VAN MARWIJK: ‘SPRINT STARTS IN DOETINCHEM’

Sometimes a week’s rest is just what you need, but when your team’s scoring so freely and picking up points so easily things are a little different. ‘There nothing to be done about it,’ remarked Bert van Marwijk at the Friday media chat. ‘We’ve had a good time training this week and that is pleasant. But we have to look at it like this: we have put together a good run and Saturday we start on the final sequence. Given our desire to take the second place, it will have to be a long sprint home.’ De Graafschap mightn’t be the team to put a spanner in the works. The Doetinchem outfit have been down in the danger zone for months and recently lost Peter van Vossen. That said, De Graafschap remain a threat as Feyenoord found in a 1-0 reverse at Vijverberg last term. ‘We will be up against a side that looks to have a physical presence and we’ll have to have an answer to that,’ noted Van Marwijk. De Graafschap coach Peter Bosz, an ex-Feyenoorder himself, recently saw Peter van Vossen walk out on the club last week after hearing that he wouldn’t get a new contract, but the Feyenoord connection is still strong, with Jean-Paul van Gastel in defence and Leonardo dos Santos Silva in midfield. The Brazilian is currently on loan to the Eredivisie’s basement club. Holland Casino Eredivise, Saturday 5 April 2003 DE GRAAFSCHAP-FEYENOORD Venue: Vijverberg Kickoff: 7.30 pm Probable teams DE GRAAFSCHAP Wevers – Berck Beelenkamp, Van der Kruis, Van Gastel, Hermans – Leonardo dos Santos, Van Leerdam, Smit (Hertog), Ter Avest – Valeev, Zafarin. FEYENOORD Lodewijks – Emerton, Van Wonderen, De Nooijer, Paauwe – Kalou, Bosvelt, Ono, Van Persie – Buffel, Van Hooijdonk History 25/4/2002 De Graafschap 1-0 Feyenoord 1/10/2000 De Graafschap 1-2 Feyenoord 16/4/2000 De Graafschap 0-1 Feyenoord 7/3/1999 De Graafschap 3-4 Feyenoord 16/11/1997 De Graafschap 0-0 Feyenoord 21/9/2002 Feyenoord 2-0 De Graafschap 15/9/2001 Feyenoord 2-0 De Graafschap 15/4/2001 Feyenoord 1-2 De Graafschap 16/12/1999 Feyenoord 0-0 De Graafschap 8/9/1998 Feyenoord 5-0 De Graafschap 31/8/1997 Feyenoord 2-0 De Graafschap