Can Heerenveen gatecrash the Eredivisie's traditional top three?

A year, as the saying goes, is a long time in football. Heerenveen more than most can attest to that adage.

Currently they sit in fourth, with only the traditional 'big three' ahead of them, having won six of their 13 matches played. It’s significant progression from last season, considering it wasn't until the 19th round when they registered that same number of victories.  

It's typical Heerenveen, a club that defies expectations whenever it seems they are dead certainties to struggle, consequently becoming a model for those in the provinces.Three simple and effective reasons can shed a light behind this: a frugal business model, a very good scouting network - at home and abroad - and a youth program to match. 

In essence, recognising the harshness of today's economic reality for Dutch clubs, Heerenveen have somewhat adopted a boom and bust mentality, which has forced them to leave nothing to chance, knowing full well an instable period will blow over because of the system they've put in place. 

Such conviction is well-placed. The CIES Football Observatory recently published their annual list of the most productive training clubs in Europe's 31 top divisions. Fellow Eredivisie side Ajax were top having developed 72 players who are scattered across those respective leagues, while nestled between Anderlecht and Monaco in a respectable 33rd spot was Heerenveen. The list confirmed their first-team squad consists of seven academy graduates as well as revealing no fewer than 24 former players are playing elsewhere, most notably Daley Sinkgraven and Hakim Ziyech, both of whom are plying their trade in Amsterdam. 

Stability is also a key factor. Last season was rife with chaos following the departure of Dwight Lodeweges early into the campaign, who after collecting seven points from an available 27, saw club icon Foppe de Haan return on an interim basis. From the onset Haan, a critical voice of contemporary Dutch football, steadied the ship as they finished in 12th spot. He was replaced in the summer with Jurgen Streppel, an interesting choice as he struggled at former club Willem II, who ended four places below his new employers and just managed to retain their top-flight status through the relegation play-offs, though - like his club - he's starting to prove doubters wrong. 

A tricky start didn't help. Heerenveen could only muster two points from their opening three games, but once his players started to buy into his methods, they went into overdrive: four consecutive wins was followed by a hard-fought draw against defending champions PSV. Streppel is possession-oriented, believing that control means the opposition is less likely to harm you, and sets his team out in an orthodox 4-3-3 shape with a single controller in front of their defence and behind two mobile central midfielders. So far, Ajax (60.1%) and PSV (56.8%) average a higher percentage of possession (55.4%) while their passing accuracy is an impressive 81.3%. 

The result with PSV if anything encouraged Streppel as it showed his men could bettle with the very best, even if Phillip Cocu's side aren't showing the form that enabled them to clinch a 23rd championship in May. One significant addition in the summer was Stijn Schaars, who incidentally joined from Eindhoven. His plethora of experience complements the exuberance around him. Heerenveen's average squad age is 24 with more than half of their 30 first team players under 23-years-old and Schaars, one of four over 25, is the only individual in his 30s. 

Anchoring their midfield, he retains and recycles possession efficiently, averaging 2.8 interceptions and 76.3 passes per game, and his very own renaissance saw a return to international football as he won his first cap since March 2014 against Belgium a fortnight ago, though it was short-lived as he sustained an early injury in the Netherlands’ draw with their lowland rivals. 

Schaars, who captained AZ to an historic championship in 2009 as a 25-year-old under Louis van Gaal, was handed the armband on arrival and embraced his responsibilities as educator, which has proven effective as those around him been responding well to his high-standards. This includes youth product Jeremiah "Jerry" St. Juste who has already been earmarked for great things and more than anyone embodies the Heerenveen spirit.  

A versatile defender-cum-midfielder, already with 59 official appearances under his belt since debuting at home to Vitesse in a league game on January 2015, the 20-year-old has been praised for his calmness on the ball and distribution as well as being favourably compared to Real Madrid and French international Raphaël Varane. 

Ever present this season he's second only to Schaars (76.3) when it comes to average passes per game (60.2). A success rate of 92% is highest in the league of anyone with 10 or more appearances, which adheres to the Cruyffian principle of the "number three" needing to have the "best ball handling skills" because "they bring you out of trouble and set up the forwards".  

Such is St. Juste's comfort when stepping into midfield, a player dictated by kinetics that enables him to move between attack and defence effortlessly, on several occasions he's been utilised as a deep-lying playmaker. You start to appreciate his talent the moment he marauds from Heerenveen's defensive line, although he admits there's room for improvement. "With my football, technically, I must be even tighter in my control and passing and at a physical level I want work on getting additional strength, " he begins. "I want to be like the 'beast', (teammate) Kenneth Otigba." 

It's easy to get carried away as a defender when you're encouraged to be involved in the attacking aspect of the game. He has, however, already bagged two goals this season as well as an assist, but St. Juste has occasionally fallen into the trap with his concentration and positional discipline coming under scrutiny, although taking on board constructive criticism will only serve him well going forward.  

Yet there are positives. In his third season with Heerenveen's senior team, having joined their esteemed youth program aged 10, there's balance to his game. One criteria needed to play as the ball-playing centre-back is ability to read the game very well and cut out danger, which he does well, averaging 2.5 interceptions per game. St. Juste's success is ultimately his teams’. He's forged a steady central defensive partnership with Joost van Aken, who is two years his senior, which has seemingly galvanised all in front of them. Over the weekend, they displayed once again their intestinal fortitude in spite of a below par performance. 

Falling behind to Vitesse, courtesy of a superb 72nd minute Lewis Baker lob, they salvaged a draw in the dying stages through Henk Veerman, making it the fourth time already this season they've rescued a point from a losing position. Meanwhile, as well as maintaining their record of scoring in every match alongside Ajax and FC Utrecht, it was also the fifth game they've scored in the final 10 minutes, a mental resiliency that is sure to further hearten Streppel. 

Understandably with all the attention on leaders Feyenoord, Ajax and PSV, Heerenveen have quietly flown under the radar but it's fair to say many are sitting up and taking notice. Only the aforementioned Rotterdammers and Ajax (both on 31 goals) have been more prolific than Heerenveen (26) who boast as exciting a front three as anyone in the league. 

Arber Zeneli, Sam Larsson and Reza Ghoochannejhad, who joined on a free transfer from troubled Charlton in the summer, as a combination are responsible for 23 of those goals (88.5%). Zeneli leads with six goals across 13 matches, while creating a further goal, Larsson - who scored on his Sweden debut a week ago against Hungary - and Ghoochannejhad have managed five goals respectively though the former has four assists while the latter has just two. 

Playing on a weekly basis accelerated their familiarity and the fact Streppel only plans for one-game per week has also helped enhance team chemistry. Despite this advantage, it remains hard to see them finish any higher than where they are now, which is understandable given the disparity of resources between them and their competition. 

They are fallible, as recent weeks have shown, but if they are to end in fourth, it will represent a noteworthy achievement. Since they last finished that high, back in 2004, their average final position has been seventh. Of course, there are anomalies. A spirited Frisian outfit then led by De Haan finished runners-up to PSV in the 1999/2000 season and subsequently played their only season of Champions League football to date. Though it's hard to see this current incarnation following in their predecessors' footsteps. Streppel knows, given where the balance of power lies, they are likely to be raided next summer. 

But if there is anyone capable of coping, even if it means short-term pain, it is Heerenveen. De Superfriezen - or The Super Frisians as they're affectionately known - have made it a habit of producing heroes to suit the times, with the most iconic being Abe Lenstra whom their stadium is named after. They’re an ambitious club and they'll continue to rise above what is expected of them.