Generally speaking Ajax is not a club that thrives on thuggery, but that's not to say a certain level of toughness isn't important. We lost a bit of that grit and determination when we lost Vermaelen. I agree that we have some pretty boys on the squad, but not all of them are as soft as they look. Vertonghen's got a bit of a nasty streak (just ask Boschker & Velthuizen) and although Enoh is a bit reckless, he's generally very tough in the tackle.
You have had the luxury of only two managers in the past how many years? I don't know when Rutten started but it's been him and McClaren. We have had a different manager each 18 months and a front office that spoke great things but had no clue about how to run a club. I think that has all changed after the implementation of the Cornell report recommendations. Jol has a clue about how to manage a club and chose players which van Basten did not. Also look at the players that we've lost in the past three years: Huntelaar, Sneijder, Heitinga, Vermaelen. All are either starting or seeing significant playing time at their new clubs. Twente's only significant loss was Elia. Now all the Eredivisie clubs have to sell top talent to keep the books balanced (though I think this is rapidly changing given the recent UEFA report and the current economic downturn) but you can't compare the players lost. The Ajax youth system is still producing good young players. If you look at the youth NTs there are far more Ajax players than Twente players (I think on the current under 17s there are six Ajax youth who start). Ok, so all of them won't progress to first team football but maybe some will. I think the club is finally on the right track after the years in the wilderness. You won't see this current management overspending for transfers (1. because of the financial issues and 2. because they are better at judging talent). Maybe we pull something out of the hat this year, maybe not. I wouldn't mind finishing third and winning the cup. I would be ecstatic about finishing first or second. The proof of the pudding will be next year (with or without Suarez) and whether we make the necessary progress.
This is a bit of a chicken and the egg story though. They always call up more Ajax players as a matter of course. Twente has won the youth league and the reserves league in the recent past. That didn't stop the managers of the youth teams calling up far more Ajax (and Feyenoord) players. This is something that is deeply engraved into Dutch football culture and it will take decades of the likes of Twente playing in the top three before it will change.
Serious question: do you think Twente will be in the top three for decades? I'm not asking to be pedantic - I'm really curious how you see Twente's long term future.
Munsterman unfolded Twente's new five year plan in january of this year (and there's no need to doubt that plan as he's stuck to the letter of the previous five year plan even though he was laughed at at initially). This summer the second stadium expansion phase will start and then in 2011 the third one. In five years' time we'll have a capacity of over 40,000 plus added value facilities such as a hotel and conference centre. With larger capacity comes ever increasing revenue as the stadium is ours and all services in it are under our management. This coupled with the fact that PSV and Ajax have hit a revenue ceiling (as in no chance in hell in the CL) makes it pretty much certain that we'll stay in the top four at least for years to come. On VI TV last night they said they researched club fanbases. Ajax has by far the largest fanbase in the country but its fanbase stays about the same. Twente by contrast has grown its fanbase by a staggering 200% over the past two years. We're becoming a pretty big club, not sure how aware people outside of the NL are of this.
I can see Twente being a consistent top four finisher for a while, especially considering how weak Ajax and, to an even greater extent, 010 are in this day and age. Eventually those teams will pick it up (although I think Ajax will do it before 010) but until then a team that maximizes its potential in the way Twente does stands to benefit a lot. I know Munsterman has a good plan, and I admit to not knowing too much about the Twente catchment area, but I still wonder if this next stadium expansion isn't a bridge too far. Then again, NFL owners get rich while their teams play in half-full stadia, so who knows.
This has all been properly researched. We've a catchment area with a population of 600,000 people. And that's not even counting in Germany - we're quite literally on the border as you know - and the fact that we're increasingly popular outside Twente itself. We have 14 supporters associations at the moment, the newest one is from fans in the prove of Gelderland. You also have to remember that in the 1970s we sold out capacity crowds of 40,000. This isn't new or anything. Twente is an extremely football-mad region, always has been. Even Heracles are now expanding their stadium.
Yeah, we've had this conversation before. Like I'm sure I've said elsewhere, I hope it works out. It's very hard to predict the future, as the last two years have shown. In any event, hup Ajax!
is soakin gup Twente pressure for 30mins scoring and going on to easily win the game not a way to show how to win a tough hard faught game?
You still cannot get Twente Kits and other stuff via the Internet; you can get Ajax stuff. Until that changes, the club will still be considered provincial. Ajax, for better or worse, is still an international brand.
When did you hear me deny any of that? All of our sponsors are regional too. In our minds that's not a bad thing but actually a good thing but I guess Ajax people have a different mindset. Ajax outsources its merchandising. Twente outsources nothing. That's why you can only order that type of stuff from Twente itself and nowhere else. We prefer to remain exclusive teeheeeeeeeeee
I never said that Ruiz is a better player, in fact I posted a long time ago that Luis is the best player in the Eredivisie, so either you're a new comer or you have reading or memory problems. And for your reading problems, the discussion wasnot about Feyenoord, but about the difference between Ajax wins and FC Twente wins in the run up to whom is going to snatch a CL ticket.
Yeah, I'm new here. Hi. I addressed about every statement you made in that post. You were suggesting we need help of the referee in order to win games. I think that's a very questionable statement vs a team that has a goal record of 73-17 after 25 games. As for the friendly rivarly, get used to it.
i see things haven't changed much in here. the ajax thread still being dominated by outsiders in terms of posting quantity (note how i conveniently left out quality) .
dont see how really, its not lucky that Twente cant take chances.. and Ajax can.. Ajax were simply better over the full course of the game and it showed really.
I had a strange flash of an Ajax vs PSV soccer moment in which van der Meyden scores against Ajax Is he still playing football for Ajax and now scoring an own goal against Stekkie
I didn't realize Groningen was employing Blind as their right fullback. Anybody seen him in action? If we lose Van der Wiel that experience could be helpful for him to find his way into our starting lineup next season.
He was playing fullback for the reserve team prior to the loan. I think the jury is still out on whether he is first team material. He is also starting for the Dutch Under 21 team along with Anita and de Jong.
PSV drop three points today losing to NAC 2-1. We need to take care of business against Sparta tomorrow.
Saw that on my blackberry on the way home from Montreal today. If we don't capitalize tomorrow I'm going to be very distraught.
It seems that whenever we have a chance to gain on PSV and Twente we don't. We really need these points today.