If you have been wondering why Jozy Altidore has been relegated to the bench for AZ Alkmaar, it looks like you now have an answer.
According to a report from the Netherlands, AZ manager Gertjan Verbeek has preferred to start Charlison Benschop over Altidore in recent weeks due to Altidore's lack of progress. Verbeek has insisted that he does not dislike Altidore, but he feels the club plays better with Benschop spearheading the attack.
After signing a four-year deal with AZ last summer, Altidore worked his way into a starting role with the club and got off to a hot start, scoring five goals in his first five games with the club. The U.S. international has since scored six goals across all competitions, but he has been used as more of a reserve since the start of the new year.
AZ currently is tied on points with Eredivisie leaders PSV Eindhoven, but Altidore's team sits in second due to goal differential.
What do you make of Verbeek's words? Worried? Do you see Altidore winning back his starting spot before the season ends?
Share your thoughts below.
It’s funny that Jozy a 22 year old player for AZ getting minutes in Europa League games is washed up, yet Terrence Boyd, a 21 year old player for a German reserve team is the future.
SBI math. Someone explain it to me.
agreed. in 2 or 3 years he should be bagging 9 or 10 a match. Anything less and he’ll be stagnate. No team will want him and we shouldnt waste our time with him on the NATS.
Yes. This is likely a tactical move from the coach to motivate him. It seems the coach wants his two young forwards pushing each other for playing time. Sounds like he’s more trying to light a fire under Jozy then push him away.
Hopefully in the next few years Jozy will mature into the professional we all want him to be.
I think it’s pretty much the same story everywhere he goes. After a while ALL his managers realize he’s not all that and he starts losing favor. He would be far better off coming back to MLS and getting some real playing time then chasing the dream in Europe…it’s just not working
Maybe he should stop working-out? Spend that extra time working on his finish… lol He needs a sports psychiatrist.
new to this game?
Just checked, Adu, Altidore, Johnson all came out of the IMG Soccer Academy in Bradenton, Florida. Thank god they have changed the developement academy system. In today’s developement academies there’s much more competition, this will force the skilled players to work harder and not be lazy!
If his prime competition for PT just came off hurt this whole discussion is probably a moot point, at least until the injury is over.
That being said, AZ is fighting for first place, and you gotta look for every edge you can find. Yes, Jozy has scored several goals, but AZ has scored 45 so far just in the Eredivisie. And there are teams in their neighborhood with 57, 58 GF. It’s mindblowing because an MLS team scoring at that rate would have like 100+ goals a season, but that’s fastbreak Eredivisie ball. Which is why even Bradley had like 15 years back….which he’s never come close to since.
I know the numbers are like wow but maybe the coach thinks Jozy should have more like 15 or the team more like 60…like the teams they are competing with. Some dude named Dries Mertens has 18 goals in all competitions for PSV; Bas Dost has 19 for Heerenveen. Luuk de Jong has 18 for Twente.
IMO if Jozy is not going to score like that — and you could argue about how good his finishing is, I think he’s decent but pretty sloppy for an international — then he better be a good combination/holdup player, to make up for the lower goalscoring. I see 1 assist and my general impression has always been that he’s a 1-on-1 freelancer more than a reliable back to goal type someone else can work off of. Too lumbering, not clean enough touch. Not as bad as EJ but no McBride. At which point if that’s staying the same maybe you crab to the press that there’s a lack of progress.
I think it’s great he’s getting some PT and obviously Holland is a place to go and score — defense seems optional — but Altidore is such a big body that I think coaches see “striker” and then get disappointed he plays smaller, like more of a player who runs at people from the wing.
Chaching…there’s the moneyball folks.
BUT there always is the Brian Factor (McBride and Ching that is) the off the ball work, which Jozy just isn’t that enthusiastic about doing. Which is probably where the coach is going. The forward for AZ is more of the 1st line of defense or an offensive decoy for the mf. If Jozy isn’t interested in that role, I can’t hold it against the coach for benching him.
he is big and strong but has poor soccer skills
@ Red White and Blue – Not racist, just a fact. Of all the usmnt players, these three have been playing for a different team each of the last three years. Everywhere they go they are labeled as “lazy”. Might be that generation of players out of U.S. Soccer Development Academy in Florida…? I don’t know just a guess…
I think Jozy has all the talent he needs to be successful. What he seems to lack is the drive play every moment at his peak. This is what happens when the game gets competitive for the players. The competition for match day slots is intense. Jozy obviously hasn’t proved to his manager that he’s worthy of a starting role every day, and that probably affects his confidence when he does get on the field. Just take a look at how Donovan played at Everton and Dempsey plays at Fullham. Those guys know they have to bring their best every touch!
jumping to conclusions a bit? those 3 players have had similar critique over the years..not saying its true or not..
I’m dying to see Jozy do well and he’s a great athlete… But, to date, he’s looked more like a bull in a china shop than a great striker. His work rate is OK but he’s been clumsy on the ball. Ouch! Sorry, Josy.
Look, I was at the KC Stadium in Hull a couple (few?) seasons ago and watched Jozy all game up close. By the 65th minute or so he was wheeling up, trying to catch his breath. I was shocked that a player in the EPL could be having such a problem with fitness.
I am not really sure what Jozy’s issue is, but this is a great chance for him to put it all together. Were I him, I’d do everything I could to please this manager with regard to training and fitness, and force my way into the starting line-up.
My hope is that tjones’ reading of the situation is correct.
A good friend of mine is an excellent pool player. Only problem is, he doesn’t have the drive to play and thus rarely plays. He’s given a talent that he doesn’t have the drive to pursue. With Jozy, he’s definitely talented and he is working in an area regarding his craft. His problem, he doesn’t have the drive to improve. He’s mature in physical stature but immature still in mentality. He’s easily stumped by coaches, disgruntled fans, etc. It’s normal. When something comes easy to people they take it for granted and when it comes hard, they cherish it and work harder. Wayne Rooney is a perfect example of someone with good talent, recognizes it, and works even harder to perfect it. Jozy could be that guy. The other spectrum is Lionel Messi. A man with god like talent, recognizes it, and works even harder to be better than the Gods. Not everyone thinks like Wayne or Lionel, that’s why they’re the top of the soccer world and Jozy isn’t.
I think the coach is trying to use this to motivate Jozy who has been a very streaky player this year (which is to be expected since this is his first year in a completely newh football system). This happens to the best of strikers, heck mourinho relegated benzema to the bench last year for a similar reason and was far more critical of him at the time than Verbeek is now with JA.
In the Anderlecht game Jozy played well, made some nice passes, but never received one pass in return. Coach needs to look at his wingers for their poor play today.
Jozy came in at the 44th minute and still did not register a shot on goal in the game…Yeah, I know, hold up play, but come on…He’s a striker!!!
Interesting how you single them out…seems somewhat racist
But this message seems to not sink in with him. I get very angry with him. How can he not learn his lesson when the entire world understands his problem?
He is obviously international caliber talent. Otherwise he could not have the stunning moments of brilliance he has. We’ve seen his quality with our own eyes. That said, I think he’s something much worse than untalented and I am of the opinion that it’s time for the national team to move beyond Jozy. Every manager he works with concludes that he doesn’t put in the effort and doesn’t have the requisite attitude to maximize his skills. He isn’t developing and it’s down to laziness. It’s too bad as he may have had the potential to be truly world class. I’m hopeful this will all be moot by 2014 however as we’ve got a shot of any one of 5 or 6 guys with a lot of potential continuing to develop into valuable attacking options.
I’ve been saying it for two years…you guys need to give up on Jozy. He is not the player most of you think he is. Not international caliber.
This is nothing new, lazy and unmotivated has been his MO at pretty much every club he’s been at.
I don’t see the coach taking a “motivational” stand. He doesn’t think Jozy is good enough.
Agreed. Not saying that there isn’t a possibility that Jozy wasn’t working as hard in training as Verbeek would have liked, but you have to wonder if there is pressure to start a young, promising Dutch international over an American…
He has like 1 or 2 goals in 3 months.
wow. Ives you must have seen this info and thought “clicky-nip.”
Honestly, up or down I think that JA is at the perfect club for him right now as he’s playing for a manager that clearly gives a crap about his progress and has a sense of where he “could” be and isn’t afraid to push the guy.
“Lack of progress” Translation: Lazy! Why is it that the three amigos – Altidore, Adu, and Johnson have a reputation for being lazy, every team they play for we hear things being said about them that can be translated as “Lazy”?
Jozy, you’re our best striker since McBride. We need you. Bunbury and Agudelo haven’t even shown they can succeed at the Concacaf level. Perhaps this Boyd kid can become the real deal within a few years, but Jozy is our no1 right now
and Benschop just got subbed out injured before half time. Jozy in. take advantage of it Jozy!
say it ain’t so.
ALTIDORE is miles better than our other strikers and he’s on the bench. Not good at all
Good call.
Although Shea has been developed somewhat later than Jozy, I predict he will have a much larger impact for his club and national team than Jozy ever will.
He has the raw talent and desire to succeed. Jozy only has some of the talent and some of the desire.
DING, DING, DING!
Also I want to remind everyone that he is the same age as Shea.
On queue, Benschop suffers an injury and is subbed out for Jozy. Nice jinx, Franco.
Well this may all be null and void seeing that Benschop just got hurt in the first half of AZ’s Europa match and Jozy has come on
Sounds like a motivational technique to me. I guess we’ll see how it turns out. I don’t see Jozy getting motivated by benching, but just the opposite. Hopefully I’m wrong though. He had been doing so well there!
And benschop is injured. Here ya go Josmer, do your thang.
I’m guessing that he’s looking for Jozy to put all of those things together? He definitely has shown improvement in all of the areas that you’ve mentioned but rarely does he exhibit each of those areas in a single match. His play still comes off as one dimensional, as if he’s focusing on a specific skill per outing.
My guess is movement off the ball and tactical awareness. AZ tries to play the real dutch football, which is extremely complicated for forwards. Jozy has improved, but he’s always more comfortable with the ball than anticipating and where he should be before plays happen.
It’s only his first year there and he’s still young. Luckily, the Dutch are good at developing. But yes, Jozy needs to realize his laid back approach is good for hanging out with people, but not on the field. He definitely needs to push himself continuously and never settle for good enough. If only he could hang out with Dempsey much more and see what it means to never be content with good enough.
just stop
Obviously he should be benched. I mean, after scoring 5 goals in the first 5 matches, he should clearly be progressing to the point where he scores 6, 7, or 8 goals in the next 5 matches.
I wonder what type of progress he is expecting? I mean, I thought he improved quite a bit since he’s been there. His touch seems better, his combination play, his hold up play, and his finishing. It is interesting, I hope he gets back in the starting lineup before world cup qualifying starts.
I think Jozy gets too complacent and the coach is trying to motivate him.
Looks like someone may be coming back to MLS within a year….
He got half a season to grow into it. Who’s playing 9 for AZ has minimal impact on their performance. No forward stars there and neither of them has been good. They’re completely dependent on the midfield.
As long as he’s getting into matches regularly. If not, then he needs to switch clubs during the summer. We need a striker playing regularly on the US team.
While Jozy has improved overall since joining AZ, I can see where Verbeek is coming from here. Jozy is good, not great. He really needs to push himself. He has talent and skill, but he needs the most important piece, the work ethic piece, to go with it.
I think it’s unfounded. Considering Jozy was the second highest leading goal scorer in all competitons on the team at the time of his benching. I think it comes down to the American stigma. Anyways, Jozy will just have to work through it and try to win his spot back. It’s not like Benschop has lit the world on fire since getting the nod for the starting role.