FC Twente or Ajax? McClaren looks to make history in Holland

FC Twente’s stadium – home of the new Dutch champions?

When Steve McClaren left England, tail between legs after a catastrophic period with the national team, his future as a top level coach looked bleak. “Unqualified failure” he was dubbed by one British newspaper, and the sheer scale of anti-McClaren vitriol reached pretty distasteful levels. You need only browse Facebook for the numberous groups ridiculing a coach dubbed the “wally with the brolly” to get an example of just how low his stock fell.

But tales of redemption do exist, and this weekend, 2 and a half years after what McClaren describes the “saddest day of [his] career”, he stands on the verge of becoming the first English manager to win one of Europe’s major domestic leagues since Sir Bobby Robson in 1996.

Since we wrote about FC Twente’s fortunes at the start of this month when de Tukkers as they are known held a 4 point lead atop the Dutch Eredivisie with 4 games remaining, their record from 3 of those 4 fixtures reads: Played 3, Won 2, Lost 1.

v Heerenveen (h) w 2-0
v AZ Alkmaar (a) l 1-0
v Feyenoord (h) w 2-0

Meanwhile, fellow title contenders Ajax Amsterdam, breathing down Twente’s necks about as subtly as an over-excited panting dog, have been sweeping away all comers, reducing Twente’s initial 7 point gap to 4 and then thrashing VVV Venlo 7-0, Willem II 2-0 away and Heracles 4-0 in their following 3 games. This leaves the table heading into the Eredivisie’s final game of the season as follows:

1, FC Twente – Played 33, Goal difference +38, Points 83
2, Ajax – Played 33, Goal difference +83, Points 82

The task is simple for FC Twente. Win their last game, away at NAC Breda, and a first ever league title is assured. Drop points though and Ajax, away at NEC Nijmegen, can sneak in and lift their 30th domestic championship.

What makes the task potentially frightening for Twente is the form of rivals Ajax. Martin Jol’s side have been relentless in their chase of late, winning 13 straight league matches with an aggregate score that reads an astonishing 46-2. Ajax’s goal difference above of +83 is no typo. They are destroying teams left, right and centre and, one imagines, will not find NEC Nijmegen away too much of a struggle. Ajax beat them 3-0 at home back in December.

The good thing for McClaren and Twente however, is that the league title rests in their own hands. Defeat at outgoing champions AZ Alkmaar a few weeks ago meant Twente had little leeway left in pursuit of the championship, especially with a tough game against Feyenoord directly afterwards.

But McClaren’s side overcame Feyenoord thanks to goals from Blaise N’Kufo and Miroslav Stoch, and head into the final game knowing a win at NAC Breda will deliver the title.

Twente won 3-1 at home to NAC earlier in the season, but their opponents are on the fringes of a Europa League playoff and are feeling positive heading into the 2009/2010 Eredivisie’s defining game. “We have a lot of confidence in a happy ending on Sunday,” said NAC coach Robert Maaskant ahead of the crucial clash. NAC are unbeaten in their last five and none of Ajax, AZ Alkmaar or PSV Eindhoven managed to beat them away.

FC Twente have never won the Eredivisie and with a budget significantly smaller than the likes of Ajax and PSV it is small wonder they are in this position in the first place. McClaren has already guided the club to a Dutch Cup final and 2nd place in the league, but victory this weekend would bring tangible reward to a successful two year spell in Enschede.

McClaren’s popularity both at Twente and in wider Dutch football stems from his amiable personality, shrewd coaching abilities (England fans are probably open-mouthed aghast at me saying that) and willingness to adapt to life and football in Holland.

“My assistants are all Dutch, there are some fantastic young coaches here. I thought it was important to embrace and understand the culture of the club and Dutch football rather than import a different one. Anyway when Sir Bobby Robson advised me to take this job he said: ‘Go, son, and make sure you go on your own.’”

As such, his backroom team is all Dutch.

Big screens are being set up in Enschede for the Eredivisie’s final day, with over 35,000 (over 1/5th of the town’s population) expected to show up to watch the season’s denouement.

Can FC Twente hang on and see out the job to complete the romantic tale of a remarkable season? Or will the Ajax juggernaut prove too strong and steamroller it’s way to a final day upset?

(photo via Aisha Reehuis on Flickr)

Ajax, Dutch Eredivisie, Dutch Football, FC Twente, Holland, Steve McLaren