We want to know how Ajax will do, winning the league now twice in a row. It looks like this year they will have to depend on the youth academy. But many fans and followers, if not most, still think they can do it. Well, being from Amsterdam, it is my team and I think the same.
It will get challenging, though. We are yet to see how they react after losing Captain Jan Vertonghen, voted best player in the Eredivisie last season. It gives other the chance to step up, but we’ll have to wait and see if they do.
Most of the media, it seems, bets on a different horse. Rival PSV Eindhoven is considered the favorite this year and honestly, they make a strong case. Good signings and appointing Dick Advocaat as coach probably will work out well. And they haven’t been champion for 4 years now.
Feyenoord is likely to do well again. They lost a few 1st team players, but maybe they will be alright. They didn’t win their European qualifiers, but played very well against a strong opponent, recently. If they maintain that form, they look pretty decent. There are also rumors that popular striker John Guidetti might play on loan again like last year.
They will be in it with FC Twente and AZ, the champions of Holland in the 2 years prior to Ajax. They will want to keep the pressure on the others, though. Many people are curious to see FC Twente’s new signing Tadic. Even before the start he is already considered important. AZ arguably played the best football last year and was on top 2/3rd of the season. You never know when it’s time for them to reap the rewards.
SC Heerenveen was a surprise last year. They are the kind of team you would expect to do it someday, but you would still be kind of surprised if they did.
New coach Marco van Basten is in for a though start, most likely. They unfortunately lost last year’s top scorer in the league Bas Dost. Also, the first few opponents they meet aren’t the easy ones.
Is Vitesse finally going to match up results to their ambitious? It has been the talk for a few years now. Not everybody seems that convinced they will be competing for the championship, though. Something the new coach Fred Rutten needs to change.
FC Utrecht and FC Groningen will want to do better, as they are always considered outsiders to qualify for European football. But last year they just couldn’t make it happen.
RKC Waalwijk was another surpise last year. While majority expected them to relegate, they ended in mid-table. Are they up to repeat last year’s achievement? They will have to hold off the other teams expected to end mid-table, like NEC, Roda JC, NAC Breda, Heracles Almelo and maybe ADO Den Haag.
Many predict VVV-Venlo will have a tough year once again. Last year they escaped relegation. To avoid it again this year, they will have to hold of Willem II and PEC Zwolle, most likely. Both promoted from the Dutch Jupiler League. Willem II has been going back and forth over the last few years, so they know what challenges they are facing. PEC Zwolle hasn’t played in the Eredivisie since they relegated in 2004. But also when it comes to relegation you can’t predict the outcome.
An overview of the teams competing this season in alphabetical order (and the place they finished last year):
ADO Den Haag (15th place)
Ajax (1st place)
AZ (4th place)
FC Groningen (14th place)
FC Twente (6th place)
FC Utrecht (11th place)
Feyenoord (2nd place)
Heracles Almelo (12th place)
NAC Breda (13th place)
NEC (8th place)
PEC Zwolle (Promoted from the Jupiler League – 1st place)
PSV (3rd place)
RKC Waalwijk (9th place)
Roda JC Kerkrade (10th place)
SC Heerenveen (5th place)
Vitesse (7th place)
VVV-Venlo (16th place)
Willem II (Promoted from the Jupiler League – 2nd place)
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