Van Hanegem on Jong Oranje

blog
by Jan

It is starting to itch, right? A European Cup tournament which might take the bitterness away from last year’s debacle in Poland/Ukraine!

I am working to get us a predictor game going on the site, but time is short and IT challenges huge, hahaha.

So while LVG takes his group on a fun tour to Asia to meet Carlos and Mourinho is chasing Sneijder for Chelsea, we will focus on the Young Oranje troop.

In the meantime, the AD newspaper asked Oracle Willem van Hanegem to give his opinion.

Here goes:

In General

“The EC squad oozes talent. That is correct. But talent is not enough. If we believe we will win this because we have so many exciting players, we will have lost it early on. Spain, Germany, Italy, they talent too, trust me. This squad needs to be able to play like a team. To work like a team and to sacrifice. I hated being benched, but players like Van Ginkel, Fer and De Jong might not play. And they should be able to handle that, despite their egos. The KNVB takes this very seriously. I read they sent 23 people in the staff!! That is as much as we have players? I get a little nervous when I read that. All that quasi interesting stuff, like secret practices and all that. Rubbish. But coach Pot has one ace up his sleeve. Van Gaal is scrutinising what will happen and once established players stop acting in the interest of the team, Van Gaal will scratch those names from his list. That is a strong tool for Pot to use in keeping the egos in check. They should all realise that this EC is a unique opportunity for them all.”

Goalkeepers

“I believe we have very talented goalies. We have a couple at senior level and with Jeroen Zoet we have another good goalie for the future. He has quality, he has experience and PSV will most likely make him first goalie next season. Which I don’t understand, because despite his qualities, I think Tyton is simply better, but what do I know? Bizot (Groningen) and Marsman (Go Ahead Eagles) have shown to be very decent talents, but how will they act under pressure. Go Ahead Eagles – Eindhoven is not the same as Young Holland – Young Spain in the finals of an EC….”

Defence

“Van Rhijn and Blind will be the starters without a doubt. Blind is A international so it’s logical I guess, for Pot to pick him. I would pick Van Aanholt, to be honest. I like Blind, he is a great player, but Van Aanholt for me is more complete as a full back. Very aggressive, very fast and is very capable of going the distances all the time. I am not a big Van Rhijn fan. He is good offensively, but vulnerable defensively. Most goals Ajax conceded were on his side, whenever he picked the wrong moment to go forward. Leerdam is as good as Van Rhijn if not better. Although Leerdam is mentally a bit weak. Always whining. As for the central defenders, I am a bit concerned that Gouweleeuw and Bruma are not part of the squad. Goueweleeuw can play midfield too, has a very strong passing game… Bruma, I don’t get why he isn’t part of it. He missed a couple of games. So what? He is so talented… I saw him against Jong Norway and I was deeply impressed. He is strong, tall, good header, fast… he has something. I think PSV did a wonderful deal to get him. Definitely a top investment.”

Midfield

“I like the midfielders Pot selected. The one worry I have is the continiously complimenting of Strootman. Van Gaal does it, now Pot does it. A born leader, etc etc. But I say: be careful. I too believe he has a lot of future, but I watched him in the recent weeks and I was shocked. As if he didn’t know how to play anymore. Positionally, he was doing everything wrong. He left his man go, he took the wrong decisions…. In the business end of the competition, that is where I wanted to see him! But Clasie had a dip too. I think it has to do with stuff off pitch. Clasie had his tough contractual negotiations with Feyenoord, maybe Strootman is talking to some club, who knows. I expect a lot from Clasie. He wins challenges and he brings speed in the attack, with his pinpoint passing. Maher is very talented too, but Pot will have to work on his discipline. With Strootman and Clasie behind him, Maher needs to play high up the park. And he tends to drop deep at times to get the feel of the ball, but it stops the flow of the game. I also think he needs to be quicker in the turnaround. He tends to dream away still. The subs are great. Van Ginkel is very disciplined, Fer offers power and aggression and Vilhena is on his way to becoming a big player too.”

Attack

“Ola John played 40 games this season for Benfica. Not a bad team. That means a lot. Physically, he is strong too. In Portugal, they don’t treat wingers as ladies. They will beat you up with a smile there. Depay is quite a talent too. I like that lad. It was a big fashionable to say that Wijnaldum is not good enough. I didn’t like that. He is really one of the most developed players in this squad. He is still young, people forget that. Problem with Wijnaldum is, he is not a real winger. If the coach uses him, he needs to give him a free role to explore. And then John needs to be limited to playing stiff on the left. I do believe Jozefzoon is an excellent alternative. He had a top season. Luuk de Jong is a good central striker. Great header, good mentality. He is not the best football player, but hey… Hoesen is a logical choice behind him. I think Castaignos should have been there, but he has not wanted it enough. He simply doesn’t radiate that killer mentality. He runs around as if he doesn’t really care. He’ll need to change that. Hoesen hasn’t played a lot but whenever he got onto the pitch, he scored. A natural in the box.”

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0 comments

  1. Sorry guys, I have tried to get a predictor going for this EC tournament but it’s too hard…. The system I have is the Euro2012 one, but it can’t be edited.

    We’ll do one next year 🙂

  2. Good article as always.

    Insightful, not sure i agree with everything he says re defense. i am not as big a fan of blind as he is.

    What about Janmaat? Too old?

  4. Jan, this article confirms how utterly ridiculous Willem has become. He is so biased that he does not even recognize talent when talent is there. For him, it is simple; if you wear the Feyenoord jersey you should play. Any Feyenoord product is enough to get into the team and play. Bruma is absolutely awful and Castaignos is one of the worst players in the Eredivisie. Frankly I can’t stand the guy. Time for the Kromme to shut up for good and let Johann do the talking.

    1. @Jeff u might be right in some points…But bruma is a Top dog belive me..All he lacked was expereince and a good Coach..this is goin to be bruma season…Now bruma is in right track..i have seen weak spot in Van rhijn and Blind..Aanholt has speed,power,dribbling skills,good runner box to box,but admit that he is not as intelligent as Blind..Nowadays Ajax is developing danish players than Dutch players..thats why Ajax is having less contribution..

    2. Not sure. He clearly says Clasie had a bad spell, like Strootman and he also says that Castaignos didn’t deserve a call up as he is not that interested.

      I don’t see any bias.

    3. He didn’t mention the Feyenoord central defenders that are in the squad, even suggesting alternatives who should have been included.

      The only Feyenoord players he mentioned were Leerdam, Clasie and Vilhena, and he criticised two of them!

  6. Jesus Navas signing with Man City. I thought about this club for Lens, as they’re not happy with Nasri and don’t have many wingers, could be a deal for him. But they probably wanted a more technical player, that’s why they also went for Maher before (if it’s true).

    Anyway, I’m still waiting to see the club which will sign Lens. It’s the most important dutch transfer this summer if Robben stays in Munich. He said he wants to go to England or Germany. Chelsea would be good and would suit Lens I think. They don’t have many real wingers.

    Chelsea or Tottenham in England. Hope he won’t join Everton,Fulham or Newcastle.

    About Germany, Schalke can be interested in him but that wouldn’t be something great. Hope he won’t join HSV or Werder…

  7. Betting Companies have stopped the bets on Strootman joining ManU. This usually means the deal is done. Interesting development.
    I am staying in same hotels as the boys in Orange in Jakarta. Match is just a training run really. But to have 150million ppl following you and the Dutch Eredivisie has its purpose.

    1. Happy to know that…..You are there…
      B/W….Jong Orange doesnt have a good striker thats the weak link for them,i hope Wijnaldum or Hoesen plays as striker..
      —————-Hoesen—————–
      Depay———–Vanginkel——-Maher—-
      ——–Strootman—-Clasie————
      Vanannholt————————-Vanrhijn
      ————BMI—-Devrij——————
      ——————-Zoet———————–
      Spain seems the strongest of all..Glad that dutch will face Spain i last match,thats kind of an advantage…

  8. WESLEY SNEIJDER was last night linked with a shock summer reunion with Jose Mourinho.
    The Galatasaray playmaker is set to move to Chelsea according to reports in Turkey.
    It is just five months since the Dutchman, 28, arrived from Inter Milan for £7million on a 3½-year deal.
    But Sneijder has struggled under boss Fatih Terim and the Turkish club will listen to a ‘reasonable’ offer.
    Sneijder certainly sees the chance to team up again with the Special One as an ideal escape route.
    The pair have remained in close touch since Mourinho masterminded Inter’s Champions League triumph in 2010.

    FULHAM are closing in on the £3m capture of Roma’s Maarten Stekelenburg, with Mark Schwarzer admitting his time may be up.

    Cottagers boss Martin Jol has been tracking Stekelenburg and the Dutchman wants to bring his compatriot to Craven Cottage.

    With the move expected to be sealed this week, Australia international Schwarzer will quit the club as the 40-year-old needs to be playing regular football ahead of the World Cup in Brazil next summer.

    Schwarzer is out of contract and has yet to rubber-stamp a new deal in south London. He said: “There’s no new developments, there’s no new discussions, there’s no nothing.

    “Something will be sorted out, I’ve got no worries about that. I’ve got no idea at this stage where I’m going to be. I’m open to anything.”

    Schwarzer has played 220 times for Fulham since his free transfer from Middlesbrough in 2008.

  10. Norway’s most experienced player Harmeet Singh is confident his side are prepared for Wednesday’s curtain-raiser against tournament hosts Israel and believes they have what it takes to cause a stir in only their second final tournament appearance.

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    Team guide: Israel
    Singh is not only Norway’s most seasoned campaigner, having made 35 appearances at this level, but has featured more times than any other player in the final tournament and will not be fazed by facing the other Group A opponents England and Italy. The 22-year-old has been a mainstay in the Norway midfield since his debut as an 18-year-old against Estonia in June 2009. He was a key member of the side that triumphed 5-4 on aggregate in the play-offs against France to help his country to reach their first finals since 1998.

    “We’ve been preparing for a long time now and finally we’re here,” said the Feyenoord midfielder, who scored the opening goal in the 5-3 second-leg victory against France. “We are well prepared, we’ve been training well and we’re ready for Wednesday. We are really confident in our way of playing. Everyone knows what we can do when we play well together. We have a lot of belief in ourselves.

    “The biggest strength of our squad is that we have some great midfielders, some good defenders and as a team we are strong, we work for each other. We are well organised and in the attacking part we can do some good combination play. We can pass the ball and keep possession when we need it and we can score a lot of goals too.”

    Singh admits Israel will have the upper hand on home soil but is looking forward to facing England in Norway’s second game when they have a chance to avenge to the two defeats inflicted by Stuart Pearce’s men in qualifying Group 8. “The opening game in any competition is always important,” he said. “If you play well and get a win then that’s a good start. They have home advantage because we are playing in Israel but we have played away from home so it will not be a problem.

    “We are confident in our group because we know England and the way they play. Italy are also a strong side. Both England and Italy are probably the favourites in the group but if we play well and win our first game then we have a really good chance. My experience at this level can be really important, especially against the big sides, because I’ve played a lot of games since my debut.”

  11. Jan,read today’s AD where our friend Willem is saying Castaignos should have replaced Hoesen!! That says it all.
    By the way, I will be in Israel for the Holland-Spain game and hopefully if we make it the semi final. Most matches are sold out, which is incredible.

  12. Hello:

    Excellent article Jan. Thanks very much. This blog is very useful for those people, like me, who doesn’t have access to Dutch media.

    By the way, I partially agree what he said about Strootman. Everyone is talking amazing things about him but I just see an irregular player last season.

    If I were Cor Pot I will play Maher, Clasie and Van Ginkel.

    I have a question:

    What do you know about Jozefzoon?

    I have just seen him play like two times and he didn´t impress me at all.

    And I think that Ajax didn´t renew his contract despite they have been trying to find a right wing without results for two years (Ebecilio, Ozbiliz, Lukoki, Sana, Boerrigther, Cuenca)

    DRB300? Jan? any?

    1. Ex Ajax youth, flopped a bit at NAC now does well for RKC. TBH I have not see him that much at the end of the season being focused on other teams. At the beginning of the season I saw him pulling off some great stuff, being a hazard (also through center) with his speed, but as you have noticed yourself is a player that does not jump out in quality yet all the time. That is also why Ajax did not go further with him probably. I did not expect him to make to be at the Euro’s in the first place. Enough players of U21 will never make the senior squad or become regulars in any case. Many players in the past can be brought up as an example. This U21 tournament is a bit special as we take it so serious and possesses far more quality than in the past, but that does not mean everybody should be looked at with great interest. I would rather go for Wijnaldum than Jozefzoon, but let’s just see what happens the first match. Maybe he will surprise us.

  13. This guy is so full of crap. Leerdam better than van Rhijn? Headless chicken PVA better than Ajax’s player of the season, Blind? Call up Goueweleeuw because he can play midfield? Why do we need him for the midfield? We already have Strootman, Clasie, Vilhena, van Ginkel, and Fer who can all play DM. Blind and Leerdam can also play DM if a crisis occurs.

    The one think I do agree with him about though is that Strootman hasn’t been nearly as good as you would think judging by the praise he gets. Heck van Gaal already said that his spot at wc14 is guaranteed if he’s healthy. Mind you I would still start him in this tournament for his mentality. We need players who can instill confidence in the team in the face of a big match.

    As for the Strootman to Man U rumors: I think Man U is a good fit for Strootman. He really is more of what the English like in a CM than the Dutch do. He’s combative, box to box, high energy, has good long balls, and his lower handling speed and hesitation at playing short passes forward isn’t as big of a handicap in the EPL. Most highly valued CMs in England lack those qualities as well.

    I think playing in the same team as van Persie will be great for both of them. We could finally have someone in Oranje who plays with RvP at a club level and can provide him with service in the NT. Strootman can do for van Persie what van Bommel used to do for Robben in Oranje.

    1. He didn’t say that Leerdam is better than Van Rhijn. But I agree with him that many goals always come from Van Rhijn’s side, his positionning is bad. Pot also recently said that Leerdam has a card to play. There is no big difference of level between Van Rhijn and Leerdam. Same goes for Blind and Van Aanholt, it’s more a question of different profiles.

      1. Yes he did. He said “Leerdam is as good as Van Rhijn if not better” – Defense Paragraph, Line 6. I agree that his 1v1 positioning isn’t great, which results in him being at fault for goals, but Leerdam doesn’t even start for Feyenoord at RB.

        PVA is more athletic than Blind, but Blind is far better at reading the game, pressing, and passing. Many teams might prefer a PVA type LB, but if we want to play dutch style football, Blind is the logical choice.

    2. i understand that you PVA a headless chicken for some reason,but the sad truth is so are many.The good thing is this guy is humble and willing to learn,not a show man,has great attitude,that should be appreciated.Offcourse Reading and intellignce of Blind is unquestionable but will have hell of time against physically speedy players thats what i guess.once the player past blind then its done.I have sen mnay headless chickens play for dutch national team with worse attitude,so we can excuse PVA.i know that taking Castagnos above hoesen would be idiotic..

  14. Feyenoord youngster Jordy Clasie is glad to see Ronald Koeman considered a candidate to succeed Louis van Gaal as Netherlands coach.

    The current Oranje boss announced that he will resign after the 2014 World Cup and the midfielder is happy to see the his club’s trainer linked with the position.

    “It’s nice that he is considered. I think he’s definitely one of the contenders,” the 21-year-old told Novum.

    The youngster is preparing for the Under-21 European Championship and has highlighted the importance of beating Germany in their first fixture.

    “That is a very important match. You cannot lose an opening game. This awareness also lives in the group.”

    The Dutch are joined in Group B by Germany, Spain and Russia at the tournament held in Israel.

    With the World Cup a year away, the 24-year-old believes now may be the time to leave Amsterdam for a bigger club

    Siem de Jong has admitted he is considering leaving Ajax this summer in a bid to make the “next step” in his career.

    The midfielder played a starring role as the Amsterdam giants lifted a third consecutive Eredivisie title this season, but is now mulling over his next step as he looks to become a key player for the Netherlands ahead of World Cup 2014.

    “[I grew] as a footballer and as a person. Perhaps now is the time for the next step, abroad,” he told ANP.

    “I’ll see what’s coming at me in the summer and then make an assessment. I do not necessarily want to move away from Ajax, especially in the season of the World Cup, it is important for me to play a lot. Ajax does that for me.”

    De Jong’s performances this term have seen him named in Louis van Gaal’s squad for Netherland’s friendlies with Indonesia and China this month and he revealed his delight at being a part of the national side.

    He said: “I’m in the selection of the Dutch national team and that’s always nice. It’s just a chance to show myself on and off the field again. I have previously been called up under this coach only once. In that respect it is a great opportunity to show myself. I am absolutely excited.”

    The 24-year-old then revealed his favoured position and admitted he faces tough competiton to nail down a regular spot with the Oranje.

    “I see myself as a player in the number 10 position, behind the striker. When I play as a striker, that’s no problem. But I’m not a real striker. I’ve always played as an attacking midfielder since I was little,” he explained.

    “In my position, the guys playing international football play at top clubs. They are great footballers. Maybe that’s a little bit my bad luck.

    “I have been a midfielder two years in a row [for Ajax], and I have been the player with the most goals. That says something. Sometimes I was less focused on the goal too, and played mainly for the squad. It actually comes naturally.”

  15. Koeman is a good candidate although I’d love F. de Boer to be the national coach. I don’t mind having a young coach for the national team I think F. de Boer has what it takes to lead us to glory.

  17. http://espnfc.com/feature/_/id/1468421/uersfeld-jupp-heynckes-present-future?cc=3888

    During his press conference on Tuesday, Heynckes talked about how, straight after the defeat against Chelsea in the 2012 final, he started working on the new Bayern team. He revealed that during the summer training camp, with most of the national team players still on holiday, Robben had led the direction for the upcoming season. “I was surprised by the way Robben took care of our young players,” he explained. “I came to realise that an extraordinary process had begun.”

  18. BAYERN MUNICH want Liverpool’s Luis Suarez — and are ready to offer Arjen Robben as part of a deal.
    The German giants are riding high after a Treble-winning season.
    And club chiefs believe wantaway Suarez would give them even more attacking options.
    The Uruguay striker has hinted his Reds future is far from certain.
    Kop boss Brendan Rodgers is desperateto hang on to his 30-goal top scorer.
    But Suarez, who was banned for 10 games for biting Chelsea’s Branislav Ivanovic, hinted he might leave when he said: “I have a contract with Liverpool but it’d be hard to say no to Real Madrid.”
    Bayern, though, hope to jump to the front of the queue — and their hand is strengthened by the fact new boss Pep Guardiola’s brother Pere is also Suarez’s agent.
    If that was not enough, the Champions League winners would be willing to offer Wembley hero Robben as part of a deal to land Suarez.
    Ex-Chelsea star Robben set up Mario Mandzukic’s opener and then bagged the 89th-minute winner in Bayern’s 2-1 final triumph over Borussia Dortmund

  19. The Norwegian side will be hoping for more success on the pitch than they got on the plane when their European Under-21 Championship campaign gets underway against hosts Israel tomorrow.

    Having boarded their Turkish Airlines flight from Oslo to Tel Aviv, coach Tor Ole Skullerud’s side were a little perplexed to find themselves with no leg-room while squashed in economy.

    Then, one of the squad happened to peer through a curtain that separated the cheap seats from business class and, noticing it was empty, asked the hostess if it would be possible for them to grab a cheeky upgrade.

    On song: England Under-21 boss Stuart Pearce
    To sweeten the deal the players offered to sing the airline employee a song but, sadly, that’s when it all started to go wrong.

    ‘We tried to start a song in Turkish but it didn’t really work,’ explained midfielder Harmeet Singh. ‘We were told to return to economy.’

    Striker Flamur Kastrati insisted it was the vocal talent of the squad and not the attitude of the airline staff that was to blame for the failure to secure a more comfortable flight .

    ‘The charm worked but not the singing voice,’ he said.

    Having qualified for the finals for the first time since 1998 Norway have found themselves in Group A along with Italy, hosts Israel and Stuart Pearce’s England side.

  20. The France international has hailed his fellow attacker’s change in playing style and has revealed that he is on the verge of signing a new deal

    Franck Ribery has praised Bayern Munich team-mate Arjen Robben for his work-rate for the team in the wake of the Bavarians’ historic 2012-13 campaign.

    The two enjoyed a tense relationship at times last season after a spat during the Champions League match versus Real Madrid, but Ribery has stressed that the duo have put their differences firmly behind them and has hailed the Netherlands star for his renewed hard work on the pitch.

    “We have talked a lot. I have said that it does not matter who scores. Bayern are not FC Ribery or FC Robben,” the Frenchman told Bild.

    “It’s all about Bayern and we need each other in order to be successful. That has been our biggest strength this season. We have always acted as a team.

    “Robben has changed his style of play and he really does a lot of hard work for the team now.”

    Ribery then went on to confirm that he will soon sign a contract extension with Bayern until June 2017.

    “We have talked everything through and a ‘yes’ is a ‘yes’ for me. We don’t really need paper to confirm our agreement for me.

    “But we will obviously have to put pen to paper and that will happen as soon as possible. I am happier than ever before.”

    The 30-year-old’s current deal is due to expire in 2015.

  22. Jeffrey Bruma’s revenge:

    The new PSV defender is not with Oranje in Indonesia, nor in Israel with Jong Oranje.

    But he is in Ghana, with Essien, Drogba, Kaka, Lampard, Adabayor, Luca Modric, Alex Song, Petr Chech, Ashley Cole and Iker Casillas. To name a few.

    Bruma is the only Dutchie invited to play in the World Team in Ghana for the Match of Hope and Inspiration. They know each other from their Chelsea days, of course.

  23. Defence is goin to be the very strong in future iwth
    Blind-PVA-Buttner-Williams
    Janmaat-VanRhijn-Vanderweil-Leerdam
    Devrij-MVH-?Bazoer?
    BMI-Bruma-?-Reikik?
    Presnet look bright too
    Lb-Blind and PVA
    Rb-Vanrhijn & Janmaat
    RCB-Devrij&Bruma
    LCB-BMI&MVH
    with veterans as stand bye,,

  24. how many goal we are going to see vs indonesia and china?
    last ten games of orange, they scored 22, involved van persie (5), van der vaart (5), hunter (3), lens (3), narsingh-schaken-BMI, 2 goals each. So easy to guess RVP-lens-schaken may score again, RVP (34 goals) have gib opportunity to surpass nistelrooy (35) and bergkamp (37),
    my only concern is there is no real provider for RVP since vaart-maher-narsingh all missing this trip.

    6-0 vs indonesia
    3-0 vs china

  28. Well so Guardiola doesn’t want Robben because he is problematic but wants Suarez? you have to be kidding me!

    Suarez is great and I love the guy but it doesn’t make sense.

  29. Robben should go away as soon as possible or else he’ll end up having to fight for a starting spot. They are very ungrateful.

    I’d love him going to the EPL.

  30. @Van Pelt:
    Indonesia on Friday June 7, China on June 11. I also read that Portugal friendly is scheduled for August 14 at Estadio Algarve.

    Rene Meulensteen has done well for Sir AF at MU. With David Moyes now replaces pretty much all of AF’s staff, I will think Rene Meulensteen will eventually leave when the contract ends. Would he consider coaching in Eredivisie? Read that David Moyes wanting to replace Rene but Sir AF steps in and veto that (at least let Rene finish his contract).

    I also read about Bayern want to trade Robben. The news media keeps saying that Guardiola does not like Robben-type of player. I am not sure on how true is that, but I can see Robben perhaps coming back to EPL. He is good but Bayern also brings in Gotze. It will be a German agenda in Bayern to get these players gel in the best interest of German national team (similar to Barca bringing back Pique, Fabregas some times back). I think it is time to Robben to move on. He may become warm bencher like Sneijder at Inter (although for different reason).

  31. Mourinho going after sneijder eh. I so saw this coming. Mourinho was the one who suggested sneijder to take the gala offer as opposed to some English club. Maybe This is to make negotiations easier once mourinho brings him over to Chelsea. I wouldn’t be surprised if drogba joins Chelsea as well. This is all planned….

        1. Good one Eduardo and thanks for the link. That game looks in the bad.

          Israel drew 2-2 vs Norway (bit misleading scoreline due to the red card).

          Now watching Italy vs England. Italy is better, but that was expected. Still 0-0.

  33. Looks like Steks is officially going to Fulham.

    I’m not sure this is an ideal move for him. Jol did not make good use of Emanuelson, in my opinion, even though he must have been promised more playing time to make the switch from AC. But at least if Steks plays, he’ll see a lot of action in front of the net at Fulham. That’s the mixed benefit of going to a lower/mid-table team.

  35. Netherlans team U 19

    1. De Jong
    2. Brenet
    4. Rekik
    6. Aké
    12. Kongolo
    13. Van Beek
    7. Mahi
    8. Ebecilio
    10. Haye
    9. Achahbar
    11. Darri

      1. Darri is quite an attacking talent from Vitesse. I have seen him make his debut for the first team, but looked back then a bit out of his depth. Still interesting to see how he develops. Actually de Bondt who is also with U19 is also from Vitesse but made recently the transfer to Ajax. Not considered as one of the big talents at Ajax (yet), but nice to see them both get playing time in U19.

        Mahi I have never seen playing. I don’t really watch Jupiler League.

        Cheers

        1. Thanks DRB 300!! Also against Norway Achahbar scores the wining goal!! I like so much that player that I blindly believe he will be orange material. What do you think?

          2. @Gabriel

            I like him as well. Kid with a lot of pride. Maybe the most technical gifted kid on the Dutch fields, but as I often say: It’s not only about what you can do with a ball. He is not fast either and pretty small. New Bakkal? I don’t know. He will probably go out on a loan next season and let’s hope he develops well. The one thing that is vital in his game is speed organised around him. He needs a Wijnaldum kind of player behind him who likes to drive the ball up the field and uses him as dummy/as somebody who can flick the ball through etc. . I often say this about RvP, but for Achahbar this counts double. Maybe even the difference of making it at the top or failing, it is that important to his game.

            @Eduardo

            Haye is from AZ and was one of the best players in the U17 Euro winning team. He was allowed to train with the first team at the start of this season but went back to the youth when the season started. Hopefully this new season he is allowed to stay with the first team. He is a central midfielder. Has offensive and defensive ability’s. Often repped as the new van Bommel. Can be a hard kid when necessary.

            Ayoub is from Utrecht I believe and chosen as young sportman of the city, at least I think I read that somewhere. Anyway has already debuted for Utrecht and certainly one for the future to look out for. Is a midfielder with defensive ability’s.

            Van Beek is I believe a kid from the Feyenoord academy and has actually debuted in a game I saw. He played then at right back IIRC. Not a big talent that I know off. However there can happen so much between 18-22. It’s more fair to start judging players when they are a little older.

            De Sa is not (yet) making it at Ajax. He is past 20 (20 years, 2 months and 4 days old) and should push harder. I mean if Lukoku and Boerrigter are chosen over him, then he is not using a chance to push for the first team. Cuenca I can understand, but the others must be able to overcome. De Boer even started Shöne on the right wing. That’s a big red flag (if he is not injured that is). Anyway it’s maybe quality or age as it is U19. If he is eligible to play as a result of still being young enough when qualification started then it’s probably quality. Otherwise age.

            Cheers

  37. Robben to Liverpool? Whoever fabricated this story must be high. Robben would not go, problem is he would end up like Sniejder at Inter. Honestly, it might be better for him to go play with Sniejder at Galatasaray.

    It feels so unjustified for these players, Bayern doesn’t want Robben but they also don’t want to face him in the Champions League.

    2. Here is a small fantasy that I have: Robben makes a spectacular return to Real Madrid. Nominally playing on the right side, he forms an attacking duo with another high profile player onthe left, the pair becoming known as “Robbaldo” (note the double entendre with the hairline). The team goes on the capture La Decima, Robben achieving back to back CL triumphs. Bayern sputter out ignonimously in the Round of 16, having played only against BDL “B” teams from whom they have stripped all talent. Icing on the cake? Spearheading the attack is Lewendowski, who snubbed Bayern in favor of RM to complete the triple attacking threat.

      Until things happen otherwise, this is what I’ll be hoping for (and I’m no RM fan to speak of).

  38. Hi guys anyone knows what the status of Afellay. Is he still injured orrrr.I guess he will be strong contender for wc 2014. what do you guess reckon.same applies to van der wiel, will he be part of 2014 and what happens to central MD when he comes in. I Also think pieters needs more playing given his length spell of injury. if moves to EPL, He will the good contender for LB in 2014. what you guys reckon.

    1. Van Marwijk: ‘Bij nieuwe club denk ik direct aan Afellay’

      05/06/2013 21:35

      Bert van Marwijk sluit niet uit dat hij Ibrahim Afellay meeneemt als hij straks weer ergens als coach aan de slag gaat. De ex-bondscoach staat in de belangstelling van het Turkse Fenerbahçe. Van Marwijk zegt dit in een reconstructie van het weekblad Voetbal International over de carrière van Afellay (nog altijd contractspeler van Barcelona) die in het slop zit.

      ‘Als ik weer ergens aan de slag ga, is Ibi een van de eerste spelers aan wie ik zal denken. Hij moet vertrouwen voelen, dan maakt hij het verschil voor je’, aldus Van Marwijk deze week in VI.

      Daarin spreken naast de voormalig bondscoach diverse betrokkenen en insiders zich uit over de neergang in de loopbaan van de 27-jarige Afellay, die de afgelopen twee jaar nauwelijks speelde voor zijn eigenlijke werkgever FC Barcelona én het Duitse Schalke 04 waar hij de afgelopen maanden door de Catalanen aan was verhuurd.

      Afellay speelde in twee seizoenen slechts zestien wedstrijden, hetgeen grotendeels te wijten was aan blessures. Maar de reconstructie van verslaggever Thijs Slegers schetst ook een aantal opvallende karaktertrekken van de ex-PSV-er, die van invloed waren. Waar ging het fout bij Afellay?

    2. Van Marwijk just said that he would buy Afellay with his future club. So Fenerbache can be his future club if Bert goes there.

      Afellay is still a good option for the selection when he is in good physical condition. Though, I don’t know if we’ll see him as winger again, if you look at options there are :

      Right wing : Lens, Narsingh, Wijnaldum, Schaken, Kuyt

      Left wing : Robben, John, Babel, Emanuelson, Depay, Boetius

      Without couting Elia who I doubt to see again, that’s quite much. Can be an option as number ten again, his natural position, but he has to compet with Sneijder, VDV, Maher, and even Vilhena or Van Ginkel who are raising. That depends on his season with his future club.

      About Pieters as LB, it also depends on him, he was doing not bad at all with the selection before his injury, but he made one of the worst come back ever, he is always ridiculous with PSV. Can’t run, always make stupid fouls…With Blind, PVA, Willems, Buttner, there are already 4 better options than him currently.

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