01 May 2011: SC Heerenveen - Ajax

[aveslacker]

Indeed. It has been a good day in many, many ways.

[Flipster81]

May 15. May 15. May 15. May 15.

K.

2 days after my 30th birthday, here's hoping for a nice present from the team!!

[Philippe]

I found Heerenveen quite good. They fought like lions. Especially their wingers who were very impressive.

[acab]

I found Heerenveen quite good. They fought like lions. Especially their wingers who were very impressive.

Everybody fight like lions against us, don't you notice? the case with Twente is totally different. Last year allmost all Eredivisie played for them and against us

[Philippe]

I think we could hire their right winger Narsingh.

[Orange14]

I think we could hire their right winger Narsingh.

Another case of letting a player leave our youth program before he fully matured; just like Elia.

[souras84]

And just if the ones we kept were better!!! A sign that somethings in the academy are problematic... Maybe JC rebellion can get thing back to the proper way

[Flipster81]

Another case of letting a player leave our youth program before he fully matured; just like Elia.

Damn imagine that wing pairing!!

Narsingh looks a nice player, if we sign anyone from Heerenveen I'd like it to be him.

[Orange14]

And just if the ones we kept were better!!! A sign that somethings in the academy are problematic... Maybe JC rebellion can get thing back to the proper way

What's wrong with Ebecilio, Ozbiliz, Lukoki, Jozefzoon, all of whom had first team play this season with the first two now playing regularly? I'm not worried about us developing wingers and midfielders. We really need defenders and two strikers to come up through the system (we have two keepers who are on the tentative U-21 roster, Bizot and Padt).

[souras84]

What I mean is that while the academy produces good players, something that maybe has to do with the judment of players goes wrong. Lots of good players have ended up playing for others lately.

[Orange14]

What I mean is that while the academy produces good players, something that maybe has to do with the judment of players goes wrong. Lots of good players have ended up playing for others lately.

It's always a risk with young players trying to figure out which ones will make it and which ones won't we and Feyenoord probably have the most youth players in our respective systems. With the growing need to offer contracts at an early age to keep the English predators at bay one needs to figure out pretty quickly who should get a contract and who should not. We currently have too many players under contract both at the junior and senior levels, causing a drain on finances. We are always going to lose some promising players from the system, the key is keeping the loss to a minimum and insuring that the good ones are retained and make it through.

On another forum I noted that if you look back at the Dutch U-21 NTs that won consecutive Euros the number of players who progressed to the senior team can probably be counted on one or two fingers! Huntelaar is one of them and he's the only one who has been a constant contributor. Here are the goal scorers in the Euro final from 2007: Bakkal, Rigters, Babel, and Bruins. Other than Babel, the other three have not made a senior NT appearance. Bakkal does not start for PSV, Babel is fading away in Hoffenheim, Bruins is so-so at Feyenoord and doesn't even start every match, Rigters is looking at 2nd division football next year. Sure these players are only 24 but look at what van der Vaart and Snjeider (throw in Zlatan as well though he came from Sweden) accomplished by that age.

It ends up being a crap shoot in the long run, making decisions about young players.

[Flipster81]

I think what Orange is getting at is we have produced wingers who are playing regularly more often than not so players like Narsingh, Elia et al will go elsewhere if we have sufficient talent already in place. Ajax is a school and players will leave to learn in other places.

Us fans will always be horrified when one of our young alumni become famous somewhere else after leaving De Toekomst before signing pro for us. But the reality is we probably had someone better already playing and they might not have developed as planned, been stifled by a bad new signing, or worse still, left for lots of £££ before fully developing. Yes Ryan Babel i'm talking to you!!

[Orange14]

I think what Orange is getting at is we have produced wingers who are playing regularly more often than not so players like Narsingh, Elia et al will go elsewhere if we have sufficient talent already in place. Ajax is a school and players will leave to learn in other places.

The only other option is to start 10 wing players and a keeper!!!

[Flipster81]

[/quote]The only other option is to start 10 wing players and a keeper!!! [/quote]

1 GK, 9 Wingers and a playmaker, i'm sure we could muster that!!