looking through the barca paper here in the office i noticed they were linking us to a dutch striker whose long name i cant remember for 9mil. it says bobby and scouts have seen his last 15 games. They say Bob had to make a move due to Ajax wanting him, maybe why he missed the Leicester game? Stevo, he plays for one of the mid sized teams and is an international, what is his name!?! maybe he wasn't watching Sikora after all...

-- Anonymous, May 23, 2001

Answers

Amazing Player?

-- Anonymous, May 23, 2001

Hasselink, here you go!

  press release...

AN un-named English Premiership side has officially joined Feyenoord, PSV Eindhoven and Ajax in approaching FC Twente for striker Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink...

...The big three of the Eredivisie have all laid claim to the player, admitting that they would like him for next season, but now the mystery English side could tempt the Dutchman...

Twente`s technical director Jaap Uilenberg would not reveal who the Premiership side was, but did say that it was not Tottenham Hotspur...

...It is likely that all the interested parties will be in Rotterdam on Thursday evening to take in the Amstel Cup final between Twente and PSV Eindhoven...

-- Anonymous, May 23, 2001

if Ajax want this lad then maybe we go in for Averladze......

-- Anonymous, May 23, 2001

I don't understand a thing. It's all double Dutch to me. Will somebody please explain????

-- Anonymous, May 23, 2001

That's weird. I've been looking at this player in Championship Manager over the last couple of weeks! Had him scouted a couple of times, but haven't made a bid. Personally, I'd like a player with the word 'of' in his surname. It has something quite 16th century about it.

-- Anonymous, May 23, 2001

According to The Journal, the PL Club that are interested in signing this Dutch geeza are actually the maeckumz, not the Toon!

-- Anonymous, May 24, 2001

see this guy being tasty on the end of some of Nobby's chips

-- Anonymous, May 24, 2001

16th century...good observation.

Have you seen guitar god Richie Blackmore lately? He's gone completely mad and believes he is a KIng from the 16th century. He wears a cape and has surrounded himself with wenches.

-- Anonymous, May 24, 2001

not sure about the cape, but the rest sounds sensible enough to me

-- Anonymous, May 24, 2001

Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink (trying fitting that on a shirt), 22 years old, and the most coveted young forward in Dutch football. 3 internationals, and 58 goals in 141 games. Despite scoring fewer goals this season (14 compared with previous totals of 21 and 19 ) his allround game has improved and he's evidently looking to move up a level. Tall, fast, strong in the air, good in the box, he's a player of some promise, but not the finished article , his control is sometimes poor. Fiorentina were after him 3 years ago, Rangers and PSV joined the race last summer. I'd say the smart money is on him replacing Van Nistelrooy at the sporting-wing of the Philips corporation.

-- Anonymous, May 24, 2001

IF, he was bobs striker, how would he fit in Stevo?

-- Anonymous, May 24, 2001

I see your point Swift, as the trwatment room is pretty full and another big striker in there will mean there is not that much space.

-- Anonymous, May 24, 2001

i see bobs tactic more clearly now, the more players we release on a free, the more players we get out of the treatment room

-- Anonymous, May 24, 2001

Swift- Only seen him play 'live' once this season where he kept drifting out left (probably as the RB was crap). If he was Bobs I'd guess he'd be hoping he'd be getting on the end of Nobby's crosses (as Macbeth suggested). Him and Cort would be a handful but might lack a bit of creativity between them. Jans playing in the Dutch cup- final tonight so I'll keep an eye on him.

-- Anonymous, May 24, 2001

cheers

-- Anonymous, May 24, 2001

what's his strength?

-- Anonymous, May 24, 2001

sorry, too subtle, i felt Veenegoor who be tasty on the end of Nobby's chips, no, oh well

-- Anonymous, May 24, 2001

i got it, i took it with a pinch of salt though...

-- Anonymous, May 24, 2001

doh.

-- Anonymous, May 24, 2001

any other news on the dutch scene stevo?

-- Anonymous, May 24, 2001

This might be of interest Swift: The Dutch FA are thinking of introducing a US-style 'salary cap' to the lower division. Too may clubs are in serious debt, and a few are threatened by liquidation with spiraling wages blamed. The top-flight won't be affected, otherwise they fear most of the better players would move abroad, plus Ajax + PSVs european aspirations would be damaged/destroyed (Feyen**rd don't count).

Question for you Swift: what sort of following do Espanyol have? Can't be easy in the shadow of Barca. Catalan colleague reckons its the 'foreigners' club (sounds a bit dodgy to me). Any info?

-- Anonymous, May 24, 2001

stevo, last weekend i took a walk up to Montjuic, the highest point of Barcelona. This is the zone where the majority of Olympic venues are, including the faded glory of the Olympic stadium. Its a vast colliseum that hosts Espanyol and 8 fantastically large tarpaulins that cover the lower tier seats. These are decked out in blue and white, the colours of Espanyol.I know this because you can wander in and walk around the stadium, which is scattered with kiosks selling ice creams and Barca postcards, in fact Petit seemed rather popular. I thought about that and decided that was because no one wanted his postcard! Only one Barca player seems remotely popular, Raul Tamudo. I was tempted to stroll onto the pitch but decided not to when a guy wearing guns walked past - security guards here don't ask questions...There was to be a game the next evening (Sunday) and i would have gone but for a promise to have a night in for once (latinos don't like to second best...especially to football) Tickets are about 1200 pesetas which would equate to considerably less than a round! I didn't miss much, Mallorca beat them 1-0 and apparently it was a terrible game... The area around the ground is stunning and with scorching blue skies if i was a footballer i would dream about playing in settings like this. Sadly though Espanyol are not a pretty team to watch, they are bit like the Leicester of the Primera Liga. I have noticed a real apathy to Barcelona FC here and i've asked the question, why not Espanyol? the answer is always a never, followed by a smile. They aren't at all fashionable. However i'm considering watching my football there now and again, the setting is stunning and i like underdogs. Another interesting point is that the official shop/offices for the club are under my flat, and i have to say the girl on the reception wouldn't look out of place in Amsterdam Stevo, blonde, beautiful and relaxed...i've already bought 289 scarves :-) AS for the foreigners thing i think it used to be true, but now its mostly those defectors prepared to overlook the stigma and guys (foreigners) who could never get into the camp nou, or who havenīt a spare 10000pesetas to get in!

-- Anonymous, May 24, 2001

I have a mate who lived in Barca for two years and he supported Espanyol while he was there saying that Barca were the Yuppy team and Espanyol were the real peoples team. A bit of inverted snobbery if you ask me.

I can agree with you about Montjuic though Swifty it is a bewithching place especially at sunset. Have you been to the Joan Miro foundation yet. Well worth a visit and it is in that general area

-- Anonymous, May 24, 2001

been to his studio mate years ago, amazing

-- Anonymous, May 24, 2001

Sounds a fabulous place to watch football Swift.

Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink played in the Dutch FA Cup final this evening against PSV. A 0-0 snore-draw he spent much of the game in the pocket of PSV's impressive CH Kevin Hofland. It went to penalties, he missed his, as did a team-mate PSV were winning 3-1 and looked home and dry, Twente's keeper Sander Boschker saved 3 in a row and Twente won 4-3. Good end to a crap game.

-- Anonymous, May 24, 2001

Ah, Monjuic. I remember it well. I saw the Tour de France sports car race at the ex-GP circuit there in the early 70s (don't ask - I guess foreign maps aren't that good). Anyway, great architecture and great track. A bit like Monaco but considerably cheeper. Canny fountains as well.

-- Anonymous, May 24, 2001

Hofland is the player who has without shame, branded himself around all the Premiership clubs for a move this summer.

-- Anonymous, May 25, 2001

You sure thats Hofland and not Patrick Zwaanswijk of Utrecht De Builder? Either way Kevin Hofland (named after Keegan), has been superb in his first season at PSV. 22 next month, an international, and a young man with a big future ahead of him.

-- Anonymous, May 25, 2001

Sounds just what we need.

-- Anonymous, May 25, 2001