Marcel Brands seems to disagree with Ruud van Nistelrooij, who stated on Friday that the current fourth place is ‘the maximum achievable’ for PSV. According to the general manager of the Eindhoven team, number two Ajax, which only has a two-point lead, can easily be overtaken. Brands also emphasizes that a club like PSV should always aim for the championship.
Van Nistelrooij believes that he is currently getting the most out of PSV, given the limited resources. According to the 46-year-old coach, the policy choices, including the sale of Cody Gakpo and Noni Madueke, are playing tricks on the club and therefore no more can be expected than what the situation is now. PSV only seems to be seriously in the race for prizes in the cup context. At Friday’s press conference prior to NEC-away, the PSV coach pointed out, among other things, the interim departure of Gakpo and Madueke.
“If you don’t take that into the season, I don’t think you live in reality,” Van Nistelrooij said at the press time. “Because of the policy choices that have been made, we are where we are. If this is the year that it had to happen, then you don’t sell your two best players in the winter.” PSV brought in Fábio Silva and Thorgan Hazard as reinforcements, but according to Van Nistelrooij that could not fully repair the damage. “Where we are now, has been the maximum possible so far. With everyone we have on board.”
Reaction Brands
Brands looks at it positively and will update on Saturday ESPN about two possible prizes: second place in the Eredivisie and the TOTO KNVB Cup. Reporter Hans Kraay junior immediately responds to this. “Sorry to interrupt you, but your trainer said on Friday that where PSV is now is the maximum achievable. Do you agree with him?”, the PSV director is presented. “You can only take stock at the end of the season,” said Brands. “If we come second and win the cup, you win two of the three national prizes.” Kraay wants to know if Brands thinks that the hunt for Ajax should be opened given the small backlog.
“Yes, of course. We will get Ajax home (on April 23, ed.), so why shouldn’t we do that?”, Brands wonders aloud. “You always have to go for the championship, that seems far away now. Credit where credit is due, Feyenoord simply deserves it now. It is the most stable team. We have not been stable this season. But if we did then we can still close it nicely”, concludes Brands, who saw PSV conquer the Johan Cruijff Scale at the start of the season after a 3-5 win over Ajax.
Those statements by Van Nistelrooij are, according to the Eindhovens Dagblad did not go down well with PSV’s policymakers, who are annoyed by the way the trainer behaves. Delegations within the Eindhoven club wonder why Van Nistelrooij is still airing his opinion about the winter transfer window at ‘this late hour’ and they also think that PSV has not made the most of this season under the former top striker. With Gakpo in the ranks, for example, the Champions League was missed after elimination by Rangers and clubs such as SC Cambuur and FC Groningen lost in competition.
| No. | Team | m | W | G | v | +/- | Pnt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Feyenoord | 26 | 18 | 7 | 1 | 34 | 61 |
| 2 | Ajax | 26 | 16 | 7 | 3 | 44 | 55 |
| 3 | AZ | 27 | 16 | 6 | 5 | 22 | 54 |
| 4 | PSV | 26 | 16 | 5 | 5 | 36 | 53 |
| 5 | FC Twente | 26 | 13 | 8 | 5 | 22 | 47 |
| 6 | Sparta Rotterdam | 26 | 13 | 7 | 6 | 14 | 46 |
| 7 | FC Utrecht | 26 | 10 | 8 | 8 | 1 | 38 |
| 8 | sc Heerenveen | 27 | 9 | 8 | 10 | -5 | 35 |
| 9 | NEC | 26 | 7 | 13 | 6 | 9 | 34 |
| 10 | RKC Waalwijk | 25 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 0 | 32 |
| 11 | Go Ahead Eagles | 25 | 7 | 8 | 10 | -8 | 29 |
| 12 | Fortuna Sittard | 26 | 8 | 5 | 13 | -14 | 29 |
| 13 | FC Volendam | 26 | 7 | 5 | 14 | -25 | 26 |
| 14 | Vitesse | 26 | 5 | 9 | 12 | -16 | 24 |
| 15 | Excelsior | 26 | 7 | 2 | 17 | -36 | 23 |
| 16 | FC Emmen | 26 | 4 | 9 | 13 | -22 | 21 |
| 17 | Fc Groningen | 26 | 4 | 5 | 17 | -27 | 17 |
| 18 | SC Cambuur | 26 | 4 | 4 | 18 | -29 | 16 |