Comments on: AZ Alkmaar Fall Back Down To Earth http://www.just-football.com/2009/12/az-alkmaar-fall-back-down-to-earth/ Football news, views & analysis - Your world football blog Mon, 06 Feb 2012 03:55:16 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Just Football http://www.just-football.com/2009/12/az-alkmaar-fall-back-down-to-earth/comment-page-1/#comment-853 Just Football Tue, 15 Dec 2009 17:31:16 +0000 http://69.89.31.52/~justfoot/soccer-blog/2009/12/az-alkmaar-fall-back-down-to-earth.html#comment-853 Great point you make about Van Gaal and Koeman being polar opposites Robbert. The big contrast in styles clearly didn't work out for Koeman when it came to sorting out the dressing room, and AZ paid for it with results on the pitch.<br /><br />Looking at the table even 3rd place looks a tough ask for Advocaat and Alkmaar now - they're 13 points behind Ajax!<br /><br />Jonathan Great point you make about Van Gaal and Koeman being polar opposites Robbert. The big contrast in styles clearly didn't work out for Koeman when it came to sorting out the dressing room, and AZ paid for it with results on the pitch.

Looking at the table even 3rd place looks a tough ask for Advocaat and Alkmaar now – they're 13 points behind Ajax!

Jonathan

]]> By: Robbert http://www.just-football.com/2009/12/az-alkmaar-fall-back-down-to-earth/comment-page-1/#comment-854 Robbert Tue, 15 Dec 2009 10:20:58 +0000 http://69.89.31.52/~justfoot/soccer-blog/2009/12/az-alkmaar-fall-back-down-to-earth.html#comment-854 Nice article, cheers. Following Van Gaal's departure, they were always going to struggle and I don't think many Dutch football fans would have expected them to challenge for the title again this year. Van Gaal's achievement was to make the whole bigger than the sum of its parts - man for man, their players aren't as good as those at Ajax, PSV or Twente, yet they managed to storm the league regardless - and that's not something a lot of managers are able to do. That said, whilst a repeat of last year was never on the cards, the board should have known Koeman wasn't the right man for the job, as tactically and personally, he is Van Gaal's polar opposite. Nice article, cheers. Following Van Gaal's departure, they were always going to struggle and I don't think many Dutch football fans would have expected them to challenge for the title again this year. Van Gaal's achievement was to make the whole bigger than the sum of its parts – man for man, their players aren't as good as those at Ajax, PSV or Twente, yet they managed to storm the league regardless – and that's not something a lot of managers are able to do. That said, whilst a repeat of last year was never on the cards, the board should have known Koeman wasn't the right man for the job, as tactically and personally, he is Van Gaal's polar opposite.

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