Updates from Oranje camp in Portugal

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by Jan

Only 15 days to go!! And 5 days until we learn the final definitive selection!

The Netherlands has 15 mio team managers. People (fans, ex players, coaches, analysts, media people) and then there is the actual team manager of course…

And in the run up to the World Cup you will hear them all. And they all have their own ideas. Feyenoord assistant coach JP van Gastel repeats what his former head coach Ronald Koeman said earlier this week: “Van Gaal should have taken Mathijsen. It’s clear that the Oranje defence is young and inexperienced, albeit very talented. It would have helped if he would have picked at least one experienced trooper. Joris would have been perfect. He was in top form the last months, he has leadership on and off the pitch. I think this is a missed opportunity.” Pundits like Ronald Waterreus, Co Adriaanse and Ronald de Boer expressed a similar opinion. But, that is irrelevant now as Louis is not able to call him up even if he wanted to. The definitive group will have to come from the prelim squad.

lvg hoofd

The discussion centers more and more on “who will Louis select”? The future Man United coach said he has 20 names on paper already. Only 3 more to go. The practice sessions show a potential line up with Cillesen on goal and a back five of Janmaat, De Vrij, Veltman, BMI and Van Aanholt. In midfield Nigel de Jong has taken the role of Clasie (pretty useful against Spain and Chile of course) with Daley Blind on his side and the golden triangle of Sneijder, Robben and Van Persie upfront. Depay, Lens and Clasie will have to wait their chance on the bench.

Van Gaal also made some comments about a certain player who might not be top fit but whose yield  – for lack of a better word – has always been very high for Oranje. “The ability to deliver sometimes overrides match fitness. And we still have a couple of weeks to get players more fit.” It seemed like Louis was referring to Raf van der Vaart. The HSV player has not had a super season in Germany and struggled with fitness. At the Portugal camp he had the flu and he suffered a little calf injury which kept him off the pitch today. But the former Ajax, Real Madrid and Spur midfielder has the ability to turn games around with his ability to deliver in big games and Van Gaal knows he might need an experienced player like him to bring in difficult situations.

With Depay he has a young gun who will be able to surprise with his confident performance and trickery. According to former Oranje wingers Regi Blinker and Bryan Roy the PSV winger might well be the surprise of the World Cup. “He won’t start, we don’t think, but he’ll get playing time for sure. And he might be able to do something special. Against Ecuador you could see how Van Persie rated Depay as he allowed him a free kick which RVP would normally take himself.”

roy

Bryan Roy

Roy did say a bit more: “I would never go for 5-3-2 by the way. We have always impressed most with three strikers. We have the players to play like that and we can put more pressure on the opponents. But I do understand Van Gaal’s reasoning and you can’t ignore the fact he has proven himself as a world class coach, so maybe we should simply support his choices.”

Skipper Robin van Persie won’t say too many negative things about his coach. “We have special relationship. I never knew him too well before he took on Oranje and we had that first meeting in which he told he would go for Klaas Jan as his striker. That came out and people thought I would be disappointed. But I wasn’t. That comment was only one comment in a meeting that lasted hours. We talked about many things. Football and non football matters. And we still do. He might have said that to motivate me, but at the same time I wasn’t very impressive in Oranje till then and I know it. Anyway, we built up a good relationship, something you don’t have with just any coach.”

Van Persie grins when Van Gaal’s intensity is mentioned. “Well, he expects everyone to give 100% like he does. And that is tough at times. But I like it. It sort of lifts you up to do better. And he is very open and clear and direct. And that is good. He also wants you to talk to him about things you experience or believe. He welcomes debate. But if you didn’t perform, he will tell you.”

The Man United striker had a difficult season in England. No European football for him and he missed a number of games due to injuries. But in Portugal the former Feyenoord man is reaching his top level again. During the 5 against 5 games they played he dribbled past opponents as if they weren’t there and scored from all angles possible. He is expected to play a full game against Ghana and will be ready for the big job against Spain by then.

RVP Louis talk

“Do what I say, nose, otherwise I will take your new job away from you!”

About the new system: “It is not really new for some. Feyenoord played like this and we played like this with Man United as well. I am sure half of the squad has played this system, but with Van Gaal it is always about the perfect execution. It’s almost sacred geometry with him. The distance between players needs to be exactly right and it takes a lot of thinking, coaching and focus. But we have a couple of weeks to go and you can tell things are improving fast.”

Van Gaal was not happy with the way Oranje played vs Ecuador and took Kongolo and Clasie off at half time. Does the Oranje skipper do anything special towards these players to keep them motivated? “I don’t need to, believe me. And I don’t have to tell anyone they played great if they didn’t. But it was one game, a friendly, while the non Eredivisie players were still absent. So you can’t judge too much. It was Kongolo’s first game in Oranje. And I have had many great assists in my life, but the one Clasie played against Ecuador was probably one of the 5 best passes I have ever received. So he didn’t do too badly. And seriously, all players are making giant steps. Did you see how Martins Indi positions himself, how he handles the ball and is coaching others? He has made huge steps compared to two years ago.”

Van Persie continues: “The key thing for young players is to keep on watching and learning and taking it all in. We are on the verge of a World Cup in Brazil. It doesn’t get bigger. I was never a bright player. When I was young, I was a selfish player and wasn’t really too smart tactically. I can see that now. And if you see how disciplined youngsters like Martins Indi, Clasie, Fer and Depay can play, that is quite something.”

Van Persie and Robben were the two top dogs in Oranje, with Strootman before he got injured. Wesley Sneijder, the former skipper and leader, had to worry about his position in the squad. But not anymore, it seems. The Gala midfielder has surprised Van Gaal in a positive manner. The team manager: “The biggest gift I received is Wesley Sneijder. He is very fit. If he stays in this form, he will be a very important player for us and I am very very content.”

training oranje

“For Clasie we have a water bottle with a straw”

It seems the following players can count on a ticket to Brazil:

Cillesen, Janmaat, Verhaegh, De Vrij, Veltman, Martins Indi, Vlaar, Van Aanholt, De Jong, Blind, Sneijder, Van der Vaart, Robben, Van Persie.

I do think Krul and Vorm are certain as well and I think we’ll see Clasie and Depay on the plane too. Huntelaar is the best stand in for RVP of course and if Lens is fit and in form he will be a certain squad member.

Three more field players needed. I suppose Van Gaal will consider Blind as left back if he believes Kongolo is too light for the big job. In which case we’ll see Fer and maybe De Guzman come along. As we will play with two forwards, having Depay and Lens as stand ins is probably enough and Boetius and Promes will be able to book his summer holiday, while Rekik suddenly might be needed to make up the numbers in defence…. Wijnaldum will lose out if LVG picks both Sneijder and Van der Vaart.

If Kongolo however impressed Van Gaal, he will be a perfect stand in for center back as well and Rekik might unlucky which might give Van Gaal the opportunity to bring another wild card in the form of Promes or Boetius or midfielder Vilhena…

The latter has been loaned out to Young Oranje (with Boetius, Rekik and Promes) while Kongolo was allowed to stay with the big boys. Tonny Vilhena: “It’s not a big deal for me. People tend to forget that even Young Oranje is already a step up for me, as I should normally play under 19s. And I have not given up on Brazil. It would be fantastic to go along. The coach told us he will make his mind up after seeing us play on Wednesday. So if we perform well, who knows?”

lvg wes

“I’m glad that my little media games with you worked out well, Sneijdertje!”

Karim Rekik adds: “The coach has told us specifically that we still have a good chance to be part of it. And why not. The other players will also have to prove themselves. I would love to go, and would love to see how Robben and Van Persie and those guys deal with the stress and the pressure and all that….”

We will give the Men in Blazers the last word in this post. The American comedians look at the chances we (and Belgium) have this time around. Funny. Not.

 

 

 

 

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201 comments

  1. thanks for the good read Jan!

    i’m glad to hear Sneijder is impressing at training camp.

    and c’mon, the war pig shooting Messi is damn hilarious!

  2. Great reading and great news , Jan. The closer the world cup becomes , the better I feel about our chances.

    Btw , I found this Video on Moallim’s twitter page :

    http://youtu.be/4OYrQgYBEN4

    Oranje 2-1 Spain , friendly game. The thing is , Lvg was the coach and Oranje played in 3-5-2 format 🙂 !

    1. Yes indeed but as far as I remember, it was a 5-2-3 and then it lasted only for one unsuccessful half, as Louis changed its tactics on the second half by bringing Bogarde in midfiled and played 4-3-3 from then on.

      All goals were scored in the second half (again as I remember but I will refresh this hru the video).

      Perhaps in Brazil we start again with a 5-2-3 and then revert back to familiar 4-3-3 in the second half, and win.
      Let’s dream…

  3. Men in blazers are funny. I think they are british living in NYC. I plan on attending one of their live shows soon.
    With regards to our team it will really be a miracle if we can draw against Spain. This defense including keeper looks scary fragile. Even though I never liked Mathijsen perhaps his presence would really help the youngsters.

  6. Jan:

    I really enjoyed this article and the various quotes from the players. It’s good to hear some positivity. A few thoughts:

    If it wasn’t the case before, I think van Gaal is definitely at the point in his career where he isn’t going to concern himself with criticism from anyone and is just going to do what he thinks is right. In this sense, perhaps getting the United job wrapped up in advance will prevent it from being a distraction and he can instead focus on the team’s performance (rather than worrying about his own).

    I also like hearing this type of leadership and perspective from van Persie. It sounds like LVG has challenged him early on to step up to this role, though I wonder if their future partnership at United will end up providing RVP some favoritism during the World Cup (e.g., leaving him on when a situation might call for Huntelaar).

    Finally, I really think VDV still has something to offer with his skill and creativity and hope that he will be allowed to make an impact. But if he’s not getting into these early games due to illness, fitness, etc., I wonder how effectively he’ll be able to operate in the 5-3-2.

  7. Seedorf done at Milan. What a travesty. I thought we had the next superstar dutch coach in him. I wonder if he gets another gig.

    Sneijder will ball out. He’s hungry. He’s ready to prove that he is still an elite footballer. I’m tipping him for major success. He’s a big game player he will be ready to play.

    p.s. Holland will beat Spain! 🙂

  8. I am from teh future.

    After the lacklustre warm-up games, LVG abandons a potentially disastrous 532 at the last second, and adopts a 1988 442 diamond:

    ——Hunter—RVP——-
    ———–VDV————
    —–Depay——Robben—–
    ———-De Jong———-
    Blind-Veltman-BMI-Janmaat
    ——-Cillesen——-

    Thanks for the new article, Jan.

  9. I definitely can’t understand all that critics about 3-5-2 , saying it’s much defensive than 4-3-3.
    According to Dutch media , the Line up is :
    Cilessen ; Janmaat , Vlaar , De vrij , Indi , Anholt ; De jong , Blind , Sneijder ; Robben and Persie.
    If LvG wants a 4-3-3 formation , all what he will need is to put Depay in for Aanholt ! And it will be
    Janmaat , Vlaar , De vrij , indi ;
    De jong , Blind
    Sneijder
    Robben persie depay

    I wonder if it is really that defensive ??

    1. I am only worried about our Keeper. Cilessen just always has that shaky look on his face . Krul and even Vorm look much more confident than him. I hope a miracle happens and LvG uses Krul in the WC.

    3. I really don’t hope Blind starts as midfielder. De Jong-Van Bommel was considered too defensive for dutch fans, now it’s De Jong-Blind, with 5 defenders behind ? Of course it’s too defensive, Blind can’t attack at all. Maybe he can give some good passes, but he can’t dribble, can’t hold the ball, can’t shot…

      That gives us Sneijder-RVP-Robben to attack. Only three players. Janmaat and PVA can go forward also but they are still defenders.

      Remove Blind, put De Guzman/Fer/Clasie instead and it’s already better. Really pity that Van Ginkel or Duarte haven’t been called, they are able to defend and project forward.

      1. I’m ok with Clasie or De guzman starting as long as De jong is playing.
        However , I think our problem in the last WC was not specifically with De jong – Bommel partnership in the midfeild. It was also with playing with out of form Van Persie and using Kuyt who was seen as a “defnding Striker” in the front line . The problem was , we only had Wesley and Robben upfront.

        Btw , I think we need Mathijsen in the back line , only as a sub. I mean , If Indi gets suspended in an advanced stage in the WC , I would prefer to see a world cup finalist like Mathijsen coming in rather than a big talent like Rekik or Kongolo.

        1. @Laurent: Blind is a good young and versatile player, but I am questionable where to use him. I do not feel he is the best LB or the best 3 midfields that we have. However I feel that LVG will start Blind and from other posting’s it looks like he will start as 1 of the 3 midfields. I disagree that you think the team is considered too defensive. It looks like too defensive with Blind/De Jong and 5 defenders but the 2 LB/RB can move high up and the back 3 spread out to cover for them and then the formation is 3-2-3-2 or 3-5-2. If Janmaat and PVA and Blind attack a lot where De Jong drops back, you can say it becomes 4-3-3. I think the key is when to attack or defend we should not leave any gap between defense/midfield/forward.

          @Mohamed: I still think Vlaar is the experiences in the back. I do think Mathijsen’s time with NT is passed and we should move on with these new young defenders. We may not win the WC but this valuable WC experiences will be good for the young defenders in the future.

          JC said that this team is young and we are lucky if we can make out of the group.

          I hope LVG print that statement out to motivate the team, something like: “This is from the best Dutch player in history. He probably speaks the truth. Now, you execute the best Dutch coach (in history)’s vision and we will win the WC together.”

          1. Hein : As someone mentionned here, formation isn’t that important. Most important is the nature of the players you use.

            Blind cannot attack, I would say he is an even more defensive option than Van Bommel. Van Bommel could take shots at least. Also I think Blind distribution is average at best, De Guzman and Clasie have better pass quality. Honestly I don’t understand the choice of Blind as midfielder, he isn’t that good at defending and isn’t good at attacking neither. Especially if Nigel is here, and if you play with three defenders behind, what’s the sense to add Blind ? Even Scotland wouldn’t dare to play like that.

            Better to go for De Guzman, Fer, Clasie or even Van der Vaart next to Nigel. Blind would be my last choice as midfielder. He wouldn’t be any option in any other big national selection.

  10. Haha the Men in Blazers were funny! Robben’s going to Hypnotize ’em all !

    Can’t wait for the action to begin!

    Alright 15 days to go here is what I predict :P, Holland to finish second in the group (loss against spain, draw against chile and a win against australia, go through on GD), We face the Samba boys in the R16, fierce match ends in penalties, with oranje winning. We enter the QF’s as favorites but end up losing.

    Haha don’t worry i never get my predictions right in football.

  11. Defensive or not doesnt depend on the formation. Its all about style and mentality. We give too much weight to formations in our analyses.

    We lost Strootman but seems that we found Sneijder. This is really great news for Oranje as he can make a difference. We all know about his mental abilities. If hes fit physically he will be a very important player.

  12. http://uefa.to/1oDIbT4

    So Steven Bergwijn is chosen as best player of the U17 Euro. Not a bad choice. For me he demonstrated a pretty complete skill set. Could hold off a man. Could assist in a great way. Could score a goal. Turned up against weak and strong country’s. Also France in the Elite round. A pretty well rounded player that would definitely reach world class if he also had Owobowale’s work ethic. There is some nonchalance in Bergwijn’s game that has me slightly worried. Other than that, I will push this player for the striker position really hard from now on :).

    1. Yeah that’s great news. I am happy for the young man.
      Btw , this award was given before to players like Fabregas , Rooney and Kroos. Wish him even a better future.

    1. That is not attacking football, same strategy as Brazil not total football but just counter attacking with speed and good pressing, similar to Van Basten’s Netherland.

    2. France is on fire since that qualification against Ukraine.

      I believe they’ll have a good start during the world cup, especially considering the weak group. They’ll finish the group in first position with 7/9 points, will face Nigeria/Bosnia after, will win comfortably once again, but will fail against Germany in quarter.

      They’ll have more chances home in 2016.

      2. I think they can cause Germany some troubles. Wouldn’t be surprised if they win this game. Their playing style is similar to Italy in the last Euro. Germany can’t play against these teams that play ” beautiful counter attack” .

  14. I don’t care how good Sneijder looks I think it’s more about home having good chemistry with the other attackers most notably RvP as we all know it hasn’t worked in the past. That’s why I will always prefer Vaart over Sneijder the attackers always seem to gel better

    1. I have the same doubt. However Sneijder comes into camp more fit and in better form than VDV. This is why Sneijder deserves starting. However I would prefer VDV as the backup over Wijnaldum so if it comes down to pick the last spot than I pick VDV over any of Fer,Guzman, Wijnaldum or 1 of Rekik, Promes, Boetius, Vilhena.

  15. I don’t care how good Sneijder looks I think it’s more about him having good chemistry with the other attackers most notably RvP as we all know it hasn’t worked in the past. That’s why I will always prefer Vaart over Sneijder the attackers always seem to gel better

    1. Raf should start. And being in excellent form alone isn’t enough to merit a starting spot.

      RvP was on fire going into the Euro’s, yet he still had a poor tournament. He and Sneijder just don’t click together. It doesn’t matter if it’s a 4-3-3, 4-2-3-1, or 5-3-2-1.

      VdV is the ideal fit for that role behind RvP. Better at taking crosses, free kicks, and he offers more of a scoring threat than Sneijder does.

  17. Awesome comments guys! And I agree, it is starting to get really exciting now. I also believe we’ll beat Spain in the first game and I agree that I am less worried with either Blind, Clasie, Fer or whoever as long as we have Nigel in the team….

    1. I think its very premature to say that at this stage. The Ghana game will determine how well the team has bonded in the last few weeks or once again its back to drawing board before the WC. Its simple we cannot match Spain in every department and they they will come out with all axillary cylinders fully charged and running. Nobody is talking here about Torres because he had an average season with Chelsea, but he is striker who always ignites on big stages as in the past WC and Euros. you cant count him out and with costa injury once again he has provided with a life line.

      the only way to stop Spain is to keep them occupied and this will depend on midfield and how long they can keep feeding RVP and Robben . If they collpase it will be a hiding for sure.

      You jus cant let Spain do this with you.

      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OatLReAPntI

      that game will be decided on the pace and who crumbles to sustain it.

  19. A very smart move by LVG is that he made clear who are the leaders of this team…RVP and Robben and then there is the rest and amongst the rest we have Sneijder so he will have to play for RVP no matter what.

  20. @DRB300:Euro 2012 had just finished that game was just to break the bad vibe I believe LVG is creating a good vibe within the group they really seem happy with his methods. This will be a good tournament if we avoid Brazil or if we face them and the refs dont cheat.

  21. My prediction for WC 2010 before the tournament start was Holland vs Spain in the final, Holland beating Spain and becoming champions.

    Everybody told me i was crazy and that Holland would never reach even semi finals.

    For EC 2012 my prediction was Holland will be Finalist, everybody told me i got it right, Holland is at its best.

    My prediction for WC 2014 final is, Holland vs Germany, Holland becoming champion for the first time with a well balance, intelligent and beautiful football.

    Everybody is calling me crazy again, ahhj, you just don’t know what you are talking about.

    Hoppe to repeat 2010 acurate prediction.

    Brazil vs Argentina for the third place

  25. Van Der Vaart out for WC due to injury, this is horrible for Netherland and also the player. Van Der Vaart’s WC career probably will end.

    1. I hope Robben will take corner kicks and not Sneijder or Clasie, Holland without VDV is definitly less dangerous.

      So Van Gaal has no right to call a player out of the 30 to replace him, right ?

      1. I think he can call a player out of the 30 man squad. Afellay not many games played, MVG not in form, Siem De Jong not in form, Maher not in form, Klaassen not the No.10 we need, too many runners in squad already.
        I hope Van Gaal gamble on Ziyech, he won’t lose much as nobody can cover for VDV. He is in form had a season same quality as Maher in AZ. If Maher can be called playing for AZ I see no reason not calling Ziyech.

  26. Well , I’m sorry for VdV. He said few days ago that he played in the position under the srikers more than Wesley this last year. He had a stunning qualifications games and has loads of experience.
    This is his last WC and I think it will be difficult for him to even play the next Euro 🙁 .
    Anyway , I’ll go with DRB300’s opinion and pick Fer as wesley’s sub.
    Blind , De jong , Clasie and De guzman as Holding midfielders.

    Shame.
    Afellay , Ginkel , Strootman , Weil , VdV and Willems would have been great for the 3-5-2.

    1. I think van Gaal said that we play 3-4-3 in ball possession. So taking that as a point of reference this could be the line up after a Sneijder sub:

      http://postimg.org/image/ldtfwkest/

      I like Depay over Fer in general. The fact that Fer is good in a commuting role, does not mean he should be an automatic pic after Sneijder comes off. Wijnaldum is also an option now Vaart is out of the picture. I just realized that de Vrij in the middle and Vlaar to the right might be better for build up. Could also be a point of debate.

      1. I agree with you about De vrij as a Libero. He reads the game better and is a better footballer than Vlaar in my humble opinion.

        Wijnaldum is very versatile and this can be a very strong point in his favor. He can play almost at any position in the Midfeild and upfront .

        Let’s see how LvG will react to VdV’s injury. May be this will make him change his mind and call Afellay .

      2. DRB300 don’t you think that it will be strange to play without wingers ? I always had the feeling wingers played a major role for NT, remember when Robben/RVP where coming as sub during EC2008, Elia/Afellay WC 2010…

        After a Sneijder sub I would prefer Depay to come as LW and Robben as RW.

        People here really like the idea to have Robben in the center but they seem to forget how many times he can lose the ball. Same goes for Depay. Losing the ball on the sides is better than losing it in the center. I know you think about triangle Depay-RVP-Robben playing quick passes but I don’t think it will be like that. Robben and RVP are selfish during international competitions, remember the last game against Denmark, we didn’t see any triangle passes or whatever, it was just Robben, RVP and Afellay shooting as soon as possible.

        I just expect a lot of ball wastage forward with Robben-RVP.

        1. > “DRB300 don’t you think that it will be strange to play without wingers?”

          I think it will not be like we will only operate from now through center. Robben at Bayern in that role just does a bit of everything. I also think there will be position swaps. RvP will drop, then Robben, then Depay. Like Cruyff said back in 2008. Tutti Frutti :). Surely we will see Depay at the left and Robben at the right at times. I see this method is as a way to make us less predictable. I first now want to see it in full effect in the next friendly.

          You have a point with ball loss though. Robben, but also certainly Depay lose the ball often in their passing. No way around it. I have always said that Depay does have knock out punches in his locker and can be decisive with an action, but they are traded come often with quite a mistake rate. When he has a bad game, he has a significant lower limit with regular WTF moments.

          That being said, Depay can shield and get past his marker. He is that player. Sneijder on 10 will always give the pass, which is great, but if the opponent is able to close down Robben and RvP then we will need a third man who can get past his man and join them for an attack. Depay can do that. Look at those chances vs Equador. He can dummy the marker in his back, he can flick a ball past him, he can get past him himself. I do not see Fer doing that. He can run, also with ball, but losing the guy in his back himself? Not so much. It’s more off ball runs that could pay out for him or sending him deep. Depay in this sense is unique. People think he might lack the vision, but he has that also. He is able to give the passes to for example Robben. Not at Sneijder level of course, but he can give very good weighted passes.

          Wijnaldum on the top of midfield for me neither by the way. I want to see it now first in full effect in the next 2 games. Every player is brought up with 1-4-3-3 in the Netherlands. If it fails, we can switch back. If we switch, no Sneijder. Van Gaal does this also for Sneijder if I understood well. Or maybe he is taking this detour to make it look like he is forced to bench him and after the Wales game he switches back to 1-4-3-3. Dunno.

      3. What about having RvP drop to Sneijder’s spot with Memphis and Robben up top? That’s what I’ve been imagining as a dynamic front line force when Wesley is not on the pitch.

        Terrible shame about Raf- I’ve always liked what I’ve seen of him as a person and, of course as a player. That said, barring any further injury, I don’t feel like it hurts us that much as he was likely a 20 minute sub at best and he’s had a very tough season. Too bad the selection cof his replacement can’t come from beyond the thirty, though. Would have been another chance /excuse to bring another wild card (Afellay, van Ginkel, etc).

    1. How is losing one of the most technically skillful players of a generation a blessing at all? Seriously.

      Fuck, it’s posts like this which keep me away from this site.

      1. Well judgng by the frequency of your replies you do not really keep away from this site.
        Unless you couldn’t be stand cold turkey for long.

  29. sad news about van der vaart limits our options a lot.

    was hearing that jogi low said that this is going to be a world cup where everythig goes wrong, and the team that wins it will be best at going with the flow.

    germans aren’t good with going with the flow.

    so what countries are good with going with the flow?

    1. I am not really sure Jan , but I remember San Marco calling Heitinga to the final cut in 2006 before the WC , although he wasn’t in the first 33 squad players.

  31. This gets worse but also easier. There won’t be much moaning if we go out early. Expectations are lower so the weight is less on our youngsters. Regardless of experience I hope our players have good lungs. Physical conditions will be much more important than technical.
    Even though I am not a VdV fan I am sad for him. Not having to see him limping in the field will be a good thing.

  32. Hopefully no Wijnaldum. He isn’t the playmaker mold.
    Not one for combination play either. IMO, he played poorly and took too much time on the ball. He is Not the “elegant” or “technical” player I would associate with Sneijder, Vaart, or even Clasie.
    LVG may have to improvise again, maybe De Guzman.

    1. Right, Wijnaldum has a poor vision and poor last pass, ne never impressed as midfielder. Was much better on the right wing last -21 euro.

      That would give :

      –Janmaat(Wijnaldum)———————-Blind/PVA(Lens)

      ———–Nigel(Blind)———Clasie(DeGuzman)———-

      ———————Sneijder(Fer)————————

      ———–Robben(Depay)———RVP(Huntelaar)——

      With Lens and Wijnaldum for the wings, they can replace Janmaat/Van Aanholt and it can become a more attacking team.

      Not bad even if Van der Vaart, Van Ginkel and Afellay would be more than welcome. But even like that, I like the bench.

      Depay, Lens, Wijnaldum, Fer, 4 potential interesting subs to bring speed and power.

      De Guzman, Huntelaar and Kuyt aren’t really interesting while coming during a game in my opinion, but they can replace injured/bad performing players during the competition.

  33. After reading the comments…. ya it is somehow true that mathijsen should be in the team eventhough i dont really fancy him. He is more experienced in the big stage than vlaar and he still have what it need to defend 100%.

    cant wait for the ghana game

  34. I am sorry for VdV he is a good guy it must be painful to miss the WC so near to the tournament.

    Although as #10 Sneijder will shine and in any case there’s Wijnaldum, Robben can drop back to play as #10 and leave space for Depay to play next to RVP, also RVP can play as #10 and Huntelaar up front.

    We’ve many options.

  35. I am truly sorry for VDV too, the thing is it will have been wes in the first half and VDV in the other, I really think we dont have any other world class AMF at the momment, lets see what Van Gaal can make.
    Also I read somewehere that He can call another player out of the 30 man.
    Cheers!

    1. Yes, another player can be called up in emergencies.
      This is such.

      Having met Rafael, i can tell you he is a true gentleman, and he deserved his time in the brazilian sunlight – moreso than half these faggot child-men populating the thoughts and dreams of delusional LVG.

      Stunted selfish midget Sneijder will be laughing at all this.
      Tragedy. At least Rafael would have kept Wes looking over his shoulder, turning in something approaching a passable performance.

      Ah well.

      Four more years.

  36. Thanks Jan for your hard work. Much appreciated by this Oranje fanatic (since 1978). Two questions for the more knowledgeable. 1. Why can’t Huntelaar ( The Dutch Gerd Muller) start with van Persie and Robben? 2. What is the big difference and positive improvement with this NT and the one from Euro 2012, which was only two years ago. Seems like many of the same key players , only older; RvP, Robben, Sneijder, Nigel De Jong, Vlaar? Holland to the Final! Why not?

  37. I can’t see the Dutch being a serious contender with a midfield of sneijder, de jong and blind. Sneijder is talented but has had fitness issues and is selfish, de jong is a good defensive player who offers little in attack and blind strikes me as nothing special–overrated. There is no athletic dynamism in this midfield. Maybe they’ll prove better than I anticipate.

  39. I really feel sorry for Rafael, what a horrible year he´s had. Sure it´s a loss for Oranje. Even if Wes is in better shape right now, Raf contributed seriously in qualification, is very experienced, and in this 532 (or any/whatever) system he´s the ideal backup(Joker. This guy is unpredictable, and its always good to surprise your opponent). Besides he´s a great guy ! My best bet as alternatives would be Wijnaldum or Clasie.

    There is only one way for us to hit a dent in a pack of butter (LOL) this tourny, and that is by beating Spain. And YEAH, my confidence is growing that we might pull that of.

    1. Man…this sucks.

      My problem with starting Wes is it limits the amount of goal threats we have. @Laurent mentioned this earlier, but when you have Wes on the field over Raf it puts all the pressure on Robben and RvP to score.

      Nigel and Blind…there’s no creativity there. Blind is essentially a poor man’s Nigel, and I think having them both on the field at the same time is a BAD idea. At least Fer has some speed, and isn’t afraid to shoot.

      I think Wijnaldum is out of the question…he made too many mistakes vs. Ecuador.

      JdG is an option…but I’ve never seen anything special from him in any of the games he’s played with Oranje. I guess you can put Clasie as Sneijder’s backup… I feel he’s better suited for that role than a DM. van Ginkel could be an option too, as he’s playing today with the U21 team.

  40. anyone remember i said before i hope VDV injure for better world cup??
    i said it before i really sorry for VDV and netherlands fan and also myself but i belive we have better team without VDV now.

  41. I think VDV’s experiences and skills can contribute to this team’s success and hope he will be in Brazil. Unfortunately his fitness again lets him down. Regarding the midfield, I hope Fer get a chance in Ghana game to show what he can bring. I think Vilhena’s chance is getting bigger and he has one chance to prove to LVG. Does anyone know how fit is Wijnaldum? I was not impressed with him in Ecuador game as I expect more from him.

  43. Can someone please address the following:

    Apparently LVG has 20 players picked and will choose the remaining 3 from the U21 match. What do you think of this ?

    How can we pick 3 crucial players based on one under21 performance ? Imagine a guy like Boetius performs well and scores a hat trick in that game ? He still doesn’t cut it and justify a place on the plane to Brazil for me. His last performance for Holland was subpar and is simply not ready or has the strength!

  44. I know I’m jumping ahead, but when Hiddink is in charge, I would love to see him use the 4-1-2-1-2 like Milan does. I think this would be great for the Dutch.

    Just look at this possible XI

    ———————-Krul————————-
    Urby———-Rekik———-Vlaar———-Janmaat
    ——————–de Jong————————
    ———-Strootman———-van Ginkel————
    ——————–Afellay————————
    ————Robben———-van Persie————-

    wow! 😀

    2. Good line-up Sam but if Holland fails during this WC, I’d prefer Hiddink to start with a new group, which means no RVP, no Robben, and even no Nigel.

      Look at France for example, they kept taking players like Abidal, Gallas, Malouda, Henry after the 2006 finale and they were bad in 2008,2010…Now that they are starting with a new group of players they’re having a new project and a fresh team. They just kept Ribery from that finale but he is on decline with French NT, I’m sure they won’t take him in 2016.

      So no matter how good are Robben, RVP and Nigel, we should start with new/not often used players.

      1. Interesting, Sam. I was just thinking about the same thing, and had come up with fairly similar mf (hadn’t thought through the defense or forwards), though I was thinking that Jorit Hendrix’s future will be at the defensive mf spot, and he might nicely slot in for NDJ in that lineup. And if I’m not mistaken, Hiddink was the coach when Affellay came up, and Hiddink may be able to get the most out of him.

  45. Sad and Terrible that Vaart,if dutch had any chance to beat brazil in 2 nd round it was depened on Vaart..50% of the chances are decreased,as much as i agree as snijedr as brilliant player,Vaart was much needed for current team than wesly,hammer blow for the dutch.

    2. TTV?? hahaha like!!
      On the other hand Jeff, remember, Vilhena is extremely young, he needs more time to develop, certainly NOT for this WC but the kid has a bright future I believe
      Cheers!!

    3. I think Rekik , Ginke and also Ebicilio are doing ok in this game Jeff , However , I agree they won’t do the same at a bigger stage.

  53. Lets not be very hiped with this, he still needs to show us a good play with the NT!!
    But I reckong that the kid can play football veeery good!

  57. Terrible news for vdv. I think the best move for van gaal to show his balls again would be a gamble call and bring van ginkel.

    I believe that he can now draw from outside of his provisional list of 30 with this vdv injury.

    Look at it this way, sneijder plays now 100%

    If god forbid he goes down with an injury at any point, who would really fault van gaal for going with van ginkel.

    Its worth a shot. Play clasie at #10, have van ginkel box to box, and nigel clean up.

    And for god sakes bench blind. I dont know why van gaal insists on playing him. To me he is no better than any of the potential starting mids or at left back.

    1. Like Cam, also Van Ginkel can play in the #10 role too. Lets see if Vaan Gaal risks, If there is someone who deserves the risk, I think is MVG. By the way two assist from him in the U21 match!
      CHeers!

  59. The thing I don’t understand is how the hell our full back can be taller than CB. Te Wierk and Van Beek both had played at Rb for U21 before, they did ok but it just look awkward when seeing them playing as fullback.

    1. Hahah yes Jeff, maybe he could be our boy if De boer brings him to Ajax. Now that is a team that I will like to see:
      Ziyech, Kishna, Zivko!
      What do you think?
      Cheers!

        1. No this kid needs to stay with Van Basten, he needs trust and understanding just like Adam Maher, if not with the right move he might end up in the same situation as Maher now. Van Basten is the key to Hereveen’s recent years’ youth success. Now he will build a another bunch of talented kids with AZ who did pretty well in youth development in recent years but due to coaching the kids never get much of playing time in AZ.

        1. Ajax need wingers, I would like to see Ajax get Ola John or Bilal Basacicoglu, or even Hupperts who is targeting by AZ. I am never a fan of Lesley De Sa, he gets pure speed, good crossing but lack skills. Lukoki is better than him but is not good enough to play for Ajax in Europe.
          A wing of Kinshna + Ola John/Basacicoglu/Hupperts would be great. Fischer is good runner, works hard, get some skills but still lack the attacker instinct.

  65. Ziyech , 2 touches with 2 goals !
    I have difficulty understanding he Dutch media hype about Klaassen and not even a word about Ziyech. Don’t get me wrong , I’m a fan of klaassen too , But his Footballing abilitis is too limited compared to Ziyech.

    2. I have always been here begging Van Gaal give Ziyech a try. Very talented kid, just need to get stronger and better on his weaker foot.

  67. Van der Vaart is out…a pitty, but he has had his chances and never contributed big time in big tournaments. Perhaps his best moments were at Euro 2012 and we were eliminated very early against Russia.

    I am sure he is a good option but he was not in form, he will be missed but not that much. In my book, Sneijder and Robben can play his position and be more dangerous that Rafa. In any case, sorry for him though.

  68. Such a sad day, Rafael Van Der Vaart was one of my favorite players growing up as a kid. I remember I used to wear his Ajax jersey and play football on the streets of Mumbai in India. This WC would have been a great send off for him, such a talented player. Nevertheless he has been of great service to this generation of dutch players.

    I personally hope LvG takes him on the plane as a mentor, I’m sure the KNVB can afford that.

  70. I think it should be a must to let NT coach go to every one of the U21 game. When these kids are committed they can play beautiful soccer like today.
    However, when it is a friendly they just do not put their heart in the game. U21 played some really bad friendly games in the last two years. Sometimes it can be depressive to watch those.

  71. I think Right wing is well covered with Lens,Wijnaldum so it would be no use considering Promes as third best. Van Ginkle fitness should be the only issue for Van Gaal ahead of selecting him and I think he should have given him a chance prove himself vs France and then with Ecuador.The two games could have revealed whether he deserves a shot or no. Same goes for Rekik. I was surprised when Van Gaal let him go especially after his exceptional performance vs France.

    I mean he persistent in going with Blind who even does even come any close to Van Ginkle in the midfield. The coaching panel as usually are cooking pan cake IMO

    it funny when you here comments like De Vrij is good ain the libero role…….. when he will start to be toyed around …..its then one will wonder why he was there in the first place

  73. Wow what a performance by Promes and Ziyech! This U21 team has some top notch talent … the future is bright but we shouldnt think they can make a difference already from this WC. Experience (and fitness) are key in a WC tournament, imo.

    1. Dont start counting eggs before they hatch…..Mate….lets them stretch their wings to the max and then we will see. I hope you havnt forgotten about Maher who rated as the next best thing .

  75. Kongolo out – Rekik in

    Kuyt out – Depay / Lens cover up

    Vaart (injury) out – Van Ginkle in

    I even dont why Kuyt is going when Depay/Lens/Hunter . occupying a extra seat for warming it coz its damn cold in brazil.

  78. RVP-Hunter – Robben – Depay – Lens (forwards)

    Sneijder – Clasie-De Jong- Fer-De Guzman – Blind – Wijnaldum (Van Ginkle)? Midfeilders

    PVA-BMI – Rekik -Vlaar-Veltman- Janmaat

    krul-Cillessen-Vorm

    Final 23

    Kuyt out

    Kongolo/De Vrij either one out

  81. Promes is actually at his best as an attacking midfielder, rather than from the left or right. He can play on the wing, but is even better from center.

    Wijnaldum or Promes?

    1. I would choose a fit Wijnaldum over Promes, Promes still lack a little bit of muscle. Wijnaldum is still not 100% fit seen from last match. I want to see a the Wijnaldum last year in U21 Euro.

      1. You need wait longer to see young talents get used to NT level. Indi Depay Janmaat all take time to improve and now they are playing at a good level for NT. De Vrij and Clasie improved too. Be more patient and they will take over during the Euro Qualification.

      2. I personally think he shows behavior that I do not associate with elite. All those dances after a goal. I pick up cues in his behavior that communicate a lack of gravitas for the top for some reason. Build on a bit of a light frame also.

        That being said, he is maybe underrated. Here is for example a stat over the past season in a per 90 metric for players having played at least 20 matches in Eredivisie:

        http://i.imgur.com/U6Xoa7D.png

        Also consider that he suffered from injury which influenced part of his second half of the season. First half was bit a sensation. Second half less so. This game vs Scotland looked like how he started the season ….

        I wonder how these Ajax rejects turn out. In the end, Elia did not make it either. Lens did well for the NT, but I would not say that he is reaching a level that would place him easily above a Depay or even Boëtius for the foreseeable future. If those players keep developing, they will surpass Lens soon. So it’s not like they really reach an unattainable level or something. Like really reaching a Robben kind of level. Maybe others have a good example of a former Ajax player not making it at the academy that really reached a very high level nevertheless. Must say that some of them are also just sent away as they are problem cases from a behavioral perspective, not so much for being unable to kick a ball.

        Looking at his intrinsic quality’s rather than applying a broad filter like above, I would say it looks ok to me. His shot has punch. He is lively (not a guy only waiting for the ball coming to him). Has flair. Has proper speed. Can play on 3 positions, though is best in the middle. Look at that long ball from Rekik that he controlled for his second goal. That is just really good control. Eager. It’s like he is stoked he can play every time I see him. Can get past a man. Wrong foots people often. Then to top it off, he has makes many assists and his key pass ratio is closer to 3 than to 2 per game in Eredivisie. Actually adding his through ball rate (also creativity) and he gets to 3.

        For some reason I remain skeptical of him, but it is possible we are looking at a bit of a skinny goofy guy that is clear of what he wants after taking a detour and is developing in a fast tempo into the real deal. Though I must say that in the game vs France he was powerless, which then again can also be said of RvP. France is just a really good team that is a world class 10 away from pushing for a WC title maybe. Cabaye is oke, but not world class.

        Anyway I would like to see Promes getting the Wijnaldum role of the Equador match. Through center he is able to raise his game 1 level. It’s worth a try. Why would he not be entitled to get at least that chance, after Wijnaldum has been injured all season? Promes was the one with a very good season. So IMO he earned the right. I also think Wijnaldum’s defensive contribution is overstated. Wijnaldum is actually pretty lousy at tracking back. So that is not a consideration for me. Promes through center vs wales for at least 45 minutes I say.

        Cheers

        1. The only winger in the next Generation that can reach Robben’s level is Depay. That is a standard too high. How many Robben level player the world produce in the last 20 years.

        2. > “France is just a really good team that is a world class 10 away from pushing for a WC title maybe.”

          I take that back. Forgot to mention 1 more player that would be vital for France’s chances of clinging their second world cup title. Aly Cissokho back in blue. You heard it right. This video nicely captures why that is. Enjoy:

          http://vimeo.com/92846254

          2. Thanks you are a joke and DRB300..
            The Scottish commentators were full of praise for him and kept on saying things like:
            “You’re looking at the next big thing in world football..etc etc…
            and I was like..ok let him do that against Lahm or Sergio Ramos and then I’ll be convinced..lol !! 😛

          3. @Laurent

            > “DRB Aly Cissokho is not appreciated in France”

            Well maybe they understand football in France after all. The video gave me a few good laughs, hope it did the same for some others here. The random dog or wolf running in the top left corner surely takes the cake. Cheers

            @Abhirup

            > ““You’re looking at the next big thing in world football..etc etc…
            and I was like..ok let him do that against Lahm or Sergio Ramos and then I’ll be convinced..lol !!”

            Yeah that is way over the top and maybe a method to keep the audience tuned as their audience could flip channels after understanding that their U21 NT was getting a thumping. Better to then lionize the opponent player as if people are witnessing a rising star and seeing a sneak preview. Not so much, but he did have a good season and Depay 2014 and Boëtius 2014 are not necessarily better than Promes 2014. That’s why I said that he does deserve a chance. By the way I learned that the Ghana match comes first, so in relation to what I said about Wales applies to them.

    3. I think Promes has a better vision and also I believe he is a better goal scorer than Wijnaldum. On the other hand , Wijnaldum is better Physically , may be better defensively and probably has better lungs.

      For me , it depends on how LvG wants to use them. If he wants one of them instead if VdV , I’d day Promes is a better option.
      If he wants a box to box player or a wingback then Wijnaldum would be better.

    5. This is a strange discussion to me… Promes or Wijnaldum for the middle position?
      Wijnaldum played the whole season from the middle,while on the other hand i do not believe Promes played even one game there this season. He was a winger the whole time. Now I know he could play in the middle,he played there before,but if it is about who should replace Van der Vaart then why would you choose a player who did not play in that position this season?
      We will see next season where he will play once Tadic is gone,but for now we saw he can play great on the wings so I say leave him there. For now…

      1. About his game yesterday,I was impressed with his ball control,first touch. There was a ball he took from the air with Isco-like touch,turning 180 degrees with it.
        And he gas some tricks to get past his marker,I like that.

      2. > “Wijnaldum played the whole season from the middle,while on the other hand i do not believe Promes played even one game there this season.”

        How is that possible? Wijnaldum missed most of the season and at that start when he was still fit, PSV played an Ajax stile midfield with the point to the back and 2 half players in Wijnaldum and Maher. No man through the middle. So basically only at the end in those few games he played there…

        Promes did play through the middle sometimes. Either later in the game after some subbing or from the start in the games against RKC, Ado and Go Ahead Eagles. Promes is potentially best through the middle IMO and I read in an interview some time ago that is also his favorite spot. He at least deserves a chance IMO.

        It was not like Wijnaldum pulled us past mighty Equador, did he? The guy gets too much credit. Him at AM also overloads midfield at times. He is a defensive liability, despite his energetic appearance.

        1. I am only saying that Wijnaldum is a midfielder(middle meaning midfield in this case),playing there whenever he plays,while Promes is a winger,playing in that position whenever he plays. That might change,but that is how it is right now.
          I also do not like Wijnaldum behind the strikers,never said that I do,he lacks vision an can get lost sometimes. So I agree on that. Promes might also be like that there,I dont know…
          Maybe it could be his best position,maybe he deserves a chance,but right now I do not believe Van Gaal will try to do that. In Twente next year we might see him play there more. I would love him to become a player who could play in both those positions equally good,something Netherlands doesnt have at the moment(Belgium does,Chadli and Hazard bros.). I like to think how his speed could be used in midfield..

  82. I hope the U21 can improve from last tournament and make it to the final this time. This U21 is more talented compare to the last one, it was built on the first U17 euro champion squad + some players from the last U21 who are still eligible to play for this one.
    It can play beautiful 4-3-3 attacking soccer when players are on the same page. In the last qualification we were beaten by Scotland 1:2 at home and tie 0:0 away Bizot saved a penalty by the way.
    Then you look at this year. 4:0 win at home, 6:1 away win.
    U21 can potentially put up a squad of
    CF: Castaignos/Locadia
    Winger:Depay/Boetius/Promes/Ola John
    AM:Ziyech/Maher
    CM:Van Ginkel/Kyle Ebecillio/Vilhena/Ayoub
    LB:Willems/Kongolo
    CB：Indi/De Vrij/Rekik/Denswil
    RB:Brenet/Te Wierk
    GK:Wahner Hahn/Stevens/Van Der Hart
    Stuivenburg is a good but not excellent coach.
    And with this squad we are still leaving players like Basacicoglu,Ake,Hendrix,Van Beek,Klaassen,Van Der Hoorn,Hupperts,Zivkovic home.
    The only thing I am worried is team chemistry, a lot of these players have big egos, and they have mentality issues. If they can get these things away I am expecting a good tournament next year.

  83. Hi Guys,

    I haven’t posted for a while because I have been on an American road trip with my family after graduation. I am really glad that the discussion is back to football and not on ugly religious squabbles etc. and am happy that Laurent and Tiju are back and contributing positively again! Long may this last. I was devestated to hear about the VDV injury this morning. Also I was wondering if there would be someway for Jan to design a place on the home page of this blog where one of the bloggers/posters can post the full match replay (link) of the ghana game on 30th as I will not be able to watch it (I will be out with my family friends in NYC). I would really like to watch the huge build up game (supposedly with our world cup XI) in total suspence and without knowing the outcome! Would this be even possible? Is this a realistic thing that I hope to achieve? I know some expert bloggers always post full match replays on this blog, but obviously if I have to wade through all the reaction/comments then I will know the result going in to watch the game! 🙁 It would be great if this wud be possible ??

    1. Hi, Srinjoy. ESPN3 will be streaming the live play and re-play, so if you can find a way to access ESPN3 (without spoilers) you should be set!

      Hup!

      1. Thanks for the link, I am in the same boat as Srinjoy for the 30th.

        If Jan adds the replays of the games and perhaps a daily sunshine girl than I will have no need to visit any other site, ever.

  84. Mike van der hoorn is the kuyt version in defense,
    I am extreamly sad Dutch has lost a worldclass wonderful ,unselfish team player in Vaart..Huge blow ,unimaginably huge…..Dutch lost the incredible vision and skills of vaart…..
    @@Vaart we miss u very much in Brazil.
    Dutch team never clicks with sneijder-RVP_Roben….I dont want to see selfishness in team.Dutch would remain as outsider vs any strong in the tournament as long as sneijder does his selfish shoots.
    We need Zidanes than Lampards………Vaart was our Zidane..Unless some one shows tha balls in defense dutch has very little chance in brazil.Robin and Roben will carry this team to an extent but they will be dried up after a while….

  85. I think Van der Vaart is actually one of the more underrated playmakers in the world. A huge talent, it’s so sad to see that he was never utilized to the full extent on the club level, the Real Madrid period was especially sad. On the other hand he delivered for the Dutch NT, no question. It’s so sad to probably never see him again in a major tournament.

  86. Recent rumours and transfers:
    Genk after Hupperts
    Dortumund after De Vrij
    Go Ahead Eagles after De Zeeuw
    Danny Hoesen transfer to Groningen
    Southampton wants Koewman as coach
    Galatasary wants Seedorf as coach
    F.Narsingh free transfer to Cambuur (still need to go through medical）
    Utrecht after Paul Gladon and Boymans who is selected best player of Jupilier League this year.

  88. I think dutch fans should learn to be patient. Promes scored three goals with -21, that’s cool but nothing to deserve a world cup place in an “elite” team. Especially if you have to remove a Lens or a Wijnaldum for him, who have a bigger CV than him . If you don’t take Lens now, when will you take him ? Let him his chance in a major competition.

    Promes, Ziyech, Boetius, Vilhena etc. should start to come with senior team next year.

    2. Depay with lenz who is better,proven player than selfish Depay,i like lenz coz he has balls,unselfish,team player,Super strong not an easy falling type like Depay.

      1. Lens on left……to rusty. takes too much time switching from left to right …..apart from that he is all set. but curious what form he is in. Should start against Ghana.

  90. After just a game vs a minor team promes is been highlighted as messiah……whats wrong with these guys?????
    Even Depay is not better than Wijnaldum and Lenz,People have very short memory…Since Vaart is gone now everything depnds on Lenz-RVP-Roben up front,the moment i seee sneijder takes shoots towards gaols instaed of making that in to clever assist or pass i will switch off my TV.
    LVG should go for 4231 instead of 532..532 is boring ,no movemnets and we will end up in draw may be victory vs Austarlia is possible.

  91. To be honest Promes goals yesterday didn’t impress me that much, especially first one, what a bad defending ,they don’t tackle him, let him to shot…basically he did nothing special, his dribbles were nothing special, like Krohn Dehli one against Holland. Only bad defenders jump or fall in such dribbles.

    I like Promes for being brutal though. He isn’t scared of anything, if he decides to finish an action, he’ll shot even if the defender put his legs in front of him. He plays every action 100 %, he isn’t scared about hurting himself.

    But now I don’t think that he is better than Wijnaldum, so let him to be an option for 2016.

    1. * Has Wijnaldum ever had a Promes 2013-2014 season?
      * Is Wijnaldum fit enough after not playing for most of the season?
      * Was Wijnaldum good vs mighty Equador?

      1. Actually if talking about statistics, Wijnaldum had two seasons with 14 goals and one with 9. Couldn’t find assists. But I have to mention that it’s goals à la Klaasen, most of them are just goals where he followed actions and finished them.

        But Wijnaldum has been used as midfielder for too long now, his best actions always come from the sides but trainers kept using him in the center…Let Wijnaldum a whole season on a flank and we’ll see if he can do better than Promes or not.

        For the 2nd and 3rd point, actually I didn’t have the impression he was tired or out of form against Ecuador. . He could run, he was turning quite quickly with the ball. But it was just Wijnaldum when he plays midfielder: many bad passes, didn’t defend much, no influence in the ball possession…

        I don’t get why some people found him really good against Portugal and bad against Ecuador ? not a big difference for me. The difference was when he was playing RW last EC-21, there he was good.

  93. ————————Cillessen———————-

    ————-DeVrij——-Vlaar——–BMI————-

    –Janmaat———————————–V.Aanholt–

    ——————–Nigel——Blind——————-

    ———————–Sneijder————————

    —————–Robben——–RVP———————

    *I like LVG’s team.

      1. I dont get it …I mean he giving such a preference to Blind , why not he should have done the same with Van Ginkle ……vs France and Ecaudor. jus drives me insane….

          2. I am with Wilson here, If you want to play with blind, then ply 4-3-3, for the 3-5-2 lets play with PVA, its a shame that Willems got injured since he is like a 100 times better than PVA, also has a bigger ceiling than PVA!!
            Cheers!

          3. Well Blind showed some good things offensivly as LB during EC-21 and also during some games with Ajax. I remember one skill against Milan when he got past two players, can’t find it on youtube.

            Against France he was awful though.

            Now the fact three defenders are behind him can help him to concentrate on going forward, I always thought he had good passes when he was LB. PVA has better crosses and better speed though.

            But I prefer to see Blind as Lb rather than midfielder.

            Now let’s to talk about the choice De Guzman for Clasie. It seems like Van Gaal wants to add some muscles in the midfield. Cause Clasie-Sneijder together is just too too light. Sneijder can’t defend, and Clasie loses too many challenges and miss too many passes.

            De Guzman isn’t a beast neither for me.I really liked his first game against Estonia but after he did nothing special. Seems like the guy has no balls. No shots, no dribble, few risky passes. He plays like Schaars, but I think he can do more technically.

            Clasie = insecure
            De Guzman = Doesn’t do enough so far
            Blind as midfielder = Really nothing special
            Fer = Risky as starter because of his execution speed

            Van Ginkel is needed in my opinion.

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