Eredivisie week 20

Friday:
Roda v Heracles
Saturday:
Den Haag v Groningen
NAC v Volendam
Willem II v Vitesse
Ajax v Heerenveen
Sunday:
Twente v Utrecht
Sparta v AZ
NEC v Feyenoord
De Graafschap v PSV

Troubled PSV have named Huub Stevens' former assistant Dwight Lodeweges in temporary charge of first team affairs, but he can't have a much easier debut appointment than a home game against De Graafschap. These managerial moves often work in strange ways and one such example is Mario Been welcoming his future employers to his current ones as Feyenoord take on NEC. Caretaker Leon Vlemmings has to keep Feyenoord up in order that Been will have an Eredivisie club to take over next season. With them lying just four points above the drop zone, it looks perhaps more nervy than it actually is. The bottom few are truly terrible, but Feyenoord are not out of danger yet.
Feyenoord's city neighbours Sparta have the daunting task of knocking the AZ train off it's rails. Unlikely. Ajax take on Heerenveen still smarting from their 5-2 humbling at the Abe Lenstra earlier in the season. Heerenveen are on a terrific run of form at the moment, though they've never had much joy in Amsterdam and Ajax are unbeaten in 15 at home. Should Ajax slip up again, Twente look good to take advantage and move past their rivals. They're at home to Utrecht, a dangerous side on their day, but that day comes round too infrequently.
Volendam are truly abysmal and NAC will have little trouble there while Groningen, good winners over Ajax last week, travel to The Hague in buoyant mood. Vitesse need a boost after climbing out of the bottom three last week. Lasse Nilsson arrived from St Etienne this week, but not in time to play in this one while Willem II are looking to put some breathing space between themselves and danger with a win here and midweek against Volendam. Yes, midweek. It's a 'Belgian week' with a full programme.
Roda and Heracles kicked the weekend off in the Friday night game and, despite Harm van Veldhoven saying his Roda side only needed one goal to get a win, they got three, beating the Almelo side 3-1.