AZpiration is everything --Jozy in Alkmaar

The UEFA co-efficients are NOT league strength rankings. They are simple addition point tallies for wins and draws in CL or EL play by the teams in those leagues that reach Europe.

To be fully accurate, it is not even a true ranking of Europe-level teams from each league, because there are no other factors involved, such as strength of opposition.

 

Here are highlights of the AZ v PSV including Jozy's goal http://bit.ly/I1aiHB

 

No, it's not. It is precisely a set amount for each win accrued, and half that amount for each draw. And that is all it is. It does not even differentiate between CL and EL results, let alone include any other relevant variables. The only other factor is a few bonus points for reaching the CL group phase and one bonus point for reaching either QF, SF and final.

It is all but only a useful tool for measuring the wins and draws accrued by teams in each leagues. It does absolutely nothing else. And frankly, since wins gets three points to one for a draw, it's not even accurate addition.

Vandervaart is correct. Anyone who thinks the Eredivisie is a weaker overall league than Russia is having a laugh. The Dutch had two really cruddy European campaigns, and those two are the next to come off the co-efficient ranking. They will zoom well past Russia at the end of this season.

This year, they will likely finish fourth in co-efficient points, just a shade off England despite having three fewer teams in Europe. In general, the Eredivisie is about sixth in overall league strength, basically on par with Portugal.

 

No, it isn't. If you're going to speak with such authority with such regularity here, at least know what you're talking about.

As for the rest of your post, you're simply arguing that you don't like the manner in which the UEFA coefficient ranking (yes, contrary to your assertion, it is a ranking) is calculated. That's certainly your prerogative, and I don't necessarily disagree with some of the points you make.

 

Okay... what pray tell do you imagine it is?

EDIT: Oh, and I forgot to mention that PK shootouts are not factored in. All games that end in PK's are counted as draws.

 

I'm not imagining anything. You failed to mention that bonus points are awarded for achieving various benchmarks (group stages, knockout rounds, etc).

 

I did mention it, but somehow cut off that sentence in typing it because I was paying attention to two things at once and moved it from a different paragraph. I quickly fixed the accidental copy/paste deletion.

And either way you want to slice it, it is still nowhere near an overall league strength ranking, nor does it suppose to be that.

 

It's like beating ones head against a wall dealing with you, isn't it? It is a league strength ranking, just a fairly limited and flawed one.

 

Please don't beat your head on my account. But if you insist on doing so, I'm sorry that I must continue to consider it no sort of a league strength ranking. In any event, I'll digress so as not to derail the thread.

 

IMO rankings like that are totally useless. There are 2 top tiers of European leagues. The first includes England, Spain, Italy, and Germany. The second includes Portugal, France, Netherlands, Russia. Those are in no particular order, and could be moved around in order of strength on any given day. It would be nearly impossible to accurately rank a league's strength in a way that everyone would agree upon. That being said, the Eredivisie is a great level for Jozy to be playing at, and he has certainly improved by leaps and bounds as a player. We can all only hope for more next year

 

Jimmy! J..J..J..J..J..Jimmeh, is that you!???

So anyone who also watched the game think Benschop added something? I think his hold up is worse and that Jozy actually was truly the better forward. He seemed to have more composure.

 

Altidore (F): Red Bulls - To -> Villarreal (For $10m / €6.5m*)
* Back in June/July 2008 -> $1 = €0.64
Salary @ Villarreal = €0.9m net/yr + Bonus

Altidore (F): Villarreal (Bursaspor) - To -> AZ (For €1.5m + % of Future Sale)
Salary @ AZ = €0.55m - €0.6m /yr + Bonus (not sure net or gross)
vs.
Bradley @ Chievo = €0.4m net/yr + Bonus



.

 

The Russian league IMO is weak compared to the French and Portuguese leagues.

 

Anzhi and Zenit are as good as any team in Portugal or France when they play well, IMO

 

Anzhi are 8th in Russian right now. CSKA and Zenit are the two best teams in Russia right now and have been for about the last eight years.

 

This ranking of leagues stuff is getting pretty monotonous. I think we all agree that the Dutch league is a really good place for Jozy to be. That's all that matters.

I would've definitely taken the under on a 10-goal performance from him. Instead, he's led his team to the upper reaches of the league table and helped them progress extremely deep into the Europa League, filling AZ's coffers with cash. AZ fans should be overjoyed with the season.

I wonder though, since I don't follow AZ religiously, who would've been their week-in, week-out starting striker? Benschop? Shudder.

 

At the beginning of the season, many folks figured it would be Boymans.... oops to that.

 

And the Eredivisie has had four different champs in four years.

Regardless, league strength is not only about the top team or even the top five teams.

Back to the topic, here is yet another example of how far outside the bounds of reality some people are willing to go to criticize Altidore. Not only does this guy somehow think he's 17 (!!), apparently his season is a massive disappointment by the standards held to a 17-year-old. Plus, he snakes a Verbeek quote from like December as if its current.

 

and apparently Benschop is the "clinical finisher". Sure can't tell from the number of goals he's scored relative to appearances. He also says Jozy doesn't pass well, but he seems to score a lot of goals on 1-2 combos and has gotten a decent number of assists.

I know we often look at our own players with rose-colored glasses, but it seems like some of the media there "think" Jozy sucks and nothing would change their minds.

 

If it makes anyone feel any better, they did the same thing to Zlatan his first season or two at Ajax.

 

Blame it on the short sightedness of the media. They only see a striker with limited ball skills and a reasonable tally. That is not going to set them on fire. However they don't really pay attention to his progression. He is not a hot prospect so he is not the focus of media attention. If there is talk about AZ it's usually about Maher, who all the big teams would like to recruit.

If Jozy keeps improving the media will simply adjust their view. They only look at the here and now. Same laziness as from some here on the forum who equate the amount goals scored to quality of play.