Tag: Narsingh

by Jan

Feyenoord Phoenix??

The Phoenix rises from the ashes. The question is: will Feyenoord? While Ajax and PSV both are facing issues, Feyenoord must be in crisis. Ajax is struggling with the exit of De Ligt and De Jong and the fact that most of the other lads who were believed to leave, aren’t leaving… It’s luxury issues, for Ten Hag. He’ll fix it.

And it might not be in time or enough, for another huge CL campaign, but Ajax will win the Dutch title with one hand tied behind their back, one foot in a cast, two fingers in the nose and a blind fold.

PSV has issues too. It needs to reshuffle and re-invent themselves with the exit of Luuk de Jong, Angelino and now also Lozano.

But Van Bommel will. Business as usual for any coach. And yes, Mark is young, but he will most certainly become a great coach. And with Gakpo, Malen, Guti, Ihattaren and others (and Schwaab returning) PSV will be able to secure the second spot (and another shot at CL football next season).

But Feyenoord. Once the pride of The Netherlands…. The first Dutch club to win the European Cup in 197o. The first club to win the World Cup for clubs. The last club to actually win a European Cup as well… Once, the Richest Club of the World (c).

Feyenoord’s biggest prospect: Kokcu (sadly decided to play international for Turkey)

Today, the club is not well. To say the least.

There are no amazing talents coming through (Kokcu is the only real talent)

The two centre backs are getting on and not getting any quicker

The main striker (Jorgensen) is injured

The newcomers are either pint sized players from the Championship (Kelly), or rejects from the Championship (Narsingh, Fer – both not match fit) or failed former stars on loan (Karsdorp).

Narsingh (right) and Leroy Fer (left)

Striker target Ricky van Wolfswinkel is injured. They discovered a brain aneurism, by chance, when they treated him for concussion. Ricky is 6 months out, at least.

But more important than all these typical football things, there are bigger problems to deal with:

There is hardly any cash (compare that to Ajax!).

The technical manager Martin van Geel left and is replaced by inexperienced part time ex-player Sjaak Troost, who engaged the services of player manager (!) Rob Janssen… The fox in the hen house?

The general manager Jan de Jong asked to be relieved form duties as he doesn’t agree with the long term vision of the board.

So, Feyenoord is facing some serious issues (financial, new stadium, new players, youth development and entrance into the football pyramid) but there is no management team (other than a commercial manager).

Jaap Stam, the coach, was surprised to hear that right back Jerry St Juste was going to be sold to Mainz,  one day before the important EL qualification game vs Dynamo Tiblisi. And yes, this meant money would come in (8 mio euros) for replacements but there was no replacement ready for that important match. Karsdorp would come in later.

Fortunately for Feyenoord, Tiblisi didn’t seem too good and Feyenoord won 4-0, but with Karsdorp the Rotterdam Pride dropped 2 more points in the competition vs Heerenveen 3 days later.

Left, AZ general manager Robert Eenhoorn (right, Max Huiberts, AZ technical manager)

Stam is scratching his head. He needs to deal with the inexperienced Troost and his agent friend Rob Janssen, while Stam prefers to work with his own manager and friend Henk van Ginkel (and former Feyenoord goalie Henk Timmer) who are both rivals of Rob Janssen. Nice one!

In their search for a new technical manager, all the usual suspects declined. Joris Matthijsen will stay with Willem II, Ferry de Haan with Excelsior, Henk van Stee with Sparta and Max Huibers at AZ. And with reason.

In search of the new general manager, AZ general manager Robert Eenhoorn is the dream candidate. Eenhoorn is from Rotterdam, and a life long Feyenoord supporter (!). He’s got experience in US pro sports (he played short stop for the New York Yankees) and has experience in leading a pro football club with success at AZ Alkmaar.

But Eenhoorn will be cautious. As Feyenoord is facing some strategic issues.

Steven Berghuis, the new talisman

One huge issue is Feyenoord’s new home. The current Kuip is still the most amazing place to watch football, but the stadium is really old and not equipped for the modern game (with sponsor boxes, restaurants, meeting spaces, toilets (!), etc). And it might not be the safest anymore… The new stadium plans are still in contention. Some people think the traditional Kuip needs to be renovated, others believe Feyenoord needs to build from scratch someplace else. The finances for this adventure are still not secured.

Another huge issue is the influx of new money (and not just for the stadium). Feyenoord is rapidly losing ground on Ajax and PSV and some people in the club want to bring in an investor. Some US based investors were/are interested but Feyenoord will have to let go of their autonomy. Rumour has it they demand a seat on the board and want to be in on the decision which coach will be appointed. Conditions most of the Feyenoord die-hards aren’t too happy with. So for now, the investors will be kept out, but for how long?

Centre, with Stam, Wouter Burger, another young talented midfielder

Another problem Feyenoord has is their position in the so-called football pyramid. The Feyenoord 2 team does not play competitive football, like Ajax 2, PSV 2, AZ 2 and most other pro clubs. Not only are Feyenoord’s talents tested less as a result, some talents have decided to leave the club for a different club where they can play on a weekly basis and some talents simply won’t consider signing for Feyenoord due to this situation. This was a massive mistake by Feyenoord’s previous management (not entering the Feyenoord 2 team) and now it’s hard for Feyenoord to enter into the pyramid.

Add to all this, the fact that Jaap Stam was selected as the head coach due to his attacking vision of football, a vision he hardly can translate to the pitch as the foundation of last year’s team is gone. Three key players are gone (Vilhena, St Juste, Van Persie) and three key players are injured (Jorgensen, Toornstra, Van Beek). This means Stam needs to work with a team that is half new, with players who have yet to learn to play together and some of these players like rhythm / match fitness (Narsingh, Fer, Karsdorp). Not a great situation for Stam to try to play his dominant style of play, with a high press and precise passing.

Sven van Beek’s comedy capers moment vs Southampton in the pre-season

But, on the bright side, PSV and Ajax dropped points as well. It seems that this season, the third spot should be Feyenoord’s, at least. And depending on how PSV fares, it might even reach the 2nd spot. Tibisli was not a tough opponent either and Feyenoord should be able to reach the Europa League group stages and give the season some more flair.

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by Jan

Oranje polishes up its game with a win

The victory over Poland doesn’t get us to the Euros… It doesn’t get us three points. But it will lift the pressure of Danny Blind and his staff. It will boost confidence going forward. And it gives us all a good feeling.

Poland is not France or Germany, of course. And they are simply prepping for the Euros. But it is a good win still.

Holland played better than against Ireland. The dynamics Blind wants to see worked out better. Crisper passing, better mobility and more courageous balls forward.

Vincent Janssen showed how useful he can be when used right. Against Ireland, he moved well but was never found. Against Poland, he still moved well and was given opportunities to score a couple. He is the real deal. Played at second pro level last year for FC Almere. And seems to make the steps up without too much issues. A glorious left foot, great positioning awareness and cool as ice.

janssen berghuis

Poland didn’t play bad but failed to register some real opportunities for themselves. A slip in the back (Bruma, Tete) was the lead in to their opportunities. And a perfectly hit corner kick from Milik’s glorious left foot and Van Ginkel zoning out got them their goal.

One has to say: conceding from set pieces is a worry. Van Dijk vs Ireland not awake. Now Van Ginkel… But at least we don’t concede from open play, which is good (always focus on the good too!).

janssen poland

Steven Berghuis was a bit hot and cold but for a young player without rhythm, it wasn’t bad at all. You can see why Watford wanted him and why Blind relies on him. His type is rare. He’s fast, has a decent dribble and a tremendous left foot and vision.

We need all sorts of players. The power and brilliance of Memphis (when in form), the length and leadership of Luuk de Jong, the speed of Narsingh, the vision and passing of Berghuis, the aerial threat of Dost and hopefully soon the experience and skills of Van Persie and Sneijder. Add to that the world class talent of Robben and we can look hopeful towards the future.

wijnaldum

Kevin Strootman looks strong and confident and it will be a matter of time before he will be his own self. Wijnaldum, Propper, Van Ginkel, Blind… all decent utility players and if we can cement our back four a bit better (Vlaar, De Vrij, Bruma, Van Dijk, Willems, Riedewald, Kongolo, Van Aanholt, Veltman, Janmaat), we should be able to sort ourselves out.

Danny Blind is keen to use this period to cement his ideal September line up. I don’t expect too many changes in the line up vs Austria. Blind: “I think Austria is the strongest of the three opponents. They had a tremendous qualifications campaign and with Janko and Arnautovic up front and a player like Alaba at the back, they could well be the surprise team this Euros.”

Keving Strootman will come in again to start, as skipper, after his 20 mins sub turn vs Poland. This might go at the expense of Van Ginkel. “I don’t want to change too much anymore. We need to start solidify a team.”

kevin aus

Dick Advocaat spent his first week with this Oranje. It is not hard to see what kind of coach he is. The perfect field trainer. Like Blind he has a whistle around his neck, like Blind, but unlike Van Basten. The first days he observed. “That is key. Take a step back and watch them do their thing. Some of them had a disappointing season, some are not 100% fit, some are worried about their future… It was a long season.” When the players do an 11 v 11 game, Dick coaches one team, San Marco the other. Marco coaches with his normal voice. Talks a lot. Dick is more quiet but when he does say something, he uses the deep and hoarse yelling voice. “Bazoer! They’re moving away from you behind you. Pay attention!” or “Bruma, if you tackle, do it for a full 100%!!”.

Dick Advocaat took over from Van Gaal in 2002. The former Man U coach wasn’t able to coach Oranje to the World Cup and Dick needed to mend things. Jeffrey Bruma: “Yes, we spoke about that. We need this to happen again. Immediately back to the big stage.” Advocaat was given the job back then on the advice of the failing Van Gaal. “Louis felt I was the right man to take the older players and get them to perform again. We needed to squeeze all out of them and I did it. Back then, people wrote that that generation was done for. Like they do now. But I will never write off any player. They usually do that themselves by not performing. If a player is good enough at 18 or 38 years old, all fine by me.”

dick marco

You sometimes need an old sly fox to come up with a tactical decision that can change things. Like Van Gaal demonstrated at the World Cup when he brought Krul for Cillesen at penalty time vs Costa Rica. Some people think Oranje should use the PSV core, as they have the dynamics in place already. Put another player for Arias, another defender for Moreno and Strootman in place of Guardado and Robben for Narsingh. Dick: “Really? So Bazoer and and Memphis and Janssen? That would be a shame.”

Dick Advocaat likes to taunt his players and the vibe in the group has changed with the former FC Den Haag icon. Van Aanholt worked with him at Sunderland. During the training game, Advocaat yells at Patrick: “Hey Van Aanholt, you’re up against Promes. Peace of cake, yes?” Danny Blind: “It is important to have someone like him in the group. I think Marco and I are more detached. We keep our distance a bit. Dick really is very open and warm with the players.” Jeffrey Bruma: “Dick is a very warm and friendly guy with great anecdotes, but watch out: he is also very direct and tough.”

memphis dick

Memphis is doing sprint training. Advocaat observes. Memphis steals a yard the first time. And the second time. And the third time. It’s not rare. Rafael van der Vaart used to do this. Willem van Hanegem and Johan Cruyff would hide in the bushes during running training to smoke a quick cigarette. Advocaat: “I see it. But I don’t say anything in the group. I walk over to Memphis after training and say “I saw you making short cuts. Fine with me. But show me in the match that you deserve it.”

Advocaat: “Normally, a group selects itself. Perform at club level, work hard during Oranje sessions and deliver. Usually, the right options present themselves. But this is a very hungry group. They love being here and we have some guys who love to laugh and we also have some odd types… I like that. There is a mix. I want them to give everything for themselves. And I leave them space to do so in their own way. But, it is quite simple: if you don’t perform, you’re out.”

 

 

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by Jan

Year of Truth for PSV

PSV seemed to join the ranks of Dutch behemoths Ajax and Feyenoord over the last 15 years with a huge string of titles. The last years, however, PSV had to allow two non-Top-Three clubs (Twente and AZ) to snatch the title while Ajax won it twice in a row now.

Fred Rutten had to make way, just like 95% of the squad was renewed over the last two years. The designer behind this renovation is Marcel Brands. With Martin van Geel (ex Willem II, ex AZ, ex Ajax and currently Feyenoord) the most “visible” of technical managers in the Dutch Eredivisie. And like Van Geel, he has a history as a player in the Feyenoord jersey (Van Geel also played for Ajax).

Brands succeeded Van Geel when the latter left AZ for Ajax and PSV was happy to snatch the former Feyenoord and RKC midfielder to reconstruct the PSV squad.

You used to be able to find cheap players with a lot of potential, but at PSV it is as if you are throwing big money to young and coming talent?

Marcel Brands: “That has to do with the club where you work. At AZ, we had less means. We had to buy smart. PSV has a higher yard stick. We want to win titles and play along in the CL. This means you have the buy quality. And quality costs more money. At PSV, we need players who can immediately settle in. We used to get players for the future, like Stef Nijland, but that doesn’t work here. Jetro Willems is an exception. He was signed for the C team and immediately made his way in. But players like Narsignh and Wijnaldum are players who are expected to deliver immediately.”

Narsingh was also on Ajax’ hit list. Did you outbid them?

MB: “No. He could make more in Amsterdam. He simply wanted to play for PSV. That is a strong factor, which is often overlooked. We wanted to sign Sighthorsson as well, last year but he picked Ajax. Not because we didn’t offer enough. But because he always dreamed of playing for Ajax. You can’t fight that.”

Don’t you fear that clubs will make use of the fact that PSV is willing to pay top dollar?

MB: “But we aren’t. We set the norm for players. If a club doesn’t want to negotiate, we walk away. We wanted Moisander from AZ, last year. They over-asked and we walked. Same with Jorgensen from Kopenhagen. We are prudent, even though out budget is bigger than other clubs.”


Proof that Brands played for Feyenoord ( standing in the mid row, next to Martin van Geel)

So you changed the squad and technical staff over two seasons. Is this the Year of Reckoning for PSV?

MB: “You can name it what you want, haha. The point is that we have certain expectations. And sometimes, the media share this opinion and then they proclaim us to be the title favorites. But you can only know if this is reasonable when you’re a couple of weeks into the new season. Players need to settle, tactics need to fit, etc. Once it’s August 31, the market closes and it’s up to the coach to work with the material.”

The current squad has three PSV talents (Depay, Locadia and van Ooijen) in it. Is that satisfactory?

MB: “We are starting to see talents. I am satisfied about the progression. We can also see it in the Oranje youth teams. We didn’t have starters in those youth teams. We have more and more starters now. We have some huge talents in Eindhoven.”

Were you shocked by the level of the PSV Academy when you came here in 2010?

MB: “The density of talents in Eindhoven is less than Amsterdam or Rotterdam. That is fact. Plus, our competitors spend much more than we do on their Academy. Viktor Fischer of Ajax, has cost them 1,4 Mio euros! We have never paid a fee like that for a youth player! We only invested 700k euros per year on the whole academy! So, the low return is not that strange, considering those facts.”

PSV had a tremendous number of Belgian talents in the youth academy. None of them ever made it through?

MB: “I know. Belgium is part of our service area. It’s only 30 car minutes and you’re in Belgium. But we have now deployed the rule that the further a talent lives, the better he needs to be. We have three quality levels (A, B, C) and players who live further away, like in Belgium, need to be A-level players. We now have a Belgium player in our midst, 16 year old Bakkali, who is definitely A-team quality.”

It was quite a battle to keep him in Eindhoven, right?

MB: “Yes it was. That is today’s football world. Someone from Anderlecht simply stood at the door of Bakkali, to try and get him to sign. And one day before we would sign our contract with him, some unlicensed agent invited him to come and see a Manchester City match. Man City!! The lad is only just 16. Luckily he was strong enough to ignore these people. But there is only so much you can do. We hope to be able to keep a good relationship with the kids’ parents. They are the ones that can be counted on, to take the wellbeing of the kid into account. But, we lost Perreira, who went to Man United. He was 16 years old and it was his dad who forced this move…so…”


Jetro Willems

And now, PSV sold two players to the two Sevilla clubs and is owed 5 Mio euros. Which are not forthcoming…

MB: “this happened before my time. I don’t know all the facts. It’s the Spanish federation that is at fault. In Holland, Germany or England this would never happen. When at AZ, I sold Medunjanin to Valladolid. For 450k. We’d get half in cash at signing and half a year later. That second half was never paid, but Valladolid sold him on to Tel Aviv for 600k and still AZ didn’t get paid. That is just crazy… Only in Spain.”

Remarkable, Dick Advocaat had allowed you to cut away a full time equivalent in his staff? He only works for Ernest Faber and sometimes Cocu as assistant?

MB: “That is result of Dick’s philosophy. He doesn’t want to work with line-coaches. One for attack, one for midfield and one for defence. He rather has one assistant for the whole week, than 3 assistants for 2 days in the week. We also want to invest more in youth academy coaches.”

When is PSV able to invest in a serious way in youth?

MB: “That has to do with our CL qualifications. Once we get acces to the CL, the income stream will increase and we can make some delayed investments. We are still making investments. Narsingh is one example. But we also invested in a heated practice pitch, we renovated the the first floor of the main stands…we do what we can.”


Dickie, always happy to save PSV some money…

PSV also wanted to decrease wages cost in the A-squad. Did that happen?

MB: “Yes, we have a salary cap. 1 million euros gross and no one is paid beyond. When I started here, we had 7 players above that level.”

And suddenly we here in Eindhoven that the title must be won. Must?

MB: “Yes, that is Dick Advocaat for ya. He is the one articulating the objectives loud and clear. THis is also the difference between Rutten and Advocaat. Advocaat is not happy when he doesn’t win anything. Our squad is ready, we have experience and talent in all lines. We are ready.

In the first weeks of the Dutch competition, the hand of Advocaat is not yet too visible.

He has had his run ins with big name players such as Mertens and Wijnaldum and he has also put Matavz and Narsingh on the shame bench. Matavz was too heavy and Narsingh didn’t deliver enough.

Advocaat means business, but he still needs to rule out the lack of consistency of his team.


Dickie: “So I said to De Kromme… I have ball this big! I will demonstrate it to you. In the second half, I’ll sub Robben!”

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by Jan

Rafa leads the way to 4th victory in campaign

Truth be told, I wasn’t totally happy with LVG’s appointment. There were too many aspects in his past and personality I didn’t like. The dramatic series with Oranje in 2000/2001. The antics as a club coach (where some clubs asked him to leave, despite his quality) and his recent JC backstabbing at Ajax…

But…he is a world class coach. Club coach, I would add to that, but now he is demonstrating to the world that he has learned and developed. He is acting the National Team Manager perfectly. His relationship with the players seems to be great. He has clarity and consistency in selection and players’ choices. He has a good mix of assistants ( Danny Blind, cool & collected; up and coming Pat Kluivert for the fun factor and the passion; Ron Spelbos and Edward Metgod, the silent scouts in the background and then the usual goal keeper coach Frans Hoek and the video analysts he used at AZ and Bayern).


“Am I so dumb or are you so smart?!?!?! Oh…hang on… I got it wrong…”

Stekelenburg, Huntelaar, De Jong, Heitinga….they all have seen and experienced how decisive the man can be and they all seem to be accepting of his authority.

Van Marwijk has taught Dutch players that winning ugly is important and sometimes necessary and now we know what winning is (again), LVG will add the Dutch identity back into the mix. Wingers, one holding mid and attacking football.

Rafael van der Vaart played his 102nd cap against Romania and surpassed Phillip Cocu. Gio van Bronckhorst and Frank de Boer are in his sights now (106 and 112 respectively). “I’d be lying if I said it didn’t matter to me….”, the Man of the Match laughed last week.

Two assists and a goal for Rafael van der Vaart and that swagger that adds so much confidence to the team. And what a team it was. Power, speed and skill on the wings. A world class number 9 (RVP or Klaas Jan), creative midfielders and a destroyer in between and strength and speed at the back. I think we’re getting in real good shape (considering Robben, Sneijder and Krul weren’t even present…).


Heitinga celebrating the 2-0 with Martins Indi

So Romania had to concede 4 as well, like earlier in Budapest when we played Hungary.

And luck is always a factor. The free kick on the bar in the first 5 minutes could have gone in. And the penalty shout for Oranje could have been ignored. And all that jazz… But it went as it went and Oranje took the chances and did the business.

12 points out of 4 games.

I think Europe will be paying attention. I’m sure the football pundits and analysts in Spain, Germany, Italy and Portugal will read the papers and think…hmmmm….. Oranje…. :-).

With rumours that Spurs is following Clasie and our center back BMI scored two out of five, to name two facts, I think it’s clear we will reap more and more excitement around this team.

And with RVP finding the net again and that dream header of Lens, we seemed to be in that flow.

And Van Gaal will do everything to keep that flow going. Until end of June, 2014, I’m sure.

As he said when he was appointed: the World Cup is starting against Turkey.

I think he was right. Let’s keep on winning and only stop doing so when that man Blatter is waiting to give us that trophy.


Raf scores the 3-1 from the spot

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by Jan

Playful Oranje wins first two games…

And sets a record too. Ten World Cup qualifications games won, in a row. That record belongs to Bert and Louis of course :-). But this has never been done before by Holland.

And the youthful Oranje learns fast from the old master LVG. Three days after Turkey, Holland plays an even better game (against a weaker opponent…granted…) and scores 4 away goals.

Jeremain Lens scores twice and has one assist as he had to replace Arjen Robben who got a groin response in the warming up. Van Gaal: “I won’t take any chances with players’ fitness. Robben is too important and as we’ve seen, his replacements can do well too. Heitinga had cramp in the Turkey came and I didn’t want to risk an injury for him in this game. Besides, Vlaar is an inch taller, so that helped too against the headstrong Hungarians.”

In the stadium where Bert van Marwijk’s Oranje played great games, the new Oranje started to show itself in full form. It might not have been a flashy game like the Hungary 0-4 game in 2011 but this Oranje did very well.

Lens was able to score his first 3 minutes into the game on a perfect cross by team mate Narsingh. Hungary could equalise after a couple minutes, when Clasie allowed Gera the chance to dive over his leg. Dszudszak didn’t fail but it was Feyenoord defender Martins Indi who headed Oranje back on course on a perfect Sneijder cross. Holland didn’t make that many mistakes this time around, although Clasie was lucky that he wasn’t penalised with a second yellow and second penalty when he handled the ball just before the break.

Oranje defended calmly and had some attractive attacking plays over the wings. It never panicked, even when leader of the pack RVP decided his thigh muscle needed a rest. The hungry Huntelaar would take his place and after Lens’ second goal, the Hunter scored his goal, taking him closer to the record top scorer, assistant coach Pat Kluivert. Huntelaar is now on par with Cruyff and Lenstra.

Skipper Sneijder was pleased but also critical. “Our first half was not great. Our ball circulation was too slow. But in the second half, we improved and played well. Every lose ball was ours, we had speed on the wings and we controlled the game. We also demonstrated that every one wants to work. Everyone is keen to close the gaps. Than football is relatively easy and fun. This makes we are always tight and close and there are several options.”

And truth be told, even Robin van Persie, super striker, was working and challenging where he could.

Bruno Martins Indi was replaced by team mate Joris Mathijsen, as a result of injury as well, while Adam Maher came late to replace Kevin Strootman, who still played a good game, but was less deciding this time around compared to the Turkey game. Strootman was kneed in the back.

Van Gaal: “We got six points, but lost a couple of players: Krul and Fer first. Now Robin, Bruno, Kevin and Arjen Robben…”

Louis van Gaal is a contrarian. Whenever the media are ready to criticise, he defends his team. Whenever euphoria comes up, Louis will criticise his team :-).

“Listen, a 1-4 against Hungary is quite a good result, in Europe. I think we have made a statement these last four days. But… I am not satisfied. Hungary was in disarray in the second half and we didn’t respond good enough. We could and should have scored a couple more. We didn’t take all our chances against Turkey, and this made me sit nervously on that bench. But this time around, we were sloppy with our opportunities again.”

LVG was pleased with Clasie’s performance. “He played well. He did much better than against Turkey. The only criticism I have, is that at times he was too slow to push up for the lose ball. That is part of his job. To be alert and always be in time. That is the objective. And he didn’t manage to do this always. But the whole team deserves a compliment. This team has hardly played together and most are pretty young.”

Van Gaal likes to compliment himself too. “And I am allowed to say my subs were ok? I replaced Robben, had to replace Robben, and Lens didn’t disappoint did he? Huntelaar came in and scored too. And Mathijsen had to come on without a warming up and played strong too.”

When the reporter said to Van Gaal, that despite Van Gaal’s decisions it was actually Lens that scored, not Van Gaal, the coach became prickly. “If I am not allowed to say I coached well today, I will shut up.”

But he finished positively. “This shows that the Eredivisie is actually a strong league. We have technically and tactically strong players. We shouldn’t have allowed that penalty though… but we have good young talents and very good internationally experienced players. Good mix.”

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by Jan

Positive start of LVG's New Oranje…

With a couple of days to digest the first game under LVG Mark II – and one day before the sophomore match – it’s probably a good idea to have brief look back at that campaign opener.

What can we say about the new Oranje?

For starters… What immediately catches the eye, is the fact that for the first time in a long while, Rotterdam dominates this Dutch National Team. For decades, Ajax and PSV determined the “blood type” in Zeist, but with the recent revival of football talent development at Feyenoord, even Ajax-bred coaches like Kluivert, Blind and Van Gaal aim their sights at the working class city of Holland.

Van Persie being a real symbol of Rotterdam of course (although he surely isn’t working class), but players like Clasie, Vlaar, Fer, Kuyt, Janmaat and Martins Indi all have strong links with Feyenoord too. Add to that Stefan de Vrij (injured), who wears the red and white and benchwarmer Joris Mathijsen (currently at Feyenoord) and the three Oranje players who were developed at Sparta ( Kevin Strootman, Jetro Willems and Nick Viergever) and it’s clear that the folks in Rotterdam walk around with their chests out, these days.


The Big Three, enjoying their football and one another….

Another aspect we can mention, is that Louis van Gaal is rightfully so seen as a gutsy coach. He picks players that he feels are the best for the job, for the coming two years. And he has no qualms in selecting youngsters and unproven lads.
“I believe in these lads, they will improve. The older players will have to coach them.”

And where Van Marwijk saw Heitinga struggle at the Euros, this time around Van Gaal used the extra responsibility for Heitinga to draw a good performance out of him.

As all “veterans” did well. Robben worked his arse off to support young Willems on the left flank and created a lot. Robben clearly enjoyed his football and with a bit of luck could have scored twice (one ball was expertly defended by…Robin van Persie?!?! and the other one was a pass by Stevie Wonder Luciano Narsingh that never arrived…

Robin van Persie may not have had the best of games, like Sneijder, but boy that goal was nice. And a carbon copy of his goal against Southampton for Man U. And Sneijder’s assist wasn’t too shabby either. Late in the game, he almost scored another carbon copy goal for Oranje but that half volley just went over.

Man of the Match for me (and many others) was Kevin Strootman. I think he clearly demonstrated to LVG that he IS da man now Mark van Bommel has retired. He is a combination of Bommel, Willy van de Kerkhof and Phillip Cocu. Skill, dynamics, tackling power, vision, passing and leadership.

This Kevin Strootman will end up playing for a big European club very soon.


Poor Tim is out. LVG gives no clue as to who will play… I say Vorm plays…

Lots has been made of the mistakes Holland made in this game (the Dutch media at least) but I am with Louis van Gaal on this one. The only chances Turkey got were the onces we gifted to them, bar two. The early header in the first minute (but Robben was guarding the post, so no problemo) and the header in the second half, from the cross from the right. But as was pointed out to me: Krul had that one covered too.

Other than that, Turkey was able to be threatening thanks to miscommunication between Krul and Martins Indi (BMI: “Krul yelled to me, he said, but I honest-to-God couldn’t hear him… It was such a circus at that side of the field…”) and two momentary lapses of reason by youngsters Janmaat and Willems.

Typical mistakes we saw in the past by players like Frank de Boer and Frank Rijkaard. Both players didn’t alright in their careers…

I have all the faith in our youngsters at the back, like LVG. And I agree with him, yet again! (Scary). You can tell from the way the play, pass, move, that they are the real deal. They look over the ball, they try to make every touch count. They are pure football players. And BMI adds strength and length to that. We should feel blessed.


Louis: “Danny, I’m adamant! Next time BMI runs to me like that, you catch him!!”

There was this one moment in the game where our 18 year old left back made a dummy as if he’d play back, only to turn and play a long diagonal pass to Narsingh, which landed on the winger’s tie. That is pure class.

Same with Janmaat. He made a couple of mistakes, but he also showed he has skills going forward and courage when he has to put his body on the line.

I won’t even discuss BMI as he played as if he’s been part of the team for much longer. The way he tackled Van Gaal right at the end of the game demonstrates to me this bloke should always be called up :-).

In midfield, I felt little Clasie didn’t have a lot to play off in the first half. The Turks tried to crowd out our midfield and the only players Clasie had to bounce to were Willem and BMI. Clasie is not a playmaker, like Sneijder (yet) but more a connection man. He does need players to show up close to him – Barca style – to play his short pass game. In the second half, he could have, as the Turks laid off a bit more and seemed to get more tired. But by then Fer had joined in and took Strootman’s spot. The latter taking the Clasie role.


Meanwhile…elsewhere, the squad is secretly training the collective run to LVG if they score against Hungary….

Strootman played less impressive as a result, bar that final long pass on Narsingh ( inch-perfect) and Fer got the change to shine in the penetration role. Something the youngster does really well! Once Fer is fit again (he’s out for 6 weeks!!) LVG has some decision making to do…. Fer on the right midfield spot and Strootman as holding mid, or Clasie in the holding role and Strootman on the right…

Who knows…?

All I can say is, that this team really gave me confidence.

LVG is a bit of a pompous arrogant thick-neck but he knows his game and he has cojones. AND eggs.

So, all in all, with Van der Vaart, Afellay, De Jong, Elia, Van der Wiel, Pieters and Maher also in the fold, I think we have a very strong squad.

Very strong…

The last thing I want to say, and probably one of the most important things: the lads played as a team. They were hungry. They worked hard. They were focused (look at Krul giving it to Willems when he made that mistake) and they enjoyed playing football together (look at Sneijder and Van Persie walking off the pitch together in an embrace).

All the ingredients are here.

As Louis van Gaal said: the World Cup has actually started already. This was our first game. I’d say: we are on track to reach the finals! Only 16 more games to win :-).


Skipper Sneijder, leading the way to victory

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by Jan

Ferenc: "What the Hungarians think…."

Bad news: No Tim Krul against Hungary tomorrow night.

But the good news is, we do have Ferenc Komlodi.

Ferenc is one of the die-hards on this blog. A old-time Oranje and Barca fan. He has seen all the greats play and is extremely passionate about good football. And he happens to be a great guy :-).

I asked him to write a guest post for us, as he is in Budapest and is in the thick of things over there….

So, here is Ferenc:

“Expectations in Hungary before the Oranje game

Oranje and Hungary met three times in the last two years and the statistics don’t predict any good for Tuesday game’s home team – during 270 minutes the Dutch scored 15 goals (6-0, 4-0, and 5-3). Circumstances are different now, but the difference remains. It seems Hungarian players, coaches and newspapers all are aware of this.
One day after their first qualification game against Andorra (5-0) and three days before playing Oranje, in a Nike store in Budapest three Hungarian players answered to the questions of two dozen football fans.
For Dzsudzsák Balázs (Dinamo Moscow, ex PSV) playing against the Netherlands is always important and very special. “I feel extra motivation because I spent three and a half years there, and some of my former club mates will be in their starting eleven. On paper, they’re favorite, it’s not a shame to say this, but in our team everyone is in good form. I expect a much closer game than two years ago (when Hungary was beaten 6-1) or one year ago in Budapest (4-0 for Oranje).”
Szalai Ádám (FSV Mainz, Germany): “I hope we can accomplish a small miracle. On the other hand our main rivals are not the Netherlands. No problem if we won’t be successful against them. We obviously want to win, but I’m not living in illusions.”
Juhász Roland (Anderlecht): “The Netherlands are the absolute favorite of the group. We don’t plan to fail against them, but if we cannot get a good result, we won’t lose anything. It seems Oranje are not in their best form, and Friday we played well. But we must not forget that Tuesday we’ll meet a totally different team than Friday evening.”


Dszudszak scored against Holland…

László Csaba (ex manager of Ferencváros, Ugandan national team, Heart of Midlothian, current coach of Lithuania) said in a Sunday interview: “My heart says we can win, but avoiding defeat is the most important.” He’s one of the most popular and controversial football pundits in Hungary.
Egervári Sándor, the coach of the national team is convinced that despite the European Championship the Dutch remain one of the best teams in the world with top class players like Robin van Persie, Wesley Sneijder and Arjen Robben. “Even for a draw we should play very good football”, he told to journalists.
The Hungarian sport press is also realistic. The most important daily sports newspaper, Nemzeti Sport expects zero point against Oranje, especially “if they score first, we’re screwed.” But on a good day and if Oranje play like in the first half against Turkey, Hungary can get a result, probably a draw. The question is that on Tuesday evening the Hungarians will be able to demonstrate that they are good enough for playing a balanced game against the Dutch team. Every football fan in Hungary is convinced that Oranje want to regain prestige and do everything for it. The prestige they built up over many years and destroyed over a period of a few summer days…
The press thinks Oranje will win the qualification group with at least three-points advantage, but Sneijder & Co. won’t be able to repeat the 100 percent 2008-2009 qualification campaign however at the end the Netherlands will have 24 points or more. Summarizing, expectations are not high sky in Budapest, but the press is more optimistic than before the last qualification campaign.
Personally, I think the Hungarian team is stronger than the one Oranje beat 6-1 before the 2010 World Cup. Don’t forget, the 2010 game was a meaningless friendly for Hungary; the players were almost on holiday, while the Netherlands were in the last phase in their preparation for South-Africa. This time the circumstances will be different.
I expect a comfortable Oranje win; let’s say 2-0 or 3-1. Oranje are far better in every aspects of the game: they are faster, more physical, technically and tactically superior, bar Dzsudzsák Balázs and captain Gera Zoltán (West Bromwich Albion) none of them would be in the current Oranje squad. The defense is even more error-prone than Heitinga and his colleagues, most of the players are in German, Dutch, English and Russian clubs, but at least half of them are benchwarmers. The midfield and the strikers are more talented than the defenders; this talent might be enough to beat Turkey and especially the current Romanian team in Budapest, but certainly not the Dutch. Nevertheless the Netherlands have to take seriously this game – after so many years Hungary (37th on the September FIFA Ranking) really wants to qualify for the World Cup and a surprise victory on Tuesday evening would boost the team morale. If Oranje won’t take it easy they will easily win.
By the way, the last time when Hungary qualified for the World Cup (Mexico, 1986), they were in the same group with the Netherlands. They surprisingly beat them 2-1 in Rotterdam, and it was the first time when I saw Ruud Gullit, Frank Rijkaard and Marco van Basten. In Budapest Oranje won 1-0 (substitute Rob de Wit scored a beauty), but already qualified, this last game wasn’t really important for Hungary.”

In the EC qualifications 1987:

At home:

And because it’s such a beaut: Rob de Wit, in 1985….

And to make sure we’re on the same page:

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by Jan

Louis wins the press, but loses the match

Most of you know I was not 100% behind the appointment of LVG. I know he is a great coach and knows a thing or two about (good) football but I sort of fear his dark side…

In the last press conference, however, he was more Han Solo than Darth Vader.

It gives me hope!

He manages groups well, in first instance, and he clearly won over the media with his new behaviour.

Most important question: is this a new Louis, or is he merely acting?

Louis gave clarity to a lot of questions prior to the game. About the captaincy, the line up and even the players he’d bring at half time…. And seemingly, in a friendly way. That did promise something for the future :-).

Holland plays with Stekelenburg on goal, Van Rhijn, Mathijsen, Heitinga, Willems at the back. Nigel as sole holding mid and Raf and Wes as forward midfielders. Robben, Huntelaar and Narsingh play upfront in a 4-3-3.

Fairly remarkable was his comment that Huntelaar will be his striker for the near future. About his conversation with Robin van Persie: “Robin struck me in that. He is very intelligent and we had a very profound talk about football and about life. I have not had a conversation this deep with a player for a long time. It felt good and Robin in my eyes is an absolute top bloke. But Klaas Jan did bring more in the orange and he gets the nod now.”

Breaking news: Arsenal and Man United have reached an agreement on a transfer sum for Van Persie. Tomorrow, the ex-Feyenoord man will negotiate with Ferguson about his personal package.

Holland and Belgium. A famous fixture in the past. In the last decades, Holland likes to see Germany as their arch rival, but our neighbours in the south still see us as such. We played them last in 2004. Much too late. We lost 0-1, on a Bart Goor penalty kick. Sneijder, Heitinga and Kompany played in that match too.

The most famous friendly was the 5-5 in Rotterdam in 1999 with an Edgar Davids on fire.

Today’s Belgium played with (former) Dutch Eredivisie players Vermaelen, Vertonghen, Chadli and benchwarmers Mertens, Alderweireld, Simons, Dembele and Pocognoli.

Belgium plays with pressure high up the park against us and Mathijsen looks sluggish. Narsingh on the other hand impresses with his speed and a good cross on Huntelaar. Holland has lots of possession in the first minutes. And it’s also not as “friendly” in the first phase, with celebrated Van der Vaart copping yellow for a sliding on goalie Coutois.

After 20 minutes, Belgium scored. A lucky. Genk striker Benteke receives the ball after a Heitinga block and scores via Stekelenburg’s feet: 1-0.

Five minutes later, debutant Van Rhijn almost scores on a Narsingh cross. Coutois’ fingertips save Belgium here. The Ajax defender is bulldozered 7 minutes later, in the Belgium area, but ref Atkinson refuses to point to the spot.

Oranje is strong in possession but vulnerable in defense. Van der Vaart has the last word in the first half with a distance strike, blocked off by Vermaelen.

In the break, it’s Mario Been on Belgium tv criticizing Mathijsen: “He’s too slow and sluggish. His build up play is lacking.” And Ruud Gullit on Dutch tv: “Huntelaar isn’t found. If you can’t engage your striker, you are playing with 10 men. And Stekelenburg gambled with that first goal. If he would have stayed on his feet, he would have stopped that one. Like with Germany’s second goal at the Euros…”

In the second half, De Vrij, Maher, Viergever and Martins Indi all make their debut. Heitinga, Mathijsen, Willems and Van der Vaart stay in the dressing room. With Van Rhijn in the line up, Oranje plays with all debutant defenders.

Ten minutes into the second half, it’s Martins Indi’s pass to Robben that creates the equaliser. His low cross is too strong for Hunter, but Narsingh – Holland’s best man in the first half – is at the right spot to score the 1-1.

And only two minutes later, the same actors create the 1-2. Martins Indi’s pass reaches Robben who finds Huntelaar available to tap in the second goal.

Stekelenburg keeps Oranje in the game with good responses to shots of Defour and Chadli. Not much later, it’s Robben dribbling past three defenders, only for Belgium to stop him halfway their own area. Martins Indi impresses in possession but is sloppy defending. Chadli gets a free header thanks to the Feyenoord defender’s lack of marking. Stekelenburg saved Holland just moments before.

Stekelenburg actually needs to act more in the minutes after. A Lukaki shot, and Witsel with a tap in, almost. Adam Maher attempts a distance strike, but Coutois saves this time.

Oi, 2-2 for Belgium. De Jong loses possession and Mertens is away. He outpaces De Vrij and scores. Martins Indi offered Mertens a chance earlier too.

And Belgium scores twice in two minutes too. Mertens creating again, this time Lukaki gets the tap in.

Oh dear, another goal two minutes later yet again! Van Rhijn is marking air and offers Mertens all the time to find ex Ajax skipper Vertonghen who beats ex buddy Stekel. Three goals in 5 minutes? Hmmmm…

Van Persie, Afellay and Kuyt remained on the bench.

So Oranje loses with four goals conceded. The fourth defeat in a row. This happened last in 1954.

Captain Sneijder: “The first 20 minutes in the second half were fantastic. And then we make individual mistakes and we lose the game. That is sad, in particular because we all support this new system we are playing. We should look at the positives now and build on that.”

Coach Van Gaal: “Everyone is really emotional. So I didn’t talk to the lads yet. The first half was not great but we did create 6 chances. We had two great goals in the second half but we had trouble with Lukaku. Personal mistakes get Belgium back into the game.”

Mario Been: “It’s clear where the issues are in Oranje. It’s the back four with the problems. Fix that, and you have a good team.”

Arjen Robben: “We learned a lot today. But there is work to do. But despite the result, this were 3 days well spent. We had good talks and the coach gave me clarity where he wants to use me. In Oranje, he believes my ideal spot is on the left. At Bayern, he switched me to the right. I have a preference there, but I am happy to play on the left wing.” Robben had two assists today.

VI editor and analist Johan Derksen, earlier on extremely critical on Van Gaal (calling him a sneaky unreliable backstabber): “I rate Louis van Gaal’s work today an 8 out of 10. He has put the right players on the right spot. He was very logical today. If players make mistakes on the pitch, he can’t really help that. This must have been a useful night for Van Gaal. Here he could see what happens when we are not at our best. We lose against Belgium.”

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by Jan

Player Ratings and our Future

It’s time, with some days behind us for the dust to settle, to do a proper analysis of our current squad, their performance and their future in our Oranje.

We will analyse the coach separately after this post. And then look at our future material. The prospects…

Maarten Stekelenburg
Coming out of a mediocre season it Italy, Maarten Stekelenburg played an ok tournament. He was lucky to stop a number of close efforts (most of them by sheer luck I believe) and did what you expect from a goalie. But to win a tournament, you need your goalie to stop at least that Denmark shot and the second Gomez goal too. He didn’t look too good there. In terms of coaching and defensive management: I do not get the impression he is at Van der Sar level. I believe he is a bit lacklustre in his body language. Aspects were both Vorm and Krul have impressed me more. Although I do not think that Vorm and Krul – being still young – would have faired better in that department. I do believe though, that Vorm would have stopped the Denmark goal and Krul would have stopped the 2nd Gomez one :-). But, Stekelenburg is still going to be in our World Cup squad, although not necessarily as first goalie. If rumours are correct and Vorm moves to Tottenham and Krul to Chelsea, who knows what happens.

Gregory van der Wiel
Came out of a troublesome season with Ajax. Was injured for a while (and Ricardo van Rhijn played Van der Wiel into oblivion) and didn’t return to his full form. Played a bad tournament but showed some good spells in the Portugal game. His defending and passing were under par and his crosses atrocious. Needs to really up his game or could be easily surpassed by said Van Rhijn, Feyenoord’s Kelvin Leerdam or even Ronnie Stam, if he indeed decides to come back to Holland ( PSV). Stam has the right age and playing for Wigan will most certainly have strengthened him. Van der Wiel will need to improve big time. And his post tournament interviews don’t bode well. “There is something wrong between Oranje and me. I can’t play my own game.”

Joris Mathijsen
Didn’t have a great season at Malaga. Was criticised and benched and most likely his legs can’t carry it anymore. He came into the tournament with an injury and was almost out for the whole tourney. Played a bad game against Germany. Showed some positive forward movement in the first 15 minutes of the Portugal game, but drowned with the rest of them. Doesn’t show the leadership and build up qualities we need if we want to play Total Football. Joris was a good soldier for us, but needs to retire. And I wonder if we will be mentioned in ten years from now…

John Heitinga
Did have a tremendous season at Everton. Man of the Season. Doesn’t get better at that level. Johnny won’t win CLs or even European League trophies with Everton but this was a mighty season. But playing central defender at Everton or at Oranje is a different thing. He is not expected to push forward with Everton. At Oranje, he constantly tracked back. Don’t know why, but he did. He also didn’t seem 100% fit. Did he not mention this to Bert? Johnny will be a 2014 player though, and I can even see him making one last jump to Liverpool or Tottenham.

Ron Vlaar
Ron had a big season at a small club ( relatively speaking). Being great at Feyenoord means you can tag along in Oranje. We can’t expect Vlaar to suddenly carry the team. I think he played ok. Any defender would get in trouble against a C Ronaldo on fire. And with Van der Wiel slipping up, the tall (but slow) Vlaar had trouble playing against Portugal. But he could be still valuable. He’s only 26 years old. He’s strong, good header of the ball and a good long pass. Vlaar should have put that Sneijder cross against Portugal away, allowing Oranje a chance at 2-1 to progress. You only get one of those in these types of games and a real winner, a real top player, scores it. Vlaar could be 2014 material, unless Viergever, Bruma and Gouweleeuw develop much better.

Jetro Willems
This 18 year old prospect had a big step up from playing Jupiler league with Sparta to playing Nani and Thomas Muller. I was tremendously excited to see him in the squad, but in hindsight: this only works if a lad like this can settle in a team that operates well. In a Germany or a Spain, Willems would have been great. In this nervous and torn Oranje, it was actually a sorry sight to see the lad struggling. Irresponsible of our coach. Maybe Jetro told him it was all good, maybe the lad is mentally super strong, but was this necessary. If you have Buttner, Emanuelson, Schaars, Bouma, Anita… I think the lad did well, considering… What can you expect? I also believe he has the goods to become a really exciting player. But he needs at least couple of consistent seasons. Man United apparently wants to sign him and that could work out really well, or it could ruin him… Drenthe style.

Mark van Bommel
Had a good season with AC Milan, but in a different system and in a different role. His 35 year old legs can not cope with the gaps we shown between defence and offence, but I don’t think any midfielder could. Maybe Strootman could have been the exception. But he never got the chance to show it. Bommel’s individual game wasn’t too great. He missed his men, he allowed himself to be muscled off the ball… he had great moments and he had bad moments. One also has to question his leadership, if it’s true that there are two camps. But… I can’t imagine Mark continuing in Oranje, so let’s thank him for all the great memories. He gave it what he had, I’m sure. But it’s time for new blood now.

Nigel de Jong
Had an ok season with Man City. People on telly in Holland claim he only played 12 games or so, but that is total rubbish. I watched him weekly ( or Man City) and Nigel was called on anytime City got in trouble. He is still highly valued at City and he had a good season there. He is still strong, committed, focused and playing sober. I think he was the best player we had this tournament! Which is not good news of course. But Nigel deserves to be a squad member still. For sure. He lacks dynamics ( see Strootman) but he surely plug holes and destroy. And apparently, he is a good header too, suddenly?

Rafael van der Vaart
Had an ok season with Spurs. I don’t think they did tremendously well. They should have ended number 3 for that. And Rafa is not as important and influential as Modric is. Rafa is a great player, good vision, good passing, good goal scoring etc. But he’s not a holding mid. So in a 4-2-3-1 he’s not the right man for the holding mid role. He is a playmaker. But if you have Sneijder already…? Do you play them both? And what to do with Van Persie? And on top of that, he’s not getting fitter and not younger either… He will be 31 years old in 2014. Don’t get me wrong: I’m a massive Vaart fan, but… With Maher knocking on the door, and Wijnaldum, Clasie…. If he is in great shape, he could come along. Also, Rafa does need to keep his ego in check. He always thinks he should play. This tournament, last World Cup, I agreed. In 2014, probably not…

Ibi Afellay
Came out of a horrendous injury. Hasn’t played more than 18 minutes for Barca since. Bert thought Ibi could make the difference. This tells me Bert lost faith. It’s ridiculous to think a player who isn’t sensational in the first place (he’s not Messi or Rooney or C Ronaldo) to lift us in three top games in eight days after such an injury. Ibi did well against Northern Ireland (YEA!!). And ok against Denmark. But drowned in his second game against Germany. He was also playing against type (he’s not a left winger) and Bert could have or should have used the only other real winger we have in the squad: Luciano Narsingh.
If Ibi keeps on developing, he will be a key player for us at the World Cup 2014. He played holding mid for PSV for a while and did that really well. I don’t see a winger in him.

Wesley Sneijder
Came out of a troubled season, with injuries and issues at Inter. His mentality and personality – as ever – were great. Good positive vibes. Winner mentality. Humor. And leadership. On the pitch, he was hot and cold. Great in possession, but lazy when he lost the ball. He did show his class and a fit and motivated Sneijder is definitely one of the best midfielders/players on the planet. He does need to keep his ego in check, but with Sneijder it’s relatively easy: make him important and he will carry the responsibility. He will most likely be the future skipper of Holland in 2014 and beyond. The problem with Wes, like with Robin, is that they have a protected position at their clubs. They are the guys that call the shots. They need to lose that attitude once back in Oranje.

Robin van Persie
Came out of a sensational season with Arsenal on a personal level. Staying fit all season and scoring from every angle. But his position in the Oranje hierarchy is different and his role in the team was overshadowed by Huntelaar’s position. There have also always been rumours about Van Persie’s bad relationship with buddies Sneijder/Van der Vaart, but Robin was the first to jump Rafa after he scored against Portugal. The national debate Van Persie vs Huntelaar probably didn’t help. For either of them. Van Persie played a good game vs Denmark but once in scorings position, he blocked. Bad touches, bad balance, bad decision making, too eager….etc. Van Persie carries a weight on his shoulders and bad management by Bert may have caused all this. But, with Van Persie’s skill and talent, he will most certainly make the World Cup cut. Hoping the team manager will be able to craft a winning team of all those talents.

Klaas Jan Huntelaar
Came out of a tremendous season with Schalke. Has Man United and Valencia chasing him for his signature, apparently. Started in a bad way. Was promised a fair chance as the starting striker but felt screwed by the coach. Couldn’t make an impression in all his minutes, but in his defence: he didn’t get a playable ball all this tournament. Hunter will most certainly be part of the new squad, unless Van Marwijk stays on. Then, Klaas Jan could chuck a Van Nistelrooy and retire early.

Arjen Robben
Came out of a difficult season with Bayern. Suffered injuries and let his team down at the key moments (Dortmund, Chelsea). Came into the tournament totally focused on re-establishing the brand Robben. Over-zealous. Over-eager. Too self absorbed. Playing too much for Robben. Bert needs to share the blame by persisting with Robben on the right wing. But it does seem that Robben’s injuries robbed him of his speed. And his left foot clearly was out of whack. He’s still a threat. And an in-form Robben can compete with C Ronaldo for the second-best of the world trophy. But despite all his efforts, his contributions were mediocre at best. If his body agrees, Robben will be a candidate for the 2014 World Cup.

Dirk Kuyt
Came off a disappointing season with Liverpool. Didn’t play a lot. And if he did, didn’t play too well. Is always hailed for his work ethics. But the minutes he got never enabled him to make a change. In my view, Narsingh would have been more impactful. It’s interesting to see how Dirk will fair in Turkey. He might be spent. He might not make the cut for 2014. That is what I expect. But never say die with Dirkie…

The Others
Schaars disappointed me by throwing the towel on the left back spot so quickly. He is a good midfielder and if he indeed moves to Inter, he might develop further and take Van Bommel’s position in the squad. But he’s not getting younger either and needs to compensate his lack of speed with something else.

Bouma should never have been selected in the first place. Boulah will most certainly not make it into Oranje anymore although the Cannibal might make a new career in Turkey.

Strootman is still my main man for the future. Tough, great passer, good work ethics and mentality and most importantly: dynamic and penetrating.

Luuk de Jong has a future. The striker has shown he can score, create and work for the team. Good header, smart mover. Nothing wrong with him. Will be part of WC2014 squad if he keeps developing. Will have competition from Dost, Van Wolfswinkel, Castaignos and Barazite, though….

Luciano Narsingh had the most assists in the Eredivisie. He basically made Dost the topscorer and the latter should pay 20% of his salary to him. Narsingh can further develop under De Boer if he goes to Ajax. And might develop into a fresh new Robben… Let’s hope so… He will most likely be part of the 2014 World Cup.

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by Jan

Our line up??

The picture above shows the players who got the coloured vests at practice!

This is where we will follow what our Men In Black will cook up in 8 hours time!

Live. So join in ok?

In the meantime, some thoughts…

Germany will definitely win against Denmark. Reasons? 1) they can’t play half hearted. The Germans aren’t playful. They take it all very seriously. So they will go for the win. 2) They have to, as Denmark could beat Germany and progress and Portugal could beat Oranje (not really!!) and progress too….

Bert will make changes. That might mean: to his hair. Or a different jacket. Or maybe he will change his facial expression. But most likely he will change the team. But don’t expect too much. We won’t see Kuyt as full back or Narsingh on the wings. We will most likely see Robben on the right, Sneijder on the left, Van Persie behind Hunter. And Nigel and Mark as holding midfielders.

If Bert would really go out of his way (and comfort zone) he might even replace Mark for Rafael. But that is as far as it goes.

I would love to see Strootman, as I believe we need a midfielder who can go from box to box. Strootman is the only one who can do so. But I can’t see Bert benching both Nigel and Mark so a holding duo Strootman/Van der Vaart is out of the question.

The main thing is not who plays, but how they play. Will they be able to go through the pain limit? To work for each other? To track back? Then they have a fighting chance. If Wiel and Willems will stop the threats on the wings and if Robin and Hunter will do what they’ve done all season (score, duh!!), then we might end up partying like it’s 1999.

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