Pressure Off at SC Cambuur as Play-Off Hopes Dwindle: Can Henk de Jong’s Team Still Make a Comeback?

The high word is out: with an almost unattainable place in the play-offs for promotion, the pressure is now off at SC Cambuur. Will Henk de Jong’s team still gain wings?

SC Cambuur’s season seems to be going out like a proverbial candle. The flame is still burning, albeit minimally, because a place in the play-offs is still feasible in theory. After all, the gap to eighth place is ‘only’ four points. But looking at the remaining competition programme, this seems almost impossible. The Leeuwarders have to compete against no fewer than three clubs from the top of the first division. Moreover, their own play in recent weeks did not offer much perspective.

“For us, the pressure is actually off,” says Henk de Jong approvingly. “We just have to play football, have fun and get the most out of it. Take that pressure off for a moment. That is a different approach than we had before. Then it was every match: must, must, must. And always with the play-offs in mind. It didn’t work with that attitude and that’s why we’re now turning it around. We stop having to, and maybe that will now produce results.”

According to the trainer, the turning point was last Monday’s visit to Amsterdam, where he and his pupils were treated to yet another defeat (2-1) of the season by Jong Ajax. “Look, if we had won on Monday, everyone would have said: ‘You have to beat FC Groningen, because then you will be in a good position again.’ Then of course I cannot say: ‘No, we are no longer or hardly participating in the battle for a place in the play-offs’. After Monday that will actually be the case.”

‘We want to make a good impression’

It’s a painful conclusion, but one steeped in reality. And yet De Jong tries to do everything he can to make something of it, if only for all those loyal fans who were anything but spoiled this season. Treating the neighbors from Groningen to a defeat on Saturday would of course be nice. Partly for this reason, the trainer decided to break a habit on Friday and deny everyone access to the stadium for a large part of the training.

“The opponent does not always have to see in advance what we are doing,” says De Jong. “We want to ensure that we look good in the Euroborg, in front of about a thousand Cambuur supporters. Private training is also very normal. This also happens at other clubs and will happen more often here in the future. After all, Cambuur is a multi-million company that will hopefully continue to grow. You don’t think Manchester City will show how they are going to play against Real Madrid, do you?”

‘Balkie consciously held back’

De Jong wanted to reveal little or nothing about the nefarious plans that were being made behind the closed gates of the Cambuur Stadium. The trainer did admit that he had to make do with a tight selection in Groningen, not for the first time this season. In addition to those who have been injured for some time, including Vito Wormgoor and Michael Breij, De Jong also misses Matthias Nartey. The young midfielder was injured during training on Friday. There are also a number of question marks, such as Floris Smand.

On the other hand, De Jong can rely on a number of players who are there anyway to have an exceptionally high motivation to beat FC Groningen. This includes Daniël van Kaam, Thomas Poll, Daan Reiziger, Milan de Koe and Remco Balk. Players who previously represented the green and white. “Those boys don’t want to miss this match for anything. For example, I saw that Balkie consciously held back at Jong Ajax to ensure that he did not receive a yellow card, ha ha.”

‘A lot of pressure at FC Groningen’

De Jong can laugh about it. He expects an interesting match with the club where he also has a past; as a youth coach, assistant to the first team and commercial employee. “While the pressure is now off for us, there is a lot of pressure at FC Groningen. They are fighting for a place in the top two and therefore for direct promotion. If we take the lead there, the match will have a special meaning. It is our job to silence the public there.”