AZ you like it: Jozy at Alkmaar [R]

From the way he´s going 15-20 goals this season is not Impossible. Just hope he keeps that HUNGER for scoring all season long.

 

I think it's fairly obvious by now that we should be sending all of our strikers over to the Eredivisie!

 

Verbeek has been great for US soccer. Let's not forget this particular coach's role in trusting our guys. Hopefully with him + Earnie, AZ could become a new, continuing development partner for US Soccer. I could see a guy like Agudelo developing nicely there, or Luis Gil (or Renken), or maybe Omar Gonzales.

Realistically, not all coaches in Holland will take a shot with us, but
this guy certainly has + does.

I actually think Shea can jump straight to the Prem within a year at this pace (assuming his game keeps growing).

 

Agreed.

 

So rep him already...

 

Funny, last night I was just thinking about how great a situation like Jozy now has at AZ would be for Juan. Confidence is huge, and Backe seems to have crushed any and all confidence Juan has. In fact, he seems to kill it within 48 hrs of his return from every trip to work with the NT. It would be great for Omar as well.

Hopefully, this move by Jozy does open doors for other Americans. I don't see how anyone could argue against the staff at AZ getting more out of Juan, and being better for his development, than what we're seeing from Backe and his staff right now.

 

fyp.

 

Irrelevant.

What's relevant is that after a few months in charge, you had already dubbed him one of the two worst coaches in the league.

Such a nuanced understanding of the game you have! Such patience and forethought!

Might be time for you to change your handle again, by the way.

 

This is a Jozy thread- let's move on.

 

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vQfxl3aPfzo"]Jozy Altidore - What's Next? - YouTube[/ame]

 

When Earnie was running NACB, he claimed poverty.

I assume A-Zet has some cash lying around, even under the post-Scheringa regime to afford a few Americans.

 

Absolutely. So glad he's finding some form. And on you're second point that's what i'm looking for too. That consistency, especially in his finishing with his feet. I'd love to see some strikes like he took in Gold cup so he is more then an aerial threat. If he got 15 league goals I'd say " very well done and very good" assuming it isn't 15 lucky goals or 15 penalties. Kinda like Andy Johnson had on season. But It's also why i hope he's stays put for a more then just this year. Let him get comfortable, consistent, get settled, build up a bit of a rep.

Yes. The dutch league has a bit of a rep especially in England, of being a league that's easier to score in, thus you can't trust that prolific scoring in Holland mean you'll be prolific in the EPL. Kuyt is often cited as an example of the rule, and Van Nistelrooy often cited as the exception.

But like you said it's a quality league still. And it's one of the reason's i thought it was a positive to go their. Give him some confidence. In retrospect i think Villarreal was too much of a step up, especially without Pellegrini to guide him. But the more he scores the better.

i don't know about his confidence but i think for many players having the coach in you're corner makes all the difference. Even Freddy Adu, saw a drastic change in his career as soon as the guy Manager that brought him to Benfica left. He stopped getting games and struggled. Altidore wasn't really needed during his Spain loan and didn't feature. Adu wasn't wanted by the manager at Monaco and barely featured. Donovan, though not great, was better when Klinsmann was in his corner at Bayern then at Leverkusen, when they lost trust in him. But just how much better was he at Everton where the manager really was lobbying for him, had experience with American players, and had tons of belief and threw him right in? He was great. And it's been said by many Brazilian managers act as father figures, and when many Brazilians, Robihno particularly, go to europe they struggle because, in addition to the physicality, managers don't coddle them and don't support them the same way. So without that manager in his corner at Madrid and feeling wanted at City his play suffered. I think some players are so mentally strong it doesn't matter. I think Dempsey is like that. two or three different coaches. Sat early, in his Fulham time. Sat buy Hodgsen when Hodgsen first got there. He doesn't care. He just keeps plugging away. Earning his spot. Making whoever is there bench someone else to the point where Dempsey is not the Veteren that's proven the local naysayers wrong and pretty indispensable. But i think for many others everything needs to be just right.

 

What was the name of MB's old teammate in Holland the once scored 7 goals in a league match and transferred during the next window to Middlesboro?

 

Afonso Alves, who is now playing in the Qatari league. Read into it what you will.

 

Afonso Alves

 

I'm reading get him into a Sounders kit before the window closes.

Seriously I don't care if it's easier to score in Holland then other top leagues, (it seems it is) Jozy needs to get fit, score goals, and learn the business of being a center forward, and I figure he can accomplish all of those goals in Holland.

 

I hope I'm not intruding but it's true that Dutch club football can't keep up with Europe's elite and that's purely a money issue. The total financial resources of a club like AZ are less than even a lowly premiership club earns in television revenues alone. That said, I can't imagine a league that's more fun for a forward, and there's worse leagues to be in for a footballer in general, as said money issues force Dutch clubs to focus on improving their players, with a lot of attention being paid to improving technical skills and tactical intelligence.

What's always interesting to me as a Dutch person is to see which foreigners succeed in the Dutch league and which don't. You have to remember that someone like Hasselbaink, a premiership topscorer, was never rated highly when he was playing in Holland.

 

Blast from the past. What an absurd career.

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Happy to see Jozy playing and scoring.

 

I think it is interesting to see which players succeed and which players fail in all leagues. It is always very, very unfairly used as an indicator for a player's quality, therefore ignoring all other factors like style of play, relationship with the manager, players around them, etc.

A lot of people would be shocked to see some of the players that bombed out of MLS, considering their pedigree. I think that is the case for most leagues.

 

Altidore's problems always seem to be in his head. Hopefully he's in a place where those become less of an issue. If he gets his confidence back and rolling it will only benefit the club and us.

 

I feel like there are some things that can clear ones head in holland that are only legal in that country

 

I thought it was only legal in Amsterdam?

 

Alkmaar is about a 27 miles drive from Amsterdam.

 

There are legal substances that can clear the mind in many countries. In fact, unknown to many, Portugal, has one of the most liberal drug policies in the world. Not that they are advertising it, though. Freddy Adu's failure in Portugal is now becoming clear.

 

I think you can get chips with mayonnaise everywhere in Holland.