The first half of the competition in the Kitchen Champion Division is over. Willem II was the best team, but in Brabant we also have the worst team. A tour of the Brabant teams, where we take a brief and critical look at the clubs.
The man of the first half of the competition:
Trainer Reinier Robbemond was fired from Willem II in early September and technical director Teun Jacobs resigned shortly afterwards. It is thanks to the Belgian trainer Peter Maes that the Tilburg team rose to the top position. “He created a shock effect and then built on that,” said midfielder Matthias Verreth. “He is a huge motivator. A very experienced man who knows what is required in football. He knows how to hit us in a good way.” so that we keep accelerating. Whether the title lives? In 2024 we will see how far we can go.”
The cult hero:
At Willem II, Jeremy Bokila is the hero of the supporters. The 35-year-old striker is not always a starter under Maes, but as a substitute he has already scored eight times. And so the ‘Bokila song’ regularly sounds through the King Willem II Stadium.
The goal getter:
Helmond Sport is ambitious, but where would coach Bob Peeters’ team be without Martijn Kaars? The attacker is at the top of the top scorer rankings with 16 goals and is responsible for half of Helmond’s goal production (32). Will he become Helmond Sport’s first top scorer?
The ugly Duckling:
TOP Oss said goodbye to several club members and the new technical director Linton Posthumus brought in 21 players. A foreign legion with only a few Brabanders, including son-in-law Grad Damen of trainer Ruud Brood. A number of players were injured, but the Osseners’ performance was poor. With eleven points and only twelve goals, TOP Oss is last. The club is betting that there is a player who will make money, but that is not the case now. This is not pursuing policy.
The setback:
FC Den Bosch is two places above the bottom of TOP Oss. The club management expressed the ambition to go for the play-offs, but despite loanees from Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester City, performances are disappointing. There is also unrest within the club, as an arbitration case was recently won by several American shareholders who refused to pay. Supporters show that the club is a sleeping giant, because De Vliert Stadium is packed every home game.
(Always) restless:
In terms of experience and more than 14,000 season tickets, NAC Breda is a club that belongs in the Eredivisie. However, they have been playing at the second level for the fifth season in a row. Unrest seems to be part of the people’s club, again this season. After the early dismissal of Peter Hyballa, NAC certainly did not perform poorly under his successor Jean-Paul van Gastel. The last match of 2023 against arch-rival Willem II was lost 1-2. The gap with the promotion places is eight points, which means that the people of Breda need a good series to stay in the race to some extent.
Oasis of peace:
We mention FC Eindhoven as an example of a club where it is wonderfully quiet. The club doesn’t do crazy things and gives young players the opportunity to develop. By the way, we can also mention city rivals Jong PSV in this. Sixteenth place is a bit disappointing, but PSV considers player development more important than the rankings.