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Gio's tour of duty
Sjoerd Mossou
AD
Friday 24 October 2008
His eyes looked mat late Thursday
night in the catacombs of the Stade Marcel Picot.
Giovanni van Bronckhorst is not
the type of person who loses hope quickly, but here
was a player who didn't seemed to know what to do next.
"This is simply very frustrating,"
the Feyenoord skipper said after the seventh defeat
of the season against Nancy (3-0).
On the even of the home game against
Heerenveen a serious crisis is looming for Feyenoord.
"Before this season I really
thought we would have made more progress. No one saw
a start like this coming. I certainly didn't."
Once before Van Bronckhorst went
through a similar period.
During his first season at Barcelona
a serious crisis emerged early in the season.
"At some point we were in
14th place," he says.
"So you can imagine what the
atmosphere is like then. Pressure mounted from all sides.
Until somewhere in November we beat Seville away. That
was the turn."
The midfielder learned that a lifebuoy
is never far away in football.
"One game can make all the
difference in the world. It happened at Barcelona. After
that game in Seville things gelled. We played a fantastic
second half of the season. I am try to hold on to that
experience now."
His coach then, Frank Rijkaard,
impressed him by staying incredibly calm when storm
was raging through Nou Camp.
"He remained very carefree,
both to the outside and internally. Actually much the
same as Gertjan Verbeek now. For a coach it is very
important not to panic, to keep faith in your own course.
But I do understand that in the end you need a result."
Feyenoord are in a complicated
split at the moment.
Within the club there has been
a lot of confidence in the methods of Gertjan Verbeek,
one of the hardest working coaches in the Eredivisie.
The coach received all the space
he needed and gained a lot of respect with his in many
ways new and refreshing approach. He has a lot of credit
with the fans as well, but at the same time the dramatic
start of the season has startled everyone at Feyenoord.
No matter how arduous and focussed
a coach works, eventually he needs a victory.
After Heerenveen follow away matches
to Sparta and Roda JC.
"It's us the players who can
turn this around," Van Bronckhorst says.
"We need points quickly. It's
as simple as that. And it's only logical the fans are
getting worried. Feyenoord are a big club, where expectations
are high. So losing seven out of eleven is unworthy
of Feyenoord. Sunday will be an important game, I can
see that."
At times Feyenoord played really
well, but even that is becoming a burden.
One good half against NEC and Willem
II got them no points and against very modest Nancy
there didn't seem to be any reason to worry.
"That is why you get pessimistic
when in the end you lose again, just because of some
short moments that are decisive. During the break we
all had a good feeling but after the final whistle we
stood empty handed again."
His comeback to Feyenoord a year
and a half ago is not what he imagined it to be.
"I came back because I wanted
to be important for the club. Just like some of the
other guys. But it hasn't turned out the way I hoped.
These are difficult times for Feyenoord. As the players
it is our duty to get the club back on it's feet again."
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