Slot has to close the gap with Ajax and PSV with new Feyenoord

Arne Slot seems to be working on a very difficult assignment beforehand. The Feyenoord trainer has to open the attack on Ajax and PSV with a weakened team under construction. He took a first good step with a 5-2 victory at a Vitesse that is still fully under construction. However, it is unlikely that this Feyenoord will be able to participate in the title race without reinforcements. If investments are not made, there is a great risk that the Rotterdam club will fall so far behind the competition from Amsterdam and Eindhoven, both sportingly and financially, that the Eredivisie will consist of a ‘top 2’ and Feyenoord will be condemned to a battle for the best of the rest.

Slot is faced with the task of fitting in new players in no time, thinking along about possible purchases and at the same time performing with the material that he currently has available. Slot put together an occasional formation against Vitesse that had not previously played together in the preparation. Feyenoord got a completely new face, especially in attacking terms, after the makers of 55 of the 76 league goals of last season left Rotterdam.

Slot had to do without Santiago Giménez in Arnhem because his work permit had not yet been received. The Mexican striker is the intended new attack leader of Feyenoord. For the time being, ex-Ajacied Danilo was preferred in the point of the attack. The Brazilian became man of the match in the Gelredome with two goals. However, Feyenoord’s most beautiful goal was scored by another ex-Ajacied: Javairo Dilrosun. After more than an hour of play, the winger curled the ball from the right over Vitesse goalkeeper Jeroen Houwen. “I’ve made them like this before in training,” Dilrosun said with a smile in the press room of the Gelredome afterwards.

If there are no investments, Feyenoord will drop out of the top-2 in the Netherlands

After a difficult preparation, Feyenoord at least gained the necessary self-confidence. After a difficult start in which Vitesse took the lead, Feyenoord managed to take control with an outstanding Szymanski. The Polish midfielder was the most important declarant of the number three in the Netherlands with two assists. “He is creative and has a great kick,” said Slot about his acquisition, a Polish international and a loaner from Dinamo Moscow. “You like to put such a player in a team that is still very unaccustomed.”

Dynamics

It should become clear in the coming weeks how big Feyenoord’s ambitions are. And what financial risks the club is willing to take to compete with the top of the Eredivisie. Slot has the advantage that Feyenoord does not have to play qualifying matches for European football and was able to build a new team in recent weeks with training and practice matches. “There’s a lot more to it than fitting in new players,” Slot explained. “It is especially difficult to work on a new dynamic. That is sometimes underestimated by the outside world.”

Slot is aware that uncertainty will remain until the transfer window closes at the end of this month. For example, the trainer saw the Argentinian Marcos Senesi drop out in the run-up to the duel with Vitesse. Feyenoord allowed the defender to negotiate with the English Bournemouth, while Slot was working on a new defense on the training field. In the meantime, he made a place in midfield for Norwegian Fredrik Aursnes, who is in the interest of the Portuguese Benfica. Slot understands that Feyenoord should be happy with the record income, but also wonders where the boundary lies between the sporting and the financial. “It is up to policy makers to make the right decisions,” he said. “I only give my opinion on the sporting part. And then I count on replacements to come.”

Champions League

The difference between participating in the Champions League or the Europa League is huge in every way. Ajax is already assured of the group stage this year with approximately 40 million euros in income. PSV hopes to qualify for this in the coming weeks and if that fails, they will receive a place in the Europa League. Feyenoord will play in the group stage of that tournament this season and will earn approximately 8 million euros.

In twelve months the perspective will be different. There is a good chance that the Netherlands will then be allowed to send two clubs to the group stage of the Champions League. Ajax and to a lesser extent PSV are aiming to become a structural participant in the largest and lucrative European club tournament. If they succeed in becoming the numbers 1 and 2 in the Eredivisie in the coming years, the gap with Feyenoord will grow tens of millions every year. And that will be unbridgeable in the long run.

Feyenoord is in fact already engaged in an unequal battle. Reaching the final in the Conference League caused a surprising revival, but of the team that lost to AS Roma in Tirana, only three players were left against Vitesse.

Feyenoord made a significant financial gain this summer. Luis Sinisterra (25 million), Tyrell Malacia (15 million) and Marcos Senesi (15 million) yielded record amounts, but goalscorers such as Cyriel Dessers, Guus Til, Reiss Nelson and Bryan Linssen walked out of the Kuip for next to nothing. Feyenoord was only able to invest part in new players and does not seem to be stronger by attracting Quinten Timber, Jacob Rasmussuen, Sebastian Szymanski, Javairo Dilrosun, Danilo, Oussama Idrissi and Santiago Giménez.

And that is necessary to be able to close the big gap with Ajax and PSV.