Tukkers race for the championshp

By: Tucker | January 17th, 2009

The “Tukkers” race for the championship begins with a visit by Vitesse Arnhem. The first half of the season was difficult for the Arnhem club as the losses of Remco van der Schaaf and Theo Janssen cut deep in their lineup. Perilously close to relegation manager Hans Westerhof was let go and Theo Bos (pictured) was given the responsibility of leading the club to safety.

Time will tell how the new manager will do with the club however on the surface it looks to be a superb move. Unfortunately we do not have a Vitesse blog here, so the “story” of this move has not been reported however it is one Football fans would embrace. After fifteen years of playing for the club, Theo Bos went into youth development coaching and at forty-three takes over the big club. With him in-charge you can expect the club to take a more passionate, physical style and I very much doubt relegation is in the horizon.

Mads Junker of Vitesse spoke of the change:

“Seriously, he has been here two weeks and has already made his mark on the club. The atmosphere is much better and many players want a new chance. He has been a breath of fresh air.”

In his pre-match press conference on “Twente TV” Steve McClaren noted his concern of the new coach:

“You often see at clubs who play their first match under a new coach that they show a lot of fighting spirit. Under a new coach, players get a fresh chance. That means there is extra motivation. That’s why this will be a dangerous match for us.”

“Vitesse have nothing to lose and we must be ready for them otherwise it’ll be a long evening for us.”

Both clubs are looking fit for the match with Twente’s Douglas the only absence. The championship run must start with three points against as charging Vitesse Arnhem.