Monday, February 28, 2022 at 06:58• Mart van Mourik • Last update: 07:31

Willem van Hanegem does not understand that the selection of Feyenoord is still thinking about the national title. The team from Rotterdam went down 2-1 on Sunday afternoon to visit AZ, as a result of which the team of trainer Arne Slot failed to reduce the gap to leader Ajax to four points. In his column in the General Newspaper Van Hanegem writes that he ‘laughed’ after hearing statements from various Feyenoord players on the radio about the title chances. In the eyes of the columnist, Guus Til and Jorrit Hendrix in particular stood out in a negative way in the Eredivisie match with the Alkmaarders. Still acknowledges the curve that Ajax, which lost 2-1 to Go Ahead Eagles, is missing out on a lot of points.

“Is the title race in the Netherlands now open again? I don’t think so,” concludes Van Hanegem after the 24th round. “When I drove home from Alkmaar after AZ-Feyenoord, I heard the Feyenoord players say on the radio that they were still thinking about the national title before the game. I had to laugh about that, because I thought that it was also a long time ago for the players. But if PSV then struggles again, this time at Het Kasteel against Sparta and Ajax even loses in Deventer against Go Ahead Eagles, then they have left quite a bit in Alkmaar.”

According to Van Hanegem, the cause of Feyenoord’s loss in Alkmaar is mainly in the midfield. The former international was particularly bothered by Til and Hendrix, while he also does not understand Slot’s choice to draft Jens Toornstra. “In this match, Wijndal did not face Alireza Jahanbakhsh as right striker, but Jens Toornstra. I have no idea why. That probably gave AZ a feeling that Feyenoord was not reassured, because they adapted. While I tasted fear at AZ beforehand. Toornstra pulled far in from the first moment, but it did not pose any danger. And Wijndal also kept coming up with Toornstra in front of him.”

“When Arne Slot said afterwards that he thought one of his midfielders played very well, he could not have meant Hendrix. And the invisible Guus Til certainly not. But Orkun Kökcü wasn’t in this top match either, was it?” said Van Hanegem, who competed in the AD Football podcast He also spoke critical words about Til prior to AZ-Feyenoord. “He has indeed scored goals (thirteen in the Eredivisie this season, ed.). But to be honest, I still see Til too often playing very mediocre. Last Sunday against Cambuur, that was downright bad, wasn’t it?”