Preview Latvia – Oranje

Tonight is the big night for Oranje. Another finals to play. Oranje will face Latvia in Riga with a new defence and mostly a new midfield, with Jordy Clasie a shock absentee for the game, as the Feyenoord player returned to Holland with a bowel syndrome situation. He won’t be playing against the Latvians and Daley Blind will now definitely play in the central midfielder role.

Hiddink does not seem to have many secrets. “We need to attack and score goals, so we’ll play Robin and Klaasjan together. It works well enough and with those two we will definitely keep their defence busy.”

Depay will play on the left and Narsingh on the right. The back line will consist of Depay’s team mate Jetro Willems, former partners BMI and De Vrij and Greg van der Wiel on the right. Van der Wiel is a surprise for me. I felt Janmaat was a better option, as he has played well with De Vrij for quite a while. But Janmaat and Hiddink seem to have lost it in their relationship ever since the former Feyenoord man was blamed for the loss against the Czechs and was even ignored by Hiddink for a number of games.

oranje riga

It’s quite interesting that last time around, when Oranje played two matches and Clasie was surprisingly ignored in favour of De Jong, the little Feyenoord midfielder also bailed with an injury. Now, after he played in the starting line up in the US friendly, he has to make way for Blind again and suddenly he is injured again. And returning home. Coincidence? Or is Clasie fed up with the antics of his coach?

We’ll find out some time I suppose.

Hiddink did not mention a rift at the press conference and further confirmed that in his eyes, the defence (and defensive midfielder) were not the only ones to blame for the defeat against Team USA. “Defence starts up front. If the forwards and midfielders don’t join in, any defence is helpless.” But…despite these words, all defenders and the defensive mid are being replaced.

guus letland

The only reason BMI is back in the team is because Vlaar is injured and BMI and De Vrij work well together. Hiddink wanted to focus on the offensive side of the game, as it is a must win match. “If we don’t win we will lose control and don’t have our future in our own hands. We can get 15 points in total, and if we do, we will finish second and qualify for the Euros.”

The Riga stadium wouldn’t be fit for a Jupiler match, with stands lacking behind one of the goals. That is now a parking spot. It won’t be the first time a missed goal attempt hit a car and took a side view mirror.

daryl latvia

Daryl Janmaat lost his spot in the squad after the Czech game but doesn’t want to discuss that situation. “I made a mistake. I can see now that I had to have handled that situation differently. You need to make those decisions quickly and I was doing something on impulse that belongs to the Eredivisie but not at this level. I paid my dues. But I was happy that the coach invited me back for the Spain game. I think we need to stop looking at that game now. We lost. We are in a position where we need to get our act together and make this happen. I don’t want to look back but forward.”

Daley Blind will move from left back to centrally in midfield. The former Ajax prodigy: “I get that question a lot. What spot do I prefer. I don’t mind where I play. I want to play. I’ll play wherever the coach needs me. And tonight it’s midfield.” Blind will play with RVP and Sneijder on one midfield and will need to guard the balance in the team. Against Team USA this didn’t work out too well and the Americans had a free road towards Cillesen, at times. “The US Game was tough. The space was too big, the space between the lines. We simply couldn’t play compact and we failed to keep possession. Once we can play compact, we are a tough team to play against.” Asked whether Latvia could be a banana peel for Oranje. “Well, we already slipped enough times… We played well at home against them, but this is a different game. We need to be 100% focused because these days you can lose against any team, it seems.”

Daley

One player who impressed Hiddink and his staff but who won’t start is Steven Berghuis. The lanky AZ midfielder/winger was a revelation, said Hiddink. “That is a good lad. Normally young players need some time to adjust to the pace with Oranje. But he did very well when the foreign players weren’t yet here. Usually, when the likes of Van Persie and Huntelaar join in, the pace is pushed up even more. But Berghuis didn’t seem to care. He was one of the best players at times.” The seasoned coach will not start Berghuis, but the youngster has a similar threat as Robben, playing as a lefty from the right and scoring many goals after drifting inside. We might see the former Twente and VVV player make his debut.

RVP 50

Robin van Persie could score a record 50 goals for Oranje tonight. This has never happened before. “It might help even, scoring a record goal. We are under pressure and can use a lift. But to be honest: I love it! I love the pressure. We all feel this is a key game. Bring it on.”

I think we will tear the Lats apart and prove to the world and ourselves this was all an incident. I think we’ll be 3-0 up at half time. Sneijder, Huntelaar and Van Persie scoring. We will add two more in the second half, with Depay scoring one and Huntelaar adding his second to the tally.

Iceland and Czech Republic will draw 0-0.

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67 comments

  1. I am not able to watch the game, looking at the commentary on espnfc.com and it looks like no player on this team can really finish the opportunity.

    We really struggle without Robben.

    1. its not co in incidence,ask any normal fan of Manu or intelligent fan of Manu..Both will say Manu played crap with RVP and they faced goal drought when he played..i am not blaming missing chances everyone has it…But RVp availabilty, and speed is very poor ever since he showed age symptom..U cannot score with RVP up front any more..He is done deal..Manu will sell him to Juve or so.they will good amount too….only blind blind people will expect RVP return after seeing him for last 1 one year playing like real crap.But still he is way better than Headlesschikens afellay,Promes etc ..that i must agree..

  2. It took too long to score but we won and that’s what’s important. Now on Septembre we’ve 2 crucial games against Iceland at home and then away against Turkey.

    Hiddink needs to find his starting XI and our players need to shake off their vacations because we really need to win both those games.

    RVP has to be benched. He is so out of form.

  3. Well this was a very lacklustre performance, although we take the win and move on to the Czech Republic.
    Blind kills the game for me, he is always looking square or back, at least his ball for Narsingh was nice, but anyone could have played that ball, we will struggle with him in the DM spot going forward. For the rest I think Snjieder and RVP look the busiest , they were trying to make something happen, Depay had moments late in the game but I was expecting more, Hunter meh!
    Willems got a chance but we will see if he did enough to keep a starting spot, but the defense was not really under a lot of pressure as Latvia sat well behind the ball for most of the match.
    We really had trouble breaking down their defense, thankfully we did with a lucky goal to Gorgino not long after coming on.

  4. @Tiju1234: every striker goes through difficult periods, they can’t be playing well all the time especially if they are have a lot of injuries just like RVP had this past year.

    @Steve M: THANKS FOR THE LINK!!!.

    1. @Miguel..if u think RVP problem is out of form,then its a horrendous mistake..He is aged and over all play is diminished,even if he doesnt score he can play like kuyt ..but he is pathetic,it affcets the the team,it affects the scoring chances,especially speed and Stamian has word in football.RVP is pathetic for an year.RVP is injury fre now and he is 31 year old and experienced player too.he will sold form Manu i think and will sit in Juve bench by watching Morata scores and out plays him…best thing is turkish league is for him now..form out is different and pathetic style of play is different..we must be able to distinguish form out and unimprovable pathetic play due to age or intelligence eg Promes,Afellay not RVP)

  5. I did not watch the first part, just the second one. Dutch were quite predictable as they played through Depay only. With all my respect to his talent, Depay completely neglected to play with Huntelaar. He tried to do everything alone and it was very difficult to go through the maroon wall. That was the reason why Hunter was not visible as he was not fed by ball. Not sure whether it was a tactical move by Hiddink that Hunter would attract several defenders and create space for Depay. If that is a case then Depay did not do a good job. With respect to defense, I saw some progress. Although Latvia did not bother much, central defenders were very cautious and solid. I remember when Dutch played with Latvia in Holland, they still made several terrible mistakes in defense. However, in Riga I did not see that. I think return of Robben and appearance of van Ginkel or Strootman in the midfield will significantly strengthen Dutch. Without them Oranje will look very average and it will be difficult to win over Iceland and Czech.

    1. I hear you. I think Hunterlaar’s first goal attempt was with 10 mins to go or so?
      What do you think about forcing Depay to play on the right and Robben on the left instead of the other way around? Then they couldnt do their trademark moves where they predictably dribble to the middle and then shoot for the goal themselves. Hunter would probably see more and maybe in general there would be more movement and interplay up front.

  6. ——————-Cillessen——————–

    —-Janmaat—-DeVrij—-Vlaar—–Willems——

    ———–Clasie—-Nigel—–Sneijder———

    ——-Robben——Huntelaar——Depay———

  7. Van beek can do nijels job,stroot and hendrix too..
    over all i feel when u play with Roben and Depay,u better dont play with any striker…
    like this
    ————Cillessen—————-
    Janmat——Devrij—–Vlaar—-Williams
    ——————Vanbeek————-
    ——–Clasie———–Klassen
    —————-sneijder————-
    —-Roben——————-Depay———–
    then comes bench
    ———-krul/vorm/Zoet/Vermeer———
    Vanrhijn—–Virjil—-Kongolo—–Buttner
    —————–Hendrix————–
    ——-Strootman———-Ginkel——-
    Wijnaldum/Berghuis—-Hunter—Berghius/wijnaldum

  8. It seems like we were mediocre again. But a win is a step in the right direction. I still don’t have a lot of faith mainly because of Hiddink. The more I see this team play the clearer it becomes that LVG is miles ahead of Hiddink as a coach. Dammit I can’t stomach Hiddink. Under him we can beat Spain and lose to Turkey or some other 3rd tier team. Let’s hope for the best.

    1. Remember, many people did not have faith in LVG before the world cup either.

      I have faith in Hiddink. He hasn’t had one game where all players have been available. The team individually just isn’t as good as two years ago when we were steaming through qualifiers.

  9. For the two crucial games against Iceland and Turkey in my opinion this is the best lineup that Hiddink can come up with.

    ——————-Cillessen——————–

    —-Janmaat—-DeVrij—-Vlaar—–Willems——

    —–Van Ginkel—-Blind—–Sneijder———

    —-Robben——Huntelaar——Depay———

    1. I think that these games are too important to hand van Ginkel the creative responsibility in midfield. Let him play a full season at any team first, then he can prove himself in Oranje.

  10. ———————Cillessen——————–

    ————-Bruma—–DeVrij—–Vlaar———–

    —–Janmaat—————————Willems—-

    ———-Wijnaldum—-Clasie—Sneijder———-

    ———-Robben—–Huntelaar—–Depay———-

  11. It will make a huge difference in September if Robben Strootman and Vlaar are back and fit..

    Qualification is in our hands but we still have to take the chances, I hope Hiddink can find a way to inspire some beautiful football.

  12. To me the biggest questions about the players choices are around N de Jong and van Persie. Its not a secret that they are now in the twilights of their careers… maybe they need to follow Kuyt and retire to allow some younger players step up.
    Is that best for the long run, or, is it worth it to keep them around the squad for sharing their experience with next generation?
    There are many young players who I think need to get the experience so they can continue to improve..
    What do you think – can RvP and NdJ still do it at the highest level? I guess we’ll probably have to wait to see where they end up after summer, but based on last season I would say RvP is definitely is not at the top level of his position anymore. I really hoped he would get some extra years since he spent so much time injured in his career, but I guess that’s wishful thinking since he really looks a lot older over the course of this last season.
    And although Nigel is still probably one of the better CDMs, it’s hard to tell when he is in Italy and his club finishes 10th.. both he and Robin are too slow now and also maybe too injury prone to fully depend on – so how will they be in another year when the tournament begins?

    It’s also a little sad to say, but Robben and Sneijder are getting there too – but, I think these 2 have proven they can definitely still compete!!

    1. If last summer is anything to go by- Nigel still has it. Nobody from the Netherlands can boss the midfield like he does, and I think he inspires other players to never give up.

  13. Those who follow Serie A will know why De Jong has been a key figure for the Milan side.maybe not in attack but in defence he well might be ranked in top 3 given his terminator attitude

    if Nigel De Jong becomes a free agent today,Van Gaal will be first man to come running to capture him because he is the type of player who is part of missing puzzle for him in the 4-1-4-1 formation at Man United.I think Milan wont let him go cheap and given his age his transfer to Man United wont be justifiable and for this reason Van Gaal has cooled down on his avaliability.but again it all about how effectively you can utilize De Jong with his one dimensional game.he would have perfectly fit in 4-1-4-1 formation as a destroyer and this is why Van Gaal was so optimistic about him which led to him in talks with Milan for a possible transfer.

    given the toughness of Euros he is a must for NT and and 4-1-4-1 is the best formation to build the team around. Also in this formation his speed factor wont be any issue.

    1. Actually he basically is a free agent, only under contract until June 30 so Milan won’t be able to get any $ for him..
      He should leave Milan anyways, they were just awful this season.

      1. well the incoming new coach for Milan Sinsa Mihajlovic plans to use De Jong as the anchor man in Diamond midfield formation and has requested for his contract to be renewed.

        either way Mihajlovic wont let De Jong go without a fight should he decide not to sign a new contract.

        but on a positive note jackson Martinez has already agreeded to join milan and with a new coach more signing are expected in coming months as milan looks to bloster their squad.

        1. Well hopefully Nigel is smart and he will move to a top club. But it looks like he mostly cares about fashion these days so maybe he will stay in Milan. 😉
          Hahaha how is Martinez going to Milan positive for Dutch football?

          1. Steve, De Jong has been the most consistent player for Milan and the reason why Milan was awful was simply because of no depth in the squad. If Milan can bolster the squad for next season which is well under way, I don’t see any reason why De Jong should move and I doubt anybody body will folk out extras for him then what he is getting at Milan.

            Off course Van Gaal is big admirer of his, But I doubt he will be guaranteed a spot in starting lineup.

            A player of his calibre, I dont think Milan will let him go free.

          2. Milan has no choice, he is out of contract in a couple weeks so he can go wherever he wants to.

  14. was a step down in the performance compared to USA game and even the first leg when NT demolished lativa 6-0.

    Agree with AZ,vs USA the game was free flowing with hunter continously fed with crosses and this is where he was clinical compared to vs Lativa where is was more a passenger with more no service.

    this is where inverted wing system can be very boring.

    1. Iceland looked impressive vs Czech.They are a composed team and if NT continue to relish on missed opportunties they could well find themselves on receiving end.

  15. for me Jetro williams seems a real deal..could be a dangerous winger can attack and defend..
    what about the left of
    Williams as winger and Buttner as LB…that would be awesome for Hunter type guy.

      1. wilson…am not saying williams is great LB or do play him as LB..he lacks bit intelligence and antcicipation,may be he gets older he will have that i am not sure about it..But he is an effective dribbler who is able to produce chance for team mates to deliver a gaol or assit..if he doesnt go to chelsea,real and Mancity he will become a great player…hope he stays with PSV for another 2 years as he is still young and must follow the path of Wijnaldum.

          1. overated article. He needs proved himself defensively or at a top level like CL.

          2. he was average in EL last season and it still remains to be seen how he performances in CL for PSV. Why do people forget about Buttners performance vs Bayern.

          3. Agree about the article, but admit that’s a pretty cool trick!
            Why do you always say people forget Buttners match v Bayern? Why do you think no one sees him but you? That’s strange mate.
            How about that 1 goal he scored last season as well? It was a real beauty!
            No assists though. I hope he improves and performs well consistently to earn a NT spot as well, but he is buried in Russia so it’s harder to do. Although Hiddink spent time in Russia, so who knows. Has a questionable attitude though. Maybe he is ignored, or blacklisted himself, from the NT for publicly criticizing the last NT manager, bad move.
            Let’s compare…
            Willems is 5 years younger than Buttner.
            Had 2 goals and 13 assists (second highest in his league). Won the league, impressively created 75 scoring chances in 14/15 (3rd highest in the league), 29 more than any Eredivisie defender in a season since 2010.
            I can see why Willems has a higher market value rating.

          4. Steve I have never seen any player contain Robben like the way he did vs Bayern and I have never seen Willems put his body on line like how Buttner does.
            he needs to prove himself in big games or with top teams.

            Its a pity Buttner had a fallout with Van Gaal prior to him moving to Man United and I think his frustration on Van Gaal for shutting him out for WC was legit and this is the reason he left for Dynamo Moscow.

            I think one reason why he is being overlooked is jus becuase of the minutes he has featured for Dynamo moscow. Their coach have rotated the team consistantly using three different LBs and this is why is has only managed 19 games this season and this could be one reason why he not being overlooked.

            It will take another game like Mexico for Hiddink to realize Willems weakness.

            PSV is in CL and this could be best place to gauage him rather than using his stats from eredivise which doesnt prove anything.

          5. i am saying williams as LB not as left winger..williams is a great winger coz he is ridiculously talented, i would say a better dribbler than Depay too..
            but as LB he has his own flaws but looks like he is rectifying it..Jetro needs support from the winger on left…
            @wilson buttner is good so is williams both has flaws,both would be better than Blind as LB in future if they grow up well.But there will always be bisaed and corrupted minds..Blind will get the node over every one as long as Danny says..we need to live with it..

          6. You can’t judge a player based on 1 match, whether they were good or bad, I think you need at least one consistent season.
            Stats from the eredivisie can prove the same as stats from Russia – and both of those league stats prove a lot more than referencing useless NT friendly matches as well (and especially 1 match v Mexico, where one team has a point to prove and the other team hardly cares).

  16. Manu scoputs are bit stupids they had a golden chance to hire Strootman when he left PSV..stupid guys went for Fellaini,then De maria and Falcao……

  17. since roben is out
    we can go by
    williams—–wijnaldum———depay
    ————Sneijder————-
    ——–Toonstra—-Hendrix——–
    Buttner—–vlaar—-devrij—-Janmaat
    ————-Cillessen—————
    ============================================
    Van annholt—–hunter——–Berghuis–
    —————Clasie—————–
    ——-klassen——-Van beek———
    kongolo—-Reikik—-virjil—–Vanrhijn-
    —————-Vorm/zoet/krul———–
    lets hope Stroot and ginkel comes back soon in team

  18. What worries me the most is RVP selection in NT continues and BMI as LCB….Hiddink must be thinking that BMI stopped Messi vs Latvia…i hope he understand it was just latvia thats why BMI and weil survived..thats the important thing he needs to understand..
    Goal.com is saying hiddink is planning to step down as coach,though this site is artocious..
    i have nothing against Blind playing as box to box runner midfeidlr like Ginkel does,but he is not strong enough to play as hoding mid and left back….Narsingh,Weil,BMI,RVP,Promes needs to thrown out at the earliset..though its hard to throw narsiongh as this guy works hhis butt off…but still we need a better player over there.

    1. Yes, goal .com is shit – but (from @football_oranje): According to De Telegraaf Guus Hiddink could step down as Netherlands boss and let Danny Blind take the reigns.
      On the subject, KNVB director Bert Van Oosteren said to De Telegraaf, “If Hiddink and Blind are ready, the time is right for the KNVB,” before stressing the main goal is qualification for the Euro 2016 final tournament.
      It is not clear yet whether Hiddink will stay on in an advisory role, but all will be decided when the coach meets up with Van Oosteren to review his position next month.

  19. As somebody above mentioned there were rumors that Hiddink would step down and Mr. Blind would become a head coach. I am wondering how different is Blind’s Oranje formation philosophy from Hiddink’s ?….If this rumor is true then it is very timely as Hiddink really struggles to change status quo in Oranje. I also hope Blind is not that hands off as Hiddink as Oranje players always need very strong fist over their head…Also, I hope Blind will form team based on the current status of players but not their past contributions. I have always admired RVP but at this point he does not have to wait for a coach’s decision, rather he needs himself to take off due to the continuing decline in his form. This is how real sportsman should do….

  20. @steve

    Daley Blind was also seen as one of the finest LB in eredivise while playing for Ajax. I think he also won the eredivise player of the year before he moved to Man United. It was jus one game vs France that exposed him and his vulnerability going into the world cup. I was adamant from the very starting after watching that game that he is a liability in team and look at him now. everyone knows he is a pussy and is done at LB and is jus occupying a space in midfield coz with big guns he again will be a liability big time. He compensates his weakness with his attacking play and thats why he has been rated so highly but come NT.

    Jetro Willems again is getting the same kind of reviews as Blind when he first came into spotlight and again vs Mexico he was uprooted and thats why Im bit optimistic about him unless he proves other wise. well unlike Blind he poses that speed and dribbling capabilities but at eredivise level you jus cannot gauge a player from his performance stats.

    1. again Luuk De Jong stances at both Newcastle and Borussia Monchebgladbach should not be forgotten as it gives a conclusive indication of the gap between Eredivise and other dominant leagues.

      Luuk De Jong was in the same form for Twente as in PSV now when he moved to bundasliga but collectively couldnt handle the intensity of top flight competition.
      thats why when it comes to rating eredivise players its better to gauge them either at CL or EL level or simply when they move to other leagues.

      Lets also wait and see how Depay handles the intensity of EPL compared to Ashely Young whobis well accustomed to it.

      This is another reason why I rate Buttner over willems.He has already featured in three different leagues including eredivise and is well accustomed to the top flight competitions.Champions League,Europa League,English Premier League,Russian Premier league vs Eredivise.

      1. Russia is nowhere near a top league!
        You don’t have to tell people here about differences between leagues mate.

        So does that mean Blind, van Aanholt and Pieters must all 10x better than Buttner?

        I would love to see Buttner get a chance if he improves, but unlikely to happen from Russia.
        And although Russia is a more valuable league than eredivisie it is still not even close to being a “dominate league” either.

        1. Steve mate can you quote where I said Russian Premier league is a dominant league.you have lost the plot here. I was refering to bundasliga as a dominant league comparing luuk De Jongs performance in both leagues.

          The psychological mind set of eredivise still being intacted needs to change.it has long lost its fertility with young talents
          not maximizing their development to the full potential and ending up struggling at international level. This is a fact and the results is right in front of us.
          This is the reason why Hiddink has being stumbling and exerting the the whole pressure.

          As for Buttner, after Blinds performance vs USA,I dont think Blind will ever start their again and if he does,Danny Blind will be the coach and not hiddink. im positive Buttner/Annholt will be Willems back up or vice visa come next set of qualification.

          1. Hahahaha ok how have I lost the plot now? I didn’t say you think Russian is a top league anywhere.
            You are as bad at reading as you are at writing.

            Ok I will tell you what I think, even though it is pointless because you don’t listen to people… let me read your post again.
            You are all over the place.

            Hahaha vice visa!

            Do you really make all your big decisions about players based after friendly games?

          2. Also you missed my point, which is that you don’t have to tell people here the differences between the leagues.
            Everyone here already knows that the German and English leagues are higher quality than the Eredivisie. (it’s obvious that L de Jong will do better in holland so it’s a waste of time for you to explain this)

          3. lets dont turn this into a english class mate but “Dominate league” I dont to what to make out of it,maybe it your auto correct error.

            This is how you have lost the plot,I was comparing Buttner to Willems based on their performance in domestic leagues.

            Buttner- Eredivise/EPL/Russian PL/champions league/Europa League

            Willems- eredivise/ Europa league

            From where did you bring your “dominate League” theory.

            As for my grammatical errors or spelling errors,its hard to prove read when im on my phone and I dont want to sub correct when I have already posted.

          4. @ steve.

            It is only in the Friendlys NT usually play with the big guns and this is where the depth in the squad is usually tested compared to the qualifications where they usually play lower ranked teams where the loop holes are sustained.well Iceland and Czech suprised them though.

            NT vs Lativa,NT vs USA,I think everybody knows in which game the depth in the NT squad was exposed.

          5. Sorry, it was late when I typed “dominate league”.
            I thought it would be funny to put a spelling mistake in quotes, just for you.
            Interesting that you get all hung up on that word (which referred directly to your L de Jong tangent) and again ignore my only question to you, and ignore my only question to you.

            Here is what you said that I was referring to “again Luuk De Jong stances at both Newcastle and Borussia Monchebgladbach should not be forgotten as it gives a conclusive indication of the gap between Eredivise and other dominant leagues.”
            Hahahaha
            Your horrible writing aside, I wanted to be clear that you did not think Russia was one of those leagues after your tangent about Luuk de Jong.

            Haha “prove read” – I do think it is hilarious that you pretend to be so wise all the time, posting on everyones comments as if you are the authority, and now you want to get technical about language but you don’t even know how to spell players name correct! I think I will continue to make fun of this.

            Will type my thoughts on your bad comparison Buttner/ Willems and Blind shortly.
            But its probably pointless, since you will probably change your point when you are wrong as in the past.

            And do you really think this is true:
            “It is only in the Friendlys NT usually play with the big guns and this is where the depth in the squad is usually tested compared to the qualifications where they usually play lower ranked teams where the loop holes are sustained.”
            Hahahahahaha you have no idea

    2. it seems like Bas Dost on the verge of joining Newcastle. would be bit disappointing to see him miss the chance of playing in CL.but I guess with Max Kruse being scooped by wolfburg from Broussia Monchengladbach,he might well become second fiddle to him.

  21. I think Blind is a great player. I remember how he played during the WC and he was outstanding. The game against Spain he gave 2 amazing assists and throughout the tournament he showed he is Oranje material.

    Blind needs support from someone like Nigel, just like Clasie and Wijnaldum do. There’s no other midfielder who can handle with the holding spot just like Nigel does (if fit).

  22. man city authoritaivly beaten by ajax is several times,i mean EPL champions beaten by Eredivse champs…only problem i see with eredivise teams are they concedes goals easily ,if defense is tighten up,eredivise team can stand up vs other league teams..
    Luuk is an intelligent player who requires intelligent players around him.he can be letheal with ginkel .clasie kind of players..but he will choke with other Epl headless chickens..luuk is a team player and a champion player who fits in a champion team..kind of luca toni in 2006 for italy..

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