de Rood-Witten

Champions League (H) : PSV 2 - Celtic 2


After dispatching Willem II 2-1 at home and ADO Den Haag 4-1 in a tricky road game, van Bommel would find himself managing his first Champions League group game. While the ADO Den Haag game wasn’t too taxing, it would contribute to some tired legs so close to this game. Add in a looming visit from Ajax and a potentially tricky road game in the KVVB Cup and van Bommel would seem to be facing three must-win games in quick succession.

With the first team ready to go, and the home crowd buzzing with excitement, things would start out well despite being down a team leader. Gastón Pereiro would have to watch this one from the stands after coming down with a tight hamstring that would keep him out for 1-3 days. Mauro Junior started in his place, and for the most part it was a seamless hand off. Almost from the start of the game it looked like Celtic were the ones who had no business getting this far, and de Rood-Witten were dominating the game. Luuk de Jong would take a free kick from a few yards past the corner of the goal area, bending it tightly over the wall and arcing toward the near side of goal. Craig Gordon looked to have decent position, but Filip Benkovic took it upon himself to step in and try to clear the ball. Instead of thumping the ball out it glanced off his raised calf, beyond Gordon’s reach, and found the inside netting for an unfortunate own goal and a 1-0 lead to PSV.

PSV continued their good form late into game, with Steve Bergwijn scoring at 48’, when the clock hit 80’ their 2-0 advantage made it seem like they had this locked up. PSV players were clearly tired, and Celtic was starting to find more space in their defensive third, and then things started to fall apart. Van Bommel could be seen gesticulating wildly from the technical area for some time before they broke, when Moussa Sissoko made it 2-1 on a corner it only got worse. Just as stoppage time was announced Sissoko scored again at 90’ and their advantage had completely evaporated. He was left unmarked on the back side and Celtic switched the ball to him, hammering it in at a tight angle. They managed to stiffen up and staunch the bleeding, but they were clearly tired and neither team seemed motivated to try and break the deadlock. Luuk de Jong came close, in the waning moments of the game, but he blew a clear cut chance to win it and the whistle blew soon after. What looked like an inspiring victory had quickly vanished into thin air, and with Ajax waiting they wouldn’t have any time to dwell on it.

“That was unacceptable.” snapped van Bommel as he passed reporters in the tunnel, his only statement directly following the game.

Reports are that van Bommel elected for the hairdryer treatment as the team locker room was closed to the media immediately following their exit. Assistant Coach Jurgen Dirkx handled most of the post game interview with van Bommel dispassionately interjecting when directly addressed by the media. It was clear this type of result was not going to be tolerated, even if they walked away with a point.


Eredivise (H) : PSV 4 - Ajax 3


If the Celtic game felt important, this game felt like the World Cup final. Both fan bases came out in force, and the singing inside and outside the stadium created an incredible atmosphere befitting a bitter rivalry. After the Celtic game and the league lead on the line, with the rest of the field starting to fall behind, this game suddenly felt very important.
Despite being tied in the league standings, and home field advantage, PSV were clear underdogs. Ajax certainly have some bigger names, even if Matthias de Ligt and Frenkie de Jong weren’t going to be around much longer they were on the field today. Things were tense right up to kickoff, and luckily for PSV it would quickly tip in their favor.

Nicolas Isimat-Mirin started the scoring through an unfortunate series of events for Ajax. Léo Dubois would launch a free kick from outside the box into the far area of goal and find the side of Donny van de Beek’s head. Instead of being ejected clear it was more of a glancing blow that put the ball in the path of the oncoming Isimat-Mirin who headed into the lower right hand corner for a 1-0 lead. After review it would be called an own goal on van de Beek, either way they were now down.

Ajax did not come prepared for this game, and Erik ten Hag’s sullen mood on the sidelines was not helped by van Bommel’s activity in the adjacent area. Despite a 4-0 lead in the first half, van Bommel was shouting at his players like they were down by the same score. He must have known something, or perhaps he was the only one that still remembered the Celtic game, because tired legs and late game hubris came to haunt PSV. Ajax, perhaps watching the Celtic game at halftime, started a last ditch onslaught that broke through and shocked the hosts to break the shutout. Rasmus Nissen Kristensen would launch the ball into the box from quite deep and nearly on the sidelines, perhaps it was tiredness that had PSV’s entire defensive line beat by three Ajax players or Joeren Zoet failing to come out, but Zakaria Labyad was waiting when the ball came down at the far side of the goal area. Labyad only needed to hold his foot out to make it 4-1 at the 84’ mark.

Isimat-Mirin, visibly annoyed by the scoring decision 8’ into the game, would end up on the reverse end just two minutes after letting Ajax slip by him on a cross. Kristensen would hammer a low cross right through the box that would find the back of Isimat-Mirin’s calf and deflect into the goal. If that wasn’t bad enough, after a corner and series of passes where PSV had Ajax pinned deep, van de Beek would have his revenge just a minute after Ajax would pull closer at 4-2. A long ball from the top of the arc would find Hakim Ziyech deep in PSV’s half, and a two-on-one would be formed against a helpless Trent Sainsbury. With PSV still lingering in Ajax’s third, Ziyech would tap the ball to Dusan Tadic on the penalty spot who didn’t miss. 4-3 Ajax, all in the span of three minutes, and now van Bommel was spewing fire. Luckily for PSV, that was all Ajax could muster and the whistle finally blew.



Despite the smile, which even van Bommel could not hide, there was definitely an air of concern. Beating a hated rival, especially one hated on a personal level, is definitely an excuse to indulge. No doubt van Bommel will be working hard on closing up those late game holes opening up for opponents. The victory puts PSV three points clear of Ajax at the top of the league, a position that the team will not want to surrender.

After that Celtic result, I would have thought the players would be desperate to ensure things didn't slip against Ajax. Van Bommel has reasons to be concerned, however, thankfully the side managed to claim the win. Definitely things to be worked on, but congratulations on a big three points.

KNVB Cup (A) : Dongen 0 - PSV 7


Nobody on the staff would admit it, especially with the game on the road, but Dongen figured to be a pushover. Wagering sites put PSV at 20-1 favorites, so anything short of a blow out would cause people to ask questions, and any lack of effort would not be taken kindly by van Bommel.

He must have gotten the message across because Dongen definitely looked the part of 20-1 underdogs. The 7-0 win would be a new KNVB Cup record, and Dongen never really looked like they were interested in winning.

PSV would draw FC Twente (Keuken Kampioen Divisie) for the second round. Another game that figured to be an easy win for de Rood-Witten, but van Bommel will not be taking any chances.

Eredivise (A) : NAC Breda 1 - PSV 2


Any drama or tension that got sucked out of the Dongen fixture must have landed in Breda and sat waiting for PSV. As if part of a script PSV is more than willing to follow, they went up 2-0 early on Nicolas Isimat-Mirin (4’) and Erick Gutiérrez (18’) goals. For the most part NAC Breda wasn’t even in this game, PSV looked like they were going to pile on early but all of the shots they were generating hardly challenged Benjamin van Leer in goal. Robert Mühren made things interesting with a goal on a counter attack after a PSV corner was clear, another disturbing trend from van Bommel’s men, and after 26’ a game that looked dead was now alive with a 2-1 score.

PSV got things right after getting embarrassed, and they managed to keep it together until the 70’ mark when Léo Dubois earned his first yellow card. Things got really tense just 9’ later when a crunching tackle from Dubois got him sent off and left PSV down a man. Luuk de Jong was sent off in favor of Denzel Dumfries, essentially making a 4-2-3 set to keep their defensive shape. It worked very well, even managing to keep the offensive pressure on NAC Breda. Things got even worse a little before the final whistle as Isimat-Mirin put in a lazy challenge that resulted in a shouting match between players. Isimat-Mirin was brought aside by Pol van Boekel, and much to the relief of PSV fans he was only shown a yellow where a red would have been justified. The game ended with whistling from the home crowd, and PSV could not get on the bus fast enough.

PSV ANNOUNCE FACILITY UPGRADES

A cynical person might have called it an attempt to distract from the ugly end to the NAC Breda game, but in truth it is something van Bommel and PSV President Toon Gerbrands have been discussing since van Bommel’s arrival as U-19 coach. After the game Gerbrands announced that PSV would be upgrading their youth, data analysis, and training facilities.

“This will be an important step in continuing to develop our club, not just in Holland but also as a continental competitor” said Gerbrands during his speech.

Their qualification in the Champions League proved to be an important financial windfall that PSV were quick to take advantage of. The total upgrades would cost £9.4M, a king’s ransom for a team reported to have not much more than £7M in the coffers at the beginning of the season. Many sources have reported that PSV management, especially van Bommel, are keen to not just catch up to Ajax but pass them. Ajax are just about the gold standard in youth development, not to mention their (33) league titles and (4) Champions League victories. They might not be Johan Cruyff’s Ajax of the 70’s anymore, but PSV is still looking up at them.

PSV have also expanded their scouting budget, reportedly investing in a more global reach. The club have always had a connection with Brazil, and a number of current players are Mexican or South American, so the team is also looking to recruit more heavily from these areas while also improving their local recruiting efforts. Most of these players won’t be able to move until they turn 18, but that isn’t going to stop PSV from signing them early and trying to get them at a discount.

2019-03-10 14:10#255271 ScottT : After that Celtic result, I would have thought the players would be desperate to ensure things didn't slip against Ajax. Van Bommel has reasons to be concerned, however, thankfully the side managed to claim the win. Definitely things to be worked on, but congratulations on a big three points.

I should have been more concerned about Celtic. They have one of my top targets, Kieran Tierney, when I play with a bigger team. He's the kind of player that really unlocks the tactic I use.

id be very pleased with your start to the season

Champions League (A) : Roma 3 - PSV 3


PSV walked into Olimpico Stadium as firm underdogs, with many outlets touting Roma as 5-4 favorites. If de Rood-Witten were going to get beaten up by anyone in the group, everyone assumed it would be Roma on the road. The home crowd was certainly vocal, and flares slowed the opening kickoff, but van Bommel wasn’t going to let theatrics get to the team.

Being on a big stage must have gotten to PSV, and early game jitters rapidly turned into Roma’s advantage. Lorenzo Pellegrini curled a stunning goal off a free kick into the upper left corner at 9’, and not long after that Stephan El Shaarawy put the finishing touch on a counter attack to put Roma up 2-0 after just 13’. PSV definitely looked lost and shaken, van Bommel wasn’t even yelling this time. All he could do was stand with his arms crossed and stare.



Perhaps the death gaze worked, after a clever series of passes Léo Dubois would deliver a low hard pass across the face of goal and Luuk de Jong would be able to tap it in from point blank. Suddenly, the visitors were alive and Roma found themselves playing on their back foot. Just four minutes later at the 28’ mark Jorrit Hendrix, yes the man Roma aggressively tried to sign away from PSV, would be able to tap in his own goal from point blank after a corner sailed through the box to find him on the back side. Momentum had quickly shifted away from the hosts, but not long before the half Nicolas Isimat-Mirin would firmly plan himself at the center of controversy. After a misplaced pass sent Roma on a counter attack it would come to a halt as a low pass into the box would sail through untouched as Cengiz Ünder lay on the ground writhing in pain. Isimat-Mirin had flattened Ünder and stood with his arms up as the ref called for a penalty, much to the delight of the home fans. That delight quickly turned to anger as a lecture from the ref ended in a verbal warning, whistling ensued and drowned out everything until Bryan Cristante converted the penalty to go up again.

Roma looked like they had this all locked up until late in the game when a misplaced pass in PSV’s third resulted in a counter attack they were not ready to handle. A few passes later and Gastón Pereiro would find Érick Gutiérrez lingering near the back of the back for an easy shot on the left side of goal and a stunning 3-3 draw. That must have crushed Roma, and the game turned into a tense defensive battle until the whistle blew. When it finally blew, both teams felt like they had dropped points and PSV were very happy to have further dented Roma’s chances of winning the group.



As the dust settled on the Roma tie, things suddenly got worse for PSV as Ruud van Nistelrooy announced he would be leaving the club as the U-19 coach to take over the Vancouver White Caps. As soon as the offer was made the news leaked out, leading to fans flooding the team with calls to keep van Nistelrooy. Reports are that van Bommel, a former teammate of van Nistelrooy on the Dutch national team and at PSV, made a pitch for him to stay on. Apparently the draw of the MLS was too much, PSV would quickly hire Rob Meppelink to take his place. Andre Ooijer, already on staff, is likely the long term U-19 choice unless he is promoted to the senior squad.

You seem to like those high scoring games! A good result, however. If you can beat Celtic and then add to that with a win over Roma, you're in a prime position.

The loss of van Nistelrooy is a shame, but hopefully Meppelink can fill his boots and pick up the pieces.

After all the drama of September van Bommel finally managed to get through a few league fixtures without much trouble. VVV-Venlo was easily beaten 1-0, and probably should have been beaten by more, and FC Emmen went down 2-0. Two home games in a row would be exactly what PSV needed as they prepared for a trip to Moscow. If PSV was a firm favorite against anyone in their Champions League group it would be Lokomotiv Moscow, and their first of two games in a row against them would be a must win.

Champions League (A) : Lokomotiv Moscow 1 - PSV 2


Nobody was taking this game lightly, and van Bommel made it clear in the media and in practice that this was going to be a very hard game. The home crowd also did their best to remind PSV of that at every turn, including an incident with the team bus where PSV was treated to loud singing and insulting gestures. Nicolas Isimat-Mirin and Steven Bergwijn expressed concerns about racial abuse, but nothing of the sort occurred so the team was able to stay focused on the game.

Van Bommel looked like an oracle once again as Lokomotiv struck first on a counter attack, literally their first shot on goal for the game. An aggressive PSV attack opened up an opportunity for Anton Miranchuk to run through the defense and put the hosts up 1-0 after the 21’ mark. This did nothing to change PSV’s approach, and they went right back to controlling the game. Lokomotiv had clearly shifted into a deep lying counter attack strategy, with the lead they had no motivation to do anything but let PSV try to shoot themselves in the foot again. At 57’ the hosts found themselves in trouble when Jorrit Hendrix scored a killer goal from above the arc on a counter attack that left Lokomotiv scrambling.

The hosts stayed back, but the momentum had clearly shifted in PSV’s favor. They continued their aggressive attack, but the game moved into stoppage time and it looked like van Bommel would have his third straight draw in the group. In what would turn out to be the final minute of the game Gastón Pereiro would find the lower left corner of the goal, sending a low shot through a forest of defenders that would catch Guilherme moving to his right, and giving PSV the three points they desperately needed. While the victory would be sweet, they would find out that the injury to Léo Dubois that sent him off after 60’ would be quite serious. A torn thigh muscle would have Dubios out for two months, a rather severe blow at a thin position.

What a way to claim an important three points!

I can remember a PSV side that reached the latter stages of the Champions League, hopefully you repeat that achievement

Due to the Champions League fixture PSV would find themselves a step behind everyone else in the KNVB Cup, the third round draw came around before they could play FC Twente in the second round. The winner of the PSV / FC Twente at the end of October would face ADO Den Hagg.

After the stress of the Moscow trip, and with the KNVB Cup game just four days later, PSV walked right into a trap game. A road game for the second squad with everyone looking ahead to FC Twente would be a recipe for disaster.

Eredivise (A) : FC Groningen 3 - PSV 1


Everyone overlooked FC Groningen. Most of the conversation at this point was about FC Twente and how van Bommel would approach their home game against Lokomotiv Moscow in a few weeks, and with FC Groningen sitting 15th in the league it was easy to see why they were overlooked.

PSV would get a real wake up call early in the game, when a passive build up from the back ended with Groningen taking the ball off Trent Sainsbury playing out of position at RB. A few quick passes and a cross to the far side of goal would find a streaking Mimoun Mahi, he would head it in point blank as Joeren Zoet got there to knock it away. Mahi nearly ran head first into the post, and Zoet didn’t fare much better. It might have been ugly, but 7’ in and the hosts were up 1-0.

Steven Bergwijn would seem to right the ship after 26’ on a classic PSV goal under van Bommel. Aziz Behich would overlap Donyell Malen on the left, streak toward the goal line, hit a low cross through the goal area and find Bergwijn rushing in for a goal that Sergio Padt never had a chance to stop. Now level 1-1, the visitors were ready to put things right. Apparently manager Ron Jans did not pass that message on at halftime, FC Groningen were not ready to fold just yet and Marlon Frey gave them the opening they desperately needed. Frey would clatter into the back of Zander Mateo Cassierra on a corner, drawing a penalty, and Branco van den Boomen would put it in for a 2-1 lead.

Just two minutes later PSV would complete their failure. Martijn van der Laan would head in a goal amid three PSV defenders that seemed to be napping. Lazy defending once again would put PSV in a hole, but this time they would not be able to climb out of it. FC Groningen had outplayed them and PSV seemed to be happy to let them do it.

In retrospect, FC Groningen lined up in a dangerous formation that van Bommel should have been more wary of. Jans plays a 4-3-3 variant with a central DM and two deep lying central midfielders. Sometimes called a 4-1-4-1, PSV knew this type of setup could cause they problems in the right situation. The stats bear out the success FC Groningen had frustrating PSV and handing van Bommel his first league loss. Nobody will be surprised to know van Bommel was furious, and it wasn’t just the players that ended up on the wrong end of the hairdryer. To be fair, he did take responsibility for the loss, but this was a comprehensive failure on PSV’s part.

KNVB Cup (H) : PSV 4 - FC Twente 0


After four incredibly tense days PSV welcomed FC Twente to Philips Stadion with the intent of ripping their heads off. After flirting with disaster in the last game and getting exactly what they were asking for, van Bommel would not take any chances today. Luuk de Jong would pull up lame in practice with a tight thigh the day before, he would be ruled out immediately with van Bommel not leaving any room for error while thinking about the rest of the season.

With de Jong playing the cheerleader, the right side of PSV’s formation absolutely destroyed FC Twente. Ricardinho, Javi Espinosa, and Cristian González lived through a 90’ nightmare with González finishing the game with a putrid 5.7 rating. Denzel Dumfries, Gastón Pereiro, and Antonio Marin seemed to have been personally offended by FC Twente and put up a performance for the ages. Dumfries would log an impressive (5) key passes and an assist to Marin at 25’, his first goal of the game, as a critical part of the blowout. Periero would do his part as well, creating (2) chances, (2) key passes, and adding an assist to his tally. The real star, and deserving of the Player of the Match award, was Antonio Marin as he continues to show van Bommel why he deserves to be a first team selection. With (2) goals, (2) assists, (2) key passes, and a chance created he would earn his 9.6 rating and practically dismantle FC Twente on his own. He’s been solid every chance he gets, and this may have marked his ascension to Key Player status.



Despite scoring easily, it was the shutout that van Bommel was most pleased with. After letting FC Groningen score so often, it was definitely a positive sign that they were able to completely shut down FC Twente. It could have been an “offense is the best defense” situation, but keeping the ball away and limiting them to (3) shots without a single one on target is something van Bommel would like to keep going. This was the best possible outcome after an embarrassing loss.

That loss to Groningen is shocking. But, the main thing is that the players ensured that their heads didn't drop and they comfortably dispatched of Twente.

2019-03-14 12:31#255369 ScottT : That loss to Groningen is shocking. But, the main thing is that the players ensured that their heads didn't drop and they comfortably dispatched of Twente.

It was definitely a Chernobyl situation. That 4-1-4-1 plus the dregs I trotted out to save my legs for later, I deserved to lose that one.

Eredivise (H) : PSV 0 - Vitesse 0

The grind of cups and the Champions League might be showing in Eindhoven. More importantly, it’s starting to hurt PSV’s league form and a long break might be just want the team needs. With three games before an international break, PSV stumbled once again while looking ahead at a critical game. Despite absolutely dominating a visiting Vitesse, keeping them from taking a single shot while enjoying 63% possession. It doesn’t mean much if you can shut out your opponent if you can’t find the back of the net yourself, van Bommel could only stare as PSV took (23) shots and put (10) on target without putting a single on past Vitesse’s Eduardo. The draw would pull them even with Ajax on top of the league, but they would drop to 2nd on goal differential.

“I take responsibility for this one, we should have won this game” said a somber van Bommel, flanked by equally somber Luuk de Jong and Assistant Coach Jurgen Dirkx. “We played well enough to win, but we didn’t make it count.”

Dropping points isn’t the way to head into an important game, but if the FC Twente game means anything it shows that PSV can come roaring back after a disappointing result.

Champions League (H) : PSV 6 - Lokomotiv Moscow 0


Apparently PSV should drop points before a big game more often, it’s hard to believe this is the same team that struggled in Moscow just about two weeks ago. Van Bommel’s cautious approach with Luuk de Jong looks to have paid off as well with the captain having a massive game that powered a much needed blowout.

De Jong had not scored in over a month, in the Roma game, and he got back on the board in a big way. De Jong started the scoring just 2’ into the game, rushing to the near post on a low cross from Nick Viergever and heading it in at a tight angle nearly on the goal line right in front of Guilherme. Lokomotiv Moscow held PSV to a 1-0 lead for the rest of the first half, and not long after halftime PSV broke the game open and sent the visitors packing. Viergever would get three tries, having his first two crosses headed back out, and de Jong would be on the end of the third to make it 2-0. Three minutes later de Jong would have his hat trick and Lokomotiv Moscow would seemingly check out.



Three more goals would turn the win into a huge boost for PSV’s chances of advancing to the knockout stage. De Jong would finish with (3) goals and an assist to take home the Player of the Match award, and his 9.7 rating would be one of seven PSV players that rated at 9.0 or higher. This was definitely a complete victory and exactly what the fans had been dreaming of.

“I should have brought this team to Moscow” joked van Bommel, “we were a different team today, the kind of team I know we can be.”

As if winning wasn’t good enough, Celtic would shock Roma with a 4-0 win later in the day. The win would put Celtic in 1st and guarantee them a spot in the next round on 10 points. PSV would find themselves in 2nd with a +7 goal differential, another win or a draw with Roma in the final game would put them through.

Eredivisie (A) : De Graafschap 0 - PSV 5


Another big win, and another big game from Luuk de Jong would continue a blistering streak for PSV. The loss to FC Groningen really sparked something in this squad, setting aside the disappointment of drawing with Vitesse they have outscored their opponents 15-0. Fan have been jubilant about the (15) goals, but van Bommel has been focused on the (0).

“We have really come together, things are much more organized at the back” said van Bommel in an interview with Fox Sports.

The (2) goals scored by de Jong would give him (5) in the last two games, quite the return after failing to score for a month. Additional good news would come after the game as Ajax’s 2-1 win over Excelsior, while not as good as them losing, would move PSV into first on goal differential. Sitting in first on a long defensive streak would be the perfect way to leave things before the international break gave van Bommel and a few of his players the two weeks off they desperately needed.

Perhaps “famous last words” is a phrase van Bommel is going to need to become familiar with, it seems to be developing into PSV’s motto. Instead of providing some breathing room the international break created a massive headache, something that could destroy their defensive streak. Nicolas Isimat-Mirin would get injured in training, a pulled hamstring would put him out for 2-3 weeks and seriously hamper the central defense. Even with his lapses, he’s PSV’s best central defender, without him van Bommel will need to dip into the Jong PSV roster to fill in.

MID-SEASON TRANSFERS

The investment in scouting seems to have paid off already as PSV announce some future signings. After hiring a few new scouts with experience in South America the task of breaking into new areas and finding future superstars was a top priority. So far it looks like PSV has done well, with the hope of more to come. Toon Gerbands and Head of Youth Development Ernest Faber are also trying hard to search in less traveled areas, which is evident in some of the new signings, since everyone knows that Brazil and Argentina are excellent places to find talent it’s going to be harder for PSV to make inroads.

Gabriel Cabral (ST, Comisión de Actividades Infantiles - Argentina) £5,700
Carlos Vargas (LW, Royal Pari - Bolvia) £55,000
Valentín Jiménez (RW, Club Deportivo Real Mamoré - Bolivia) £19,000
Jahir Hurtado (CAM, Club Social y Deportivo Macará - Ecuador) £220,000

Not much is known about these signings, and none of them will head to Eindhoven before 2020, but early reports suggest that Jahir Hurtado could be a superstar. The local media were surprised to see PSV agree to a £220,000 fee for a teenager, a fairly hefty sum for a team that leaned on free transfers to rebuild its roster over the summer, but the scouts have given a glowing evaluation of Hurtado. With the organization a little thin at central midfield, especially when it comes to high end youngsters, breaking the bank on someone with star potential might be a wise investment. Even if he develops into a decent starter it could be worth it, PSV needs a “next” if Gastón Pereiro or Mauro Júnior leave the club in the next few years.