squad of players you'd find it hard to lose with; after that he achieved nothing.

Players like Lens and Holman were excellent for NEC last season, this season they look like frightened little bunnies focusing too hard at the tasks they were given. Whose fault is that? Van Gaal needs to go.

I've joined the 90% of AZ fans who will be rooting for PSV next week.

 

So poor Ari should have started.If Van Gaal goes who can we get to replace him.

 

Probably only some nobody

 

Aandewiel ?

 

What? The 3-0 or the attendance? For both you can say: it's only their first game at home and a little less than 8.000 is quite high for ADO in my eyes.

 

just having a pop at their biological ID registration card crap. They apparently have only like 10000 holders of the card.

 

Should Van Gaal leave if PSV kicks some ass in Alkmaar next week?

 

Duh. He should have left months ago

 

I am sad to read AZ fans want us to lose PSV in our next game.We must get behind AZ.Yes Van Gaal should go but do not turn your back on the players.So AZ fans get behind the team and support them.Who is with me.

 

I'll support the team, but I'd still take my white handkerchief with me to the stadium. Blowfish has to go.

I won't be there though, going to New York this weekend.

 

I won't be there though, going to New York this weekend.

and as soon as that happened, they go on and win.

Watched the first half and it was BORING!

Always knew that it'd sooner or later come good with AZ. I mean van Gaal doesn't have a bad squad. Nowhere near Ajax or PSVs level but they obviously should be up there with Heerenveen, Feyenoord, Twente and Groningen.

 

Or Andries 'Engerd 1e Klas' Jonker

 

Come on AZ lets trash PSV tomorrow Slagathor and Dutch lion are you behind the team we can do it.Just belive in themroud:

 

they already played :howler:

 

Sweet finish it was. :thumbsup:

 

Where you see the goal mate have you got a link for it.