The 2008/2009 road to the title

This is the story of how AZ won its second and most recent Eredivisie title.

STAGE 1 | A FALSE START

After a disastrous season, the players manage to convince Van Gaal to stay after he announced he failed to see any future perspective. Over the summer, the squad undergoes a makeover that sees the departure of the weakest links and the arrival of several low key reinforcements. The fans have their doubts. Who are these players? Why aren’t we spending any serious money to secure improvement?

A brittle sense of hope fills the Victory Stadium for the first encounter of the season against NAC Breda. After 90 minutes, the score line reads 1-2. Enough to unleash a sense of despair in Alkmaar.

Two weeks later, the away game to The Hague is lost by demoralizing figures: 3-0. Brett Holman sees red and the fans are preparing themselves for another season of hardship. Despite all this, Van Gaal declares he witnessed his team play “the best football I’ve seen in six months” – the coach harvests nothing but cynicism with his comments.

Stage 1: two games, zero points and a goal difference of -4.



STAGE 2 | SLAYING THE SUPERPOWER FROM EINDHOVEN

When the trees in Holland turn yellow and red to signal the arrival of Fall, Louis van Gaal introduces tactical changes. From now on, his team will cease pouring forward and pressurizing the opponent. Instead, the forwards linger along the halfway line and AZ allow the opponents to play ball. The second they lose possession, one-touch counter attack football launches Mounir El Hamdaoui and Moussa Dembélé forward.

It works. When PSV visit Alkmaar, they fail to punch a dent in the organized defence. A clever chip by Maarten Martens hands AZ victory in the dying minutes of the game (1-0). The game would soon be known as the definitive turn around.

Gallery play in Tilburg against Willem II (2-5) and at home against Sparta Rotterdam (6-0) secure deserved victories. Almost every chance equals a goal. Mounir El Hamdaoui and Moussa Dembélé enchant the supporters with wonderful solo runs and brilliant shots. Optimism returns, as do pride and hope.

Next in line are the relegation candidates De Graafschap away (0-2) and Volendam at home (3-0). Both are disposed of with ease.

Stage 2: seven games, fifteen points and a goal difference of +11.



STAGE 3 | LEAGUE LEADERS AND WINTER CHAMPIONS

On the eve of the difficult month of November, Mounir El Hamdaoui guides his team past Roda JC by scoring twice (0-2). After eight rounds and eleven goals by the Moroccan forward, AZ reach the top spot in the Eredivisie. An unexpected injury-time equalizer by Heerenveen in the Abe Lenstra stadium (3-3) makes everyone feel like the game was lost rather than drawn but AZ remain league leaders.

A new strength surfaces during the 3-0 victory over FC Twente: depth. Dembélé, Schaars and Jaliens are all sidelined but it’s barely visible from the display.

That newfound asset fails one week later when VItesse steal a point in Arnhem (1-1). AZ fall back to fourth place in the league, but it’s a blip on the radar. One week later, the Alkmaarders beat Ajax in the snow (2-0) and return to claim pole position. The match against Ajax would be the first of an impressive clean sheet streak.

FC Groningen is casually brushed aside in its own Green Cathedral (0-2) and the month of November draws to a close. AZ dealt with a tough series of fixtures without losing even once. The winning streak continues through December as Heracles (2-0), Feyenoord (0-1), Utrecht (2-0) and NEC Nijmegen (1-0) are all served defeats.

Stage 3: seventeen games, forty one points and a goal difference of +26.



STAGE 4 | RECORDS AND TITLE TALK

The winterbreak comes and goes without bringing significant changes. Ragnar Klavan joins the group from Heracles Almelo, but nobody leaves. However, when the league starts again, the defensive partnership of Héctor Moreno and Niklas Moisander has been sidelined due to injuries. Fans worry, but little goes wrong at the back.

AZ continue a clean sheet streak. The wonderful goals keep coming and dropping points is something only the competitors do. With the mark of a true champion, AZ converts difficult games into 3 points (Sparta away 0-2 and Roda at home 1-0).

Said Boutahar keeps goalie Sergio Romero from setting an all-time Eredivisie clean sheet record when he scores during their visit to Alkmaar. Despite that, the game ends in a victory: 3-1.

The difficult trip to Eindhoven ends in a disappointing draw (2-2) where AZ could and should have won. An improvised side plagued by injuries manages to grab all three points on the astroturf in Almelo (0-2) and Groningen are overrun when they visit Alkmaar on the last day of Winter (3-0). The encounter with Groningen is the highlight of the season for striker Graziano Pellè who scored the first two goals and was crowned man of the match.

Stage 4: twenty five games, sixty three points and a goal difference of +40.



STAGE 5 | SET BACKS AND MINIMALISM

Free from European duties, AZ focus entirely on domestic competitions. However, a slip-up against NAC Breda sees the club eliminated from the KNVB Cup. In the aftermath, Sergio Romero doesn’t know how to deal with his frustration over a crucial error he made during the game and he breaks his hand punching a wall in the dressing room. The air of invincibility that surrounded the team for months has all but evaporated. NAC Breda once again illustrate how AZ can be defeated.

Opponents and rivals cherish hope once more, but not for very long. The tricky away game to NEC in Nijmegen sees AZ struggle, but survive (0-1). The media, the fans, the players and the coaching staff had all nominated it to be a crucial game in the season. An important test was passed.

Utrecht is forced to acknowledge defeat one week later (0-1), but Feyenoord manage to escape Alkmaar with a point the following round. It doesn’t fade anyone.

Minimalism still surrounds the title charge, nobody at the club dares to openly admit the status of title candidate now held by the club. The Woudenstein trauma is too big. All of that changes when AZ obliterate The Hague in early April (4-1). Only chairman Dirk Scheringa remains cautious.

AZ once again struggle against NAC in Breda. An individual moment of brilliance by Moussa Dembélé eventually seals the deal (0-1). FC Twente and Ajax also win which means AZ can officially claim the title if they beat Vitesse in Alkmaar a week later.

With all the preparations for celebrations in place, AZ stumble and fall against Vitesse (1-2). Two lucky shots by the Arnhem outfit bring an anticlimactic experience to the Victory Stadium and the Woudenstein trauma is unleashed in full force.

However, less than 20 hours later, the world looks a different place entirely. Ajax get slaughtered by PSV in Eindhoven (6-2) and the title goes to AZ for the first time since 1981. Thousands of fans gather outside the stadium where the players and the coaches have been watching the game between PSV and Ajax. A spontaneous celebration erupts.

Stage 5: thirty one games, seventy six points and a goal difference of +45.

 

I think it's time to close the AZ forum and continue with just the one thread (albeit a very informative one :strong: ). I've been spamming the life out of every football forum in the world but, despite that, it never really took off. Time to downscale, it's the fashionable thing to do.

 

Sunday 07 November 2010 at 14H30
Gelredome​

Poulsen (injured) is out.

Romero :rollani:
Marcellis :groan: - Moisander :neutral: - Moreno - Klavan :drunk:
Wernbloom :wallbang: - Elm :howler: - Schaars :scream:
Holman :thumbsup: - Jonathas :frustrat: - Martens :yawn:​

Vitesse's bad streak is about to end, AZ is coming to town!

FT: 5-2.

 

Rather not. Don't want to see a confident Vitesse next week in the cup or I'll have made the long trip in the Gelredome all for nothing

 

How come you got rid of the AZ section and merged it into this one Slag?

btw are you getting rid of the match thread for this season?

 

It was just me running the show after henryrules and Dutch Lion disappear so yeah, we're gonna make due with just this one thread now. Matches included

 

I am here now a bit of shame the forum went as i miss it i will.

And i think we win today

So far this season who been our best players

 

Did you see even one match? Or maybe some highlights?

 

Hard to see matches here in London it is Styg.and hard on highlights to know who are best players

Shame we got a draw seems like Pelle cant stop scoreing he is on form now

 

Goals: 47. Pellè (0-1), 90. Aissati (1-1)
Bookings: Jenner (Y), Rajkovic (Y), Matic (Y), Romero (Y)

Same old, same old. We were half decent, won our individual battles, but failed to get really dangerous. We needed good old Graziano to come on and save our asses again, which he did by splendidly handling a pass from Wernbloom with his head, controling the ball, and hammering it home. His average is now 1 goal per game. Incredible.

Then we missed a host of other chances (nothing new there either) and allowed the other guys to get back in the game. Honestly, it doesn't even matter who we play anymore, I always end up typing the same thing.

Pathetic. We'll finish 11th again, run into financial trouble because we missed out on the Europa League ( :yuck: ) and then we'll have to sell our only good player: Pellè.

 

You usually hear fans say "it is my dream to travel and see my team play at our home venue," for Darren his dream is to see AZ one day on television.

 

Jeff have seen AZ on tv in Europe some years ago vs Newcastle both games i saw
And when we beat Ajax 2-0 when Ari scored a great goal season we won the title

 

You usually hear fans say "it is my dream to travel and see my team play at our home venue," for Darren his dream is to see AZ one day on television.

:howler: Couldnt have said it any better mate

 

IT's not that hard to follow AZ. Unlike premiership football, you don't have an internet police deleting eredivisie football on youtube.

 

[B]Standings[/B]

1 	FC Twente 	 	13 - 31
---------------------------------------
2 	PSV Eindhoven 	 	13 - 30
---------------------------------------
3  	AFC Ajax 	 	13 - 27
4 	FC Groningen 	 	13 - 27
5 	Roda JC 	 	13 - 24
---------------------------------------
6 	AZ Alkmaar 	 	13 - 22
7 	ADO The Hague 	 	13 - 21
8	FC Utrecht 	 	13 - 19
9 	sc Heerenveen 	 	13 - 19
10 	NEC Nijmegen 	 	13 - 18
11 	NAC Breda 	 	13 - 16
12 	De Graafschap 	 	13 - 13
13 	Heracles Almelo 	13 - 12
14 	Feyenoord 	 	13 - 12
15 	Excelsior 	 	13 - 11
---------------------------------------
16 	Vitesse Arnhem 		13 - 10
17  	VVV Venlo 	 	13 - 9
---------------------------------------
18  	Willem II Tilburg 	13 - 2

[B]Upcoming games[/B]

14 November  	AZ - Ajax
20 November  	FC Twente - AZ
27 November  	AZ - Heerenveen
05 December  	The Hague - AZ
12 December  	FC Groningen - AZ
19 December  	AZ - NEC Nijmegen

After the next two rounds (Ajax and Twente), we'll realistically be 9th or 10th. That means we have to beat our competitors in the remaining games until the winter break. If we want to get anywhere this season, we'll have to win all of those games.

 

Goals: 47. Pellè (0-1), 90. Aissati (1-1)
Bookings: Jenner (Y), Rajkovic (Y), Matic (Y), Romero (Y)

Xv8h2BYj018

 

Joey Didulica vented some frustrations in front of the cameras of RTV Noord-Holland: he seems to think Verbeek fields the most expensive players (in need of a transfer) rather than the best ones and he's also quite annoyed that the club wants players to pay for new shirts if they swap their old ones at the end of games (70 bucks per shirt).

He's been given 2 days off and will miss the cup game against Eindhoven as a result.

Frankly, I can see why he's frustrated. Him and Romero are both pretty steady keepers, neither of them really stand out. Having said that, I've never liked his keeping style and personality much. He's not a leader or an impressive man, he's a typical Australian: too timid and hard working. Those are great skills to have if you're a midfielder, but not if you're a keeper. Keepers have to have some flamboyancy and they should occasionally snap and scare the crap out of the other team's forwards. Didulica has none of that.

We should just sell him or loan him out.

 

Since when are Aussies timid? most I've known are the biggest loudmouths around

 

Well

 

Not in football, anyway. They're all hardworking, never complain... At least in the Eredivisie.

I don't like that. I like my footballers the same way I like my Chinese food: hot, mysterious and a little bit dangerous

So none of this:

But a lot more of this:

 

Wednesday 10 November 2010 at 20H00
AFAS Stadium​

Poulsen (injured) is out.

Romero
Marcellis - Moisander - Moreno - Klavan
Wernbloom - Elm - Schaars
Holman - Pellè- Martens​

Pellè's time to start, I should think. Or should we give Jonathas another shot against lowly opponents?

FT: 3-1

 

Jonathas for me he could score a few goals and it give him his belif back and start to perform again

 

The trouble is, he's the sort of striker who likes to linger up front and tap in all the passes he gets. But we're not playing dominant attacking football anymore and our "wingers" (if you can call Martens and Holman that) keep coming inside.

What you need, then, is a striker who can play with his back to the goal and hold the ball and pass it. Jonathas doesn't do that well.

 

Joe Mangel

 

Goals: 11. Elm (0-1), 49. Wernbloom (2-0), 90. Klavan (3-0)
Bookings: Moisander (Y), Gudmundsson (Y), Wernbloom (Y), Vanbelle (Y), Van der Rijt (Y)

ALKMAAR- AZ are through to the Round of 16 of the KNVB Cup with a 3-0 victory at home to First Division side FC Eindhoven, courtesy of goals from Rasmus Elm, Pontus Wernbloom and Ragnar Klavan.

AZ were without Jonathas, who is in Brazil due to private reasons. Graziano Pellè, who scored four goals in as many appearances as a substitute, was handed a place in the starting line-up.

Elm
AZ were never really troubled by First Division side Eindhoven and Elm opened the scoring for the home side after just ten minutes, brilliantly curling home a 25-yard free-kick. As the visitors never threatened the AZ goal and both Pellè and Brett Holman sent efforts wide or over the bar, the half-time score was 1-0.

Wernbloom put the result beyond any doubt three minutes into the second half. Niklas Moisander turned provider for the Swede, who somewhat luckily curled the ball into the top corner of the net: 2-0.

Klavan
FC Eindhoven, who have settled into a comfortable mid-table position in the First Division, had a few half chances to pull a goal back in the remainder of the game. Wernbloom came close when he had been singled out by Stijn Schaars, who made his 150th appearance for AZ in an competitions. Yet AZ amassed a three-goal cushion in the final minute when a half clearance fell to Klavan who struck a low shot into the bottom left corner from 18 yards: 3-0.

Verbeek: ‘Solid in our 3-0 win´
“FC Eindhoven have adopted a positive attitude to football, which I like very much”, said Verbeek, speaking after the game. “We kept our concentration, defended well and were solid in our 3-0 win.” Martens was taken off after thirty minutes. Verbeek: “He suffered a recurrence of a hamstring muscle strain, but other than that, we have no injury concerns.”

 

Sunday 14 November 2010 at 14H30
AFAS Stadium​

Martens (injured), Jonathas (private affairs) and Poulsen (injured) are out.

Romero
Marcellis - Moisander - Moreno - Klavan
Wernbloom - Elm - Schaars
Holman - Pellè - Gudmundsson​

Verbeek: "We're aiming to gain a few points on our competitors. Ajax haven't reached their full potential yet this season. They haven't been consistent, but they do have the skills to play some great football and they have, on occasion, delivered proof of that this season. Both Veendam and The Hague have shown it's possible to frustrate the Amsterdammers and we hope to do the same."

If we had the same fighting spirit and willpower as The Hague, we'd be leading the table. But alright, I'm a sucker for fairy tales so I'll go along with this one.

FT: 2-0

 

Good luck!