Fred Grim relentless after FC Emmen cup failure: ‘I want to see a fresh and dominant team against MVV’

xxx FC Emmen has good memories of duels with MVV, which they have not lost since 2016. For example, Rui Mendes’ seven-hit winner (7-1) from two seasons ago is still fresh in his memory. Not least because he had a major share in the monster score with three goals. “That was nice,” the wing attacker reflects. “And to think that we found out first.”

Mendes: ‘Not yet the old one’

Mendes will most likely make another attempt at success. Joey Konings, his competitor on the right flank, is not available due to an injury and so Mendes seems to start in the starting line-up. He has already received the necessary minutes in recent matches. Slowly but surely, the Portuguese German seems to be getting back to his old self, after having to recuperate for months from a serious knee injury.

“I notice that the playing time I got in recent matches helps me,” says Mendes. “I’m not 100 percent back to normal yet, otherwise I would already have more than one goal and one assist to my name. Moreover, my knee is sometimes still a bit stiff after competitions, but that is normal. I’ve been out for so long… Sometimes I’m still a bit cautious. But the real conviction is coming back more and more.”

MVV: ‘A good team’

It is doubtful whether the score, possibly with the help of Mendes, will be that high again in favor of FC Emmen. Trainer Fred Grim characterizes MVV as a ‘good team with quality and footballing ability’. In short: the people of Emmen can get their money’s worth. Although things are not going so smoothly for the Limburgers this season. Something that is endorsed by the ranking: MVV is in sixteenth place.

While FC Emmen has already won six times this season, the Limburgers only managed to take the full spoils three times. In the last two competition matches, MVV drew 1-1. For MVV’s last victory, we have to look back to October 6, when the team won 2-3 against Jong PSV thanks to a spectacular denouement. In injury time, Maurice Verberne’s team scored twice.

An almost fit selection

“We have had the opportunity to take a good look at MVV in the last two games,” says Grim. “Including the cup match against SC Cambuur (4-1 loss, ed.) last Thursday. The quality that I attribute to MVV certainly did not materialize there. But last Monday they achieved an excellent result against Jong FC Utrecht under very difficult circumstances.”

Grim has an almost fit selection in Maastricht. Only Konings and the long-injured Chardi Landu are absent. When asked about his tactics to combat MVV, the 58-year-old Amsterdammer remains tight-lipped as always. It is expected that he will send the same starting eleven onto the field after Konings as in the previous competition match against Jong AZ.

A fresh and dominant team

There will have been few players who convinced Grim on Thursday during the cup elimination in Doetinchem. “A number of boys have put too much pressure on themselves and that doesn’t make you any better,” explains Grim. “In Maastricht I want to see a fresh team that is dominant, wants to be the boss, and preferably for as long as possible. The latter is something we are working hard on, but it takes time.”