Eredivisie’s PEC Zwolle to end 2016 in last place?

PEC Zwolle have always been a mid-table team. Eighth in the 1978/79 season was their highest finish, until they broke their own record in 2014/15 by finishing up sixth in the Eredivisie.

Many believed Zwolle’s success to be an anomaly, but that was quickly disproved the following season, as they embarked on a six game unbeaten run that once again propelled them to the top of the table. By May, PEC Zwolle were flying high in the Eredivisie, having finished among the Europa League hopefuls in eighth place. While the Dutch club failed to navigate past Utrecht into the play-off finals, they had cemented their place as European contenders.

However, the good progress that Zwolle have made over the last few years has seemingly come undone this term, as they currently sit 16th in the table, just three points off of bottom placed Go Ahead Eagles. Worse yet, Ron Jans’ side have the worst defensive record in the division, having conceded 31 times in just 16 games, and another poor result in their final match before the winter break could see them enter the New Year in last place.

Despite coping against some of the smaller sides, Zwolle’s defensive line have fallen apart under any sort of pressure. Jans has been alternating between Ted van de Pavert, Bram van Polen, Dirk Marcellis, Josef Kvida and Calvin Verdonk across the back, even reverting to a back five against Feyenoord, yet so far he has been unable to stop the leak.

It hasn’t been all awful - they have recorded good victories over ADO Den Haag, SBV Excelsior and Go Ahead Eagles, yet all three of their sides are relegation candidates that found themselves in a similar rut to Zwolle at the time. Jans’ squad may have proved themselves to be the best of a bad bunch, yet that alone may not be enough to save them from relegation to the second tier.

Worryingly, all three of those victories came between September 30th and November 5th, when the club produced a five game unbeaten streak which seemed to suggest that they had finally turned their poor start to the season around. However, things have since unravelled once again at the MAC3 Park Stadium.

Not only has Zwolle’s defence reverted back to their error-laden ways, but the club’s attacking force of Youness Mokhtar, Queensy Menig and Kingsley Ehizibue have struggled to find the back of the net in recent weeks.

As a result, the struggling club have now scored just one goal in 450 minutes of football, a run dating back to the 0-0 draw with Roda JC at the start of November. Likewise, the club have taken just two points from a possible 15 in their last five matches and are beginning to look incapable of turning their season around.

With a trip to 10th placed Heracles Almelo up next, Zwolle’s poor run is likely to extend to six games without a win. Should results go against them, Zwolle could drop down to last place, and with a visit from Eredivisie heavyweights Ajax set to kick off the second half of their season, 2017 doesn’t look much better for the struggling Eredivisie side.