Feyenoord

Feyenoord - Sevilla 2-0 (El Ahmadi scores the 2-0) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_XGgmncke8A&list=UUd9f5v0pKm7Oqp1QCJZCR-g

Playing with better players around him helps as well.

Europa League tonight https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z6DwtsLQC10

Vlaar was quite a gamble to due to age and injury history i suspect. He's had 2 cruciate ligament injuries (1 in 2007 and 1 in 2008) and it was quite risky to hand him a 4 year deal in a much more physically demanding league than the Eredivisie.

The transfer of El Ahmadi back to Feyenoord should be completed today according to https://twitter.com/Mkrabby Journalist from Voetbal International in The Netherlands. Martijn Krabbendam @Mkrabby · 52 min Clasie wordt met nieuwe contract een van de best verdienende spelers in Nederland. Komst El Ahmadi hoopt #Feyenoord vandaag af te ronden

Here are the highlights for ya. http://foxsports.nl/video/222072-samenvatting-fc-groningen-aston-villa.html

Their best player Filip Kostic wasn't even playing (Chery is good as well)

I'm watching the interview that Vlaar did at half-time and it starts like this. Interviewer: ''Ron, how nice of you to come and do the interview with us. What I'm noticing from the first half is that Villa without Vlaar..is uhm well...for the taking'' Vlaar reply: ''Yeah, well...what can I say'' Interviewer: ''That they're disappointing!'' Vlaar reply: ''Yeah, I didn't expect this. I've joined the squad today and haven't seen anything from pre-season yet but I expected a lot more than this. Hopefully we can make some changes for the second half to improve things'' After that a series of World Cup questions and John de Wolf talking about his performances and improvements over the last 3/4 seasons. Back to Villa. Interviewer: ''Now that you've returned with your improved status as a player within Villa, England and possibly Other countries as well. Clubs are bound to be interested. What is your take on this'' Vlaar reply: ''I cannot and also don't want to talk about this. Not much is going on as well. I'm focussed on Aston Villa and am looking forward to start training and playing again. I'm looking forward to the challenges coming up and I'm always looking for challenges within me, trying to improve and give my best'' Nzogbia Goal": http://foxsports.nl/video/222136-76-doelpunt-charles-nzogbia-fc-groningen-aston-villa-3-1.html

The Dutch have many good players coming through, maybe not upfront but certainly in the defensive and midfield positions. They've got Jürgen Locadia up front, he's got great potential. Only 20 though, so see how he goes. Locadia is a poor player with a poor mentality. He scored a fair bit last season but so would most strikers for PSV. Richairo Zivkovic is a better prospect. He scored 10 goals last season as a 16/17 year old in the Eredivisie for FC Groningen and has just signed for Ajax for 3 million Euro's. We lack a bit of strength in the youth academies for a real striker prospect. Some striker that are mid-twenties have failed in Europe (Luuk de Jong at Gladbach, Van Wolfswinkel at Norwich and Dost at Wolfsburg) so it's difficult. We do have a great bunch of young winger coming through with Memphis Depay, Jean-Paul Boetius, Quincy Promes and Bilal Basacikoglu.

Vlaar is named in the Dutch prelim squad for the World Cup. 7 players still have to be dropped. Vlaar is certainly going to be a starting XI player at the World Cup. Holland will probably be playing a new system 5-3-2 at the World Cup and Vlaar will be the most central defender with Stefan de Vrij on the right side and Bruno Martins Indi (maybe Kongolo) on the left side of the 3 central defenders. Goalkeepers: Jasper Cillessen (Ajax), Tim Krul (Newcaste United), Michel Vorm (Swansea City), Jeroen Zoet (PSV). Defenders: Stefan De Vrij (Feyenoord), Daley Blind (Ajax), Daryl Janmaat (Feyenoord), Terence Kongolo (Feyenoord), Bruno Martins Indi (Feyenoord), Karim Rekik (PSV), Joël Veltman (Ajax), Paul Verhaegh ( FC Augsburg), Ron Vlaar (Aston Villa), Patrick van Aanholt (Vitesse). Midfielders: Jordy Clasie (Feyenoord), Leroy Fer (Norwich City), Jonathan De Guzman (Swansea City), Nigel de Jong (AC Milan), Wesley Sneijder (Galatasaray), Tonny Trindade de Vilhena (Feyenoord), Rafael van der Vaart (Hamburger SV), Georginio Wijnaldum (PSV). Attackers: Jean-Paul Boëtius (Feyenoord), Memphis Depay (PSV), Klaas-Jan Huntelaar (Schalke 04), Dirk Kuijt (Fenerbahçe), Jeremain Lens (Dinamo Kiev), Robin van Persie (Manchester United), Arjen Robben (Bayern München), Quincy Promes (FC Twente).

Bacuna is not a very good signing. I don't want to bring you guys down but he's very average and certainly not better than Holman. Bacuna has been criticised quite a few times this season because of his mentality towards the team and manager. He's quite full of himself and arrogant and can go over the top with tackles sometimes. He prefers to play as a number 10 behind the strikers but can operate in right midfield as well. Mid-table Championship player at best. 2009/10 FC Groningen 20 2 Eredivisie 2010/11 FC Groningen 24 0 Eredivisie 2011/12 FC Groningen 32 7 Eredivisie 2012/13 FC Groningen 33 5 Eredivisie Totalen: 109 14

He's after Alfred Finnbogason of SC Heerenveen. http://www.vi.nl/nieuws/237469/Premier-Leagueclubs-tonen-interesse-in-Finnbogason.htm 2008 Breidablik 4 1 2009 Breidablik 18 13 2010 Breidablik 21 14 2010/11 SC Lokeren 15 3 Jupiler League 2011/12 SC Lokeren 7 1 Jupiler League 2012/13 Helsingborgs IF 17 12 Allsvenskan 2012/13 SC Heerenveen 23 19 Eredivisie Total: 105 63 Caps: 13 - 3 goals.

Vlaar was kept on the bench for the full 90 mins tonight. Holland played with their youngest starting line up in a 100 years (average age of 22). Dominated the Italians but Italy scored an equaliser in the 91st minute.

Well, a World Cup Final (2010) isn't too bad is it Louis van Gaal is making a shift towards the next generation. Sneijder and Robben would normally play but they haven't played a lot for their clubs. Van der Vaart's role seems to be over with the National Team.