FM2009: AZ Alkmaar - Say hello to the new champions

Last night it became official, due the 6-2 lost of Ajax at PSV, AZ was crowned Dutch champions for the second time in its history. I myself find it very special as I have not seen in 21 years that a club outside the 'traditional top three' (Ajax, PSV and Feyenoord) was able to claim the championship. In FM AZ is also a very interesting club, I'm sure that in the next FM they will be even better, but this year its also a very nice challenge to play with them.

Full Name: AZ Alkmaar

Nickname: -

Founded: 10 May 1967 as AZ '67

Manager: Louis van Gaal

Major Rivals: Ajax

Club Legends: Wim van Hanegem, Kees Kist

Clubs Icons: Co Adriaanse

Favoured Personnel: Louis van Gaal

Media Prediction: 6th

Club Captain: Stijn Schaars

Club Vice-Captain: Demy de Zeeuw

Estimated Value: £40.5M (no debts!)

Balance: £13.77M

Transfer Budget: £4M

Wage Budget: £274K/week

Stadium:

AZ play there home games in the DSB Stadium. This is called after the DSB-bank, who is owned by currect club chairman Dirk Scheringa. The stadium is build in 2006 and has place for 17,023 people. This is maybe not much, but the stadium and trainingground look amazing. And of course if you do well there is place for expandtion

First Squad Team

GK Sergio Romero

GK Joey Didulica

VRC Kew Jaliens

VRLC, WBL, DM, MLC Ragner Klavan

VLC Niklas Moisander

DC Gijs Luirink

DC Hector Moreno

DC, DM, MC David Mendes da Silva

D/WBR, DM, MRC Gill Swerts

D/WBR, DM, MC Toni Kolehmainen

D/WBL/ML Sébastien Pocognoli

DM, MRC Demy de Zeeuw

DM, MRLC Kees Luijckx

DM MLC Stijn Schaars

MRC Nick van der Velden

AMLC Maarten Martens

AML Simon Poulsen

AMLC, FC Moussa Dembélé

AML, FC Jermain Lens

AM/FC Mounir El Hamdaoui

AMFC Brett Holman

ST Ari

ST Graziano Pellé

The team is very good and especially very all-round, many players are able to play of different positions. There is a lot of creativity in the front and even though many players imo are very underrated, the team still is able to easily keep up in the Dutch league. Even though the team isn't really in need of extra players, its not a bad idea to look for one or two extra attacking midfielders for the right wing. Maybe you are able to snap up Georgino Wijnaldum from Feyenoord.

Starplayers:

Stijn Schaars: The left-footed Schaars is a versatile player who can play either as a defensive midfielder or as a left-sided midfielder. He has grown into being one of the most important players for AZ, being captain of the team on many occasions. He is known for his tough tackling and good passing. He is a good leader and has also in FM the abilty to grow into a very good midfielder.

Demy de Zeeuw: He is a defensive midfielder described as a good tackler and a gifted passer of the ball. Also in the national team of Holland, just as Schaars is. And also capable of growing into a very very good player. With Schaars and the Zeeuw you got two of the most wanted Dutch players in youre squad

Mounir El Hamdaoui: Now most people know him from Tottenham or Derby, he didnt quite fit in both teams, played bad. And all the talent he had just did not came out. At AZ Alkmaar under the guidence of coach Louis van Gaal he is now the leading topscorer of the Dutch league. In the media he is linked with Barcelona and Chelsea.

Recommended formation:

               Romero

Jaliens     Luirink      Moreno    Pocognoli

    De Zeeuw               Schaars

Lens              Dembele             Martens

               El Hamdaoui 

Good luck with AZ. Can you bring them to the top of Holland and Europe?

I changed your thread title mate, could you change your heading in your OP. Its Alkmaar not Almkaar.

Of course, small minor there from me hehe

Btw nice OP. Lovely stadium.

Belgium players .

Nice OP mate

I have decided to give these gents a bash!

Inspired by their Real life performence and a miserable FM prediction of 6th

Nice OP

Very good OP

That stadium looks ace

Just started a game with AZ and am looking for advice. I sold Maartens (Dembele and Poulsen can oth do a job there I think) and Lens to cut the wage bill and raise some cash. I've so far invested in Skeljbred (to add a bit of creativity to the midfield), Feghouli because I was short of an AMC/AML/AMR, and Kalinic to play as a target man and to rotate with Ari.

I'm still short of a quality AMR as Feghouli is a natural AMC. What I want, though, is an AMR that can play either AML or AMC, or an AML that can play AMR. The plan is to have all of my AMCs swapping positions and my FC/ST to act as the pivot in the formation. I think it's better if I show my formation and list their respective positions.

El Hamdaoui (ST nat, AMC, acc)

Poulsen (AML) Dembele (AMC) Feghouli (AMC nat, AMR/AML, accom.)

The problem with this is that Poulsen can't play any other position except AML. Dembele can only play AMC or AML, and Feghouli can play all 3 but is best in the middle. Atm, I have Dembele swapping with Poulsen and Feghouli swapping Poulsen to pay in the middle.

or I could go with this:

Ari

Dembele El Hamdaoui Feghouli

In this formation I have Ham swapping over to the right even though he is not very effective there; Dembele in the middle, and Feghouli switching over to the left hand side. What I'd like is for all my Att mids to be comfortable with the positions they switch to. Someone like Wijnaldum (I can't afford him atm) who can play all three positions would be great. Oh, and I'd prefer it if they were Dutch but it's not essential.

Feghouli will perform great on the wing

I would try Hamdaoui in the middle, Dembele on the left and Fighouli on the right but I don't know a lot about AZ...

Thanks for your advice on Feghouli. Tbh, I was pretty confident that he can perform well on the wing and over the course of the season I'll train him to play that position. I was hoping to have 3 AMCs behind the frontman that can interchange positions, but perhaps it is sensible to leave them in their set positions as Hamdauoi is really a FC or an AMC at a push and isn't really able to play AMR.

Btw, Leandro, who are your starting DCs? I've noticed that Silva is better at DMC but I'm unsure if Luirink is solid enough. Atm (still in pre-season), I'm thinking of going with Moreno and Silva as my starting pair.

Are there any more positions that you would suggest strengthening aside for AMR?

Are there any players on 9.3 that have been improved and are worth a look? Fer looks pretty decent but I'm a bit stumped about other young Dutch talents that are available for a reasonable price. (I know about Wijnaldum, Marcelis and other established young Dutch talents such as Guzman, Amrabat, Afellay, Aissati)

Does Ari bang in the goals like irl?

Are there any youth players that can make the 1st team?

Thanks

I'm in my first season with AZ, playing with Tylerbode's Piranha tactic, that has served me well on my last save. Besides from a down period we're performing pretty consistently resultwise. Currently 4th in the league and am looking to finish between #2-5. Feyenoord are 10 points clear at the top of the league.

Had to make a lot of personnel changes to cut the wage budget. Also it is my experience that a smaller squad with 2-3 very good players is better than a large squad of players that are very even.

Up front I have Hamdoui and Lens/Jonathas - Hamdoui is doing great, the other two take turns underperforming. I've noticed that Lens especially is very inconsistent and when he's been praised by other managers it's always followed by a very bad performance.

My midfield is solid although not as creative as I'd like them to be. I play Schaars MLC and Van der Velden on MRC. Maartens covers for Schaars (a lot of minor injuries) and Poulsen and Dembele plays on the left. Lujirix (was on a freekick roll in the start of the seson bagging quite a few goals, now not so hot) on the right with Santon as my right sided cover (he's not yet as remarkable as he's been on my other saves but I am confident he will be). In the back I have Luirink and Mendes da Silva. They are pretty solid and score a lot from corners. Left back Lumb and Pocognoli (both unremarkable, but decent) and Sweerts on the right (solid). All in all it's going ok (actually pretty good considering Jaliens is in the U19's because he's been AWOL from training and wants to leave, Demy de Zeeuw, Hector Moreno, Ari have all been sold). Ratings are solid, though seeing someone going 8+ is too rare (almost never happens unless someone scores 2 goals or more), but I am hoping that next season will be better and it should be with a creative midfielder and a better striker to play up front with Hamdoui.

Just started a new game with AZ. Playing with 4-4-2 and my opstelling is:

Romero

Swerts Jaliens Moisander Poco

Mendes Demy Schaars Martens

Moussa Mounir

signed Strootman from Sparta

and going to sign Platje and Kuiper!

Really looking forward to this