How good is it to have three wonderful new categories on the blog. Future Stars (Dilrosun, Danjuma, Frenkie, Rosario), Current Stars (Van Dijk, Wijnaldum) and Past Stars (Robben, Sneijder, Van der Vaart)… I feared a year ago we had to make do with only the past stars…
Still, Arjen Robben – recently retired and the topic of many a post – deserves another headline.
When he made his way to the Dutch top, the experts (incl Johan Cruyff) doubted his effectiveness due to the fact he only used his left foot and was “easy to defend” as a result… When he made his way to the European top (Chelsea, Real Madrid), he was doubted for his weak physique and called the Man of Glass. Today, in the autumn or even winter of his career, we’ll have to concede to the fact that Robben is and was unparalleled in his effectiveness. This guy totally deserves to be mentioned in the same list as Cruyff, Van Hanegem, Neeskens, Van Basten, Gullit and Bergkamp. A true Dutch Master.
Last week, Robben declared he will stop playing for Bayern next season. And he might even quit football altogether. Time to look at his stats and time be completely overawed.
And despite his chronic injuries, we do need to establish that Robben is part of that elite of world class players. Deserving to be named in the same vein as Messi, C Ronaldo and Neymar. His last CL match is a good example. Bayern is in crisis this season. And it has been whispered that Robben, Ribery, Boateng and Muller might well be told to find another club next season. But its the right winger who dampens the slumbering crisis in Bavaria against Benfica when he solos through three Benfica players, with a little cut back with the right foot and a blistering shot with his left into the top corner. A move for which he deserves the copyright.
Looking at the stats, it should be forbidden from this day forward to call Robben an egotistical player. Since his debut at Bayern in 2009, Robben created 2,5 chances per 90 minutes of football. That is more than Messi, C Ronaldo, Zlatan, Suarez or Gareth Bale. In 198 matches, Robben had 53 assists!
During his tenure in Munich, Robben excels in 5 categories: goals, assists, attempts on goal, created chances and successful dribbles. Until very recently, no other player could get near him in these 5 categories. Only in the last two seasons, Robben’s age is starting to play a role, as his dribbles begin to lose power.
Arjen Robben dribbles per 90 minutes:
Season
Matches
unsuccessful
Successful
Success %
2018/2019
9
1,8
1,0
36%
2017/2018
21
2,4
1,5
38%
2016/2017
26
2,1
3,3
61%
2015/2016
15
2,2
2,1
49%
2014/2015
21
2,4
5,0
68%
2013/2014
28
2,3
4,4
66%
2012/2013
16
2,0
2,9
59%
2011/2012
24
3,3
3,1
48%
2010/2011
14
3,0
4,4
59%
2009/2010
24
3,0
4,9
62%
The fact that Robben can’t use his explosive speed as much only makes it more impressive that is his effectiveness is so high. And even with Bayern’s weak form this seaon, the left footer from Bedum scores a goal once every 120 minutes. And if we take his goals and assist of his whole German period, it shows how incredible he is. He is involved in a goal every 92 minutes. That is more often than any other player in the Bundesliga during Robben’s tenure.
Most often involved at Bundesliga goals since Robben’s debut in 2009
Player
Matches
Goals
Assists
Minutes per goal or assist
1
Arjen Robben
198
98
53
92
2
Robert Lewandowski
269
187
38
93
3
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang
144
98
20
96
4
Franck Ribéry
206
60
74
104
5
Claudio Pizarro
201
77
31
108
Even when we take the other top leagues into consideration, Robben’s results are astonishing. Only the yield of players like Messi, C Ronaldo, Mbappe, Zlatan, Suarez and Neymar are better than Robben’s.
It’s also remarkable to see that Robin van Persie is in the top 10, which shows how Holland produced two of the best forwards in the last decade.
Most involved in goal in top competition since 2009
Player
Matches
Goals
Assists
Minutes per goal or assist
1
Lionel Messi
321
338
129
58
2
Cristiano Ronaldo
306
321
92
64
3
Kylian Mbappé
78
41
21
77
4
Zlatan Ibrahimovic
245
188
67
79
5
Luis Suárez
253
188
82
81
6
Neymar
155
98
56
83
7
Gonzalo Higuaín
299
191
49
92
8
Arjen Robben
198
98
53
92
9
Robin van Persie
165
105
37
93
10
Sergio Agüero
282
183
45
93
*Only players with 50 matches minimum
Even if Robben is successful as assist provider, his reputation is mostly about scoring goals. Every 142 minutes, Robben scores. He finishes just behind Roy Makaay. Das Phantoom needed 139 minutes per goal, but Robben was just ahead of him, until 2016. Ten super strikers are ahead of Robben, but the emphasis is on “striker”. Robben is no. 11 in the list, but Arjen is a winger, which makes this even more incredible. Being able to compete with typical #9 stats as a winger is quite something.
Player
Matches
Goals
Minutes per goal
1
Gerd Müller
427
365
105
2
Robert Lewandowski
269
187
112
3
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang
144
98
116
4
Friedhelm Konietzka
100
72
125
5
Mario Gómez
310
166
132
6
Edin Dzeko
111
66
136
7
Roy Makaay
129
78
139
8
Grafite
107
59
140
9
Lothar Emmerich
183
115
141
10
Horst Hrubesch
224
136
141
11
Arjen Robben
198
98
142
On top of this, if we look at players who played 119 matches or more in the Bundesliga, Robben is the player with the highest win % of matches. Bayern won 76% of the matches which had Robben on the team sheet. Should we take 100 matches as the cut off, Thiago and Javi Martinez are above Robben in the lists.
Bayern with or without Arjen Robben
Robben playing
Robben Absent
161
Matches
158
124
Win
108
21
Draw
29
16
Loss
21
439
Goals scored
349
2.7
Average goals per match
2.2
123
Goals against
114
0.8
Average goals against per match
0.7
76%
Win percentage
68%
2.4
Points per match
2.2
So, it is not that Robben’s stats are good because he plays for the strongest team in the Bundesliga. It’s the other way around: Bayern is the strongest team in Germany partly thanks to Robben! Bayerns has more odds to win with Robben than without.
It’s important to enjoy Robben while we can. It might well take another 15 years before we will see another Dutch player with this extraordinary set of skills…
Well guys, not a big surprise. I think Virgil got twice as many votes as the number 2. I respect your choices of course.
You all nicely kept the blog up to date this last week or so, while I was slaving away to make some bucks to maintain this blog (hint hint) you kept us up to speed with the different draws, the Liverpool-Everton derby and more. Thanks.
The man who got the assist vs Everton (….) won the poll and will be our first “Dutch Best International of the Year”. A new “thing” on our blog. And as promised, an interview with the new Captain Fantastic. Thanks to Blendle.com and the amazing sports magazine Helden (Heroes), by Frits and Barbara Barend.
What a year is was for Virgil van Dijk. This time last year, the big money move to Liverpool, becoming the most expensive defender on the planet. Then, five months later playing the Champions League finals. And Ronald Koeman named him captain of the new Oranje, while Klopp also gave him the band, most recently vs Everton. Life is kind for Virgil.
And the new skipper of Oranje is now a big man in England. Walking the streets in his town is not longer an option and every great pass or every failed pass will be accompanied by commentary about the fee Liverpool paid for him. 85 mio euros, in case you forgot. When we meet him at the Liverpool training complex, he is the perfect host. “Can I get you something to drink?” And when he sees some kids who won a prize to watch Liverpool’s practice session, he goes to them, puts his arms around them for a selfie and laughs. “What is better than giving children the day of their lives…?”
For the photo session, Virgil looks straight in the lens, with his hair in the typical Virgil man-bun. Can we get one without the hair tie? “I usually wear my hair loose at home, but once I’m going to the club, the hair tie goes in. But, if you make some good pics, I’ll let my hair out.” And during the photo session, he talks passionately. “There is no better job in the world than pro football player, at Liverpool and Oranje. What can be better? Yes, we have moments when it’s tough, or you’r tired but I do all I can to see the fun side of it all. This is so special and it is only for a short time, really. So it’s key to enjoy every minute.”
Lots of athletes forget to enjoy it, as they always have to deal with pressure…
Virgil: “I don’t have that. I don’t suffer the pressure, must be tough to have that. And it becomes easier, in some way. The Liverpool move should have added pressure probably, but it’s not. When you’re young, you tend to think about all that can go wrong, I don’t have that anymore. I know what is important in life.”
What is that?
“Family! When my family is happy and doing well, I am too. Football really is number 2 for me. Family is always #1. En that will always be that way. My daughters give me so much. And my wife is the centre of the family. She is the playmaker, haha. And I value her tremendously. A footballer’s wife always needs to be strong, positive and happy. I realise this. But we simply can’t stroll through the park, or go out for a glass of wine. We are still young, but we never go out. The first two weeks in Liverpool, we were at this hotel and within a day, the media, paparazzi and the fans were in the hotel lobby. So, in all seriousness, I am not going into the city, ever. But, I am not complaining, the benefits outweigh the negatives by a country mile, hahaha.”
Does Mrs Van Dijk work?
“No, we decided that she wouldn’t. If she really would want to, sure, I would never stop her, but we train at different times, so it could be that I’m away at night while she works in the morning and it would be hard to have a relationship. We like it as it is.”
In what way were you influenced by the fact that your dad left the family when you were so young?
“That plays a role. For sure. What exactly happened is private and I won’t tell the media. It’s nobody’s business. But my father is no longer in my life. That definitely plays a role in how I am with my kids. I will never abandon my kids. Never. I will always be there for them.”
Do your girls know exactly what daddy does for a living?
“Ha, well the youngest….no. She is two years old, but the oldest does know. Whenever people line up for autographs, she will say “Daddy needs to do some signing”. Recently we were at Disneyland and people wanted a picture, so she is like “Daddy needs to make a selfie with people” hahaha. And we have our family box at Anfield and she is there when we play. I wave at her when I enter the pitch and she waves back.”
You never seem to publish photos of yourself with the family?
“That is on purpose. I will not share anything private on social media. They don’t have a say in this and I don’t want them to become the kid of a famous dad or something. We keep information and photos to ourselves. And you know, it’s not just the fans who want to see these pics, there are also the haters, you know.”
Back to the past: you basically grew up next to the NAC stadium in Breda, but never player for NAC.
“Well I did, once when I was seven. I had a practice session there with two friends. We had had a youth coach who was yelling and screaming all the time. I was scared of the guy. And I decided I didn’t wanna go to NAC, hahaha. I couldn’t handle that. I was a wee kid, really little. And two weeks later I had a practice session at Willem II. That went well, a lovely bunch of people and I got into the so-called talent school.”
Who else was in that?
“Jurgen Locadia, PSV and now Brighton, was part of that. He’s the only one that made it, with me, as a pro.”
Locadia moved from Willem II straight to PSV. You took the long and winding road…
“I always had something or other… Like I said, I was little. Considered too small. I was almost sent away but was offered one last chance. And guess what: that summer I had my growth spurt. And as a result, I got knee issues. We played the big tournaments with Willem II. It was a tremendous time. We never won anything, but we competed. Against Ajax, with Ricardo van Rhijn and Marco Bizot (now AZ) and against Feyenoord with Clasie. I still talk to these guys, it does give some sort of bond, as we all play pro football now.”
You never played for Willem II’s first team. Why did you go to FC Groningen?
“I was second year A Junior, I played there for 10 years and I was hoping to get a contract, but…nothing. And there were several sub top clubs from the Eredivisie interested. Only when Groningen made a move, Willem II quickly offered me a contract. Well, too little, too late. So I decided to go to Groningen. I started in the second team. Rode my bike to the stadium. I lived alone in Groningen and had a wonderful time.”
Groningen is a university city. Lots of young people. Did you notice?
“You bet, hahaha. I was 19 years old… My coach was Dick Lukkien, currently coach of FC Emmen. He’s not unlike Ronald Koeman. Really direct. I learned heaps from him and we still talk. I made my debut in that first year in the first team. And then I got into the spotlights and I loved that aspect as well.”
Did the Top 3 (Ajax, Feyenoord, PSV) ever check you out?
“It’s the summer of 2013 and I wanted to make a move. The logical step was the top 3 of course. I wanted to. I was open to all three clubs. I know Ajax was interested but also checked out Van der Hoorn of Utrecht (now Swansea). They ended up going with him. PSV signed Bruma and Feyenoord had De Vrij, Martins Indi, Van Beek and didn’t want to add me to the mix, also due to their financial woes. And suddenly Celtic came. With a check and a good level of urgency. And they played Champions League football. So I decided to do it. And we played AC Milan, Barcelona and Ajax in that season. I played against those clubs and I played well too.”
And you never played for the Dutch rep teams??!?!
“Well, in all honesty, I wasn’t that good. Seriously, I was not better than the ones who did play. I am a late blossomer.”
Do you ever get upset? Or angry?
“Well not really angry. Definitely not at home. I did get really pissed off recently, when we lost a practice match, 5 v 5. The losers needed to bake a cake. And in the game, I noticed we weren’t going to win. And I realised I had to bake a carrot cake and they would also film that. I almost gave someone a truly nasty kick. I can’t stand losing and my mates and the coaches know this now. They know to leave me alone after a lost match. Don’t make jokes or try to make it all sound as if it doesn’t matter. You’re not doing yourself any favours, hahahaha.”
Ronald Koeman is important in your career. He signed you at the Saints, made you Oranje skipper. But also very critical, like when Giroud scored that goal against you….
“He is allowed to be super critical. I think Koeman is a top coach and he knows how to reach me. I am forever grateful for giving me the opportunity in the EPL. I remember the phone call, when he told me he would sign me from Celtic, but it took time and I waited and waited…”
Was it merely a phone call?
“Yes, we never met. We played qualifiers for the CL. Celtic didn’t want to let me go before we qualified. Only afterwards, Southampton made an offer. And then Celtic said: nah. I got so angry. And late in September I could make my move. He is hands down one of the best coaches I ever worked with, as he is really tough on me and spends a lot of time on me. I have a similar bond now with Klopp at Liverpool. They both demand 100% all the time. Every practice. I love that.”
Do they work a lot on you because of your potential?
“I think so, and I get better with them criticising me, I do see it as a good sign. When we did a pass practice at Southampton, on average, most players would have 6 good passes and 4 stray ones. Koeman didn’t seem to care. But if I had 1 stray pass out of 10, he would come down on me like a thunder storm. I could handle that. He demanded 100% from me.”
What are your weaknesses?
“Hmm, well, I’m not lazy. I think I always work hard, but I can be complacent. Klopp sees it too and is on the alert and my team mates at Liverpool too. James Milner for instance… I told him, I want you to have a right go at me if I am not running back quick enough or seem to be taking things to easy. Just scream in my face, I sometimes need that.”
When did you realise you could become a really big player?
“I think when Koeman told me. He said, if you play without loss of concentration and work 100% hard always, you’ll be moving up from Southampton. And Claude Puel who came after Koeman made me skipper at the Saints.”
That Liverpool move was not a pretty scene though… Lots of problem with Southampton?
“It was hectic because I was quite injured. I never refused to play for Southampton, that was concocted by the media I think. I focused fully on Southampton when I was fit again and played my games and in December, the board allowed me to talk to Liverpool. That was a nice Xmas, we had an extra glass of wine, hahaha.”
The most expensive defender, you become. And you met Gini Wijnaldum at Liverpool. How is your bond?
“Gini is Gini. Always smiling, always happy. We talk a lot. I spoke to him before I came her already, of course. Gini is a good lad, very social and a much much better player than most think. In Holland, he is underrated while in England people recognise his value more and more. He is unbelievably good.”
And then you play the CL finals vs Real Madrid and your goalie has two howlers.
“We went to Oranje straight after so that helped to process it all. And then I went straight on a holiday with my family. We were so close, it did hurt, yes.”
How did Koeman manage to get Oranje to perform as they do?
“It’s his style of coaching, his communication and clarity. Koeman wants to work with a fixed squad, so people know what is expected from them. Sure, when new players suddenly emerge, he will pick them up, like with Dilrosun. The team spirit is amazing, everyone is prepared to walk through fire for their mates. We do a lot of things together and have bonded really well. We talk a lot too, we are becoming closer and closer on and off the pitch. We also have lively tactical talks with Koeman and everyone has a say. We need to hold on to this.”
The move from Noordwijk to Zeist is always mentioned as well…
“And that made a difference, yes. Less distractions. We do more as a team. We have better pitches to work on and the focus is on performing. We also play more games together, not just PlayStation but also table tennis and 30seconds. Everyone wants to win all the time and it’s quite a circus at times. We also have a group app and we can stay in touch like this.”
You ticked off a lot of dreams already, what is next?
“Well, winning trophies. I won three with Celtic. But I also want to win at Wembley one day. I want to win the Champions League and the title here in England. And with Oranje, I want to win a tournament. All big dreams, I know, but if you can’t have big goals, you should stay at home, hahaha.”
As we close to the end of the year, a year in which the drab and disgraced Dutch National Team straightened the back and rose, like a Phoenix from the ashes. With victories over the newly crowned World Champs, the former world champs and good results and performances overall vs the likes of Belgium and Portugal.
And the result: group winner in the Nations League and a big jump on the FIFA ranking.
Most importantly: the fans love the team again and the team loves playing for Holland again.
And boy, did we see tremendous development in our player? I mean, Denzel Dumfries?? Pablo Rosario?? Marten de Roon? Tonny Vilhena? Ryan Babel?
Time to pick the best international of the year… I’ll help you with some insights, but the vote is all yours. I’ll give you until December 1, and then we’ll announce the winner here, with a cool interview/article on the winner.
The Candidates
Virgil van Dijk, our captain, deserves the first mention. What to say… His year was tremendous. The big money move to Liverpool. The winner in his debut vs arch enemy Everton. His stats are terrific. In Oranje, he developed into a great leader and skipper, with the deciding goal in the final minutes vs Germany. Does it get better than that?
Virgil is a true natural leader. The way he handles his team mates, the way he covered up the young ball girl when he noticed she was shivering in the cold, the warm manner in which he consoled the ref after the Germany game, when Virgil learned the poor dude lost his mum (and got notified of that fact during the half time break). Virgil… pure class!
Memphis Depay is in the key age group for top notch peformances, and it shows. The former Sparta talent is a changed man. From arrogant, self-centered, headstrong wannabe winger in Manchester, he grew into a lethal striker in Lyon. With stats that are only topped by Messi and C Ronaldo. Better stats than Neymar and Mbappe, to name other forwards in France. The loner, who clashed with the likes of Sneijder and Van Persie is now a team player. One of the leaders on and off the pitch. Ever since he found God, Memphis is a better human being, more humble, active with his foundations for the lesser fortunate ones and on the pitch he is unstoppable.
He creates goals, he scores them, has a sensational corner kick delivery, hustles and hassles defenders, keeps three markers busy while working for the team and stretching the play. He’s clearly in a positive mindset, as he coaches, encourages and directs the play from the front.
Every “Best Player” award should go to a forward. A player who makes a difference. A player that draws people to the stadium. Cantona, Ginola, Ibrahimovic, C Ronaldo, Ozil, Ribery, Rooney… Memphis falls in that category and I personally don’t care what hat he wears or what colour leather seats are in his Bentley.
Frenkie de Jong is probably a solid candidate as well, even though he only played 4 caps for Oranje. His talent was spotted many years back and both Willem II and Ajax decided to bring this kid slowly. He was 20 years old when he made his first foray into Ajax 1. As opposed to the likes of Seedorf, Kluivert Sr and Jr and many others who got their first games at 16 or 17 years old. But once Frenkie made his mark on the first team, everyone could see his tremendous potential. So much so, that Frenkie is already the new footballing leader (playmaker) of Oranje. Everything goes via him. And he is already seen as unmissable. And its expected he’ll make a massive jump from Ajax to a world class team in the summer (Man City, Barca, Bayern, Real Madrid, Chelsea….).
Gini Wijnaldum has also made a sensational growth, finally, to establish his position in Oranje. Making his debut more than 10 years ago (!) at 16, in Feyenoord’s first team as a #10. Used as winger at PSV. Signed by Newcastle as box-to-box midfielder and in 2014 suddenly part of the Oranje midfield that got bronze in Brazil under Van Gaal. Van Gaal apparently was reluctant to use Wijnaldum as controlling mid, believing the always smiling Georginhio would be able to play there, but he managed and even scored vs Brazil in the losers final. Klopp signed him at Liverpool and immediately told him he signed him for the controlling mid role. Today, Liverpool uses him on any spot in midfield. Despite all the new midfield signings, Wijnaldum – when fit – plays. In Oranje, Frenkie de Jong’s game allows Gini to play further upfield and be more decisive for Oranje, scoring important goals.
Mathijs de Ligt is considered one of the best central backs in Europe and like Frenkie, appears on all the scouting lists. The grounded Dutch lad, called “Dickie” as he used to be a tad overweight in the Ajax youth (in Dutch, the word for fat is “dik” so he was called Dickie), is only 19 years old but plays like a 26 year old. Composed, focused, and utterly complete. Fast enough, strong, fierceful header of the ball, able to dribble infield (Dickie used to be a midfielder) and with a good long pass as well. De Ligt will go places. He’ll be the Oranje centre back for at least another 10 to 12 years (if he remains fit). And we’ll see him playing for one of the top teams in the world for sure (Bayern, Barca, Real Madrid).
Ryan Babel‘s story is the come back story of the decade (in Oranje). He broke through in Ajax as a winger, but was considered an ideal player for a 4-4-2, a system Ajax back then simply didn’t want to play. Babel made his name in Young Oranje, under Foppe de Haan and impressed with his physique, his “hip” shot and his speed and power. Ajax was happy to let him go for a decent offer as he didn’t fit the bill in Ajax’ 4-3-3. By then Marco van Basten brought him into Oranje where Babel scored in his debut game. San Marco called him “the next Thierry Henry”. His big money move to Liverpool got waylaid as he tore his ankle ligaments right before the Euros2008 and was ruled for a spell, which forced Liverpool to sign alternatives and Babel got behind in the pecking order (behind Dirk Kuyt, amongst others). Bert van Marwijk kept faith in Babel and used him extensively after the 2008Euros. Kenny Dalglish, manager at Liverpool, decided to bring Luis Suarez to the club and let Babel go. The dark days followed, with a stint at Hoffenheim which didn’t work out. He went back to Ajax to rejuvenate his career, but ended up in the Turkish competition and not much later choose the money of the UAE league. He ended up playing for the reserves there and was relieved to be able to return to Turkey via Deportivo La Coruna. Now he’s at Besiktas where his good form got him a spot in Advocaat’s Oranje back in 2017. The explosive winger from yesteryear is now a mature team player, playing as a wingback. He clearly acts as mentor for the younger lads (on the pitch and potentially in the music studio as well) and his workrate and tactical smarts have brought him lots of kudos from all Oranje fans and pundits.
Other candidates? Jasper Cillesen? Top goalie on the Barca bench, but usually strong when relied upon. Both in Spain as in Oranje. Although the two German goals last time around did seem stoppable… Or Daley Blind? Mr Reliable? Good touch. Superb vision. Excellent passing. Pleasant positive personality. But vulnerable in defence? Just not tall enough? Just not quick enough? Quincy Promes than? Scoring goals like there is no tomorrow for Spartak, but always a question mark in Oranje (and Sevilla). Despite all this, his success in Moscow was always as a number 9, so maybe Promes should be seen as the understudy for Memphis?
Oh the irony… Gary Lineker once defined football as a game “between two teams of eleven and at the end of the game, Germany wins…”. Last night, Lineker tweeted: “Who ever said that doesn’t know a thing about football”…
We can immensely enjoy the result vs the Germans and we are clearly not alone. The English can always appreciate a good German thumping.
And what a hammer blow it was. Because let’s be honest: we didn’t deserve it. Germany played well. Didn’t have a big game 4 days ago. Played at home. Nothing to play for, but their coach and their reputation. Low fielding a number of highly talented youngsters and they took the game by the neck.
Good goals, good attacks, lots of movement and the right tactics.
The Germans populated the midfield. In their 3-4-3, Holland had trouble taking on their midfield and was second best on all levels. The only thing worse than Oranje was the pitch. Terrible surface, not doing us many favours.
But we got the draw in the end, and we won the Division A, a group where criticasters believed we had no right to be in. And would never be able to top. While only 5 months ago documentaries were produced to show how terrible the state of football was in The Netherlands and how every expert (bar some) proclaimed how Holland needed to go to Germany or France and learn from their ways of working. Because we lost our edge and didn’t know what we were doing…
And very untypical for the Dutch, we now got the wind in our back and where everything turned against us under Hiddink/Blind, under this coach, everything seems to fall in its place. The Germans could have scored 3 more but failed. And we were able to grab the point we needed in German fashion right at the death.
Euphoria and joy, after 94 minutes.
But pointing fingers, screaming and gesticulating after 20 minutes. Ronald Koeman sees how badly his team started. Lethargic. Slow. Lack of communication. Wijnaldum picks up the signs from the desperate coach and receives instructions. He brings the messages to his team mate, but not much improves. In the first 20 minutes, we concede two goals, only have 40% possession and did not have a single opportunity to put Neuer to work.
Stats that do remind us of the Hiddink/Blind era. Koeman had to go for Plan B. Which was Luuk de Jong as target man and Virgil van Dijk as his partner striker.
That tactics was handed to Koeman, on a little note. “I didn’t come up with this. Apparently my assistants Kees van Wonderen and Dwight Lodeweges were talking in the first half how to force a beakthrough. They gave me this during the second half and we went for it.”
The comeback does fit the trajectory Oranje is in, under the new coach. He’s pragmatic, he can switch systems, created a good vibe between the players and he makes his own luck.
Germany starts with an aggressive tactics. Three forwards, playing close together, with two wingbacks playing high up. And one v one at the back. The four midfielders had the better of the Dutch midfield and in particular De Roon on the right hand side was constantly forced to decide: do I press high and take on Kroos or support Tete and allow Kroos space to penetrate? He did both and in in each scenario was Germany able to score. The central defenders weren’t capable to press up, as the third forward would have a free run into space. In the second half, partly due to injuries (Dilrosun and Babel), Koeman switched it with pushing Frenkie back as centre back and using a 3-4-3 to mirror Germany.
Promes scored Holland’s first from a central position. “The coach told us in the half time break, if we don’t concede anymore and score 2-1, we will go and make it 2-2. He was right.”
Promes played as Steven Bergwijn was injured (ankle) and wasn’t in the selection. Dumfries wasn’t 100% either so Koeman decided to switch the pair. Tete, considered a better defender than Dumfries, was brought in, in particular to take care of Sane. The Olympique Lyon defender had a bad night as Sane showed Low why he always needs to play.
The Man City player demonstrated his quality with the 2-0, when he slipped away from De Ligt and got a lucky deflection to score 2-0. Holland really didn’t have a lot to say. The only opportunity we had, was a header by Sule on a Blind cross, which cleared the bar.
In the second half, Germany kept on going where they left off. Wijnaldum played an invisible match and was subbed for the energetic Vilhena. Holland started to play a bit more ballsy and with Luuk de Jong for the unfortunate Dilrosun, there was a swagger coming into the team. The Frenkie de Jong block tackle on Sane’s attempt, followed by an excellent shot by Memphis on the German goal gave us a snippet of what was to come. In the 86th minute , Holland was patiently trying to find an opening when Luuk de Jong laid off to De Roon who passed into Promes. The Sevilla man used the body of Hummels as a shield to curve the ball into the corner: 2-1.
The final minutes were electric. Koeman pushed Van Dijk forward next to De Jong and it was the energy and belief of Vilhena, who played well as a sub, which kept the ball alive. He took it off Kroos’ foot, dribbled close to the corner flag to whip it in with his powerful left. Kimmich got a nothing header flick on the ball, making it a tad harder for Virgil, but like Marco van Basten, he volleyed the ball brilliantly out of reach of Neuer: 2-2.
And so: Holland wins this Group 1, and will go to Portugal next summer, with Portugal, England and Switzerland.
Not a fantastic performance, but an exhilarating battle all the same. Van Dijk was the hero, but we did see more good performances. I thought Blind was important, with his composure on the ball and his experience in the final minutes of the game. Frenkie didn’t shine as per usual, but again demonstrated guile and elegance. De Roon for me was one of the key man in the team. Totally understandable why he’s on the pitch, but I do think he’ll have to battle for a spot with Davy Propper.
Promes, Memphis, Babel, they were ok. Worked for the team, were threatening. Wijnaldum and Tete appeared to have a bit of an off day, while Vilhena and Luuk de Jong both had a great turn in the team, lifting the energy and belief.
Add Dilrosun, Danjuma, Van de Beek, Rosario, Bergwijn, De Vrij, Ake, Janmaat, Van Aanholt, Propper, Klaassen, Berghuis, Kluivert and there is quite a solid squad in the making.
We can have closure this year, knowing that despite missing the World Cup, Dutch football is back at the top. We have it all to play for with a very young and talented team and a pragmatic coach who taught us what winning is again. And who made us remember how fun it is, to win.
Now lets win that Nations League next year, as the money the KNVB makes at that tournament can be put to good use, to help clubs with artificial pitches in Holland to throw these out and go back to grass again. How it is supposed to be.
It’s Spring in The Netherlands’ football world these days. After a spell of drought in the talent department, we’re witnessing numerous potential world class players coming to the fore. We’ll look at the winger who made a detour to get to the top. Javairo Dilrosun.
And for the first time in eight years, the most dangerous forward with a Dutch passport is not Arjen Robben.
The 20 year old has just finished another practice with his current club Hertha BSC and is panting and struggling for air. “Training is quite tough here. I’m used to a good intense level of training at Man City, but here, it’s even worse. It took a while to get used to, but now, it’s going quite well.” Understatement of the year. Dilrosun has started the season like a rocket!
The youngster learned to play football on the streets of Amsterdam West. And made his move to Man City when he was 15 years old. After 4 years on the City books, he was allowed to make a free exit and the European clubs were queueing up: Ajax of course, Juventus, Leipzig, Valencia, Benfica and Borussia Dortmund all were in the race. But the youngster decided to go to Berlin, where Hertha promised him something crucial: playing time.
When he left Ajax for Man City, the Dilrosun family followed him. Now, he decided to go to Berlin alone. “My little sister and brother need stability in school. And I’m old enough now to live alone. I spend a lot of time with Karim Rekik who is wonderful for me. I don’t speak German yet, but I am learning. Our coach doesn’t speak English so I have to get used to the new language but Karim is my translator and friend and he helps me a lot!”
The youngster might be a bit unsettled off the pitch, still, but on the pitch he seems really at home. “I scored in the pre season games and did well, but the coach didn’t use me in the first Bundesliga match. He felt I need to get stronger. I played with the second team and scored in my first official match. A week later, the coach decided I was good enough for the first team after all, hahaha.”
Against Schalke 04, Javairo started on the bench. And when Rekik is the one who needed to be subbed due to an injury in the first 10 minutes, his buddy Dilrosun came on. And had his first assist. The media and fans in Germany were surprised. “I was not. I worked hard for this. And when you do get the chance, you simply have to take it. That is how it is.”
The Dutchman got his starting berth and would have 3 more assists and score two goals. Even Arjen Robben can’t say that. And end of September, the two faced off against each other. Hertha wins, 2-0, in front of 75,000 people. “I met Arjen before the game, he was always one of my heroes. I’m a leftie too, like him. He wished me the best. I wanted to exchange shirts after the game, but I couldn’t find him anymore, sadly. So I didn’t get the shirt.”
Where Robben took the step-by-step route (Groningen, PSV, Chelsea), young Dilrosun took another avenue. He started at Ajax when he was 7 years old and Ajax Youth Academy director Said Ouaali was his youth coach, for a spell. “Javairo is a really really good player. He is lethal. So fast and but still with tremendous vision. He can go outside, come inside, take on a player with speed or with his trickely and skill. He could play midfield too, but his goal scoring abilities made him a perfect attacker. And, not unimportant: he is a very nice, decent and quiet lad. Very respectful and always with that wide smile on his face.” Dilrosun was part of the team that also brought us Donny van de Beek, Carel Eiting, Timothy Fosu-Mensah and Pablo Rosario. Somehow Ajax never presented the winger with a contract. Dilrosun: “I still wonder why they never signed me up. It took so long and I didn’t hear anything. I became impatient. Ouaali doesn’t want to go into it. He prefers to talk about the future, not the past.
Several clubs in Europe want to follow suit and offer the lad a contract. Man City is the first to fly him in and Patrick Viera, in charge of the City youth academy, shows the Amsterdam born around and explains the big plan they have with him. Dilrosun is convinced. He wants to be part of the City adventure. Master scout Piet de Visser (at 86 still working for Chelsea): “A lot of people think that City and Chelsea just throw money around to gobble up talent, but that is so not true. They really develop plans for all their youngsters and invest with purpose. They train at high level, they play 40 matches per season, get the chance to play in the cup competitions and when they reach a certain age they can train with the first team. People say that Chelsea and City are trading in players for profit but that is false. Whenever a player is unhappy and keen to leave the club, they are never blocked and always allowed to leave. Players like Van Aanholt, Bruma, Rekik and Ake will never be negative about their treatment, as they all landed really nicely, didn’t they?”
That is exactly the story Javairo will tell you. “It was tough at first. You feel alone and you are part of something big, which makes you feel small. I got injured too and that is even harder. But you do grow mentally, as well. The last year, I trained with the first team. Man, you make big jumps forward when you work with the likes of Aguero and Fernandinho and Kompany, I can tell you.”
Dilrosun is there when City breaks every record in England and sees how Pep the miracle worker is the catalyst of all that beauty. “Guardiola is special. Everything he says makes sense. He was always working with you, in my case, explaining how to use my speed and when, how to position myself, my running patterns, my first touch… everything. He is so good and he sees everything. And he taught me how to defend too, hahaha.”
But despite that and despite the fact that Pep wants his future Man City team to be build around a core of homegrown players, today City has 4 wingers who are valued at 230m euros. And these guys will play. Only three youth players were used by Pep last season and these lads played 106 minutes of the 10,260 minutes City players played (Foden, Diaz and Nmecha). Time for Javairo to go elsewhere and get some miles on the clock.
The fringe player of City is now a starter at Hertha. And every 100 minutes of football results in an assist or goal by the winger. And his lungs and legs also make him a weapon to contain the offensive full backs of the opponent. It was Dilrosun who kept Bayern’s Kimmich quiet in the duel vs Bayern.
Dilrosun is ambitious and he has every right to be that. Asked about his plans moving forward, he is clear. “I want to be important for Hertha and keep this up. I want to score 10 times this season and maybe have 10 assists. Obviously, I am ambitious, this is why I left Holland when I was 16 years old. I won’t make any rash statements now as I am prviliged to be here and happy to be here, but of course, eventually, I would love to play at European top level. And win trophies. I will do all I can to play for the likes of Bayern, or Barca, or Man City… That is the ultimate goal. And I want to play for Oranje. That is the Dream. And I want to deserve it too. I will never claim I am ready, that is for the coach to decide.”
A lot of youngsters who left Holland early cop a lot of criticism, as if they went for money. Dilrosun smiles. “I know some players didn’t make it. That is always sad, but I think it worked for me. I mean, I trained under Guardiola. That has made me a much better player, for sure. I am really ambitious and I am very focused. Now I am here and I have to demonstrate that I am not a fluke. And I will.”
He’s 21 years old, hasn’t had a full season in Ajax 1, but already is he the new leader of Oranje (on the pitch) and the most talked about Dutch talent since… Memphis probably.
Frenkie de Jong. Gifted. But also intelligent and levelheaded. An important quality, both in terms of football intelligence (decision making) and generic intelligence. Everyone knows his story by now. In summary. Grew up in Brabant (PSV territory) but in a family of Feyenoord fans. Both clubs courted Frenkie for years, but Ajax got him in. Rumour has it, that Ajax really took the opportunity to whoo the youngster. When he visited De Toekomst (the Ajax youth Academy “The Future”), Bergkamp, Jaap Stam, Marc Overmars, Ronald de Boer and Edwin van de Sar all popped in to shake the lad’s hand. He decided to stay at Willem II until he finished school and joined Ajax.
Not long after breaking into the Ajax 1 team, most top clubs in Europe knew it for sure. The youngster they had on their radar made the final step up and would be ripe for a deal. Bayern Munich, Barca, Real Madrid, Man City, Spurs, they’re all keen to join in on the hunt for Frenkie de Jong.
De Jong has demonstrated in big games, that he’s able to perform. With Ajax in the Champions League, with Oranje in the Nations League, he makes it seem easy. And even though Frenkie plays “behind the ball” in a holding role, Feyenoord coach Gio van Bronckhorst decided to change his line up and tactics to take care of De Jong, with Jens Toornstra coming in the first team to manage the youngster. But to no avail. Toornstra’s first foul came in minute 2. A clumsy and actually quite mean-spirited step with the studs on the calf. Worthy of a red card.
From that moment on, it was clear that Feyenoord and Toornstra weren’t their usual self. Van Persie played as #9. Jorgensen operated as a false winger on the left and Toornstra played in the #10 role but only to step onto De Jong’s toes when possible. As a manmarker in the playmaker position.
It’s logical though. Van Persie doesn’t have the legs to deal with the playmaker/holding midfielders De Jong and Schone. But Feyenoord did want to pressure high up the pitch, so… this line up could work. But the Rotterdam team was so uptight that first Jens made a nasty foul to be followed by St Juste’s stupid hack on Tagliafico, resulting in Jerry’s fasted red card in Klassieker history.
AJAX
Game component*
FEYENOORD
68%
Possession
32%
24/11
Shots/On target
6/2
13
Corners
6
9
Fouls
10
698/619 (89%)
Passes/Good (percentage)
332/253 (76%)
164/73 (45%)
Duels/Won (percentage)
164/91 (55%)
35/17 (49%)
Aerial duels/Won (percentage)
35/18 (51%)
After the red card, Feyenoord was lost. The confidence decreased even more and it was unclear how to proceed. Van Persie and Jorgensen decided to keep the press on, where possible, but half of the Feyenoord team didn’t participate. Usually, when playing with 10, teams will go to a 4-4-1 and aim for damage control but the timing in the Feyenoord team and the communication about when to press and when to drop deep was gone. And with the fact that Ajax has a better player than Feyenoord on every position, it makes it very hard. Only Berghuis might be good enough for this Ajax, most other Feyenoord players will have to accept being second-tier to the Sons of Gods.
It is telling that a young kid in midfield is the reason for Feyenoord to change their tactics and playing style. But Feyenoord isn’t alone. Benfica did it too, in the CL match last week. Gedson Fernades became Frenkie’s guard but despite that, the former Willem II playmaker was able to dominate the game and become one of the key players on the pitch, just like he got the Man of the Match award after the Feyenoord game.
How is it that Frenkie de Jong can play the way he plays? Well, for starters: the team is set up to get the most out of him. Daley Blind and Mathijs de Ligt have exceptional qualities for a centre back: great build up pass, wonderful ball skills and technique and good tactical vision. They both have their eyes forward always. Lasse Schone, the other holding mid is also a player with the skill to accelerate the game and as the two full backs will push forward and force the wingers of the opponent back, there is a quartet of Ajax players playing opposite 3 opponents. And all four are wonderful players on the ball. And should the pass not be possible, no worries, Frenkie simply drops all the way back next to Blind to offer an outball. As he has the ability to swivle and dribble his way into midfield.
The differences between Clasie and De Jong are interesting to observe and demonstrate the difference in intentions between Ajax and Feyenoord. Both players are the deep lying playmakers with the task to accelerate the game where possible. De Jong had 4 times as many passes as Clasie. And that is not just a result of the red card, as De Jong is constantly sought and found by his team mates, which is less the case for Clasie.
FRENKIE DE JONG
ASPECT*
JORDY CLASIE
Defensieve middenvelder
Position
Defensieve middenvelder
94
Minutes on the pitch
94
198/182
Total number of actions/good
72/60
5/2
shots/on target
–
141/132 (94%)
Passes/good (percentage)
40/33 (83%)
5/2
Key passes/good
1/1
Clasie is definitely more a passer. De Jong is more a dribbler. He is sometimes called a postman, but it’s not fair. His quality is to draw players towards him, when he dribbles, allowing him to create a man more situation by taking the opponent on or by passing to the free man. De Jong is an old-fashioned playmaker like Fernando Redondo or Gunther Netzer who can play from a controlling position, as he has learned to defend and re-capture possession when needed.
Ajax already received an offer for 70M euros for the player and as the season wears on, that number will increase, with allegedly an 80M offer in the making by Man City. This kid will leave Ajax next summer. The biggest objective Overmars has, is to make sure he’s not gone in the winter break.
Obviously, there are other players high on scouting lists. Mathijs de Ligt will have to cost a similar amount as the 19 year old captain has everything to become a world class phenomenon. Andre Onana is on the hit list of Spurs and Argentine captain Tagliafico will probably not stay much longer either, with several Italian and Spanish clubs preparing offers.
A match vs Belgium is always fun, due to the rivalry. This time, it is an up and coming Oranje team oozing with talent vs the top class players of the #1 on the FIFA ranking…
Ronald Koeman was true to his word, he would play different players and rested some lads, in order to give Ake, Van de Beek, Strootman, Danjuma, Promes and De Vrij a chance. In those circumstances, with a starting eleven which never played together before, it’s only logical that the start is a bit rusty. And take into consideration that the players Oranje was facing have names like Hazard, Mertens, Lukaku and Witzel… Not a bad line up.
Holland started on the back foot and Belgium really jumped out of the traps. Hazard in particular had a real appetite and it didn’t take long for Mertens to score the 1-0 in a glorious fashion. I have to be honest, at that point, I really believed Belgium would eat us up, puke us out and eat us up again.
The first 20 minutes were horrendous with Ake constantly chasing his man and De Ligt and De Vrij constantly looking for their man. But slowly, Holland would grow into the game, playing compact and disciplined and it would be long before Memphis was offered a first chance, he should have put away.
When Donny van de Beek picked up on a lose pass in midfield, Memphis had the wherewithal to reach debutant starter Danjuma, and the Club Brugge wing man scored his first senior Oranje goal 1-1.
Holland fought itself back into the game and would get more opportunities even, with a good strike by Promes on the post. Belgium slowly drifted off, with their midfield being dominated by the Dutch.
In the second half, with 6 subs for both teams, the flow of the game disappeared a bit. There were chances for Lukaku and co and some opportunities for Holland (the Ake header deserved more, while Memphis was unlucky with a shot cleared by Aldeweireld).
We saw Pablo Rosario make his debut too in this game and the PSV midfielder had to get adjusted to the pace of the game as his first minutes in orange were a bit unlucky.
The end result (1-1) can be seen as pretty good in an away game vs the world’s #1. We could have won it even, but, as Memphis said post-match: we could have lost the game too.
It was a good effort all in all and Ronald Koeman was quite happy with the two matches. He felt there clearly was a good foundation to build up on.
And don’t forget: we played Germany and Belgium! Two powerhouses of international football. One win at home, one draw away. Not bad. And as Donny van de Beek said after the match: “Playing compact and disciplined, isn’t that how France won the World Cup?”
The axis of the team seems to be quite clear and quite solid too. Cillesen as not real competition, Van Dijk and De Ligt seem to be certainties too, with Frenkie de Jong as deep lying midfielder and Wijnaldum centrally high up the pitch. Memphis as the false #9 again played a very good game and is the danger man up front, this time with an assist.
Dries Mertens and Toby Alderweireld, both with a Dutch Eredivisie background of course, were full of praise about the Dutch. They were quite certain Holland would soon be amongst the European football royalty again.
Speaking about royalty. Mathijs de Ligt has played vs Robert Lewandowski, Romelu Lukaku and C Ronaldo, three absolute top goal scorers, and none of them found the net against the Ajax man. Another calling card dropped last night by the 19 year old Ajax captain!
He is the first Oranje player under 20 years old to play 10 caps in a row for his country, since 1933!
The win over Germany resulted in some interesting responses. Ronald Koeman, usually critical and sceptical, was very positive about his lads. He lauded their work rate, their skills, their quality and actually said that he expects great things from this group… The Dutch media approached the result as a Dutch Spring after years of winter. Obviously, the German media focused on the abysmal form of the Germans and wondered if it wasn’t time for Low to step down.
Most international media (French, Spanish, English) concluded that “Holland is back”. Only the media in Belgium decided to have a typical Dutch arrogant approach: “Don’t think you’re back coz you beat the weak Germans! We are better than them!”. The rivalry between Holland and Belgium, it never bores. We are probably considered “the Germans of Belgium” so to speak…
The match up with Belgium is never boring. And it’s never a friendly either. Although the Rijkaard coached NT back in the Euro2000 prep came close to a demonstration game with Belgium, with a 5-5 end result. We had a 9-1 and all sorts of results… But in the serious matches, we also had red cards, razor sharp tackles and excitement galore.
Dutch squad entering the stadium in Brussels
This time around, Belgium is the favorite and Holland the underdog. Belgium is the #1 on the FIFA ranking (Holland is currently #17), with players like De Bruyne, Kompany, Hazard and Lukaku. In 2012, the Red Devils played Holland for the last time and won 4-2. In 15 minutes, Belgium scored 3 times and the southern neighbours played Van Gaal’s eleven drunk. Axel Witsel saw the Dutch game vs Germany, but wouldn’t want to use that as a “key game” in Holland’s reversal of fortune, just like that 4-2 vs Holland wasn’t key for them. “Holland is back, it’s clear, they do have a good group of talented players, but to speak about key games… It’s never one game, it all comes down to all the work done in the years prior. But we are looking forward to this match. It will not be a friendly, I don’t think.” For both nations, a lot is at stake. Belgium wants to keep their spot at #1, while Holland wants to further confirm their way back to the top.
Willem van Hanegem, Holland’s living football legend and oracle: “This match and the development of players like Frenkie de Jong and Steven Bergwijn tells me one very important thing: our youth development is still pretty good. All those years of whining and complaining. There is nothing wrong with what we do. But there is something wrong with how we look and how we observe. Players like Dumfries, Virgil van Dijk and Arnaut Danjuma were ignored by the top 3. Players like Rosario and Bergwijn (and before them: Promes and Elia) were sent away by Ajax. Marten de Roon was sent away by Feyenoord. It is all about recognising talent. That is key. What really irks me, is that 5 months ago, the whole Dutch football world proclaimed that we needed to do what Germany is doing. We needed to borrow their smarts. And now, 5 months later, we beat them and we are on the up and up and Germany is on the way down. All that opportunistic waffling… Scoreboard journalism, we are very good at that. We did not copy what Germany did, and still we are developing talent. I also think Rosario would have made his debut if he wasn’t suspended. It’s all about recognising talent and being careful and cautious with their development.”
Van Hanegem with one player who was recognised early as a top player and one who wasn’t…
Romelu Lukaku is a player at the top of his game. He’s only 25 years old and already the top scorer of the Red Devils. He scored 28 times in his last 26 internationals. Who will stop him? Mathijs de Ligt smiles: “This is a major challenge. He’s tall, strong and fast. I don’t think I ever played against someone like him. I know, I need to be 100% top and I look forward to it. The better the opponent, the better I feel.” De Ligt is already working on it. “I watch Youtube videos to analyse his movements, how and when he takes in a position. Lewadowski and Lacazette are also super strikers. Like Lukaku.”
Ronald Koeman gave De Ligt another compliment, even after his weak start vs Germany. “But that is the point, he started not so great, but he fought back and got back into the game. That is tremendous. Not a lot of 19 year olds can do that.”
Koeman will make some changes and not take too many risks. Captain Van Dijk is back in Liverpool already due to his rib injury and the expectation is that Rosario will make his debut at some stage. He probably would have played vs Germany, but just before the match, Koeman was informed that Rosario’s suspension at Young Oranje level also applied to the senior team. For Belgium, its seems De Bruyne, Vertonghen, Vermaelen and Dembele won’t play and the fitness of Fellaini and Kompany is a question mark.
If Virgil van Dijk is the new leader of Oranje, his Liverpool buddy Wijnaldum seems freed from the shackles in his new role in midfield. In previous outings, with Sneijder on the 10 position, Gini was the first player to get the ball from defense and was responsible for the through ball forward. That is a position where risk is to be completely banned. Wijnaldum was always told to keep the balance, make sure Robben and Sneijder don’t have to do too much work and play sober. Now, with Frenkie de Jong or Daley Blind behind him, Wijnaldum is the forward playing midfielder who receives the second ball in midfield. When he plays in between the lines. And boy, he demonstrated vs France and now vs Germany how well he can play that role. Wijnaldum: “Do I enjoy the compliments now? Yes, but hey.. many times, it wasn’t good. And I think it has to be said if it isn’t good. But at the same time, Strootman and myself became easy targets.” Now, Wijnaldum demonstrated his tremendous powerhouse role late in the game, when Memphis hit the cross bar with a rocket, it was Wijnaldum on the edge of the Germany box picking up the ball. When he lost it, he ran all the way back to his own box, to join in in the defence. When, however, the Germans were pushed back, Wijnaldum ran forward again, to pick up the ball, pass two Germans and hit the ball in the net. That is something not many players can do after 90 minutes of hard work. “Oh no, it hurts. It really does and it costs strength, but that is what I do and will do. This is just one match. We need to do this time and time again. Because we can.”
The final words are for Koeman. He is not surprised that the mood in Holland has lifted tremendously. “That is normal. Our fans have not been spoiled lately so a win like this is landing on fertile ground. But, it is my role to analyse also what didn’t go well. And we have way to go. We are on the right track but we are really back to the top, not when we reach the Euros but when we actually compete for the top spot.”
I am quite sure no one will read the title of this post and be surprised. I’m sure every Oranje fan will have seen the game or at least know the end result. The first time Holland beats Germany in 16 years and the biggest victory over the East Neighbours ever.
Well done lads!
A deserved win, but also a much needed one. Because, yes…it is clear we are developing great talent still and yes, it seems with Koeman now as coach and the older generation having made way, Oranje is on the up and up, but in order to really make the step up, results are key.
Good play (like vs France) but losing gets tiresome soon.
So, we bucked the trend. We played a strong team and actually won. And I’m sure we’ll beat Belgium too in a couple of days. That is what confidence and “flow” bring.
I was positively surprised by Koeman’s choices for the line up. I expected Hateboer or De Ligt on that flank, not Dumfries. But the 22 year old did ever so well. I was happy to see Bergwijn on the pitch – he was a tad unlucky – and didn’t expect De Roon either.
Koeman will have seen things at training which he liked. I think De Roon played a good game and he did surprise me with a couple of “Frenkie de Jong” like forward passes even.
Fair is fair, Germany isn’t that good anymore. They struggled clearly to get in a flow and top players like Muller and Kroos are clearly struggling with their form. Nevertheless, they did dominate the first stage of the game, when Oranje looked a bit complacent and seemed to take it a bit too easy. Too much confidence, maybe?
In particular De Ligt fell victim of sloppy play but he did improve quickly and played a good game overall.
I felt Bergwijn, with all his quality, was a bit unlucky with his decision making and passing, he had a couple of opportunities to play a deadly final pass but missed the chance.
Frenkie de Jong took some time to put his mark on the game but once he did, he was quite mercurial and his substitution was purely because if fitness issues (Frenkie’s first game since the PSV defeat).
The Dutch axis is becoming very strong indeed! Cillesen is the best goalie, De Ligt/Van Dijk a strong couple, Frenkie de Jong the ideal deep lying playmaker and Memphis leads the line with panache, strength and speed. I like Wijnaldum in the more attacking role, but I think Promes, Propper, Bergwijn and Van de Beek can play there too. Wide, we have options too, now with Danjuma, Berghuis, Kluivert, Dilrosun, Bergwijn and others coming through (Malen!).
Our future is bright.
Still, Germany was able to play through a couple of times, when Low brought Sane finally, for instance. But overall the team did well defensively. I think Daley Blind played well as left back and really well in the Frenkie role, when the latter was subbed.
If I can be a bit of a nitpicker: I do think we could and should have put this game to bed much sooner. 1-0 is a vulnerable score line. And with the break opportunities we had, we should do much better. We were also a bit unlucky on that Dumfries cross to Babel, where the German defender miraculously slid into his own goal but manage to work the ball into a corner.
Denzel Dumfries was glad to have made his debut in such a wonderful and historic match. The PSV right back was like a kid in the toy shop and with reason. Only 4 years ago, he played for the Barendrecht amateurs before he made his foray into second tier of pro football with Sparta. He then went from Sparta to Heerenveen and as the assist king made his way to PSV Eindhoven, this season.
Ronald Koeman had trouble hiding his victorious smile in the post match interview, and did concede that “there are still things we need to improve in” but he also said that this was a victory we really needed. “The players, the fans…the whole nation needed this.” And after a lot of bad luck (Dost disallowed goal vs Sweden, France-Sweden game, goal difference between Sweden – Holland), we did get some luck going our way, when Leroy Sane missed the target when he was through on goal.
But we managed to keep a clean sheet and score when it mattered. The first Van Dijk goal turned the game around, as Holland won in confidence and Germany seemed to be at odds and sods. The second and third goals came a bit late (Memphis had a go at the cross bar before that) but the goals did justice to the way Oranje played.
Another festive moment before the match, Oranje legends Dirk Kuyt and Rafa van der Vaart had their place in the sun, their farewell greeted with a standing ovation. The two centennials (Rafa 107 caps, Kuyt 104) were offered their epic jerseys framed with the new title of Federation Knight for both former Oranje players.
The dark, barren days truly seems behind us now. Those days, when we couldn’t qualify for a big tournament, remember that? Now, we have some world class central defenders, exciting top notch full backs, a midfielder on the scouting list of many a big club and coming from nowhere (seemingly) some new attacking talent!
Arnaut Danjuma Groeneveld suddenly appeared. From second tier club NEC to Belgium’s top club, Club Brugge. And yesterday, he joined the Dutch national team squad in Zeist. “My nerves are holding up well. I do wish to find new challenges all the time and this is a top example. And I don’t want to just be here today as a one-day-fly. I wanted to proof myself and come back regularly.
Asked what his secret is: “I don’t have one. It’s a matter of confidence with me. I work hard every day and this is the result. People tell me things go really fast for me, but I don’t see it that way. I work hard and this is where I am at now. And it’s almost normal, you know. Ever since I was a child, I wanted this.”
“I spoke with Ruud Vormer about it of course and with Stefano Denswil and Sofyan Amrabat (all Brugge players). It’s sad Ruud had to bail with his groin injury. This is a huge honour for me and I hope I’ll get the chance to show something. These two games, vs Germany and Belgium. Amazing of course. And there are two mates of Brugge called up for the Belgium team. That is extra cool.”
Danjuma has scored 5 goals and offered 4 assists in 14 official games. He’ll meet some old friends at Oranje. “That makes life a bit easier, I know Rosario and Bergwijn from my time at PSV. It’s special for sure.”
When the 21 year old was presented at Brugge, son of a Nigerian mother and a Dutch father, the experts could see what his thing was. “A mouthy Dutch lad, who cuts inside to shoot on goal with his right. The whole Belgium competition will know this within weeks.” But like with Arjen Robben, knowing that he’ll do it and stopping him from doing it are two different things.
Club coach Leko signed Groeneveld from NEC, now called Danjuma. And after a couple of training sessions he knows enough. He’ll start Danjuma in the super cup match vs Standard Luik. He breaks open that match with an assist in the first half. Leko is convinced. Aad de Mos, ex top coach and football fanatic, watches the first match this season in the competition of Brugge. And he knows after 45 minutes. He grabs his phone and tweets: “The Dutch top clubs have been sleeping again: Groeneveld is at Brugge and is a top player!”.
After three matches in the competition, Danjuma is the most discussed player / topic. Club wins and Danjuma has to face the media again and again. Ruud Vormer looks at with approval from a distance. The blue-black jersey tightly fitting the muscles on the upper body, legs like concrete pillars and a twinkle in the eyes.
Danjuma is not keen to discuss his past. He had a life of ups and downs and one day, he’ll tell his life story. Not now. “That is too personal”. Because life in Lagos, Nigeria isn’t easy and neither is moving to Holland and being caught up in the social services system of child care. He did say something once… He was in three different host families until his dad finally got custody. He doesn’t want to say more. He used to confuse attention with affection and was hoping on positive re-affirmations. Like the 8 years at PSV, where he suffered from many injuries. Every coach could see he had talent but he needed to stay fit.
In Nijmegen, at NEC, he changed from an inconsistent talent to a man with a mission. Danjuma finds inspiration in athletes who had to fight to get to the top. Players like Zlatan or Neymar. Or Memphis. Or a boxer like Mike Tyson. “Setbacks make you stronger. Let’s just say I experienced more than most at my age. I think I built up more resistance.”
When Arnaut was Arnaut at NEC, he already told anyone who wanted to listen: I am good, I will become better, I will play for a top club and I will win trophies. Danjuma at Brugge seems to fulfil his promise. And he did play against Almere and Helmond Sport last season. This season he’ll play Borussia Dortmund and Atletico Madrid in the Champions League. The goal vs Atleti and more specifically Jan Oblak already went viral across the globe.
At NEC, they are looking forward to the day Brugge will sell Danjuma to a big spender, as NEC will receive a % from that future deal. They sold him for 1mio euros which enabled NEC to almost build a complete new team as a result. How was it possible that NEC got this gem?
The Dutch youth international made his way to NEC two years ago from the PSV youth to the NEC youth and in two seasons Danjuma got 14 goal and 17 assists in 46 matches. Not bad!
Danjuma: “It is not true that the Dutch top clubs were sleeping. There was interest. There was also interest from Germany, England and France, but I followed my instincts. I can’t explain what it was. Everything clicked for me here. They really wanted me, courted me. I love that. Manchester City was interested too, but I think this is the club where I can really develop and make my minutes.”
Groeneveld did have to adjust a bit. “In Holland, at NEC, it was rough at practice. We’d go in full throttle, rough tackles and very feisty. Here at Brugge, I started yelling at players at practice and Ruud Vormer had to talk to me and said “that is not how it is done here,” hahaha.”
Danjuma played for Young Oranje but was also entitled to select Nigeria. He always expressed his wish to play for Oranje and Koeman decided to not allow Nigeria a shot at the winger. “I would have considered an invite for Nigeria, I do feel the Nigerian roots. But my dream is to play for Oranje.”
NEC was able to present their 11th new player some weeks ago, thanks to the transfer sum that they banked for Arnaut Danjuma. General Manager Oversier: “I was just here, at NEC, when I saw him play and I thought “that kid will one day play for Oranje!”. He is really good eh? He’s not even that super fast, but on the ball he is explosive, threatening and able to go on the outside or inside of the opponent. And his kicking technique is out of this world. He has so much potential. You should analyse his goals, they’re all differnt. I have seen right full backs fall over, so dazed and confused from playing him, hahaha. He never made it at PSV due to his injuries, otherwise he would have played there now, for sure.”