Month: January 2017

Ridge Haps wants to be Oranje’s left back

It seems we are doing nicely now, developing defenders and defensive minded players…. Some while back, it seemed we were great at developing wingers, strikers and playmakers… We always complained about the defensive strength of Oranje. Since the 1970s (Israel, Laseroms, Suurbier, Krol, Rijsbergen, Mansveld, Drost, Hulshof) we were never able to develop world class defenders. Frank de Boer, Danny Blind, Reiziger, Wijnstekers…all former attackers. The only real defender with world class capabilities was Jaap Stam. Now, with all that focus from the past decade on “better defenders”, we seem to have a list of potential world class players, from Van Dijk and De Vrij to Strootman and De Roon. From Rick Karsdorp to Riedewald, from Tete to Kongolo and Nathan Ake.

A player who escaped the spying eyes of most big club scouts but who is regularly touted as the coming man for Oranje by analysts in Holland, is called Ridgeciano Haps. Which I will call Ridge Haps from now on :-).

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He’s the 23 year old left back of AZ Alkmaar, playing under the guidance of experienced defenders like Ron Vlaar and Stijn Wuytens and part of the weekly core group of players discussing football and tactics with coach John van den Brom.

His Roots

“I was born in Utrecht, like my sister. My parents are from Suriname, but they studied in Holland. My dad used to play football in Suriname but not at a high level. My mom was a very good basketball player. She did play high up, as a playmaker. Fierce and quick. I’m probably more like her, to be honest. She’s a very industrious type. Worked for Abn Amro for 40 years and always giving me advice.”

Early Start

“I didn’t play at a club or anything. My parents didn’t want me to. But I played school football and after one game a guy walked up to my parents and asked where I played. He was gobsmacked I didn’t play for a club. So my parents decided to give me a go, with the Zwaluwen in Utrecht (Swallows). After three weeks, Feyenoord came! I did a six week period there, with Karim Rekik and Annas Achahbar. They were allowed to stay, I wasn’t. I didn’t care, I think I was too young to really care. I went back to the Zwaluwen, I liked it there.”

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Ajax

“A year later, Ajax and PSV wanted me. I was delighted! I picked Ajax, as it’s closer to Utrecht. Every day, my dad drove me to Amsterdam and my first season was great. But I think my second season disappointed as Ajax let me go. This time, I was shattered. I felt like a failure. I thought my future as a pro player was gone. My parents helped me a lot. They said “stick the course, keep believing…” They were convinced there were other avenues to the top. That helped.”

AZ

“With my Ajax background, Elinkwijk wanted me. That is one of the best amateur clubs in Utrecht, with good youth development. I went there and the funny thing was that I was playing in a competition with AZ and Ajax as opponents. AZ immediately asked me for a test period. They had this tournament and I went along and played that with AZ. I was voted as player of the tournament and made a move to Alkmaar. By then, my parents decided to relocate to Amsterdam to support my life as a player. I played left winger and I was really good at that age. But after a couple of years, they moved me back, first to midfield, then to left full back. I was pissed off! I didn’t wanna play defender! I was a winger. Everyone started to explain it to me and all that, but I would not listen. Were they crazy ? I would not play in defence. I was horrified. Insulted. I needed to force myself to go to practice and decided to leave.”

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AZ Again

“When I left, I got several calls from pro clubs but I had had it with them. I wanted to regain the fun of playing football. AFC called and I decided to go there. A top amateur club, playing against pro club youth teams. Still a good level. But I said: I will come, only if I am allowed to play left winger! And they said: sure. So I did and had great fun there. And at the end of that season, we played a friendly, against… AZ. It ended 4-4. I scored three goals and had one assist. The next day, the AZ Academy director calls me up. “Do you want to come back?”. And I did…  I missed the pressure of a pro club. I wanted to reach for the top. So I went back and 7 months later I was offered my first real contract. I made it. I was a pro player. I played for Young AZ as a left winger which means you train with the full senior squad.”

Gert Jan Verbeek

“After half a season, first team coach Verbeek wants a meeting. He said: “I like how you are developing, but I think there is a wonderful future for you as left back!”. Bam! No, not again… I had to process this. But Verbeek explained why he saw it like that. How left wing backs are the new wingers. How modern wingers play on their wrong foot and move inside. How I would have the ability to go for glory 10 times per 45 minutes. Running, crossing, dribbling… I took some time, and learned from games, focusing on Alba, Lahm, Zabaleta, that sort of players… Dani Alvez… And I saw that Verbeek was right. I realised that position allowed me to do what I want. I have a lot of energy that I need to get out of my system. You can do that on the back spot. I was 19 years old when I made my debut for AZ 1, versus PSV Eindhoven. I knew it then and there: I am a left back!”

verbeek

The Future

“I’m a lucky guy. I have a good friendship with Max Huiberts (technical director of AZ) as he was my youth coach, years ago. And he was a creative left winger of course. He has a good relationship with my manager as well, I’m with Raiola’s cousin. And the plan is to make a move when the time is right. I’m ambitious. My contract runs till 2019 and I think by then I’d like to move to a Dutch top club, if they want me. And after that, when I prove myself there, maybe something in a bigger competition… But if the top 3 isn’t interested, well… I might make the move away earlier. Money is not my motivator. I want to reach as high as possible. But, the Championship in England these days is also interesting. I do think my game fits a bigger competition. And who knows where my ceiling is…”

haps run

Oranje

“Am I the left back for the future in Oranje? Well, I don’t know but I sure hope so, hahaha. Oranje is one of my personal goals. I haven’t progressed past Oranje under 20. But, I think it’s realistic to think I’m close. Playing for AZ means you are on the radar, I’m sure. Schaars of Heerenveen, Vlaar who’s with me at AZ… I think I’m playing well this season, but as a team it’s not consistent enough. That doesn’t help of course. A step up will help me with my chances in Oranje as well of course. I think I’m close but not good enough yet. Btw, I’m happy Terence Kongolo is in the squad. He’s a good friend, we played together in the U20s and I think he’s doing really well. I told him, you’re doing so well. And he’s a lovely guy. He said: so are you hahaha. I really like it for him and wish him all the best. But, I’m ambitious and I will go for the left back spot in Oranje!”

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Van Basten’s innovative plans for FIFA

Marco van Basten. Icon. Legend. Saint. Super striker.

Johan Cruyff was one of his biggest fans and supporters. He considered Marco as a son. And he pushed and motivated the striker where he could. After his playing career ended, brusquely, he disappeared for a while, only to return to football as a youth coach for Ajax. With his best friend John van ‘t Schip. Interestingly enough, Schip was the head coach, Marco his assistant.

Johan Cruyff always claimed San Marco had a tremendous brain for analysing and understanding football. He would debate with Van Basten for hours, something Van Hanegem enjoyed doing too. The cool and collected Van Basten could be seen squinting his eyes when he watched the Ajax youngsters play, while the more animated Schip would be coaching and pointing and yelling…

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When Cruyff was invited by a clueless KNVB (what else is new?) to assist in selecting a new team manager in 2004, after Dick Advocaat failed to impress at the Euros 2004, and Van Gaal’s failure in 2002 (another experienced club coach) Cruyff pushed Van Basten/Van ‘t Schip to the fore. His other protege, Frank Rijkaard, did well with Oranje at the Euros2000 and JC wanted another young innovative coach at the helm. Without any experience as club coach, Van Basten was the pick for the coming 4 years. And in typical JC style, he suggested Marco should be the head coach, with Johnny as the assistant. As Marco would be a better figurehead for the media, in the pr department.

Cruyff: “A national team manager doesn’t need to have extensive club coach experience. It’s probably even a disadvantage, look at Van Gaal’s results… There is no guarantee. You need someone that has gravitas, good vision and tactical understanding. Marco knows football like no other.”

Van Basten wasn’t able to produce the results, but did manage to inject some excitement in Oranje. The group games at the 2006 World Cup were promising, but some internal strife (lack of managerial experience, for sure!) and a horrific match vs Portugal resulted in Oranje being exited from the WC, with egg and mud on the faces… The group games in 2008 were actually quite amazing, with football analysts across the world hailing the performances of Oranje vs France, Italy and Romania. Stuff got undone vs Russia when an ill prepared Oranje lacked the intensity to deal with the opponent and the aftermath of Boulahrouz’s personal drama (loss of baby).

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Marco didn’t cut it as a club coach. Not because he lacked the skill. But because he got fed up with the shenanigans that go along with being a club coach. He turned away from Ajax in disgust, after being personally harassed and insulted by the Ajax supporters. And at a lower level (Heerenveen) he missed the professionalism he needed around him to feel at ease. At AZ he realised being the head coach is not his thing. Not unlike Willem van Hanegem, another big influence on San Marco, he despised press conferences and he had no patience with obstinate players. So he stepped back. Became Van den Brom’s assistant. Just wanted to work on the pitch, with players and a ball.

Some quotes: “If I see Frank de Boer coaching, you can see he was born to do that job. I wasn’t. I think football comes naturally to me, but a lot of the managerial tasks… I had to really work hard for that.” At Ajax, he once said: “Ajax deserves a better coach. I’m not good enough.”

And the perfectionist in him couldn’t deal with it. As a player, he was able to focus on his strengths, while others in the team covered up for his weaknesses. Even with a crooked ankle, he was able to add value, coz he was part of a bigger unit. In coaching, it all comes down to you. You’re alone. So he looked in the mirror and decided he could do without that stress.

When Oranje needed him, he supported Danny Blind as assistant coach, but his dream job was always at a higher level. Not on the pitch. In the board room. Marco wanted to change football. He aims high. He doesn’t want to work on one player, or a set of players, or even one club. Marco wants to serve football as a whole!

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And when the dream job became available – Chief Officer of Technical Development at FIFA – he jumped to the opportunity.

A month in the job, after speaking at a football conference in Germany, the comments about his performance are telling: “This is not a fresh breeze of wind! This is a Hurricane!”

Van Basten: “Well, we Dutchies are direct. I say it like I see it, that’s what I’m paid for. Just call it.” And with a smile he walks off.

Marco is now wearing suits and working in an office (if he’s not traveling to conferences, meetings and football matches). Wife Liesbeth is still in Holland, with their son (his two daughters have left the nest already) but she will join Marco in Zurich in the coming months.

If Marco gets his say, football will be changed dramatically. In an interview with German Sport-Bild, he talks about his plans.

“We need to continuously try and find ways to improve the game, to make it more just and honest, more dynamic and more entertaining. The question is: is our sports still attractive enough to capture the fans, viewers and sports lovers?”

MVB

These are the points he’d like to change:

No more offside
,,A lot of people get upset when you say this. And I’m not saying we should abandon it, but we should analyse and test what the game will be like without offside. Because at this point in time, football looks like handball. Six players on the edge of the box, plus a goalie, trying to stop the better side. Parking two buses and hoping for a counter. Without offside, forwards can force defenders back, can open up space, and defending will not be as easy as it is today. We’ll see more goals.”

Time penalties instead of a Yellow Card
,,A yellow card has no direct impact on the game and doesn’t give the team that was disadvantaged anything. Worst case, the next opponent of the wrong-doer has the benefit. Ridiculous. If a player fouls another player cynically, or pulls a jersey or whatever, he needs to get a 5 or 10 minute time penalty. This will work wonder, because playing 10 mins with 10 v 11 is not a good thing to have to do.”

Shoot-outs instead of extra time
“I think shoot outs should replace penalties and even extra-time. A player gets the ball on the middle line and 8 seconds to score. The goalie is restricted to his box. If the goalie stops the ball, the shoot out attempt ends. It’s much more exciting for the fans than the static penalties.”

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Real playing time in last phase of the game
“The game loses a lot of effective or real playing time, particularly in the final 10 or 15 minutes. Substitutions, time wasting, set pieces, injuries… The fans want to see action. And I think it’s unfair at times how little real playing time we all end up with. So, it’s a plan to use real time for the last stage of the game. Every second, the ball needs to be in play.”

Flying substitutions
,,Not sure what the term should be, but allowing teams to change players on the run, like with other sports. But we need to check in with the referees and officiating people, as they do need to know who goes on and off, of course.”

More than three substitutes
“If we do keep on going with extra time, we want to offer coaches one or two extra subs.”

No more hassling of referees
,,The hassling, complaining and showing dissidence is becoming embarrassing. Every decision is being commented on and debated. It has to stop. There are other sports, Rugby, where players have learned to treat the ref with respect. In rugby, the captain talks to the referee. And no other player. Show dissent, and you’re off! I want this in football too.”

Maximum number of fouls 
“Again, a yellow card for a repeat offender will usually only benefit future opponents. I think we should learn from basketball. Five personal fouls and you’re out.”

8 v 8 instead of 11 v 11
“In pro football, we should nicely keep on playing 11 v 11 on a big pitch. But I think the youth teams and even seniors should play 8 v 8 on a smaller pitch. This will give players the ball more often and gets them involved more in the game.”

Less matches per season
“We need to focus on quality. Today, it’s more quantity and we are losing viewers and fans. 80 games per season is ridiculous. We are seeing a lot of issues with young talent that can’t keep up, physically. We need to go back to 50 games per season, so players like C Ronaldo, Messi and Zlatan will stay mentally and physically fresh.”

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I am keen to hear your opinion on all of this.

I am not convinced re: offside rule. I need to see it in action. Off side is such an intrinsic part of the game, today. But I’m open.

Time penalty instead of yellow card: YES!

Less matches per season: YES!

Real playing time and no more hassling the ref: YES!

I’m not too sure about the shoot outs vs penalties. I think penalties have a lot of drama and shoot outs…. not sure.

What do you think? Lets have a lively debate. I will collate our ideas and flick ‘m on to Marco (I’ve got a line to him, as you may know…)

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Why Oranje should always play in De Kuip

Looking at some classic games as played in De Kuip, as requested, and giving you five reasons why Oranje needs De Kuip as their home base.

1. History

The Dutch NT hasn’t played more matches in any other venue… They played 118 games in De Kuip in total. The first one, against Belgium (of course) in 1937, which Holland won: 1-0. That game was the second ever played in the Stadium Feyenoord (as it is officially called). The last international played in De Kuip was in 2016 vs Belarus, a 4-1 win. There was a two year gap between that WC qualifier and the friendly vs Ghana in 2014. De Kuip was frequented most often in big finals games as well, such as during the Euro2000 tournament. Three group games, a quarter finals and the finals itself. The Trezeguet golden goal won France the title in 2000, in Rotterdam.

2. Atmosphere

During Oranje’s recent failed EC qualification campaign, there were strong rumours that the players were not happy and at home in the Amsterdam Arena. The players asked the KNVB for more games in De Kuip. Why? The atmosphere in Rotterdam is much better. The stadium oozes nostalgia and a typically “English” football vibe, as opposed to the more business-class character of the Arena. The acoustics in De Kuip are amazing, which means that 55,000 fans sound like 110,000 fans. When host Feyenoord plays at home, the vibe is amazing but also during the cup finals without Feyenoord, De Kuip is the swinging centre of the Dutch football universe. This will affect the players and will result in better performances and results.

3. The Pitch

One of the biggest advantages of De Kuip is the pitch. It’s pitch perfect. Erwin Beltman is the unsung hero in Rotterdam, groundsmaster of Feyenoord. Year after year he wins the prize for best football pitch in The Netherlands, voted by the captains of the Eredivisie clubs. In Amsterdam, you’ll find yellow spots, brown spots, even black spots on the pitch. Never in Rotterdam.

Former Feyenoord star Van Hooijdonk in 2015: “Never ever again in De Arena!”. He said: “It’s about time that the KNVB gives football the priority over commerce, if we’re talking about Oranje home games! You need to create the best circumstances for the players, the coaches. They are the artists. They should be leading in all decision making. And key is: a good ref, a good ball and a good pitch! The pitch in Rotterdam is 100 times better than in Amsterdam. And yes, I get the business reasons…the sponsors, the VIP dinners… If you’d rate the pitch in Amsterdam a 7 and the pitch in Rotterdam an 8, yes… I get the decision, but it’s not like that. De Arena pitch is a 4 and the pitch in De Kuip is a 9. This decision making is a disgrace.”

4. Results

Oranje performs worse in De Arena, compared to De Kuip. Significantly. Since 1990, the Dutch team played 40 times in Rotterdam and only lost two games. They lost against Germany in 1990 in a friendly (0-1) and in 2000 against Portugal at home for the WC qualifications (0-2). The national team lost more in recent years in Amsterdam than in 25 years De Kuip. Is it the vibe, the pitch, the actual location? Who knows. But if we want to achieve something with Oranje, we need start using De Kuip as the home base. In 2000, Yugoslavia was played off the pitch, under Rijkaard’s management. 6-1 at the Euros 2000. Where? In Rotterdam.

5. New beginning

And the final reason, not the least important…we need to make a change, a new beginning. The switch back to Rotterdam as home base would be the first and simplest change we can make. A new home will inspire. The Dutch national team needs to play good football, fresh and attractive football and deserves to this in a good, fresh and attractive venue.

Since the 1980s, De Kuip is the traditional home of the Dutch cup final and apart from the Euro 2000 finals, there were 10 Uefa Cup finals in Rotterdam, with the likes of Spurs, AC Milan, Ajax, Feyenoord, Man United and Barcelona winning their silverware in Rotterdam.

So classic games played in De Kuip… Now that’s tough one. Apart from seeing acts like U2, David Bowie, Springsteen, Bob Dylan, The Stones, Michael Jackson in De Kuip, I’ve seen many a Feyenoord and Oranje match.

One can’t escape the Feyenoord-Ajax classics of course. I vividly remember most of them but was only 2 years old when Feyenoord trashed Ajax 9-4 in 1964. This was Johan Cruyff’s first ever classic.

In 1972, Ajax took revenge. Cruyff was a mature football star and with buddy Piet Keizer, Ajax was too strong for Feyenoord. Both clubs reigned supreme in Europe, with Feyenoord winning the Europa Cup in 1970 and Ajax doing it the season after. This particular game confirmed that Ajax was by far the best team in the world, winning 1-5 in Rotterdam.

The 1988 classic was memorable for two reasons: the local police force was campaigning for better conditions and did so by having a gorgeous female police officer doing a striptease on the pitch before the match. In front of 55,000 football fans, the young lady undressed, probably inspiring a 19 year old Dennis Bergkamp, who’d play a sensational game leading Ajax to victory 1-2.

The 2005 classic again resulted in a dramatic loss for Feyenoord, losing 2-3 in the dying seconds, but it was a gem of a match. And a game which saw a number of future European football stars on the pitch, such as Dirk Kuyt, Salomon Kalou, Maxwell, Wesley Sneijder and Steven Pienaar. Maduro made the winning goal at the death (with Danny Blind winning as coach, over Feyenoord colleague Ruud Gullit).

In 2012, Feyenoord won spectacularly vs Ajax (4-2) with a hattrick for Man City loanie John Guidetti who’d go on to become a Feyenoord legend, in just one season. This lucky shot was followed up by another one: Graziano Pelle was brought back to Rotterdam and he went on to reach the top in England and the Italian national team.

The 1974 Tottenham Hotspur game was my first home game in the stadium. As a 12 year old, I was invited to come by our neighbours and although I vividly remember the match, I think I had my eye on the tremendous violent acts of the Spurs hooligans on the stands above me. Scary stuff, but in the memory forever.

Even further down memory lane, a game I only remember from the TV… But a classic indeed. Feyenoord vs Real Madrid. The great Real Madrid, but also the great Feyenoord… With Willem van Hanegem, Rinus Israel and Coen Moulijn. The most memorable moment of that game, was the team spirit Feyenoord demonstrated when their iconic left winger was attacked by a Madrid butcher. All Feyenoord players decided “enough is enough!” and went after the culprit. Watch it here:

And the Moulijn sequence is here:

We can safely say that ugly scenes on the pitch are not new… The Dutch commentator says: “Oh lads lads… don’t do this, now… please…this is not nice. Not nice at all!”

We mentioned the classic Oranje game at home at the Euros already. The 6-1 win. There were many great home games for Oranje, but sadly I was witness in De Kuip when Oranje failed to beat Belgium and wasn’t able to go to the 1986 Mexico World Cup. Oranje lost 1-0 in Belgium and needed a 2-0 victory. Houtman scored the first one and when Robbie de Wit scored the 2-0, everyone – including me – felt the job was done. I was right on the spot in the stadium in line with the Belgium attack, five minutes before the end, when a cross reached Georges Grun. The defender wasn’t marked and headed home the goal that took Belgium to their impressive World Cup performance.

I remember two things vividly, apart from the tragic away goal Belgium scored: it was terribly cold and we parked so far away, that my dad ruined his knee in the walk up to the stadium, something that would bother him till his death…

The biggest win Oranje had, at home in Rotterdam, was a 9-0 beating of Norway in 1972. A qualification game for the World Cup 1974. I have no video for that game though. Holland started scoring late in the game. It took 31 minutes for Neeskens to find the net and the score at half time was only 1-0. In the last 25 minutes it rained goals, with Cruyff, Keizer and Brokamp joining Neeskens on the score sheet.

The biggest loss we suffered at home in a formal match was versus the former Magical Magyars in 1961, for the 1962 World Cup qualification: losing 0-3.

One of the craziest games we played in Rotterdam was the 5-5 draw in the friendly with Belgium. Kluivert and Davids on fire, and Frank Rijkaard as NT manager.

Another memorable game – or two games – was the double vs England for the 1994 World Cup. The 2-0 win at home with Koeman and Bergkamp scoring for Holland. The away game at Wembley was memorable for the Jan Wouters elbow on Gascoigne and the Peter van Vossen run, foul and penalty kick.

Feyenoord played some amazing home games in the 2002 season when they won the UEFA Cup at home. The finals vs Borussia Dortmund were exhilarating of course. The Freiburg away match is legendary due to Van Hooydonk’s incredible free kick. I was present when Feyenoord beat Glasgow Rangers in a very tight game (two red cards) at home: 3-2. The next match up was the quarter finals against PSV Eindhoven. That would be an epic tie. 1-1 in Eindhoven and Feyenoord on their way out, 1-2 down when in the final seconds of the game PSV didn’t clear a ball out but gave away the ball to Feyenoord. The cross was converted by Van Hooydonk (who else) and Feyenoord won the penalty shoot out. The semis were vs Inter Milan. Feyenoord won away 0-1 and drew 2-2 in Rotterdam to reach and win the finals.

My earliest memory of a Feyenoord game in De Kuip… I was 7 years old and Feyenoord was on its way to win the Europa Cup. Not that we knew that at the time, of course. TV coverage was limited and lots of people enjoyed listening to games on the radio. AC Milan was the opponent and one of the ruling elite in Football Europe. We’re talking the 1/8 final and Feyenoord lost in Milan, 1-0. We needed a 2-0 win and I don’t think I saw the game live. It might not have been televised even, who knows. But I heard it on the radio, and that radio commentary was published as a record (a 45″ single) and became a huge hit! Feyenoord won at home 2-0. A misplaced cross from Wim Jansen sailed into the net and Willem van Hanegem headed home the 2-0. Famously, in the post-match interview (part of the recording I owned and listened to 1000 times…), Willem responded to the question “And Willem, you scored the 2-0!!” in typical De Kromme style: “Ah yes, well, I was going that way anyway, so….”.

I was able to to perform the 3 minute commentary to the game word for word, copying the commentator’s style and entertained my friends and family regularly in that role… Ah, the good ol’ days….

Here is the grainy footage:

The best game in De Kuip EVER!!

This might shock you, but the best game I ever saw live in De Kuip was actually a testimonial, or a tribute game. A game without any real significance in terms of result. It was Willem van Hanegem’s farewell game. The WC1974 Oranje vs Feyenoord. It was unforgettable, and not just because De Kuip farewelled it’s best player ever, but also because during that game – at the end of the 1982-83 season – Johan Cruyff was introduced to the Feyenoord Legion as the successor as playmaker for next season. Cruyff had walked out of the negotiations with Ajax and his Oranje team mate Van Hanegem was working behind the screens to get the legendary #14 to Rotterdam.

In the game, Van Hanegem scored, a header from a JC corner and he was jokingly red-carded when the time was up for him to accept the standing ovation – and Cruyff did as well! A header. Like he did famously in 1971, winning the Europa Cup in Rotterdam for Ajax. It was a real football celebration, a full Kuip and mixed reception for JC.

Not long after the game, the confirmation came that Johan would join Feyenoord for one season. I went to check him out at the first training session with the team. I’m sure I told you about this before, but I’ll do it again. They started with a rondo (piggy in the middle), with the full team. Approx 5 in the middle and the rest in a circle. The first ball that was passed to Johan was too short. Deliberate? It invited a sliding tackle from defender Stafleu, studs forward, directed at Cruyff’s ankles. The Feyenoord fans cheered for the tackle.  The 37 year old simply jumped up, controlled the ball and played it on. The fans cheered even more. Not much later, JC retaliated with a sharp sliding tackle back on Stafleu, who couldn’t avoid the clash and had to limp off to the dressing room. The fans were convinced! Welcome to Feyenoord, Johan Cruyff.

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Rick Karsdorp: “Me, arrogant? Hmm…maybe…”

Rick Karsdorp burst on the scene. Only 21 years old but already one of the driving forces in Feyenoord’s campaign and on the verge of snapping the RB spot in Oranje. All that, will big European clubs eyeing the development of the former playmaker. He’s one of the rocks Feyenoord leans on and the key question is: how good can he become?

Rick Karsdorp thanks two people in particular for his stellar development. His dad, will always be the first one he mentions and honours. Karsdorp senior raised Rick and his brother alone. Another broken family, working class, in Rotterdam. Dad Karsdorp is a no nonsense working man, mechanic, and dedicated his free time to his sons. Rick wanted to be a football player.

The street smart kid was a decent playmaker in the youth. Played on the #10 position in young Feyenoord and impressed with through passes, dribbles and goals. Being a Feyenoord player in the youth teams living in Rotterdam, a kid can get easily distracted. Karsdorp lived the live of any young teenager and school work suffered. Rick became a problem kid. When Rick was 15 years old, dad intervened. Grabbed him by the scruff of the neck and took him off football, for him to focus on school. He managed to get his high school diploma, but had lost 1,5 years of playing. When his dad told him he was able to return to football, the youngster refused. Karsdorp senior: “I don’t know exactly why. He lived for the sports, but I think he was afraid. Insecure. Afraid to fail. He hadn’t played at level for a long time and he’s a winner, afraid to fail and lose.” Karsdorp turned his back on football and was a bit lost. Until one day, when his old team was playing a friendly, dad took Rick to go and watch. It was a set up. While the team was getting ready, Rick’s dad grabbed Rick’s gear from the car and said: “Get changed, go out there and go and play!”.

Rick did and never looked back

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However, getting towards the senior level, it seemed there would not be a lot of opportunity for the playmaker to get into the team on his favorite position. Maybe not good enough? Maybe Feyenoord needed to rely on more experienced players in that role? Feyenoord used to play with a deep sitting central midfielder (Clasie) at that time and used a more penetrative runner on the #10 position (Lex Immers, now Dirk Kuyt). But when Fred Rutten analysed Karsdorp, playing in the B-team, he did see what he liked: mentality, drive, speed, tough in the duels and great in build up.

So he picked Rick as a right back, when the other choices were not able to deliver. And he told Karsdorp: “You might not make it as a playmaker, but as a right back, you can reach the National Team!”. Rick Karsdorp remembers the talk. Vividly. “Man, I was livid. Angry, felt humiliated. That message was like being relegated from being a promising good player to a failure…” Karsdorp debut was dramatic. In a Europa League qualification game, Karsdorp made an error. A howler. The team lost thanks to his mistake. He was shattered. Spent minutes alone in the dressing room crying. Felt humiliated. And was again, ready to leave it all behind.

Rutten: “These are defining moments. I told him. You walk away now, that blunder will have defined your short career. But get up on your feet, climb back on the horse and take the lesson.”

Again, he didn’t look back.

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Karsdorp now: “Rutten saw the game well. Not just because of that message to me, in general. Great coach. And he was right. He said: most of the attacks these days start with the full backs. They’re the new playmakers. The typical number 10s are not the ones with time and space anymore. And with my energy, he said, I could boost the team.”

And rightly so. French player Duplan was the assist king of the Eredivisie last season, but Rick Karsdorp was runner up!

Today, he is one of the most photographed Feyenoord players. The tattoos, the hairdo… Rick is popular. When a press photographer aims his long tele lens on the right back, the players snaps at him: “Hey, don’t take pics man, I don’t like it!”

With a big smile he arrives at the table, an hour later: “Did you see the face on that guy, hahaha! He took it serious didn’t he? I was just having a go, he’s allowed to do what he wants. It seems the media like to get pics of me without my hair up in a man-knot, hahaha. I don’t mind, doing your hair everyday takes up sooo much time, hahaha.”

He is considered to be one of Feyenoord’s gems, along with the likes of Vilhena, Kongolo, Hahn and Van Beek. Fred Rutten: “I could see he had it all. He’s a very complete player. I didn’t just tell him he’d be perfect as RB for Feyenoord. I told him he can be one of Europe’s best. If you analyse him, you’ll see he has it all.”

“But… when players break into the team and do well for a spell, the temptations and distractions come… How will he handle that? The money, the attention, the glamour, the girls, the parties….” Jean Paul Boetius used to be one of those gems. Came like a rocket. Impressed week in week out. He once said: “When you just come into the team, you’re invincible. You can handle everything. Every one pats you on the back, wants a pic taken with you, they tell you how awesome you are… But then… when you start to struggle, they’re all gone. That hurts!”

Karsdorp

Karsdorp recognises it. He is still in the first stage. His first game for Feyenoord was the disappointment, since then he went up and up. Not yet saw the freefall. Are the temptations an issue for Rick? “I’m still young, and afraid of no one. Boetius is right, that is how the world works, but I have to say…I’m not a target so much. I don’t think there’s people wriggling themselves into my life. I have small inner circle, whom I trust fully. My dad, my brother, my girlfriend. That’s basically it. I don’t live in the city but away from it all. I don’t need to surrounded with distractions.”Another temptation exists too. When you play well for Oranje vs France, with the likes of Martial and Payet, you might return to De Kuip with a different mindset? Maybe too cocky? “Getting too big for your shoes, kindathing? Well, obviously, when you are a starter for Feyenoord and play for Oranje, you do feel different. That’s normal, yes? But even in the academy, I was a player who would ask questions. I’m the guy who’d say “Why?”. I question things. And as a kid, I got a lot of “hey you snotty kid, shut your mouth” and all that. I just needed to know and understand. And the more you play, the more you will bring your personality in it as well. People might think you get arrogant, but I don’t see it like that.”

Talking about the days when his dad took him off football… “It is very strange. I always knew I would be a pro player. That was all I wanted and in all honesty, it’s all I can do. I can’t work with my hands, I have no real skill other than football. I’m not a reader or study person. I can’t sit still… I told my dad: I will be a football player or …. Nothing… I can’t even remember what I did with my time when I was not playing that one year.”

People close to the team do believe he has a whiff of arrogance about him. The hand gestures to coach Van Bronckhorst during the away game vs Zorja. The discussion with the ref after a challenge on him, while being yellow-carded already…

Karsdorp flashes another smile. “Me arrogant? Hmm yes… I do hear that sometimes. And yes, I can see why people think this. I experience the match in an intense way. And now, I’m under the magnifying glass of course. I changed my hairdo and suddenly it became a “thing”. But, as long as my dad and girlfriend don’t tell me off, I’m not worried, hahaha.”

So, how good can Rick Karsdorp get: “I don’t know? The sub top abroad? Who knows… I know I can play better than I do. Better than against France and Belarus. Much much better!”. Another big smile. There is quite some interest from Italy, England and Germany for the right back. Is he ready for a move? “Well,” another wry smile: “I will not go until I lifted the champions shield on De Coolsingel for Feyenoord…”

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De Kuip (The Tub) will become Feyenoord City

My friends, I had plans to write this article for months but constantly delayed it as we had more pressing, current football matters to discuss. I got the question on the blog to actually do a post on the subject and I have put aside my caution and decided to do it now. Writing about sacred ground is daunting. It’s like a catholic having to write a piece on the Vatican… can you do it justice?

So lets start with the magic, before we go into the facts. The Feyenoord Stadium, lovingly called De Kuip (The Tub, as it resembles a big bath tub), has been a sacred temple for me from when I was very young. Living in a little town outside of Rotterdam, I was lucky to share my street with legends like Willem van Hanegem, Wim Jansen, Dick Schneider and Peter Ressel, to name a few. Dick Schneider became a good friend and he gave me a season’s ticket from when I was 12 years old. I played football on the streets with Van Hanegem’s son and had Wim Jansen visit our games regularly. If Willem van Hanegem joined in, he would go on goal and score goals from goal kicks, curving the balls into the top corner of our goal (these were smaller pitches of course).

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When driving into Rotterdam from the south side, you’d have to drive past De Kuip. The iconic stadium was visible from afar (Holland is very flat) and you could see the stadium for most of the trip, from my village to the centre of Rotterdam. The Stadium has quite some history. It was built in the depression era and Van Eesteren (the builder) used out of work construction people, offering them work and pay, while the city was gifted this wonderful sports arena.

Up until the year 00’s, De Kuip was the home of Feyenoord and Oranje. The Dutch national team enjoyed playing in Rotterdam as the capacity of the stadium was much bigger than that of rival Ajax’ old stadium (De Meer) and the Feyenoord pitch has always been top notch. The Olympic Stadium in Amsterdam was not too popular as it had an athletics track around the pitch. When Ajax moved to the Arena, however, the KNVB started to favour that futuristic site as the main home for Oranje, mainly for the VIP boxes and restaurants and parking. The Amsterdam Arena pitch (now actually the Cruyff Arena) was always pretty poor, however and most players (even the Ajax ones) preferred to play in Rotterdam. The KNVB decided differently: without renovations there would not be any big game played by Oranje in Rotterdam. Even the UEFA bypassed The Tub for European finals.

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De Kuip has magic. There is no other site in Rotterdam so engrained in emotions, both happy and sad… hope and despair. Hate and Love go hand in hand (comrades) and the euphoria of a victory is closely partnered with deep sorrow after a defeat. A sport temple of steel and concrete.

And whenever Oranje does play in De Kuip, it’s an amazing site to see the Orange Fans walk to the stadium, singing and chanting. From De Achterhoek (“back corner” meaning the East of Holland), to Limburgers (from the South), fans from Utrecht, Den Haag and even Amsterdam. There’s even horse pulled carts from Barendrecht coming to Rotterdam South.Whenever the pride of Holland, the national team, plays at home, the weirdest people leave their homes and caves to cheer them on. Wearing the most outrageous outfits. Someone has a helmet with windmills, or orange Pippi Longstocking ponytails and another has a orange hairdo, like Scottish darts player Snakebite Wright. The pitch in De Kuip is the best in Holland and potentially one of the best in Europe. It’s not for nothing that former Feyenoord groundsmen were signed by behemoths like Arsenal and Barcelona. The pitch is our thirteenth man (the Oranje legion being the 12th of course). And players like Sneijder, Klaassen and Blind get a boost from this little lawn, the usual working space for Kuyt, Vilhena and Karsdorp.

We’re at home playing Belarus. And we win 4-1. Is it a coincidence that after all sorts of stumbling and hiccups, Oranje gets a nice home win in Rotterdam. What if we had played all our home qualifications games for the Euro 2016 in Rotterdam? Out of that pressure cooker pan in Amsterdam, back to the football temple in Rotterdam. Sure, there are scruffy toilets, the bitterballs are too cold and parking is a problem, but hey… it’s about football!

new kuip ai

We lost the next game in Amsterdam, against France. The KNVB should avoid all risk and pick Rotterdam as the venue for the home game vs Sweden. Enjoy the magic of The Tub.

So, with all the changes made to most stadiums around the world (Emirates, Arena, Alliance Arena, Anfield), the Kuip in Rotterdam is becoming an ancient relic. Yes, the pitch is brilliant, yes the atmosphere in the stadium is gripping, but the infrastructure is old, the hospitality areas are out-dated, parking is a drama and the practice and training facilities and youth academy are across the road (highway) from the Stadium, meaning that every day, the squad assembles in the players’ home and then have to literally cross the highway to the training pitches. At least twice a day. Sometimes four times a day. Not a very good process for a top sports team.

The plans to renovate or rebuild have been there for more than a decade. Financial woes, lack of city council support, lack of consensus kept the discussion going much longer than needed. Over the last decade, ferocious debates were held as some people (supporters, ex-players, club icons) wanted the current stadium to be renovated, while developers, city-council and sponsors opted for a totally new venue, with added facilities and entertainment options. Many architects and construction companies from all over the world stumbled over each other to present the best option and decision making was dramatically slow.

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But finally, Feyenoord City – as it will be called – is going to become a reality.

And the plans look awesome. A new, revolutionary stadium an iconic football temple on the banks of the Maas river. The current Kuip will be the inspiration for the new design.

Architect Gianotten: “This sports complex will become The face of the city. When you cross the Maas on the Brienenoord Bridge or look south from the city, you will see this Stadium. It will be an iconic platform and everyone will know: that is the new home of Feyenoord, the football temple of The Netherlands.”

David Gianotten of the OMA buro (Rem Koolhaas founded) is quite outspoken about it: “This should help Feyenoord to get back to the top of the Eredivisie, in a structural way and enable the club to become a mainstay in the European sup top.” The master plan for this development is done. With as a binding factor, a raised strip of ground – actually called The Strip – which will go from the current monumental Kuip towards the river. There, we’ll find the three ring stadium, offering a seat to 63,000 people. An exclamation mark on the left bank of Rotterdam, with activities seven days a week!

design kids

Feyenoord aims high with Feyenoord City. The new stadium will cost around 365 mio euros, and it will be the home of the Feyenoord Football Club, a beer brewery, apartments, a mega cinema, hotels and a village of 1600 dwellings. “This plan has everything any city would wish for,” says counselor Visser, at the presentation of the plan.

However, the 365 mio euros will need to be found still and financial support from the city will be key. The club hopes to get 40 mio euros from the city which will attract other sponsors and investors to join in. The city of Rotterdam seems to agree but the final plans and agreements are not there yet. The city prefers to offer the money as a loan, whereas the Feyenoord City board would love to offer shares in return.

All of this will need to further strengthen the club. The Feyenoord board expects to be able to double the players’ budget as a result of this mega move, allowing Feyenoord to compete with Ajax and PSV. “This plan is unique for The Netherlands and quite rare for Europe, actually.”

gianotten

The ambitions are so high. Is a project like this affordable for Feyenoord?

Gianotten: “The construction of a stadium can be highly economical. The area it covers might be big, but it doesn’t require a lot of material. The volume of concrete and steel are not that high. But yes, it is a big investment for sure. But it won’t be a luxury item. It will have all it needs to have. And it’s quite unique, if you look at the setting, on the banks of the river.

There is always discussion about the roof. What will this stadium get?

It will get a movable roof. It won’t become an indoor pitch or something, but we can cover the stadium with a rain cover made of a plastics type, which will fold in / out from two sides. A fully sound proof roof would be too expensive and there are not that many huge stadium gigs anymore. You’d invest a lot for three or four events per year.”

How about visibility? Everyone needs to be able to see the game?

“We have used this as a design principle. Everyone needs optimum viewing from any seat. We started our design with the pitch, then the seats and after that we created the stadium shell. That is doing things the wrong way around, hahaha. The blocked view from the three rings are kept to a minimum. You won’t look at the bottom of the ring above you, anywhere in the stadium.”

With 63,000 seats it will be an immense stadium. How can you make sure it won’t be too massive?

“The stadium will be segmented. The building will be on a raised level, so we can lower the first level of seating. Then there is a first ring and on top of that a second ring. Each ring will have it’s own structural columns. It will look less massive this way. The Strip will also arrive at the venue on a higher level. Cars will move under the strip, the pedestrians will use the top level.”

kuip idee parel

It seems that the Stadium will be free-standing in its surrounding?

“Yes, there won’t be fences. Fences will invite aggression. Our crowd control will be done differently. The first wall you encounter is actuallty the outer wall of the stadium, or the escalators. The space under the stadium will be taken by restaurants and shops and supporting facilities for the club. On top, on the outside rim, we will have more restaurants and a night club with stunning views. This whole venue will be used 24 hours a day, every day!”

 The current Tub is on the other end of the Strip, what will happen with this iconic temple?

“The Tub will be the anchor point. The monument will stay. We will have the Sport Experience there, the Museum and the supporters home. We’ll have a beer brewery there, athletic tracks and on top, we’ll have apartmentes. With windows looking in, towards the pitch and out, towards the city and the river.”

The end goal is to allow the budget of Feyenoord to match that of Ajax and PSV?

“Yes, the budget needs to increase structurally. PSV has more securities now, more funds. Ajax even more than PSV. Feyenoord needs to get to that level. And we count on the tremendous fan base here. The number of 63,000 is not a random number. We can probably guarantee a 100% occupancy. In some situations, we might have fitted even more people in, and in some case maybe less.”

Does the new stadium have a name?

“We currently call it “the new Feyenoord stadium”. Not a very catchy name. But usually people will create a fitting nickname for any place. And obviously, it will get a sponsored name as well.”

The new football temple will most likely be ready for the 2022/23 season.

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New Years Interview Danny Blind

“I focus on selecting players who add energy, not players who take energy away”

We ring out the year 2016 with the Man of the Year (and last 70 years): Johan Cruyff. Now we will focus on what I hope will be the Football Man of the Year 2017 : our national team manager. The annual NY interview with the highest executive in professional Dutch football: Danny Blind (55).

Last week, the KNVB had their annual New Years gathering. And as per usual, there were speakers. This year Martijn Koning, the comedian, did his thing. And after a chaotic year, every single KNVB individual was ridiculed and the butt of his jokes: Hans van Breukelen, Bert van Oostveen, Dick Advocaat… They all were part of the show and this resulted in great moments of hilarity and belly laughs for the people present. One name was left out though: there were no cynical jokes about our national team manager, Danny Blind. Remarkable, because if this comedian would have been there at the end of 2015, surely the show would have Blind as a main theme.

virgil pre lux

Danny Blind: “It’s funny indeed. My  parents told me that when (famous Dutch comedian) Wim Kan would leave out a politician’s name in his comedy shows, these politicians would be disappointed. Because it means you were invisible, hahaha. I think I might just be happy with this for now.”

Asked if Blind thinks this might be an indication he is getting it right and clearly there is not a lot to ridicule at the moment: “Yes, I do think people are starting to respond more positive to me and the staff… We had some difficult times at the KNVB and that took some pressure off of me, really… And I think the results and performances have been improving, which is key. But I also think I’ve demonstrated to have composure under pressure. I”m down to Earth and I think people appreciate that.”

As you said: it feels the KNVB is working really hard to get the attention away from you….

Blind, laughing: “Well, there was a lot of material for “other stories” yes. And that is Hans van Breukelen’s task isn’t it? To keep the pressure away from the players and the coaching staff, hahaha. He did a good job!”

Was 2016 a year in which you could get your way across, more so than in 2015?

“For sure. And in particular the group dynamics. Much bettter and different than in 2015. We started this in November 2015, with the Wales game, when we missed out on the Euros. I changed the way we selected players. In short: we had a short four game run when I took over the reach the Euros. And I selected players on that basis: we needed to win four finals. So I put my chips on experience. I looked at experience and the level of the clubs they were at. I had to pick between young Tete of Ajax and experienced Van der Wiel of PSG, for instance. Tete would be making his debut. I didn’t think it was responsible to pick a debutant, so I went for experience. Anyway, we now know that you can’t rely on experienced players for the full 100%. They didn’t come through, sadly. But there is no guarantee that the new kids would have… Essentially, I am now more focused on energy and personality. What do they bring to the squad. I focus on players who give the team a lift, and not so much need energy themselves. It’s what you can give, not take. That is the selection policy in summary, but quality and fitness are key, a given, of course. That’s where it starts.”

Blind WC

So, whether players play all the games, playing minutes in other words, are less important?

,,Still important, of course. But not longer priority #1. Under Louis van Gaal and Van Marwijk that was key and was easier to hold up. But it’s getting too hard. We are losing out. Check the clubs where Van Marwijk’s team played in 2010 versus the clubs our players are at now. And not only are these not the top clubs anymore, the ones who are with the second tier clubs sometimes don’t even play. It’s all a bit thin. But that away game vs Wales, we won 2-3 and ever since we only lost to France, of which the WC qualification game was quite close and we had an unnecessary loss vs Greece in the friendly. But hey, the tough times are not over. We played Belgium and didn’t create one single chance. Then again, neither did they, so that is also a positive.”

As you said: the vibe in the group now is: no whinging and whining, otherwise: stay home!

“Yes and that came from the group. They have their own team talks too. And players like Strootman, Sneijder, Robben and Wijnaldum are the initiators of this mentality. Wijnaldum is a top example. Started his career as a creative midfielder but is currently one of the strong holders in Liverpool’s midfield. Playing with constraint, with discipline. I have abused his qualities a bit this year and I told him this. I used the word abused on purpose, I had him playing full right back versus Belgium. And Wijnaldum responds with: “Trainer, I am here for the team and to reach the World Cup. I won’t whine or complain, I’ll play where you need me.” And even if we don’t play well, I always see great commitment.”

Dick Advocaat has thrown Van der Wiel out of the Fener squad as he’s dealing with too many peripheral activities. He was a starter in 2015 but never made it back in 2016…

“I will let you name the players. But if you see the recent developments with some players, the picture becomes clear, right?”

More on the team later. Let’s discuss this Performance and Innovation Manager (PIM) role at the KNVB. Did you come to some resolution with Van Breukelen? You seemed to clash about this role?

“Yes, we clashed about that. Because my point was and is: you can’t combine this PIM role with team manager (the role Hans Jorritsma has). I can’t see that. The team manager role is a full time role. And I have a good staff I’m working with and they are my PIM. We have physiologist Luc van Agt. A top expert on anything related to fitness, physiology, intensity, etc. We have a team of video analysts, who measure everything that can be measured and we have our scouts. I also use the experts at club level. As you know, the Feyenoord and Ajax academy are top notch. We can learn from them. And all the clubs where our players are, feed us with useful stats.”

So take Wijnaldum, who is now playing as a controlling midfielder for his club, you can use those Liverpool stats to utilise with Oranje?

“Exactly. And I do think Wijnaldum can play in this role for us, in the future. I get annoyed when people say “the football world is conservative”. I think the football rules are conservative and Marco van Basten might be able to lossen that up. Ridiculously conservative. But in terms of data collection and analysis, it is really good. When we went to Brazil in 2014, all players visited the dentist. We did that in Holland. As they can see what kind of physical issues are lingering in your body via your teeth. What issues can we expect and what can we do to prevent it. Van Breukelen is now witnessing all this and that will affect his decision making.”

How is your relationship with Van Breukelen. You were coupled with him out of the blue: technical director and national team coach. Is the love there?

“Our working relation is good. We respect each other. That, I can say. And Hans was reasonable enough to admit that his assessment of combining the team manager with the PIM into one role will not work. And that PIM job was emphasized so much, that this role became too big in the media. The saviour of Dutch football. But it’s not, it’s just one cog in the machine. And it’s a role behind the screens, in the background. I think they should not have hyped it up so much. It’s important to think strategically about these things. It got blown out of proportion. And Peter Blange (ex volleyball olympic champion, ex volley ball coach and sports expert) will now focus on collating information about youth development and intensity training. And he’ll focus on the Eredivisie. Great. And he’ll need to go via the clubs. If we want to improve our football, the clubs are the key. But listen, when you talk to Blange, you talk to and listen to a pro. Someone who knows what top sports is about. A good guy. And he knows his contribution will not have a 40% increase in performance, or even a 10% increase. But if he can give us 3% improvement I will be cheering him on. Everything counts. I think we need to change the circumstances in which we play, through new rules. Like Wim Jansen said: organise a competition with 4 Ajax-Feyenoord games. I am all for that! And stop with artificial pitches. It changes the sport and not in a good way. Invest in better coaching classes and have referees allow more on the pitch.”

What did you think of Guardado during Ajax-PSV. Was he taking it too far? Or was it needed?

“I loved it. He needs to do that. But in Holland, we are all confused for days after that. I don’t get that.”

Blind looks out and watches the golf player on the Borchland golf course. Four years ago, Blind was interviewed here after the Euro debacle of 2012. The main topic was: who is Holland’s best striker: Van Persie or Huntelaar? Both players have been surpassed and this applies to other 30+ players as well. Blind is sort of in charge of selecting a new aquad after a period of 10 years of familiar faces. A generation that gave Oranje it’s face for decade or more.

So how do you say goodbye to those kind of players? Can you do it without a hassle, or frustration?

“Well, it’s part of my job alright. I have been there myself as a player. And players like Cocu, De Boer bros, Van Bronckhorst… a top generation and they took the bow themselves. Cocu was still world class at 34. That is quite handy for a coach. I’m not making decisions based on “this or that player should not play for Oranje anymore”. It’s more up to them to demonstrate their quality, so I can select them. They select themselves.”

So you need players who give energy to the group instead of taking energy?

“Yes and in the broadest sense of the word. How do you perform off the pitch? Are you self centered? Closed off? Or do you work with others? Do you want to be part of the group process. What I don’t do though, is work towards a squad for the World Cup. That is too early now. We need to get there first, so I pick the players who will be able to bring us there. Forging a winning team for the World Cup will need to happen in the run up to the tournament. We need to get there first.”

Let’s zoom in on Sneijder. Your second skipper. Was involved in four goals for Gala before Xmas. In Oranje, you can see it is not getting better with him. How do you see him?

“Wesley is a leader in the group. He is the role model. He can tell people exactly what is needed to make it to the top. And he talks to the youngsters about this. About his sacrifices, about what it means to score and be great on the World Cup stage. He’s important to us.”

But you seem to question his best position in the team?

“No not really. I can use him on different spots and I have made those choices already. But I will definitely still use him as a real #10, don’t worry. He did well on the left vs Sweden too. But Sneijder, he was dominant for whole games when he was younger, now he will be less dominant, but his set pieces alone are key. Even if he doesn’t play well, his kicking is amazing. And he does this with Oranje too. A player like Sneijder used to dominate a whole game, but now he can still be decisive in a couple of moments.

He tells us he is looking at the game more like a coach than as a a player.

“I think that is true. I can see this development. Wesley is streetwise and shrewd, he would make statements that will help build his image, I’m sure. But, I know Wes from when he was 14 years old. And whatever you can say about him, he is genuine and pure in his commitment and desire. I always talk to him before he comes in for internationals. He’s a co-skipper and I talk the week through with my skippers. And he has a strong opinion about things and he sees things really well. He demonstrates leadership and has a lot of respect from all the players. Arjen as well. It’s clear, that both are the key leaders in the squad.”

But surely, you will not be the coach to tell Sneijder that you will not allow him to get his record international games…

“That’s not up to me. It’s up to him. He got a tough lesson from Van Gaal back in 2013. Louis dropped him in a harsh way: stay fit and play to your strength. His strengths are playing with venom, shoot with venom, accelerate the game and find the through pass. I know Wes will make sure he will demonstrate enough of his specific qualities to reach his record. His added value can all be shown in mere minutes right?

RVP

What did you think of Robin van Persie’s interview (posted here recently too) in the AD?

“I read it of course and I have no issues whatsoever with his view on things, if you mean that.”

Do you think he is right, that you needed to call him more often last year?

“I dont actually. Listen, he was tremendous for Oranje and Dutch football. And this is why I called him before Kazachstan away and explained in detail why I wouldn’t select him. In a personal conversation. I called him again for the Czech game, three days later. That second time wasn’t needed I guess, but I felt his stature deserved it. And after we failed to qualify, I called him again and explained my ideas. For me, to call him again after that, should only happen if my message would be different. If I would make a change and needed to explain this to him.”

Because?

“I don’t want to raise false expectations. And to be clear: I had no intention to change my policy and plans. Vincent Janssen was doing very well. And for me, Robin and Klaas-Jan are no substitute strikers for me. I know they have difficulty with that role. And listen, we follow Robin and all others every week. He had a good tun, but then he got injured again. And against Feyenoord for the Europa League, he didn’t impress. I didn’t see any threat from him. As a striker, you need to be dominant.”

There is an other alternative for center striker: Jeremain Lens. Is he an option?

“Why not? He hasn’t disappointed against Belgium. He had to go off with an injury but he confirmed the form he displayed with Fener. He has energy, is powerful and can be decisive. And he anticipates well on space becoming available. With Oranje, we are not that strong anymore, we don’t dominate games structurally in and around the box of the opponent. We are now focusing on the turn around and use the space available to us. Lens has the qualities to play in that center role. He played there in Oranje for Van Gaal as well.”

What developments do you see or expect for 2017?

“I can see Van Dijk, Bruma and De Vrij developing more. Three central defenders with big clubs in big competitions. And at an age where they can still grow. Wijnaldum is also in that group of players between 24-28 years old and he’s not doing too badly at Liverpool. Strootman is fit and doing well. Quincy Promes has room to grow too.”

Are you concerned for players like Janssen, Daley Blind and Memphis?

“Janssen does need to play and get minutes in the coming months, but I’m less concerned about him. He fits our game plan really well and I think he’ll be fine. Blind is currently active in four competitions and even if he doesn’t play all games, he still plays as a starter once a week. He has 70% of the Man United games still and this means he’s part of the Man United core group. I don’t think Daley will leave Manchester United. Memphis is not part of this core group and I think he may have to make a move this winter. Everton and Koeman? It would be a good option, as Koeman knows him well, but Everton has other options for the wings too. And if these guys step up, it might still be hard for Memphis. It’s not a given he will start playing regularly in that situation.”

So why will we reach the World Cup?

“We can still win the group. And we won’t give up without a fight. And if not winning the group, we should finish second because we are better than Sweden. Simple. Sweden without Zlatan is finding their feet though and they’re improving. They did well versus France. My biggest disappointment of 2016 is not winning in Sweden. We should have and should have had three points more than them, with a better goal difference. We also have a good core group now, with Bruma, Van Dijk, Blind, Strootman, Wijnaldum, Klaassen, Promes, Janssen… And they need to make some steps. I do hope talents like Berghuis, Karsdorp, Vilhena, Ramselaar, Hendrix, Bazoer and even Van Ginkel will make some headway. So, add Robben and Sneijder and potentially other older players – like Vlaar or Van Persie – and we should have a good enough squad to reach the World Cup and make a difference there. We might not have a whole lot of world class players, but we can still forge a world class team.”

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