PSV: The Second Century

October 2013 Roundup

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Another consistent month for our boys saw them climb to 2nd in the league, only a point behind the top spot, and also saw them progress in the Europa League and the Dutch Cup, as the domestic and European treble remains within reach. We caught up with this month's player of the month Sitjn Schaars, to talk about his season so far

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Hey Stijn, how does it feel to be voted the fan's player of the month?

It's a great feeling! I give my all every time i'm out on that pitch, and while I may not score many goals, it's great to have my efforts recognised!

For you, what was the best moment of this month?

Probably the 4-2 win over Wigan - it guaranteed us qualification in Europe, and meant that the Red Bull game is a dead rubber for both teams, and maybe we can give some of the younger guys a chance to play on the big stage!

So Stijn, November and December are both massive months for the club; what do you see as being the biggest game for you in that time?

I'd have to say the Dutch Cup game against Ajax on December the 18th....It's only the 4th round, and to go out at that stage would be heartbreaking for everybody...We want to push on as far as possible in all competitions this season, and the Dutch Cup is high on our list of priorities!

First Knockout Round Draw

First Knockout Round

Wigan v Dynamo Kyiv
Real Betis v Spartak Moscow
Sevilla v Rubin
Anji v Valencia
P.Ferreria v PSV
Freiburg v Dnipro
Viktoria Plzen v Tottenham
HJK v Stuttgart
Saint-Ettiene v Swansea
Shakhtar v BATE
CSKA Moscow v Fiorentina
Bordeaux v Lazio
Genk v Juventus
Zurich v Man City
Basel v Benfica
Marseille v Porto

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Overall, the draw has been kind to PSV, although the threat of playing someone like Benfica in the 2nd knockout round will be playing on their minds as they aim for the trophy.

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All In At PSV

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On Target: Bacuna Arrives To Provide Midfield Cover

PSV have today confirmed the signing of Aston Villa's versatile midfielder Leandro Bacuna, who is returning to Holland after less than a season. Aston Villa's 850k signing from FC Groningen at the end of last season was reportedly unsettled in England, and when PSV brought a £5m bid to the table, Villa weren't going to say no.

In his 6 months at Villa, Bacuna was often played out of position, and only managed 11 full starts in the league, and didn't score a single league goal. Frustrated, he is sure to see his move to PSV as the springboard for a much improved career, and possibly even to push for a place on the plane to Brazil!

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Moving Again: Buttner also returns to Holland

Alexander Buttner is the other familiar face returning to Dutch football, as the left-back tries to pick his career up after a season with Manchester United which didn't exactly fit his plan, as he only made 5 appearances, scoring 2 goals in the process. Spending the rest of the season on loan at PSV, who have the option of buying him at any time for £6.75m is the ideal stepping stone for him to get back to the top of his game, as he pushes Jetro Willems for a starting spot.

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Jozefzoon: I Need First Team Football

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PSV's Florian Jozefzoon has today made a public statement about his lack of first-team football at Phillips Stadion, telling manager Tony Young that if he gives him a chance, he'll make sure that decision is vindicated.

The 23-year old Right winger is not a name which many would expect to see on the teamsheet ahead of players like Depay, Wijnaldum and Bakkali, but the former Ajax man has told his manager that playing him would not be a mistake:

"Obviously there are more prominent players on the manager's mind, but if I can show when I play that i'm a real contender for a starting spot, then i'll be happy: As a winger, my job is to create chances and score goals, and that's exactly what I plan on doing."

Many would point to Florian's previous record as a potential sticking point in his race for selection; last season, he played 34 games on loan at RKC, scoring 7 times, while Wijnaldum scored 14 in 33 appearances, and Memphis Depay has been keeping him out of that right-wing slot this season, with 5 goals and 4 assists in 10 matches on the right wing, despite being a natural left-winger. Generally, that left-wing spot has been given to youngster Zakaria Bakkali, who has scored 6 goals in 14 games on the left.

All of this conspires to mean that Jozefzoon has a lot of convincing to do if he's to make that first-team spot his own; but former manager Phillip Cocu thinks the rotation will be good for the squad:

"Squad rotation is something which is necessary at every club, and PSV certainly have the players to make that possible, especially across that attacking 3. Batshuayi has made the striker's role his own, but his supporting cast is very interchangable.

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*All Stats Provided are in League Appearances Only.

Youth Spotlight: Suently Alberto (PSV)

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This Month's Youth Spotlight is focussing on PSV's Suently Alberto - a 17-year old Centreback, recently returned from an unsuccesful loan spell at Serie A side Chevio, where he failed to make an appearance. Curently valued at £49.5k, and contracted to the Dutch side until June 2015.

The 17 year old, born in Rotterdam, started his career at Sparta, before moving to PSV for the 2012/13 season. Yet to make a first-team appearance for the club, Alberto often draws plaudits for his first touch and proficiency in the tackle, as well as his passing ability, although some pundits have suggested that his aggression could be an issue as he starts to play in more games.

Alberto himself has so far been coy about his first-team prospects, stating that "i'm obviously behind players such as Bruma, Rekik and Jorgensen, as well as some of the other young guys like Augustine (Loof) and Jordy de Wijs, but maybe as the season progresses, i'm hoping i'll maybe break into the first team for a few games...

November 2013 Roundup

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A shaky start to this month ended with progress in both the domestic cup, and Europa League, as PSV secured qualification from group A, and progressed to face Portugese side Pacos Ferreria, who many see as an easy opponent. With 6 games played, and only 3 wins, some fans were understandably concerned about the club's form, but a 5-0 victory over rival Ajax returned a smile to the faces of everybody at Phillips Stadion. Our player of the month this month is 19 year old left back Jetro Willems, a player who belied his years to drive the team forward against Ajax, and spark the turnaround in form for this month. Below, we take a more indepth look at Jetro, and chat to him about how he thinks this month will come to affect the sides' season.

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Jetro arrived at PSV from Sparta for £700k in 2011, after a year and a half at the club which gave him his first shot in professional football. In the past 2 seasons at PSV, Jetro has made 46 appearances for the club, and scored one goal, but this season his form has been impeccable, driving the team forward and instigating attacks from his left-back role, pushing forward to assist the attackers, and dropping deep to repel attacks from the opposition. We caught up with the 19-year old to get his thoughts on the season so far:

"Hey Jetro; just a couple of quick questions if that's okay? Firstly, how dyou feel about the way the team have played this month?"

"Obviously our start wasn't ideal, but I think the way we turned our form around speaks volumes about the character of the squad, and how we can pull together when it gets tough"

"Do you think the spirit and fight the team have shown this month is an indicator of things to come for this season?"

"Definitely. I think if we can keep playing the way we've played this month, then this squad can go on to achieve great things both domestically, and abroad also; we have some young players, and as we grow and develop as a team, our standard of play is only going to get better.

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