Month: September 2013

Ajax loses in Spain: Muhren turns around in his grave….

It was quite a week for Ajax. First there was that big away game against little-but-by-now-big brother Barcelona. Then there was the passing of Gerrie Muhren, erstwhile midfield maestro and to top it all of, there was/is all that criticism on Ajax’ playing style by none other than a number of Ajax icons…

Let’s start with Gerrie. The Muhrens are a famous family from Volendam. If you want to experience Holland in all it’s glory, you don’t want to go to Amsterdam or Delft or the Keukenhof. You go to Volendam. What you’ll get there is wonderful fish (eal), great music (paling-rock) and tremendous football talent.

Wim Jonk and the Muhren Bros are probably the most famous ones. The Muhren bros (Gerrie and Arnold) played football for Ajax. Their Muhren cousins played paling rock for the Cats. With Golden Earring, the most successful Dutch rock/pop band. See below….

Gerrie was quite a big talent when he was young and Ajax wanted him so much that they also signed his young brother Arnold to please the family. Arnold didn’t make it big as a youngster in Amsterdam and left to play for Twente. Via Ipswich and Manchester United, Arnold did make it big for Ajax later, when he was in his 30s. He was the man with the assist on Van Basten in the 1988 Euro finals of course.

But Gerrie was the real deal. A natural lefty, but two-footed. And extremely skilled with the ball.

Gerrie Muhren doing his trickery with the ball in the Bernabeu against Real Madrid is probably one of the most iconic images of Dutch football (along with Coen Moulijn being tackled by a Real Madrid player and all of Feyenoord’s players chasing this one particular Spanish defender, hahahaha).

gerrie ajax

Muhren was special. He didn’t look the part. He was small (think Modric, Xavi, Iniesta), thin and uncool. Johan Cruyff, Ruud Krol, John Rep….they all looked as if they were part of The Beatles or acted in a Fellini movie. Muhren looked like he worked for the Volendam fish markets. And he most likely did.

But boy could he play. Once he wore his football shoes and his kit, he wouldn’t walk or run on the pitch, he’d glide. He wouldn’t kick the ball, he caressed it. He famously broke all keepitup records and hit the ball in the top corner of the goal at will from any angle. A true talent.

He didn’t make it to be 68 years of age. The older Muhren brother died last week. He suffered from MDS, a bone marrow disease. Gerrie played for Ajax from 1968 to 1976. He played almost 300 official games and scored 72 goals. He won the European Cup thrice and won the World Cup with Ajax. He played for Betis Sevilla in Spain, his own Volendam, MVV in Maastricht and for Seiko in Japan. About his trickery against Real Madrid, with which he silenced 100,000 socios, he said: “This was our signal to Real Madrid: we are better than you.” Ajax won that game 1-0.

His ball skills and technique were hailed by many. His biggest rival for Oranje, Willem van Hanegem, was a fan. “Gerrie can kick the laces out of your boots with a ball.” Muhren only played 10 international games for Oranje. When he moved to Sevilla, he won the “Best Player of the Spanish competition” award. Muhren cherised that award more than anything. “In those days, there were many great players in Spain, just like today. In my day, it was Cruyff and Nees at Barca and Kempes was a big star there too.”

By the way, Muhren scored the goal against Madrid too. People tend to forget this.

Murhen organised football clinics after his active career and was scout for Ajax.

It was highly ironic that in the week of the death of the Madrid slayer, Ajax was slaughtered by Barcelona in the first CL game.

Although, in all fairness, Ajax didn’t do that badly initially.

From what I’ve seen, Barca was the more dominant team, but if Van Rhijn and Duarte would have been a bit more clinical, Ajax could have taken charge of the game. With 1-2 for Ajax, I doubt it if Barca would have overrun the Sons of Gods like they ended up doing….

It’s not strange that Barca beats Ajax. I don’t think the  Ajax players need to blame themselves. Ajax without Eriksen is simply a fairly average team. Frank de Boer gets a top performance out of them due to his man management and tactics, but with Eriksen (and Alderweireld) gone, the real class has left. I believe Schone, Fischer, Sigthursson and Blind have what it takes, I believe Duarte can grow a lot and Denswil is a true talent but players like Sana, Poulsen and Krkic would never have made it in Ajax 1 under Michels/Cruyff/Van Gaal….

This year, reaching 3rd place in the CL is doable and should be the objective. A freak 2nd spot is always a possibility but a big future in the CL will only be feasible (for Ajax, PSV and/or Feyenoord) if the clubs can hold on to their top players for a longer period… Which probably is wishful thinking…

MUHREN_GERRIE_oranje

This weekend, it’s Ajax – PSV. The two coaches of these teams (Frank de Boer and Cocu) are good mates off the pitch and as per normal, they agree on many things. Cocu: “Ajax is the favorite. They are one step in front of us, as we had to create a new team this season. Frank has been going with his squad for a bit and he won the title three times in a row.”

Although Ajax lost 4-0 in Spain, PSV’s loss against Ludogorets in the EL at home was a bigger shock. Cocu: “We have a young team, and we have had some changes too… These things happen. We need to work hard to prevent this from happening.” Cocu might not be able to use Willems against Ajax, while Rekik and Wijnaldum are definitely out.

De Boer will most likely use Krkic as central striker and have Icelandic goal scorer Sigthursson on the right wing. Fischer will most likely start on the left.

Soon, a post on Ajax playing style and the criticism.

cocu de boer

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Face to Face with Klaas Jan Huntelaar

In making all our squads and line ups for Oranje, I found that quite some people think Klaasjan Huntelaar is done for? He is not good enough? He only scores easy goals? He has no skills?

I think his track record says enough :-). Huntelaar is without doubt one of the best strikers in the world. With his left foot, right foot, with his head, etc. He does not have the pure skill of RVP or the speed of Lionel Messi but there are hardly any better real in-the-box killers than KJ the Hunter.

And he was a nuisance at the Euros? I’m sure he was. But was that his fault? I believe BVM mismanaged this situation. Huntelaar is known to be a modest chap. He is no Sneijder or Bogarde. He is a plain and simple Dutch lad. Who was promised a real chance before the Euros. And didn’t get one. When RVP missed all these chances against Denmark, obviously he was not able to respond.

The man is injured now. But he will most definitely return and I hope in the Dutch squad. A mix and match article here with info from VI, from World Soccer and other sources…

klaas jh mine

Whenever Schalke lost, their coach would send them in the mines the next day 

 

Last season there was a lot of speculation that you would leave Schalke, but in the end you signed a contract extension until 2015. What brought you to that position?

Klaas-Jan Huntelaar: I have never played in England and that was on my mind, so I asked myself if I wanted to move to the Premier League or to carry on in the Bundesliga. I talked to Schalke first and then I tried to understand what I wanted to do. I went deep inside my own mind and tried my best to listen to my heart. After a lot of soul-searching I told my agent to talk to Schalke with the instruction that I was ready to stay.

Apart from spells in Spain and Italy, you’ve played for clubs close to your home in Angerlo, Holland. How important is it that Gelsenkirchen is only 100km away and that your father can drive you to training?

It did play a role in my decision to join the club, as I enjoy living in Holland. I normally go abroad on holiday or to play a match with my club, but not to live. It was strange to live in Spain and Italy, to adapt to a new culture and learn a new language, but I am happy I did it and I do not regret it. Now I have a new two-year contract at Schalke and I am enjoying it. I can understand and speak German quite well, and this makes my life a lot easier.

On the pitch, is it realistic to think Schalke can break the supremacy
of Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund in the next few years?

Yes, I think we can. We are a good team, but not good enough yet to better Bayern or Dortmund over the course of a season. I think we’re on the right path though, so we should keep doing what we’re doing and maybe buy a couple of quality players to bring us closer next year.

The Bundesliga is the rising force of European football isn’t it…

The Bundesliga is, for me, the best league in Europe at present. The Premier League is very good, but if you look at German clubs, they are all economically solid and healthy. It’s very well organised. Each team can beat everyone else, which isn’t like Spain, where Real Madrid and Barcelona are in a league of their own. The Bundesliga is more balanced and better in terms of quality.

You joined Schalke from Milan. How did you find life at the San Siro?

I loved the Italian way of life. In fact, everything was great in Milan apart from the football we played, which was a bit too defensive for me. This is the way Italians play and, as a result, unfortunately I did not play many times as a proper striker. I was often used instead on the right wing, which didn’t suit me. My time with Leonardo as coach was quite difficult.

kjh ronald

Ronaldinho really admired KJH’s teeth

 

And before that you were in the Spanish capital with Real Madrid. What was it like there?

It was great, but also strange at the same time. I had spent all my life in Holland, then all of a sudden I was playing abroad, with different people and a new language. It felt like I was on holiday, despite working hard and playing my football. It was very unusual for me and I had the feeling I didn’t belong there, not in that country.

I had to absorb a lot of new things, to assimilate a new culture, to learn new ways to communicate. It was nice, but it was not easy. Cristiano Ronaldo was there, and Real Madrid wanted to buy Karim Benzema and Kaka, so I knew I would play less. Raul was also there, and so were Gonzalo Higuain, Ruud Van Nistelrooy, Javier Saviola and myself. We almost had a special bus only for us strikers!

Any regrets about those short spells with the two European heavyweights?

No, I don’t regret anything. I had a very nice time, and personally they were two important experiences which helped me develop as a person. I learned that things in football don’t always go the way you expect them to.

As an Ajax fan, was it hard joining PSV youth academy in your early career?

Obviously PSV was not my favourite team, but at that time it was the right place for me to improve as a player, to learn new things and to develop my game. It was a bit strange for me, and I was hoping for Ajax to call me as that would have made things easier, but to move to PSV was the right thing to do at that stage.

KJH Real

After scoring 17 goals before January for Heerenveen in 2006, the call you had been waiting for from Ajax finally came. How did it feel when they asked you to join them? 

I felt a surge of energy, but also pressure  because you badly want everything to work out well. It is like a dream, and you don’t want that dream to end in a negative way. Thankfully it all turned out very well for me at Ajax.

How proud were you to wear the historic Ajax number nine shirt? 

It is true that many great players have worn that number nine, but for me it was not about the number. What counted most was wearing the Ajax shirt. I had always been an Ajax fan, I had always looked out for them on TV, my whole family were Ajax fans too. It was just great to play for them.

And under Marco Van Basten too…

Yes, back then Marco Van Basten was a very young coach so he spent most of his time with the whole group. Unfortunately, us strikers rarely had the opportunity to work alone with him. What he really taught me was how to be critical towards myself and the need to do everything properly in order to achieve my goals. Without that attitude it’s impossible to succeed.

Were these your happiest days?

At that point, yes, for sure, but I have loved every single step of my career and every club I have played for. I always tried to do my very best to develop and make the next step. I’ve tried to approach all experiences with that same attitude. However, back to the question: I must admit representing Ajax was something very special for me.

Huntelaar’s position in Oranje was never really firm. He did play a number of games as a striker and scored a good number of goals, but it always seems as if he just wasn’t seen as good enough. This curse has been around Oranje since one Johan Cruyff was the central striker and everyone wearing the orange number 9 seems to be compared to JC or Marco van Basten. Even Ruud van Nistelrooy had criticasters talking about his lack of technical skills!! Players like Kees Kist, Peter Houtman, John Bosman, Hans Gillhaus, Roy Makaay, Wim Kieft, Floyd Hasselbaink… They all suffered from this….

Hunter missed the Asian trip this last summer. The 30 year old was allowed a break. “The coach told me he wanted to try out some other lads and would most likely not need me. I was a little annoyed at first, but realised I could actually use the break. So I saw it as a holiday gift. It’s been a while since I had a good summer break, so it was actually great.”

Huntelaar doesn’t seem to have a grudge, being Oranje’s substitute striker behind Van Persie. “Playing in Oranje is always a bonus. It’s always fun to be together and to play football.”

Klaasjan started well, scoring a brace for Schalke vs HSV but has been sidelined with an injury. He hopes and expects to be ready when the CL starts.

Asked about his expectations with Oranje, he says: “I can’t have any expectations yet. I need to get fit, and play well. Which in my case means: score goals. I expect to be part of the squad if I do this and once I’m part of it, I will probably hear from the coach what my role will be. I know Van Gaal well enough to know he will be straight and honest about it. I think I still have a lot to offer and I hope the coach will see this too.”

KJH ArsenalHis time at Milan and Madrid was not great but at Arsenal he was really invisible….

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The Aftermath: champagne and mourning….

Oranje has qualified for Brazil. And there was champagne! But the bad news had to land still…. The Netherlands dropped to position 9 on the FIFA Ranking. As you know, the first 7 (+ Brazil) will have a protected position as group leader.

We tumbled from #5 to #9 as a result of our last three games. We drew against Portugal and Estonia and those results in particular did it for us. At this stage: no group leader role for Oranje.

Obviously, things can still change (a number of games to go) and one of the current top 7 might still not make it but this doesn’t look good…

But, whatever happens…if we want to do well in Brazil, we need to take on any opponent, so…we’ll need to live with this.

But the late C Ronaldo equaliser and the off day in Estonia might be an expensive lesson.

Talking about $$, the CEO of the KNVB Bert van Oostveen personally poured the bubbly for the Oranje squad in Spain, last Tuesday. ” I am very proud of the staff and the players. You always want to qualify at home, with 40,000 Oranje fans but we can live with this too. I received many texts and sms messages from colleagues and some are actually jealous of our success.”

The KNVB made 2 Mio euros profit at the last World Cup. Is this the sort of profit Van Oostveen is counting on again? “Well, it depends. Brazil is more expensive for us. The travel cost are higher. But either way, we believe we should be able to break even. If we exit in the group stages, we will actually make a bit of money. If we exit after the first knock out games, we might have a little loss, due to additional travel. But it’s not about the money.”

And in terms of sports objectives? “Well, in principle, we believe Holland needs to be able to reach the semi finals of any tournament. But that does hinge on the form and availability of certain players of course. It’s too early to make those statements now.”

Stefan de Vrij was probably the most talked about player of Oranje, this last week (although RVP deserved that position more).  The 21 year old Feyenoord defender was backed by Van Gaal and his team mates however and quipped: “It’s part of the game. I am very levelheaded. Whenever they hail me as the next big thing, I shrug my shoulders. I do the same thing now they tell me I’m shit.” Did he read all the news and the criticism? “No, the internet connection in our hotel was not great. I didn’t see it all,” he laughed. “It is all part of it playing at this level I guess.” For De Vrij, such criticism is totally new. He made his debut last year against Belgium but the measuring stick is put higher every game. De Vrij now has eight international games to his name and the nation follows his moves with scrutiny. De Vrij was subbed against Estonia, but coach Van Gaal and colleagues Van Persie and Robben almost stumbled over each other to defend the Feyenoord skipper.

stef rvp

“That felt good. I spent a lot of time talking to my team mates and Robin in particular. And I had a one on one with Mr Van Gaal. I won’t tell you the contents but it gave me confidence. I had it some time back with Feyenoord too. I guess it is normal at this level, as everything you do is now under the looking glass. Van Gaal does not have a single thread of doubt about De Vrij. Even though he did miss De Vrij’s build up play, one of his strong points, against Estonia. “We started really well against Estonia. A dream start. And building up went really well. But after the 1-1 something happened in the team. It wasn’t just me. Against Andorra, we knew it would be tough to break them down, but with a striker like RVP in the team, you know you’ll get your break through. I never doubted.”

 

 

 

 

 

brazil camp

And while the media are contemplating who will replace Van Gaal or why De Vrij is not good enough or which wing is Robben’s, the Oranje team has already chosen their Brazil resort for the World Cup. The Caesar Park Ipanema hotel  will be the home of Orange for three weeks at least in Brazil. One of the few 5 star hotels in Rio de Janeiro. This hotel is close to the two main airports in Rio and is situated – like the hotel during the Euro 2012 – in the busy city center. The hotel is luxurious and modern, with a spa and wellness center, a gym, several restaurants and spacious rooms. The hotel is in the Ipanema suburb, the posh and very popular area made famous in the Girl from Ipanema song. The bar where this tune from the 60s was written is only a stone’s throw away from the hotel. And Oranje supporting thinking he can join in on the fun will have to think twice. Rio will be overly expensive in the WC time frame and Ipanema is almost exclusively booked by FIFA and its commercial partners. One reason for Van Gaal to want to pick this spot is the proximity to the training complex of Flamengo, only 10 minutes away. This venue was popular amongst most nations but team manager Hans Jorritsma was able to snatch it up before the other countries could do business.

hotel

We will end this post with some positive words of Willem van Hanegem. Normally highly critical but at the same time a tremendous football fan and loyal supporter of Oranje. Played a key role in the 1974 midfield of course and was assistant coach at the 2004 Euros. But he needs no further introduction. By far one of the best players ever ( classic left footed number 10) and a character to boot.

“I am really happy and proud that we qualified again for a World Cup. Congrats to all. And I do not say this in a cynical way, despite my criticism during the series. It was clear when I saw the draw for this qualifications that we’d get there, but still. It’s still a good job done. For the third time in a row. And in Brazil too. Any football player will get goosebumps to play a World Cup in the mecca of football. A dream. And I will look forward to this big time. We might have lost some quality along the way, but I don’t mind. I will still look forward to the World Cup.

But I will remain critical too. But my criticism will be focused on football, I won’t be bothered to talk about the fringe topics. And I also hope Van Gaal won’t be bothered by all the low level sarcasm on Dutch tv about him. Ignore all these people and focus on the game. Van Gaal needs his energy to build a strong team. Because no nation will have nightmares about our individual qualities. We do not have the strongest squad this time around. Robben and Van Persie are top notch. And Lens might have a strong weapon with his speed. When Sneijder has his form and fitness, he is special too, but that is it, really. We need to find it in team spirit, in workmanship and team tactics and sacrifice. And that is something you can build up. Because the category players Schaars/De Jong/Strootman/Blind/Janmaat/Schaken are either simply mediocre water bearers or inexperienced youngsters.

flamengo

It is important that Van Gaal gives clarity early on. Who are the players he will build on. Determine the hierarchy and protect that structure. Make sure that the key internationals are aware of their role and tasks. I believe that if this team travels to Brazil as One Team, gelled into a football machine, we might be able to demonstrate something special to the world. We might not be the obvious candidate to win it, that won’t be easy, but with 10 months before us to grow, you never know. The team and all individuals still have a way to go. I will start enjoying myself already and I am very optimistic about this World Cup.”

 

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Oranje first European team to qualify for WC Brazil

Because Brazil didn’t qualify of course. They “bought” their ticket :-).

And despite all the negativity of the last days, we need to be proud of our team and our coaching staf.

I can list a number of reasons why we should be very distressed, by the way (and I am sure I will).

But I can also list a number of reasons why we should compliment LVG and Co.

For starters: Oranje started under Van Gaal in bad shape. The Euro 2012 was a disaster. Cult hero Van Marwijk was tarred and feathered and players like Van der Wiel, Huntelaar, Sneijder, Robben and Van der Vaart had difficulties hiding their frustrations.

Van Gaal was appointed amidst controversy following his unsuccessful run in 2002 and his JC backstabbing at Ajax. His comments that “his career deserves a go at a World Cup” didn’t sit well with me (and others). As it should NOT be about mr Van Gaal’s career, but about the Dutch National Team. I do like him as a coach (I think he is a very good coach), but I think he is a horrible human being.

Anyway…

hol qual

On top of that, LVG had to deal with some player issues as well. Stekelenburg in trouble, Van der Wiel in trouble, Heitinga in trouble, Van Bommel retired, De Jong injured, etcetc.

LVG had to bring young blood and was somewhat forced to change Oranje’s playing style back to Total Football (he is doing this not just because he’s forced to, as he is a big believer himself of course).

And despite all of this, he has managed to only drop 2 points in a freak game away (Estonia, 4 days back) and managed to qualify as the first nation from Europe.

To quote LVG: “It simply wasn’t possible to qualify quicker, unless when you organise the tournament…..”

The expectations for Oranje’s chances are now being assessed. The KNVB management is only happy when Oranje finishes Top 4. This is what they gave LVG as a target when they signed him last year. Louis himself believes this is too ambitious and he will talk to the management about this. “There are at least 8 teams equal to us or better.” Louis goes for top 8. Johan Cruyff however believes Oranje should be happy if they progress from the group stages. “This Oranje lacks experience in key positions. Players like Martins Indi and De Vrij do have the future but simply lack experience. They can’t help that. They will be much stronger after the World Cup.”

Obviously, the position on the FIFA ranking will be key for Oranje’s chances. If Holland is Group Leader, we should be able to progress without too much drama. If we loste that spot and are part of a group with – say – Brazil or Spain, it might be less likely. However, I do think we play better against teams that play open (England, Germany) than against negative bus parking teams.

Robin van Persie: “We should have won this game 0-4 or 0-5. This was a bit…thin. Against Andorra, you should be able to turn and go deep 8 out of 10 times you get the ball, but we simply failed to do so. I think bringing Maher in the second half was a good move. We got some more creativity.” Van Persie almost has Kluivert’s record. “Patrick is awesome. He really wants me to get that record. He works with me a lot. In particular my timing. When to come to the near post, when to go to the far post. I take it on and think about it. It helps me a lot.”

Skipper Van Persie offered his jersey to a fan. “I am so happy. I think we did well this qualifications series. Sure, we need to improve, but at least we have a goal to work towards….”

hol and

Let’s look at the negatives now, for a bit.

Most people will say “how is it possible that Holland played so weak against Andorra???”….

Some reasons:

– It’s always hard to break down 100% defensive/destructive teams

– Oranje does not have the “automatisms” and flow you expect from the Dutch, which makes the former even harder

– We play with some new chaps who need to find their footing ( Willems, Schaars, Schaken, Lens on the left)

– Some of our players are missing (Robben, Vaart) or simply not in best form (Sneijder)

– Somehow LVG didn’t want to experiment too much, hence we played with 4 defenders and two relatively defensive midfielders

– We failed to score early, which further increased Andorra’s resolve

– Once it was 0-2 for Oranje, the team thought well enough was good enough as Andorra played a rough game and the players didn’t want to risk injuries

All these, are good reasons… Although I personally don’t get why Louis didn’t experiment a little bit more.

Why not use Schaars or Strootman as CB instead of Martins Indi? Using three defenders instead of four? Why not have the lightfooted Maher close to RVP and the man with the golden pass (Sneijder) sitting a bit deeper? Why not using the more offensive De Guzman instead of Schaars?

I can imagine Van Gaal’s response: “If the team does not flow as it is, changing the make up will only confuse more. We need stability and consistency. My aim was NOT to dazzle and to score nine times against Andorra. My aim was simply to win.”

Most of the other criticism is fair enough, but also not that relevant now. This month is NOT when the prizes are handed out.

We qualified. Which is more than LVG could say in 2002. We have 10 months to get our act together.

I believe we have two massive strikers with RVP and Hunter. I don’t buy the criticism on Klaasjan. He is an awesome killer in the box. Simply check his records.

We have 4 pretty good goalies.

We have a young and inexperienced defence. True. But in the words of JC: “If your defence is weak, make sure you attack!”.

Our midfield is potentially strong: Vaart, Sneijder, Clasie, Maher, Wijnaldum, Strootman, De Guzman, Van Ginkel, Afellay, Siem de Jong… What is not to like?

And we might have at least two or three awesome wingers…. Robben for sure. And at least two of the following list: Narsingh, Lens, Elia, Ola John, Boetius, Depay, Boerrigter. Surely, two of these lads should have some form come summer 2014?

I am not pessimistic. I never am.

 

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Lots of work to do for Oranje

Not a title you would associate with an upcoming game vs Andorra.

But the State of the Union of Oranje is not too positive after the shock draw against Estonia.

And it’s not like Holland is not allowed to draw. After the amazing run we had under Bert and under Louis, it’s not a drama to not win for once. But what is a drama, that it happens in a game where we led 0-1 after 2 minutes. A game inwhich we dominated in the first 20 minutes. And a win would have secured our spot in the top 7 of the Fifa Ranking and would have given us that record to snatch away from Ze Zjermans.

The way we let this game slip away and the way we had to salvage a point were embarrassing, really.

Johan Cruyff is per usual the biggest contrarian. Where people only see good things, he sees negative elements. And the other way around. “It’s probably a good thing that Holland is not the first nation after Brazil to qualify. In all honesty, if we would qualify that easily and quick, people might believe we are really good. And we are not. Now, Van Gaal can work on the elements that need improvement, without bringing the qualification in trouble. This is maybe a blessing in disguise, this draw. Because now everyone realises: oops… We are not that great….”

JC Est

The oracle talks on: “Take Tiger Woods. If he plays without concentration for one day, he can simply tumble from the 1st to the 10th spot. The differences are minimal in the top. If we want to go for silverware in Brazil we will need to work really hard. And that is easier for Louis van Gaal now. Because if we would have won, criticism would not have its desired effect.”

The other Dutch icon, Willem van Hanegem, spoke as well. “I like Louis and I can’t really criticise his football vision. But the last weeks he seems to be losing it a bit. He has lost his consistency, it seems. First he claims he doesn’t need a type like Sneijder anymore. But when Wijnaldum gets injured, he calls Sneijder up. At first he’s not fit. Then he is fit enough? And the result? Sneijder feels the pressure and plays his own game. In order to prove himself. You could have predicted that. And Sneijder does play too close to Van Persie, basically suffocating the Man United striker. He needs movement around him and space. Sneijder doesn’t offer movement and doesn’t allow space. When Kuyt came to play centrally, things changed a bit. Another problem Van Gaal generated is that weird switch of Robben and Lens. Why? He was adamant that Robben should play on the left flank and now that is not needed anymore? Sure, Robben scored. It took the Estonia coach a couple of minutes to realise Robben played on the right, but since that goal Robben and Lens did not produce one single cross for Van Persie and Robben blocked Janmaat too. I think Van Gaal should sit down with his key players (RVP, Sneijder, Robben) and determine what system will be used. And lastly, De Vrij vs Bruma. Everyone who watches the Eredivisie can see that De Vrij is not in his best form, while Bruma is very strong. Why would Van Gaal use De Vrij and then sub him when he made a mistake? This is not good for the lad, not for the team and not for the coach… He should have simply said: Stefan, you will be rested, I wanna try out Bruma for this game.”

Oranje needs to regroup and will do so by acknowledging the weaknesses of the team: defence. With players like Van der Vaart, Sneijder, Van Persie, Kuyt and Robben, most international opponents will be very careful. But with big names like De Boer, Stam, Rijkaard and Reiziger missing in the current squad, most opponents feel there is something to be had against this Holland team.

robben est

Skipper Robin van Persie does not allow criticism to creep into the camp. “It’s normal that the fans and the media are unhappy with that performance, but internally, we are not negative. The last thing we will do is point fingers. We need each other. We need to play and act like a team.”

The media asked Van Gaal about his substitution of De Vrij. Was it because he was to blame for that first Estonia goal? “No. I subbed him not for that. If someone makes a mistake, the team makes a mistake and the team will need to resolve it. I subbed Stefan because he lost confidence and didn’t play the vertical, deep pass anymore. That needed changing.”

Kevin Strootman: “The Feyenoord lads have been starters this whole qualification series. We did very well. Do you seriously think they forgot how to play football?”

In 2004, Holland played an away game against Andorra, and that was a special game. The 34 year old AZ midfielder Barry van Galen made his debut in Oranje under Van Basten. The current AZ scout would never be called up again. “I am eternally grateful to Marco for this. I think he simply felt I deserved at least one international game. And sure, I’d love to have played that game against Brazil, like Bart Latuheru, hahaha. But it was the best day in my whole career. And Marco asked me after the game: what did you think? And I said: I was shit. Because I was. I didn’t do anything right. And Marco nodded, hahahaha. And after the game, I was interviewed, and who was standing next to me? Johan Cruyff. My hero. Ah, those memories. I played with number 10, even. Van Basten made me the happiest man ever.”

barry

Barry van Galen against Andorra, 2004

A won against Andorra will give Holland a ticket almost for certain. Romania would have to bridge 6 points and 15 goals in two games, something that is highly unlikely of course (*cough* Spain – Malta!!! * cough*).

If Romania drops points vs Turkey, Holland will be definitely certain of Brazil.

Van Gaal has to make some changes, as Arjen Robben and Bruno Martins Indi are suspended. Ruben Schaken is the obvious replacement for Robben. The Feyenoord defender will most likely be replaced by Vlaar. Karim Rekik is an option too although he is not 100% fit. However, Van Gaal could decide to play with three defenders only, taking into account that Andorra will probably only field one striker.

In this case, we might see Janmaat – De Vrij / Bruma – Willems/Verhaegh

And maybe four midfielders, with De Guzman to support the build up. I wouldn’t mind seeing Sneijder, Maher and Strootman together.

And Lens – RVP – Schaken upfront.

RVP most likely wants to play, as he is only 4 goals away from Patrick Kluivert’s record of 40 goals in the Orange Jersey.

rvp kluiv

Arjen Robben is the unlikely vice captain. The egotistical self kicker Robben, as vice captain. “I like the responsibility. I love coaching and supporting the young lads. And it gives me great honour to wear the band, you know.” Robben’s drive has not diminished after winning the CL at last. He was furious when he left the pitch against Estonia. “If you score after 2 minutes and you are the better team, you simply need to win. Period.” Asked about his drive and his loathing of losing….” Ask my wife. I haven’t changed a bit since winning the CL at Wembley. I still play as if it’s my last game. But Guardiola said something interesting to me. We had a good chat and he said: you have nothing to prove. If you simply play good football, I will put you in the line up. Just enjoy yourself. I loved that…. I need to learn how to do that.”

 

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Oranje in trouble: an incident, or a symptom?

We had all the reasons to play well and to get a good victory.

Qualifying for Brazil is an important one, obviously. But there is also that West German recond we so dearly wanted.

There is prestige. The need for the Dutch to present themselves again on the international front after the abyssmal Euros.

And there is the FIFA ranking issue, which will enable the top 7 nations to become group head in the World Cup this coming Summer.

And there were no real reasons for Oranje to perform badly. We have the Best Coach Ever ™, we still have a core of Great Players ™ (like Robben, RVP, Sneijder, Strootman, Vorm) and some exciting young talents ( Willems, Janmaat, Maher, BMI)…

The pitch in Estonia was considered very good and LVG even allowed Robben to pay from the right.

When the game was only 2 minutes old, Robben seemingly demonstrated his conviction by scoring a zinger. In typical Robben style. A dribble inside, a curler in the far corner.

In the 20 minutes after that, Oranje was boss and could have / should have scored two more. Van Persie, Janmaat, Robben…. It was quite easy for Holland to kill off the game.

But as most of you have seen it I won’t do a minute by minute rundown.

Basically, weak defending (and mediocre goal keeping) allowed Estonia back into the game.

And a great passage of play by Estonia (and did we say “weak defending” already?) made it 2-1.

oranje est

By then, Oranje’s quality had left the game. The swift pass and move, the positioning game, the wing play, everything that makes Oranje Oranje was non existent. Sneijder wasn’t able to carry the team, the defence seemed scared to build up and play a risky pass while Robben, Lens and Van Persie failed to work together to create anything solid.

Until the last minutes of the match, when lionheart Kuyt passed the ball to RVP, who did well to wiggle away from his opponent, saw he would lose the duel but used the hand he felt on his shoulder to go for a spot kick. The ref saw it and gave it. It was a soft one, for sure, as RVP had his hand across the chest of the defender, but at that time….RVP had possession and the defender did have an arm on Robin’s shoulder…. A good reason for a ref to give a penalty.

RVP didn’t make a mistake and is creeping up to Pat Kluivert’s record as goal scorer.

The big question LVG needs to answer is: what went wrong…

Do we lack quality? I don’t think so. But we did lack confidence. Why? How? What can we do to instil that back into the team.

Were the tactics bad? Robben on the right? Lens on the left? And is there maybe a chance that Sneijder and RVP don’t work too well together ? Sneijder maybe too static?

Or did the players simply not execute the tactics well enough?

Normally, I would not be concerned about our goalies. Vorm didn’t look good with that first one, and Zoet actually conceded a similar goal from Boateng in the AC Milan game. But Vorm remains a top shot stopper. And once Krul and Stekelenburg return, we truly have goalies who are surely good enough for Oranje.

Our full backs are good enough too, I’d say. On the right, Janmaat, Van Rhijn and Van der Wiel should be able to sort it out.

On the left, I believe Pieters will make a return, although I do like Blind and Willems too. Sure, Blind is slow and Willems a bit inexperienced, but I am all for using young talents if there are no better options.

rvp est

The central defenders do concern me. De Vrij and BMI are both potential top defenders, but the emphasis here is on “potential”. We need them to be top in 10 9 months. Is that possible?

De Vrij is too sweet, not a killer. BMI tends to be a bit cocky and too confident at times.

But are Bruma and Rekik better? Very hard to say.

Vlaar is a killer, for sure, but does he have the speed needed and the build up skills?

Mathijsen and Heitinga should be phased out. I can imagine a coach wanting to use them still but the latter hardly plays and the former is not free of mistakes himself.

Pieters could be an option, by the way but other than that LVG might chuck a Michels ’74 trick and place one of his midfielders in the central defence role. Strootman or Fer maybe? Both tall, strong and Rijkaard like players….

Our midfield is fine, as long as Clasie regains form and Van Ginkel gets some runs on the board. With Maher/Clasie/Strootman/De Guzman/De Jong/Van Ginkel/Wijnaldum/Vaart/Sneijder/Siem de Jong we should have more than enough options.

The central striker position is also not a big deal: RVP, Hunter, Ricky, Dost, Luuk de Jong/Siem de Jong… Options galore.

In terms of wingers, though, we’re back in doubts… Robben is no problemo (as long as he stays fit) but there is that long list of potentials… Elia, De Jong, Boerrighter, Depay, Boetius, Lens, Narsingh…. And Kuyt, despite all he has done for us, I don’t really rate anymore.

Never saw him as a winger, really. He is a great asset, and might have a role to play, as he is a smart and hard working, disciplined player. But in reality, looking at LVG’s tactical plan, Dirkie doesn’t qualify as a winger.

I am not sure whether – as Louis says – the team needs a boost of confidence, or whether the team needs to lose its arrogance.

rvp sneijd est

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Oranje News 3rd Update – TEAM LINE UP

Last time the Big 4 started together was against Hungary pre-World Cup 2010

 


The Dutch team is preparing on the two upcoming games against Estonia and Andorra. Not really big name opponents but Oranje has shown in the past ( way before Bert van Marwijk to be honest) that small time opponents can be hard to break down.

The results machine that was Bert’s team has made way for a younger and more inconsistent team. Will they be able to break down teams parking the bus.

Whatever happens, old hand Van der Vaart won’t contribute. The prolifically scoring playmaker had to leave the camp with a hamstring injury. Adam Maher (PSV) is his replacement. Just like old hand Sneijder was called in to replace the injured Wijnaldum.

The 93 times capped midfielder appeared to be the first replacement on LVG’s list, before Maher and Van Ginkel.

Rafa van der Vaart was in camp when the news broke and the HSV midfielder immediately called his old Ajax buddy. “He was still in Istanbul but he’ll be in the camp soon enough. He was incredibly happy. He has worked very hard to get fit and didn’t expect this to happen this soon.”

Van Gaal surprised a bit with his action. Only a week ago, he claimed Sneijder was not yet ready. “You need 7 weeks to get fit. He is on the way. In possession, he already has the “oomph”. But without possession, he still needs to improve. But a fit Sneijder is not a question mark but a key player you can’t ignore.”

With Van der Vaart not part of the squad and Maher not impressing too much at PSV, there is a fair chance Sneijder will start in the team.

Sneijd LVG 2

“Sneijder, if you keep eating too much I will send you away again!”

Kevin Strootman is walking with his chest out in the Oranje camp. The Roma midfielder was important in the recent win over Verona and received an applause substitution in the last minute of the game. The former Sparta man was impressive with his positioning play, passing and lungs. The American owners of AS Roma have invested heavily in their new squad, with names like Maicon, Gervinho and Benatia. “It’s great to be with Oranje now. Last week, it seemed I was not able to play against Verona, as I had this ankle issue. We have a good group with Oranje, with some new faces. That is always good. If we beat Estonia and Andorra, we might be the first European nation to qualify. That is nice, but not that important. It’s important to impress and win once we are in Brasil.”

Another player chased by the media in the Oranje camp is Bruno Martins Indi. The Feyenoord defender was supposed to leave for Everton or AC Milan. The strong holder laughs. “I think the media were busy with my transfer. I wasn’t. I didn’t expect anything, as I said earlier: I wanted to stay with Feyenoord. This is where I will have the best development phase. I want to grow as a central defender. I’m not ready yet.”

Van Gaal said on the press conference that he found it very hard to pick a squad this time. “Some players are not in their best form. Still I believe I was able to find the best ones.” Nigel de Jong is not part of that list. “De Jong is on the radar and I can see he is quickly coming back to his usual standards. But Estonia and Andorra are not opponents for De Jong. We won’t need a defensive mid like him in those games.” Heitinga, Mathijsen and Van Ginkel were not selected, as they simply don’t play enough. “Not picking Mathijsen was a big decision. I respect him a lot. I worked with him at AZ and he is a super professional. And important off pitch as well. But I decided to try out the youngsters from PSV.”

Goalies Krul and Stekelenburg are also not ready yet, according to Van Gaal. “We are missing some big name players still, but despite that, we are able to qualify already, as first European nation. We will play France in March, 2014. That is when I will start to work towards a more fixed squad.”

robben cl boek

“I want his hair….”

On his way to the trainings camp for Oranje, Arjen Robben had a little distraction. The presentation of a kid book, based on his career. With as theme: boys dreams and as title “Arjen Robben and the finals of the Champions League.”. Robben didn’t write it, but he is proud as a peacock to be the poster boy for this book, which is a collection of stories by primary school boys and their dreams….

 

The Dutch newspaper AD (my main source) has executed a poll amongst readers, as most people in Holland are getting nervous about all the different goal keepers being used. And with all due respect: Jeroen Zoet??

5000 people responded and 40% of the voters (of this Rotterdam based newspaper) wanted ex Ajax goalie Stekelenburg as the number one between the sticks. Tim Krul ( a fave amongst Feyenoord fans) snatched the number two spot, with 21% of the votes.

This coming Friday against Estonia, it will most likely be Michel Vorm in goal.

stekel

Wesley Sneijder is at peace with his coach. When he came to the press conference zone, he found a lot of media people waiting to interview him. “Ah, so many press people. That is probably because I am a debutant, hahahaha.”

He basically only missed the Portugal game, but was settling in next to Yolanthe on the sofa to watch the upcoming games in Turkey. “Things can change quick in football. And I do realise I have Wijnaldum and Rafa in front of me. But, you know me. Once I’m fit, I do think I am the best player for the spot. I have a couple of months to go still.”

He admitted that Van Gaal was dead right. “I hadn’t played for 5 months at Inter and at Gala, I wanted to show myself. I gave 110% and my body wasn’t able to bring 80%. So it snapped. Van Gaal was right when he told me I wasn’t fit.”

He never ever considered throwing the towel. “Of course not! That is not me. I’m a fighter. I worked all the way through the summer break to regain fitness. And I like Van Gaal’s approach. He is hard and direct, but always honest. I’m like that too. But I don’t need him to motivate me. I am self motivated. I know what the coach wants from me and for that, I do need 100% fitness. I was never scared that the China game was my last. But it it was, I would have finished on a high with that goal, hahaha.”

Van Gaal: “In my system, the number 10 is not a shadow striker, but a midfielder. And my number 10s always worked for the team. Like Jari Litmanen at Ajax in the 90s. Sure, they score, they give assists, but they also work. And when Sneijder reclaims a ball on Friday, against Estonia, the first one he reclaims, I will be cheering alongside the byline. You can see me do it.”

Van Gaal was clear about his choices. “Sneijder for me was the best choice after Wijnaldum had to leave. He has demonstrated to have the quality to play in Oranje, if not the full fitness. I need players to be at a certain level, for Oranje. There are some question marks, some players who can but who don’t play and than there are the ones that can. Like Sneijder. He is highly motivated. Fitness is a criterion, but only when I have options. If I don’t have options, I prefer a player who can place a ball anywhere he wants, like Sneijder. He demonstrated he can do this.”

 

Jari Litmanen, master shadow striker of Ajax, Finland, Barca and Liverpool fame, lives in Tallinn, Estonia and couldn’t help himself. Van Gaal invited the Finnish icon to come and spend some time with the Dutch team. Which he did.

Van Gaal was a satisfied coach yesterday. He checked the venue for the Estonia game and said: “The pitch is perfect. Very nice. Twelve years ago, that was a different story. No excuses this time.”

jari

 

Jari talks. Everyone listens. Even LVG. 

Van Gaal talked about his first away game with Oranje back in the 00s… “We were trailing 83 minutes into the game. We were 2-1 down but won 4-2, eventually. And every game lasts 90 minutes at least. We recently learned this against Portugal and Italy. We could have won those games, but gave it away late.”

Van Gaal gave away nine of the starters. Robben, Van Persie and Lens will lead the line up front. The defence will be Janmaat, BMI, De Vrij and Willems. Michel Vorm is most likely the number one between the sticks. Strootman and Sneijder will most likely start, either with De Guzman or with Schaars as holding mid.

Sneijder LVG Est

 

Oranje can get very close to the Brazil ticket, winning against Estonia. And if we beat Andorra too (BIG IF) we could join West Germany ’69-’85 in their record of 16 World Cup qualification wins in a row.

But, in typical LVG fashion, he doesn’t want to talk about Andorra.

“We don’t win easily against this Estonia. History shows this. We won at home, 3-0, sure. But they did have the first chance and we needed the second half for the goals. This is not a bad team. We were in good shape in the home game, I am not too confident yet for this one here. We need to be razorsharp and quick in our passing game.”

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New Video Journal!!

Hi guys,

With the transfer period now finally behind us, we can actually start the competitions.

And with that, I can introduce you to Jan Da Man, who will be hosting a periodic Video Journal on our site.

He’s a bit of a tool, I’ll give you that, but he will be able to get some really cool people in the studio for exclusive interviews…

A quick look at the transfer action:

– Ridiculous amounts of money paid for players ( Bale? 100M??? Really??)

– Ajax lost their top players and wasn’t able to secure a new winger (although the former PSV winger Labyad)…will Duarte be good enough to have us all forget Eriksen?

– Feyenoord didn’t lose any player (and may still be able to sign free agent Otman Bakkal again)

– PSV didn’t lose Wijnaldum (as was feared)

– Sneijder is staying at Galatasaray

– Afellay does get a squad number in the Camp Nou: number 19 is his

– Ozil will add more pressure to the already overpopulated Arsenal midfield…

And speaking of Wijnaldum…the youngster is injured for the Oranje games so Van Gaal recalled WESLEY SNEIJDER!!

Expect the former Ajax man to shine in the coming week and take charge of Oranje again.

More news soon, with Jan Da Man’s LVG interview!!

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