If it were up to Fred Grim, FC Emmen would strengthen itself with at least two players in January. It is uncertain whether this will actually happen. The trainer/technical manager is confronted with the new reality at De Oude Meerdijk.
If December, which was disastrous for FC Emmen, had not yet sufficiently demonstrated that something needs to be done, then the practice match against De Graafschap did so on Friday. The desolate complex of amateur club VV Doetinchem and heavy rainfall formed the sad scene on which the Drenthe suffered a heavy defeat (4-1). A goal from Ben Scholte somewhat saved the honor.
It must be said: at times FC Emmen’s football was decent. Yet the team found itself trailing 2-0 after fifty minutes. The five-man defense with which coach Fred Grim experimented in the first half – consisting of Robin Schouten, Mike te Wierik, Julius Dirksen, Dennis Vos and Jeff Hardeveld – looked awkward. The goals were given away quite easily.
It is no longer a secret that Grim wants to strengthen his selection with a defender, preferably a right back. For the time being, Schouten does not deliver what is expected of him in that position and Patrick Brouwer is only a plaster on the wound. Mike te Wierik, who has done well as a right back, prefers to see Grim on the right in the center of the defense.
The goals were given away very easily against De Graafschap, but there were plenty of opportunities to correct those mistakes. The lack of scoring ability, a problem that has bothered FC Emmen more than once this season, once again came to light on the bumpy field of VV Doetinchem. And so Grim hopes to add an easy-scoring attacker to his selection this month.
Is the phone ringing off the hook?
It remains to be seen whether the Amsterdammer’s wishes will be granted. “If you look at the resources that are available at the moment, they are not what they were in the past,” he sighs. “It’s quite simple: players will have to leave first. And it is very important that we collect a transfer fee for this. We can invest that plus the resulting salary in new players.”
Grim should know. In addition to being head coach, he is also a technical manager, so he is right on top of the process at FC Emmen. “It’s not like the phone is ringing off the hook for our players,” he says. “That is a very honest answer. Of course, I sometimes get a call from an agent who inquires about a player, but there is a big difference between information and a concrete offer.”
Grim would prefer not to lose any player, let him slip away, but to strengthen his selection that will have to be done. Although the Amsterdammer does not wish to comment on names, midfielder Maikel Kieftenbeld appears to be one of the players who can leave the club after a good offer. Grim will hardly call on the experienced player this season, who has a large salary by FC Emmen standards.
Grim is clear about players who are in Grim’s plans this season and who also have a certain market value, such as the young and talented Julius Dirksen: in principle they should not be allowed to leave. “Look at the process we are working on and the steps we are taking. If we let go of players who contribute to that process and who we actually want to continue with, that would be at odds.”
Draw the line, fresh in early 2024
While technical manager Grim keeps a close eye on the transfer market, trainer Grim has to make do with the players he has. In that respect, there is plenty of work to be done at De Oude Meerdijk, because the competition will resume on Saturday, January 13, with a home match against NAC Breda and FC Emmen is ready for a victory after four defeats in a row.
“After the last match before the winter break, when I visited FC Dordrecht, I noticed that everyone was devastated by the defeat,” says Grim. “That was a match that we could have won, not for the first time this season, if we had taken advantage of the opportunities. But we are now putting an end to that and we are starting the second half of the competition fresh again.”