PSV can only hope

Peter van Duyl
AD
Tuesday 18 November 2008

It's peaceful at PSV's training ground De Herdgang.

A day after the defeat in Amsterdam - the fourth in a row - most players have left to play with their national teams.

Three coaches and only three players have arrived: Mike Zonneveld, Jonathan Reis and Jérémie Bréchet.

The bad results of this season are unprecedented and PSV are now trailing Ajax and NAC Breda by seven points.

In the first half of 2008 PSV lost three of 23 under Sef Vergoossen.

Since this summer when Huub Stevens took over PSV have lost nine of their eighteen games.

Many clubs would be ablaze for less, but at PSV all is calm and collected.

Only the club of regular fans who visit each training session are muttering away.

When coach Huub Stevens passes them they advice him to play four strikers on Saturday against Heracles.

"I might even start with eleven forwards," Stevens replies brusquely.

Sunday night when the bus with the players returned to the stadium some thirty angry fans were waiting for them and demanded an explanation and on Friday a delegation of supporters had met with coach Stevens and Director of Football Jan Reker.

The conversation at least gave the fans that management is very unhappy with the situation.

Stevens felt no need at all yesterday to reflect on the situation.

But still they will have to come up with an answer to the question what is the matter at PSV.

On Saturday Heracles come to the Philips Stadium.

A match that would be a routine job under normal circumstances will now be a high tension event.

And there isn't much time to prepare as more than half the squad is away.

It's a bummer for Stevens that it's not possible to train seriously this week, as it is clear that some hard work is needed to improve things.

PSV have trouble scoring and since the departure of center back Alex (Chelsea) and goal keeper Gomes (Tottenham) little is left of the once rock solid defense.

"Alex was the big leader, but now that he is gone we have to do it ourselves," says defender Erik Pieters.

PSV will have to do with the current squad at least until the winter break, so the short term prospects are all based on hope.

"I indeed hope that the turn will come quickly," says forward Danny Koevermans.

"But I can't simply say: okay let's do that."

Pieters adds: "Everyone is expecting PSV to win the league with two fingers up our noses. But that is just not going to happen. Even though I believe we can as we have plenty of quality in the squad."

After the game in Amsterdam there was a lot of talk about the way PSV played.

Stevens stubbornly sticks to a system with only one center forward although strikers Koevermans and Danko Lazovic would love try it side by side.

"Perhaps we should," says Pieters.

But it doesn't look like Stevens is about to make some far stretching tactical changes to the team, as even shortly after Sunday's game he had his doubts about a system with two forwards.

"I don't think it's going to change," says Koevermans.

"The coach thinks we do not have the players for 4-4-2."

And Koevermans wants to leave it at that.

"Dank and I would love to play with two forwards, but we have to accept the coach's decision. I don't want to go and sit on his chair. I just don't want to."