TM Analysis 

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“It is ridiculous” was the recent verdict of head coach Ron Jans when he looked at the Eredivisie table. His Utrecht side sit 19 points better off than they did in the previous season after matchday 12 and have even played one game less, which means they’re now sitting just five points off PSV at the top of the table and, rather remarkably, two points ahead of Ajax. So what has led to the cathedral city team taking Dutch football by storm this season? 

In September 2023, Jans interrupted a pre-planned sabbatical after just two months to take over the position in Utrecht. The task was clear: lead the club which has never been relegated to mid-table safety. The results so far have been very impressive: in 46 games the 66-year-old manager has picked up 26 wins, 12 draws and just nine defeats, averaging 1.91 points per game along the way. After taking Utrecht to the playoffs for European football last season, he’s now gone one step further and guided the club to second place with 31 points from 12 games. Which just so happens to be the best start to a league campaign in Utretch’s history.

Since Jans took over at Utrecht, only PSV, Feyenoord and FC Twente have collected more points in the Eredivisie. His team has set several other records too. For the first time, Utrecht won six Eredivisie games in a row under the manager, and they had never before managed to remain undefeated in the first eight games of a season until now. Another strange Eredivisie record was also set by Utrecht this season when the club won ten games in a row by just one goal. Which was then broken on matchday 11 when they beat Sparta Rotterdam 4-1. 

Always one goal more: FC Utrecht’s curious record

“In the dugout I said it doesn’t matter who we play against or who we field, we always win by one goal anyway,” Jans recently joked about the fascinating winning run. For Owen van Leeuwen, Transfermarkt’s Content Manager in the Netherlands, this is an important factor for the club’s unexpected success: “Utrecht may not play attractive football, but they always manage to take control of the games and win in the end,” said Van Leeuwen, before quickly admitted that no one expected this impressive start to the season from the club that have won just one league title in their 54-year existence. 

Another key to their success is the strong defense, which has only conceded 12 goals so far. Only PSV (nine) and Ajax (11) have conceded fewer goals than Jans team this season. In his defensive 4-3-3 system, Jans rarely makes too many changes to his preferred lineup: Souffian El Karouani (24) and new signing Siebe Horemans (26) guard the wings at full-back, while Mike van der Hoorn (32) and Nick Viergever (35) provide a stable platform from central defence for the team to build their attacks. Utrecht can also rely on their goalkeeper Vasilios Barkas (30), who has already been labelled as the best goalkeeper in the Eredivisie by some fans. His reliability and calm in difficult situations are an important factor, notes Van Leeuwen – but his composure has also caused trouble. Barkas’s rituals before kick-off means he is often the last player to enter the pitch and the referee routinely has to wait for him. He was officially warned by the association for this.

“Barkas is 30 years old. He should just be on time. I expect that things will be fine now,” explained the Utrecht manager recently with a laugh: “We’re used to it. He’s always the last one at training too. He’s always the last one at breakfast. He’s a Greek who always wants to be the last one.” But the coach isn’t afraid to take action if there are further incidents. “Of course I talked to him about it. I said: it can’t be that everyone has to wait for you. If you keep coming late, I accept that you’ll be suspended. You just have to be on time, that’s what I expect from everyone.” 

Competition stimulates Utrecht attacking options

While Jans barely touches his defense, the other positions are dominated by competition. The centre forward role is a prime example of this. David Min (25), Noah Ohio (25) and Anthony Descotte (21) have often been used in attack this season, with the starting XI often changing from one week to the next. “All three of us want to play. You have to stay hungry until one of us proves that he is the first-choice striker,” said Min, adding: “We don’t begrudge each other anything. The three of us just talk about the situation. That just creates a bond.” Descotte also stressed that the trio see themselves as “friends” who compete against each other. “Of course I want to play. We are all three good strikers,” noted the 21-year-old talent. “The coach has to make the choice. Every game feels like a test. You have to show the best of yourself. Also in training sessions, also in friendly matches.” Competition in Utrecht’s front line is something that the club’s head coach clearly appreciates. “It’s better to have one of the three as a striker than if one striker plays everything and the other two just sit on the bench,” noted Janes. “At the moment the line-up has not been decided yet. But that applies to one or two other positions. That’s actually a luxury for the coaches.” 

Another attacking option that is thriving at Utrecht this season is Paxten Aaronson, the 21-year-old attacking midfielder on loan from Eintracht Frankfurt. The American talent currently leads Utrecht’s goalscoring charts with four goals and two assists in 13 games in all competitions and continues to impress in Jans’ side. “Jans initially used Aaronson as a left winger, but in recent games he has really got him going as a dynamic No.8,” says TM expert Van Leeuwen. “In the statistics, he scores well in tackles, ball recoveries and the number of shots and chances created. All of this is testament to the dynamism that is part of a midfielder in top football these days.”

Jans targets Eredivisie record with Utrecht 

Alongside guiding Utrecht to new heights, the 66-year-old manager also has his sights set on a personal milestone. Following the win over Nijmegen on Sunday, Jans is now level with Kees Rijvers for total career wins in the Eredivisie, with an incredible 251 to his name. Which now allows the Utrecht boss to target record holder Bert Jacobs, who remains in first place with 271 wins in the Dutch top-flight. But for now the Eredivisie surprise package is keeping his feet on the ground. “We cannot ignore the fact that with this position in the table we are a serious candidate for European football,” Jans made clear, which is also why he recently extended his contract. “If I have two great years here in Utrecht and we get to Europe, I want to be there. But we are not there yet.”