Here's my view on the upcoming Dutch title race, use it to your advantage all you betting addicts out there 
PSV Eindhoven
The reigning champions have managed to preserve the core of their team which consists of keeper Gomes, defenders Ooijer and Alex, midfielders Simons and Cocu and forward Farfán. That's a good core, but the loss of Guus Hiddink will be well noticeable, especially since he's been replaced by Ronald Koeman who has yet to impress in his career as trainer. They have several good substitutes at their disposal but I can't help but conclude Koeman will prolong his title of Worst Scout, judging by the purchases he's made so far. His failure to work well with younger players (which cost him his job at Ajax) might also cause stagnation in the development of Afellay and Aissati who flourished under Hiddink and have grown to become important contributions to the team. Contributions Koeman cannot afford to lose, but is likely to nevertheless.
Verdict: three stars because their coach will function like a caravan hitched to a Ferrari at crucial moments.
Feyenoord Rotterdam
Feyenoord's main problem has always been finances. The Rotterdam outfit can do nothing but watch with jealousy at the amount of money that's being spent in Amsterdam, Eindhoven and even Alkmaar. Since their last title in 1999, irresponsible spending has magnified that problem but the last two years have seen an incredible reduction in the amount of players that were under contract in Rotterdam. The list went from a staggering total of over 40 (!) players to a more respectable number of around 25 and in addition to that move, the many mediocre players that were previously present have been replaced by fewer, but higher quality, personell. Their main man at the moment is of course Dirk Kuyt, and even in the unlikely scenario that he will be sold as the transfer market is slowly reaching its closing date, there are enough quality subsitutes in De Kuip. Why AZ Alkmaar let forward Stein Huysegems join a direct competitor is beyond me and with players such as De Ceulaer, Castelen, Timmer and Hofs, Feyenoord possess more quality than they have in years. Their coach, Erwin Koeman, has been allowed to build his squad for a few seasons now and has had a tremendously positive influence on the entire club. They only just fell short of a title last season and with PSV losing quality and Feyenoord gaining significantly, this season offers real potential for Rotterdam.
Verdict: three and a half stars because their coach is the better brother and the money has finally been spent wisely.
AFC Ajax
Ajax's new coach Henk ten Cate (former assistant to Frank Rijkaard in Barcelona) has great potential but has never been manager at a top club by himself before. As always Ajax rely on a truck load of talented youngsters and players such as Huntelaar will definitely make an impact. But will it be enough? The team needs experienced players willing to take the lead and although new arrivals like Stam and Perez are definitely experienced, they aren't notorious leaders. Much will depend on the chemistry in the group and the key word at this point in time is Copenhagen, their counterparts in the Champions League qualification match. The Amsterdam outfit has a negative record against the Danes and were eliminated by them just a few seasons ago in the UEFA Cup. If Ajax pass the Danish test and hang on to the resilience it will take to do so, they could go far. If they don't, it will be hard to spot room for improvement.
Verdict: two and a half stars because good old Amsterdam Bluff will only take you so far. Close, but no dice.
AZ Alkmaar
Their squad list is impressive and talented and I'm particularly looking forward to watch Moussa Dembéle, who just about singlehandedly kept Willem II Tilburg from relegating last season. The opening match of their new stadium against Arsenal showed the squad is young and the players still need to adjust to each other but Louis van Gaal knows how to deal with those situations. I don't expect them to win the title, but they could go far and cause some tension nevertheless. The attack worries me as they don't seem to possess a cold blooded striker and Shota Arveladze is past his best years. But that hasn't stopped them in the past season when they finished second, so why would it now? Missing Kenneth Perez (who went to Ajax) might, however, pose a bigger problem and Dembéle might initially struggle to fill the big hole Perez left behind.
Verdict: three stars. A slow start but a thundering race once they reach full speed. Likely to fall just short.
PSV Eindhoven
The reigning champions have managed to preserve the core of their team which consists of keeper Gomes, defenders Ooijer and Alex, midfielders Simons and Cocu and forward Farfán. That's a good core, but the loss of Guus Hiddink will be well noticeable, especially since he's been replaced by Ronald Koeman who has yet to impress in his career as trainer. They have several good substitutes at their disposal but I can't help but conclude Koeman will prolong his title of Worst Scout, judging by the purchases he's made so far. His failure to work well with younger players (which cost him his job at Ajax) might also cause stagnation in the development of Afellay and Aissati who flourished under Hiddink and have grown to become important contributions to the team. Contributions Koeman cannot afford to lose, but is likely to nevertheless.
Verdict: three stars because their coach will function like a caravan hitched to a Ferrari at crucial moments.
Feyenoord Rotterdam
Feyenoord's main problem has always been finances. The Rotterdam outfit can do nothing but watch with jealousy at the amount of money that's being spent in Amsterdam, Eindhoven and even Alkmaar. Since their last title in 1999, irresponsible spending has magnified that problem but the last two years have seen an incredible reduction in the amount of players that were under contract in Rotterdam. The list went from a staggering total of over 40 (!) players to a more respectable number of around 25 and in addition to that move, the many mediocre players that were previously present have been replaced by fewer, but higher quality, personell. Their main man at the moment is of course Dirk Kuyt, and even in the unlikely scenario that he will be sold as the transfer market is slowly reaching its closing date, there are enough quality subsitutes in De Kuip. Why AZ Alkmaar let forward Stein Huysegems join a direct competitor is beyond me and with players such as De Ceulaer, Castelen, Timmer and Hofs, Feyenoord possess more quality than they have in years. Their coach, Erwin Koeman, has been allowed to build his squad for a few seasons now and has had a tremendously positive influence on the entire club. They only just fell short of a title last season and with PSV losing quality and Feyenoord gaining significantly, this season offers real potential for Rotterdam.
Verdict: three and a half stars because their coach is the better brother and the money has finally been spent wisely.
AFC Ajax
Ajax's new coach Henk ten Cate (former assistant to Frank Rijkaard in Barcelona) has great potential but has never been manager at a top club by himself before. As always Ajax rely on a truck load of talented youngsters and players such as Huntelaar will definitely make an impact. But will it be enough? The team needs experienced players willing to take the lead and although new arrivals like Stam and Perez are definitely experienced, they aren't notorious leaders. Much will depend on the chemistry in the group and the key word at this point in time is Copenhagen, their counterparts in the Champions League qualification match. The Amsterdam outfit has a negative record against the Danes and were eliminated by them just a few seasons ago in the UEFA Cup. If Ajax pass the Danish test and hang on to the resilience it will take to do so, they could go far. If they don't, it will be hard to spot room for improvement.
Verdict: two and a half stars because good old Amsterdam Bluff will only take you so far. Close, but no dice.
AZ Alkmaar
Their squad list is impressive and talented and I'm particularly looking forward to watch Moussa Dembéle, who just about singlehandedly kept Willem II Tilburg from relegating last season. The opening match of their new stadium against Arsenal showed the squad is young and the players still need to adjust to each other but Louis van Gaal knows how to deal with those situations. I don't expect them to win the title, but they could go far and cause some tension nevertheless. The attack worries me as they don't seem to possess a cold blooded striker and Shota Arveladze is past his best years. But that hasn't stopped them in the past season when they finished second, so why would it now? Missing Kenneth Perez (who went to Ajax) might, however, pose a bigger problem and Dembéle might initially struggle to fill the big hole Perez left behind.
Verdict: three stars. A slow start but a thundering race once they reach full speed. Likely to fall just short.
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