Ajaxtalk

Kowalczyk schreef:... and p$v have a new Aussie... His name's Archie Thomson and he came from Melbourne Victory. Is he any good? Tell me he isn't... Dan? Chugger?

K.

I remember watching this guy play in our old National Soccer League about 9 years ago. I thought he was a great talent then...now he's probably the best player currently playing in Australia, he's is comfortable with the ball on either foot, he can also score inside and outside the box, volleys or beating defenders.

He has also scored probably 2 of my favourite goals from last year. the first in our wc qualifier against the solomon islands and the second by beating 4 defenders within the 6 yard box by turning and twisting...it was brilliant to watch.

How will he go in a much stronger league??? Tough to say, but I would think his style of play would suit the Dutch league down to the ground.

In all honesty, I would have liked to see him head towards Amsterdam but "Guusie" either thinks he is good enough for PSV or wants to keep him fit for the WC, or both.

Either way, I wish him well (just dont bloody score against us). He seems pretty down to earth, but has just enough arrogance on the field to make him a favourite down in Eindhoven.

NAC Breda announced this morning that Pierre van Hooijdonk is allowed to leave with immediate effect, on a free transfer. He was welcomed home at the start of the season as a prodigal son and the saviour of Breda, but so far it's been one big disappointment: he only scored 5 times so far, NAC are having a nightmare of a season and the man he wanted to be re-united with in the first place (his good friend, NAC coach Ton Lokhoff) has been sacked.

Conclusion: Pi-Air is disappointed and wants to leave.

Which - in my opinion - once again shows what a tremendously opportunistic wanker this guy is. He's played for many clubs, but he always left prematurely, in many cases after a dispute about money and if things don't go well he immediately feels to good for the team and wants to f#ck off.

This is why the fans hate him in Roosendaal, Breda (second time!), Glasgow, Nottingham. Hell, even in Rotterdam - where he singlehandedly grabbed the UEFA Cup - they have a bit of a bitter taste because of the way he forced his departure.

I have little respect for people like this dude, to be honest.

K.

Kowalczyk schreef:
I have little respect for people like this dude, to be honest.

K.

To be honest, not surprising, that's certainly the reputation he got in England/Scotland but I thought things had changed now - didn't he get the "player of the year" award voted by his fellow players while at Rotterdam? That would have never happened here as he was always so unpopular amongst his team-mates.

Well, I'm sure the NAC players will not be pleased. Van Hooijdonk only wants to play for a winning side, in which he can be The Man. If that doesn't happen he wants to leave because he's 'disappointed with the team'. In other words: the rest of the players is not good enough to have him as their striker.

So now he f*cks off again, because the team is not good enough and his good mate is no longer his coach...

I think he won the Dutch Player of the Year Award (voted by the Eredivisie players) and possibly also the other Player of the Year Award (voted by the sports press), but strangely enough he was never a real fan hero in Rotterdam. I even remember the TV reports about it: they loved having him as their striker, but they never really embraced him like they're embracing Dirk Kuyt.

By the way: NAC announced that he can leave on a free transfer, but only to a club outside of Holland or Ajax, PSV, Feyenoord, AZ or Heerenveen. A fee will be demanded from any other club. Remarkable. My guess is that he will join Heerenveen, who lost Huntelaar to Ajax and will almost certainly lose Samaras this week (to Man City). The timing of this is perfect for them.

K.

No doubt Van Hooijdonk is a rat, but a least he is an up front rat unlike some of his critics at Forest. Remember Steve Stone? He was very voluable about Van Hooijdonk's departure, but he fucked off from Forest on Van Hooijdonk's coat tails.

Maybe some of Van Hooijdonk's influence has rubbed off on Julian Jenner and he will scurry on his way to Amsterdam :D :eusa_pray:

According to "Piłka Nożna" PSV have bought Lee Nguyen, Vietnamese-born player with American nationality. 19-year-old player signed 3,5-year contract.

Yes, those of us yanks who follow soccer are pretty happy to have yet another "yank abroad," even if he does play for psv.

AZ and Groningen tied 1-1, i was rooting for the white and green but i guess tie is a better result overal for Ajax. Come on guy's !!!!!!

And heerenveen's 0-0 draw with sparta I believe.

Ooh and Heracles are orgasmic. Hirayama

"PIERRE VAN HOOIJDONK TERUG BIJ FEYENOORD"
Do I need to translate ? :D

I hope he will make the mess there, it would be fun... :yes:

Cedric_AeF schreef:"PIERRE VAN HOOIJDONK TERUG BIJ FEYENOORD"
Do I need to translate ? :D

I hope he will make the mess there, it would be fun... :yes:

I remember a couple of seasons ago when I sat rooting for Feyenoord opponents leading in the final minutes when....EVERY F%¤NG TIME Pee-Air would score in the final minutes for them.

Question is, who's he's going to beat to the starting eleven?

Cedric_AeF schreef:"PIERRE VAN HOOIJDONK TERUG BIJ FEYENOORD"
Do I need to translate ? :D

I hope he will make the mess there, it would be fun... :yes:

They will hate him for this at NAC... NAC is probably the only club in Holland where they hate Feyenoord more than Ajax.

Will he do the business for F-word again...? He's 36 now. I hope he'll be a massive disappointment.

K.

He's 36 now. I hope he'll be a massive disappointment.

He probably will be; no Van Persie to land the ball on his big fat noggin. :D

Kuyt and Kalou are scoring by bunches he`ll problably sit most of the rest of the season on the bench, that means he`ll be 37 when he gets a starting slot again.I would not worry much about him.

Kowalczyk schreef:... and p$v have a new Aussie... His name's Archie Thomson and he came from Melbourne Victory. Is he any good? Tell me he isn't... Dan? Chugger?

K.

Isn't he a player who scored 13 goals in one international game?

According to "Piłka Nożna", Manchester City offers 8.5 mln euro for Heerenveen's striker Samaras. Last offer, 7.5 mln was rejected. Heerenveen wants 10 mln euro.

AsgAarD_xxx schreef:

Kowalczyk schreef:... and p$v have a new Aussie... His name's Archie Thomson and he came from Melbourne Victory. Is he any good? Tell me he isn't... Dan? Chugger?

K.

Isn't he a player who scored 13 goals in one international game?

Yep. Still the world record. It was against a fairly week opponent (Solomon Islands i think?), but still 13 in one game is impressive. I think Australia actually won that game 31-0. Man, I am so glad we are out of the Oceania Conferderation.

He was unavailable for P$Vs game last week, but is expected to be called up for this weekends game. Will be interesting to see how he goes.

DanK schreef:

AsgAarD_xxx schreef:

Kowalczyk schreef:... and p$v have a new Aussie... His name's Archie Thomson and he came from Melbourne Victory. Is he any good? Tell me he isn't... Dan? Chugger?

K.

Isn't he a player who scored 13 goals in one international game?

Yep. Still the world record. It was against a fairly week opponent (Solomon Islands i think?), but still 13 in one game is impressive. I think Australia actually won that game 31-0. Man, I am so glad we are out of the Oceania Conferderation.

The Solomon's are actually fairly decent in oceania terms. Was actually American Samoa. What is the deal with oceania now? Do we retain a half qualifying spot for the WC with NZ and the Solomons battling it out for a playoff with a south american side? sounds a bit ludicrous. Just merge the whole confederation into Asia would be the best idea I think.

DanK schreef: It was against a fairly week opponent

I think Australia actually won that game 31-0.

Fairly weak opponent, 31-0 ???!!! Just a wee bit of an understatement, I think ! ;) Are we sure the other team actually turned up?

AsgAarD_xxx schreef:According to "Piłka Nożna", Manchester City offers 8.5 mln euro for Heerenveen's striker Samaras. Last offer, 7.5 mln was rejected. Heerenveen wants 10 mln euro.

Actually, Heerenveen don't want to sell him at all right now, after having lost Huntelaar. That's why Samaras made a case out of it (arbitration), trying to force Heerenveen to sell him. His argument: he can make ten times as much money at City as at Heerenveen, so 'morally' Heerenveen can not deny him this opportunity.

The verdict was yesterday and the judge decided that Heerenveen are right. They can not legally be forced to sell Samaras. His argument would be valid between two seasons (summer transfer), but the official FIFA/UEFA rules for transfers during the season are that it is only possible if both club agree. And Heerenveen don't want it, plain simple. They are legally allowed to turn Man City down and force the player to stay.

Fair enough, but the question is: how much sense does it make? How useful is it to have a striker who doesn't want to play for the club anymore and is, in fact, extremely pissed off with the club...? Will Samaras still give everything? I guess we'll find out in exactly one week from now...

Seems like this case doesn't really have a winner. Except, perhaps, Heerenveen's opposition... (i.e. on 02 February: us!)

K.

DanK schreef:
Yep. Still the world record. It was against a fairly week opponent (Solomon Islands i think?), but still 13 in one game is impressive. I think Australia actually won that game 31-0.

Opponent was extremaly week? Nevermind... Some teams have a big problem to win with rivals, which can only stay near their own goal. Look at Portugal- they cannot play against Liechtenstein. As far as I remember they had draw one game (2-2?) and were slightly better on 2nd game. So, in my opinion, it was great succes of Australian football and Archie Thomson... Even in Europe the best teams can't do that, when they play agains San Marino, Luxembourg etc.

As I see American players are very popular in Eredivisie now- Heerenveen bought 18-year-old Michael Bradley from New York/ New Jersey Metrostars. He signed 3,5-year contract.

Frans schreef:The Solomon's are actually fairly decent in oceania terms. Was actually American Samoa. What is the deal with oceania now? Do we retain a half qualifying spot for the WC with NZ and the Solomons battling it out for a playoff with a south american side? sounds a bit ludicrous. Just merge the whole confederation into Asia would be the best idea I think.

Yep. You are correct Frans. I couldn't remember that when I wrote the response. It was Amercian Samoa.

I am pretty sure that Oceania keeps the half a place against Sth Americans. NZ/SI would the be candidates.

I dont know why the conferderations don't merge either. Let the "weaker" nations, go through a play-off, then the winners can join the play-offs in Asia. More money for the nations also.

It would be ironic, if Australia, by moving to Asia don't qualify for the next WC, yet NZ do through Oceania.

DanK schreef:

Frans schreef:The Solomon's are actually fairly decent in oceania terms. Was actually American Samoa. What is the deal with oceania now? Do we retain a half qualifying spot for the WC with NZ and the Solomons battling it out for a playoff with a south american side? sounds a bit ludicrous. Just merge the whole confederation into Asia would be the best idea I think.

Yep. You are correct Frans. I couldn't remember that when I wrote the response. It was Amercian Samoa.

I am pretty sure that Oceania keeps the half a place against Sth Americans. NZ/SI would the be candidates.

I dont know why the conferderations don't merge either. Let the "weaker" nations, go through a play-off, then the winners can join the play-offs in Asia. More money for the nations also.

It would be ironic, if Australia, by moving to Asia don't qualify for the next WC, yet NZ do through Oceania.

I think that would be kind of hard, a team like Colombia,Uruguay would easaly beat NZ. Australia was another story they actually had to battle it out to see got the place. I guess that's good news for the south american teams and thus ME :D ( Come on Venezuela !!!!!!).

Please excuse me if i am underestimating the rest of Oceania's teams.

Rick Hoogendorp joins Wolfsburg. He signed 3-year contract.