Top of the table Roda JC away next. Almere sadly don't look like being in promotion contention this season, without a big form reversal. Last season already looking like a huge missed opportunity, when they so narrowly missed out.
Still early doors, and I think there is no relegation this season (none last season either), but Eerstie Divisie is quite weird in that they have four different periods, so you can be bottom at the end of the first period (9 games), but if you win the second (or any) period (next 10 games) you’ll get a place in the promotion playoffs. Similarly, if the same team wins two periods it goes down to the next team who hasn’t won one yet, so plenty of opportunities.
Last season Almere guaranteed playoffs in the second period as the were second behind the team that had already won the first period. 6 teams make the promotion playoffs, plus the 16th Eredivisie team, so only need to get to eighth to scrape the playoffs, or have a 9 game purple patch to qualify from a period.
That is weird and had no idea. You also have the 4 Jong (youth) sides of AZ, Ajax, PSV & Utrecht who can't participate in the promotion playoffs. AZ II (Jong) for example are currently sitting 4th, so the 9th placed team would come into the 6 team playoffs in their place. Top 2 sides being automatically promoted.
So yes I was probably hasty to write off Almere, so early in. But being such a small club, they won't likely get, as many chances as good as last season (being in the top 2 for much of the campaign) to achieve promotion.