14 Apr 2013: PSV - Ajax

[Kowalczyk]

Eredivisie 2012-2013. Matchday 30.

Kick-off time at Philips Stadium is 16:30 CET.

Well, here we go. D-Day. Bring it on.

K.

[Orange14]

Fortunately we did not lose Moisander to suspension. We have the best defense in the league (I know this may not be saying too much) and PSV are quite fragile at the back. If we play solid fundamental football a good result should happen!

[Tom_]

Should be quite a game!

Not meaning to split hairs Orange but I think Twente have conceded fewer than us, although you could argue this is more because of their style of play than their defence per se...

[Orange14]

Not meaning to split hairs Orange but I think Twente have conceded fewer than us, although you could argue this is more because of their style of play than their defence per se...

Correct on the goals conceded but I think Twente are forced to play conservatively as they have no attack to speak of. I think our back four are the best in the league.

[Tom_]

Agreed. Also think that Poulsen could start as Ko said, although this costs us on attack.

[Orange14]

A draw suits us just fine but the worry is that if they play for one things could go wrong as the team is not really used to playing conservatively.

[SPL]

Vermeer may get a 2 match ban but is out for this game .On ESPN highlights today stated his ankle is injured and he would have been unfit for PSV in any case.

Chiel Kramer is playing for Jong tonight so looks like it will be him and not A1 youth Leeuwenburgh for sub. V d Hart our no 3 is injured. Kramer is being released at the end of the season.

There was some talk of V d Sar sitting on the bench but this is the first real time we have lost one of our 2 goalies this season and we are shown up by not having an experienced no 3 as usual. If Cillessen had been injured on Sunday we would be in real trouble.

I am all for youth but you cannot have a 19 year old youth goalie as your No 3. Things may change next season as Cillessen has indicated he wont stay as a benchwarmer.

[Ayman]

Apart from Locadia who is injured and will miss the game against Ajax at the philips stadium, who else will be missing for PSV? Anyone know?

[rjf1]

Agreed. Also think that Poulsen could start as Ko said, although this costs us on attack.

So, if he comes in, who do you see as going off?

[Tom_]

Exactly, that's what I mean. Normally FdB uses either Schöne or Poulsen for the same position. Schöne seems to start against weaker opposition but I think Poulsen started all the CL games and most of the big Eredivisie games as well. I guess he'd never leave Eriksen or de Jong out. Poulsen is a stronger defender but without Schöne our midfield is suddenly too slow with the ball and we suck on attack. The ideal defensive midfielder would be a tough defender and a good ballhandler/passer, but we don't have any players like that. That's how I see it anyway...

[Orange14]

The only way this will work is if de Jong plays up front and Schöne and Eriksen are the playmakers with Poulsen the holding midfielder. Poulsen and de Jong are a recipe for disaster given Toivonen is fit and remember that their leading scorer is Wijnaldum! It's going to be a tough call for FdB and both wingers will have to be on the top of their game and track back to help out on defense. This is going to be an interesting tactical match.

[aveslacker]

The ideal defensive midfielder would be sitting on the bench in Northern England.

Fixed that for you.

[Kowalczyk]

Poulsen defensive midfielder. He'll start and he will be so important... Their main man has been Toivonen in recent weeks. Taking care of him will be Poulsen's job.

Schöne back to the right wing. He did very well there.

Eriksen and De Jong: that should be enough, offensively speaking, in midfield.

Don't be surprised if Babel starts at #9, instead of Siggi.

K.

[Orange14]

I see Bjorn Kuipers is the match official. Two big matches in one week for him. While the Champions League match was important to some people, to us this is the BIG ONE!!

[kezme44]

i'd love to see babel starting

[aveslacker]

i'd love to see babel starting

Me too. I'd also love to see him stay another year.

[Orange14]

i'd love to see babel starting

Me too. I'd also love to see him stay another year.

+1 though I wonder what clubs will be after him given his rather average performance at Liverpool and Hoffenheim.

[SPL]

May come down to money as Babel paid off his contract with Hoffenheim and wont get more than 1m euros pa with us. 3rd rate english rubbish teams like Stoke Norwich Sunderland could all pay him 2m euros min. It would be great if he stayed another year and kept fit.

Meanwhile I will settle for him coming off the bench tomorrow and getting the winner .

[ajaxusa]

For those of us in the land of the free and the home of the brave... we are getting a double-header on espn3 tomorrow:

8:30 AM EDT RKC Waalwijk vs. Feyenoord
10:30 AM EDT PSV vs. Ajax

A bit early for me, but I'll prolly get up and watch the second half of the first game, and then the Big One. ... And then about six hours of golf from Augusta, Georgia. I know, I know.

[Tom_]

I'm assuming we'll beat PSV, so Feyenoord's results are irrelevant to us...

[Orange14]

Main goal for today: NO CHEAP GOALS CONCEDED

[SPL]

Main aim no goals conceeded at all. I will take a boring 0-0 draw .I know thats against everything Ajax stands for but if we draw today then 3 wins and a draw from our remaining 4 games would be enough .

In Uk ESPN are showing it live and firstrow has a stream for ESPN.

[rjf1]

Nice to see Poulsen lay into Van Bommel -- let the thug have a taste of his own medicine.

[Tom_]

I'm happy with anything between a 0–0 draw and a 6–0 win ;)

Seriously though a loss here would be very costly because PSV don't have any REALLY tricky games left. when was the last time we got a good result in Eindhoven?

[Orange14]

wonderful assist from van Bommel