What 2014 has in store for Oranje and for this Blog!

Hi all,

Finally a bit more time for  post with some “body” :-).

So happy to be in 2014 and to leave 2013 behind. A weird year.

For 2014, I have great hopes and I can see wonderful things.

Eredivisie:

I think Ajax will not make it this year. They had a fantastic run the last three seasons and Frank de Boer is a top top coach. He is doing amazing things with the current young squad but it’s too young and inconsistent this second season half to actually win the title. Second place for Ajax. PSV will veer back from their bad first season half and with Wijnaldum and Narsingh back in the team they clim back to a top 5 position. Vitesse will not be able to sustain their run and will end up number 3. Twente will have an up and down second season half and like Ajax their good but too young and instable. It’s Feyenoord’s season, this one. Finally, after 15 years, the Rotterdam club will win it. Not easily and not with a big margin, but the big games will be won by Feyenoord (against Ajax and Vitesse) and they’ll find a second wind which gets them their much coveted title.

Fey Champ

Which will be good news for Koeman (who will leave), Janmaat, De Vrij, Martins Indi and Clasie. Schaken and Boetius will show a lot of promise for the future, while Mathijsen will have an outstanding season but will not play himself in the World Cup squad.

I can see big transfers this summer though, for a number of players and Ajax will lose Daley Blind, Moisander and Siem de Jong.

Feyenoord will lose a number of players and will struggle next year in the CL and Eredivisie as there is still only limited cash available for new signings. I can see Gio van Bronckhorst take the top job in Rotterdam.

It will be a bit too early now to call what the 2014-2015 first season half will bring but I do believe PSV will be rejuvenated once Cocu gets the machine going.

 

International:

Van Persie will have a mediocre year at Man U, but Buttner will show himself. Kuyt and Sneijder will have very decent second halves in their competitions, but Kuyt will miss out on Brazil. Sneijder will be part of the squad of course. Van Gaal is doing all he can to motivate the little general to the tee. Strootman will not with the title in Italy but will be seen as one of the best signings of the season and will be one of the leaders of the Oranje squad going into the World Cup. Robben will do it again with Bayern, winning the CL for the second time and will be fit and in good form for the World Cup. Van der Vaart, Dost, Van Wolfswinkel and most of the other “internationals” will have a season as to be expected. Leroy Fer however will have another outstanding half season with Norwich and he will find himself on the shortlist of bigger clubs in Europe. Virgil van Dijk will also develop like a rocket and will make it on Van Gaal’s squad list, after making a move to the EPL.

RVP cheer

Nigel de Jong will have a steady season for Milan while Emanuelson will fade away a bit. A good club player but simply not outstanding enough to make waves at the top. Jeremain Lens will regret his move to the Ukraine and will not make Van Gaal’s Brazil list.

I won’t go as as far as predict the results in the countries around us, but I can see Bayern reigning supreme in Germany, and Arsenal finally winning the EPL in 2014. With awesome football, and Man City and Chelsea slugging it out for second place. Liverpool joining in the fight is a treasure to behold as well. Man United will have a mediocre season as we can all see.

Spain and Italy…no clue… I think Barca in Spain and Juve in Italy.

World Cup Brazil:

There is a couple of scenarios for the Brazil World Cup. It’s hard to determine a carved-in-stone scenario of course. Lots depends also what happens in the other groups.

But, in general, Van Gaal will assemble a good mix of old and new and will have some surprises, as ever.

My guess now:

Goalies:

Krul, Vorm, Cillesen

Defence: Janmaat / Van der Wiel – Vlaar, Veltman, Martins Indi, Van Dijk – Blind, Van Aanholt

Midfield: Nigel de Jong / Clasie – Strootman / Fer – Sneijder / Van der Vaart

sneijd shirt

Attack: Narsingh / Wijnaldum – Van Persie / Huntelaar  – Robben / Depay

I can see a fierce and motivated Oranje beat Spain in the first game. We will go on to beat Australia (for the first time) and we draw Chile.

Holland will be first in the group, Spain second. Spain will leave the tournament after losing against Brazil.

After that, it’s all open of course :-). I can see Brazil disappointing. Too much pressure, too many expectations. Somewhere in the semis, Germany or Italy will be too strong for them.

This means Holland will face Germany / Italy in the finals ( I haven’t checked if this is a possibility draw-wise so don’t sue me, ok?).

We will lose this finals.

KIDDING!!!

Of course not! We will win it. Finally. In Brazil.

Let me know if you like this prognosis. And what you might believe will happen.

 

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49 comments

  1. Hi Jan,

    All the best and a blessed 2014.

    Agree with you in your WC prognosis, execp for Lens playing on the right and Robben on left interchanging sides.

    Brasil- To many expectations as you stated.
    Germany- super balanced fluid football.
    Argentina- best attack of the cup, but the rest of the team underpar their strikers, by a good distance.
    Espain-They had been not the best footballers individually but the best team collectively last 6 years. That comes to an end at this WC, when Del Bosque will be out of new tricks to outplay the other big teams.
    Italy-They will improve from current form, but not enough to get to the final.
    France-They will play very good football, but will lose to Holland or Germany.
    England-If they can play in NT at the level of EPL they should be in the semi finals.

    Finally Holland-What can i say that you all don’t know. We have the talent, the players, the best school of technical and tactical aptitudes for 40 years now. We had impressed so many times and always but once failed by a hair. We the Dutch teach spain how to play, so we have to learn from them how to win.
    The best football players can win a match but only the best team can win a tournament. This time we have the players to make it true. This players are super talented, they only need to fight like a team and a little luck. If only for once they learned from EC 2012 and previous mistakes, (lose of temper, egos, and lack of team spirit when the we were against the ropes) and if LVG give them at the right time the confidence to treat them as professional footbalers reaching for glory in their career/live, and not as soldiers fighting a war, we should be champions.

    Football had paid their historic debt with France in 1998-2000 and then with Spain in 2008-2012, but they learn how to achieve it. Now is our turn, we have everything to make it real. Three lost finals is enough for our beloved Oranje. It’s our turn.

  2. Sorry,

    I forgot;

    Portugal-I like their football as much as the current Germany. Maybe they are just more naive.

    Uruguay-They will fight like hell and the know how to play to beat big teams.

    I want to say this also.

    I don’t know how true or not true is Wessly fitness form compared with 2010-2012 as i don’t know as well that supposed lack of stamina from VDV.

    I had always saw Wesly as a true genius, a kind of quarterback with clinical passes, vision and goal, the best talent of the team and i think he should and have to be in Brazil.

    RVP- Is in my opinion the 2nd best talent of the team with acrobatic ability to make lots and spectacular goals.

    Robben- Amazing and at his prime.

    VDV-Aparently he is a team player more than Wessly and that is his plus to play instead of Snaijder. I think VDV is playing better than ever, more effective and beautiful than before, and depending on the opponent they can play together.

    Nigel- I did’t like him in 2008-2012, but now i understand how much we need him. If only he can pass longer balls up front. i Always like in this position a Rijkard kind of player, faster and more attacking

    Janmat-Bright, bright, bright.

    Blind- A true star in the making.

    Lens- Brilliant but inconsistent and after 60 minutes he is tired.

    Strootman- Good midfielder, very hard working. Still don’t see him as good as the media does.

    BMI-Tall, Robust and runs a lot, light years behind from Krol, De Boer. Maybe he will improve ?

    Vlaar- Average, Average, Average.

    The GK- They are all super good.

  3. Holland will draw 0-0 against France, both teams will play with a lot of subs, boring game. Then Holland will keep invincibility in the three friendlies before the WC.

    During the WC : Draw against Spain, victory against Australia, draw against Chile. Holland finishs second with 5 points, Spain first with 7 points.

    First game against Spain will be a tactical game, not a lot of risks, and it’ll end 0-0. Then Holland will struggle to Australia as always, but will score in the second half. Victory 1-0 or 2-0. Then really open and crazy game against Chile, players will suffer from agility of chile players, there will be goals and a bit of luck for Holland, I expect a 2-2. Nigel De Jong will take a red card.

    Holland will face Brazil and lose from a large score, like 3-0 or 4-1, brazilian players will pass the first round easiliy with playing only at 50 % of their level, and will have a lot of energy for the Holland game, and without De Jong, they’ll eat us,taking revenge from 2010.

    Then Cruyff will say that it’s totally normal cause the team is composed of many eredivisie defenders and there is nothing to expect (I agree with), there will be some clash between egos, and at least two players between De Jong, Sneijder, VDV, Robben and Van Persie will make the decision to stop with NT.

    About eredivisie transfers :
    – Clasie will go to Fiorentina
    – Janmaat will move to Germany or Spain
    – BMI will move to England or Russia
    – De Vrij, Vilhena and Boetius will stay
    – Schaken will move to Turkey or Ukraine

    – Wijnaldum will move to Liverpool, Newcastle or Tottenham
    – Rekik will be loaned to a sub PL team
    – Willems will also move to a PL team
    – Bruma, Depay and Narsingh will stay

    – Blind will stay one year more
    – S.De Jong will move to Portugal, Greece or Turkey
    – Van Rhijn will move to a sub PL team
    – Veltman and Klassen will stay

    – Promes will move to PSV
    – Van Aanholt will make a strange move (Russia, Ukraine)

    Others transfers :

    -Fer will move to Liverpool or Tottenham for 12-15 mo
    – Van Ginkel will be loaned to a good german team (Schalke, Leverkusen)
    – Robben will go to AC Milan
    – VDV will go to Turkey, Fenerbahce
    – Van Persie will move to PSG

    1. wat u predicting abt NT would have come true,if we play kuyt as winger/striker/Afeally as winger,etc.
      if vaart ,rvp and roben are fit enough for 92 minutes we will burry spain with the energy and intelligence of Dejong/Stroot/Ginkel??/clasie.MArk my words
      Van annholt will eat the speedster of spain (Navas),Bruma will eat diago costa with Reikik/Virjil as his CB mates with dejong up front.this orange is going to be huge for spain than they faced with kuyt/Bommel..i mean creativity is much more this time arround.but i agree that defensivly we bit weak.
      We will beat spain
      We will beat australia
      Draw or loss vs chile i expect.
      Chile and NT will get through with we have better goal margin we iwll face mexico.which also goin to be tough match.

  4. I like your squad, prediction but not the picture which gives me headache. A creative picture showing Oranje lifting the WC would be a nice prediction where you can claim you see it here first.
    I like Veltman, Van Dijk pair more than Vlaar, Martins Indi pair. Not sure if LVG will drop Lens or not and if Afellay can fight his way back to this squad. I prefers Stek over Vorm. However, no problem with your predicted squad and we can win with these players. I hope LVG prepare them well to upset Spain to start the tournament.

  5. Danny Blind could be the next Holland manager when Guus Hiddink takes off in 2016. Blind, now assistant manager at the Dutch team, will take over after Euro 2016.

    Source: De Telegraaf

  6. Kuyt and Lens will make the squad. Both guys have been used prominently during qualifying/friendlies.

    Robben / RvP / Lens will be the attackers. We can bring on Afellay and Sneijder later into the game when VdV and Lens start to fade.

    Midfield looks solid on paper. If van Ginkel is able to recover quicker than expected (and gets playing time), I’d take him over Fer.

  7. @ Sam ….if Kuyt goes to World Cup it will simply be waste of time…..coz I dont see any position in which he might fit in given the the peck of order that are in contention for forward positions.

    LW – Lens, Depay, Robben,afellay

    RW – Robben, Wijanuldum, Narsingh

    He might be picked as a third choice Striker and unless if any of the two RVP or huntelaar gets injured, it will be like going on vaccation for him….I wont mind going on a vaccation to Brazil…….

    I hope Im not incorrect but as it is I think the only inform dutch striker in eredivise at this moment is Luc
    Castaignos so I better go for him rather than Kuyt. he has also for inter to add to his experience and he could be an option, but than again I dont how Van Gaal see it.

    But definetely it will be waste of seat taking Kuyt if he doesnt play…I dont really see that happening especially not with Spain and Cile

    1. kuyt is an opportunistic score of tap ins,so if he gets such kind of chance and he scores a fluke come opportunustic goal,you might be eating ur words.
      Fairly i dont see kuyt brining anything etc apart from his workrate and intelligence.we need something more.
      Which he doesnt have,He has played all 2006-2012 than van der vaart,he was there is failures also what was his contribution in attack apart form header vs france,rebound vs denmark.and good assist for sneijder vs italy and brazil.if we had better quality player in his spot we would have won by outscoring the opponent.He is ONE of the block to wc glory with Hunter,Vlaar(i like him but he is a turtle easy pray for speedsters)Devrij,Now heitinga,Now Joris,Now Afellay,Narsingh,Williams.etc
      i dont want to see any of these guys in NT.

  8. Nice predictions Jan, only time will tell weather or not your crystal ball is in working order or not. I think Ajax will win the Eredivisie in a very close battle with Rotterdam.
    I watched Norwich play this week and for me Ricky Wolf is not ready for the big time yet, I think it’s a combination of his team mates not being on the same page as him (tactically) and simply that he is just not good enough (yet). Another year in the EPL wil do him wonders , if he gets to stay. Also Fer was average in this game, he really did not impose himself on the game like Deguzman does for Swansea. I know Everton are very strong this year but against any other top 10 team they would have got belted by 3 in this game so it was not like Norwich were being dominated. Anyhow just some observations.
    As for the NT at the WC, I really believe we need Van Ginkle to be fit and at his best playing with Strootman and VDV ( sub in Snjieder) in the mid field. Nearly every one on here has stated in some form that our defense is our weakness which I agree with and that is why we will need MVG and Stroot to protect them from the midfield , without giving away our attacking ability the way that De Jong might be inclined to do.
    I’m confident that RVP and Robben will take control of the goal scoring as long as they are fit! Wjnaldum will also be there to help out and maybe Hunter or Narsingh.
    My “Red Herring” is that Van Gaal gets the Punt in February and Guus takes the team to Brasil. Think about it, Va Gaal has already stated that top 8 is about as good as we can do, so in my book he has already instilled a losing culture into the squad, every coach no matter what the competition or grade should be trying to achieve victory, particularly the WC for F Sake’s!
    Sack bring on Aussie Guus!

    P.s I hope all on here have a great 2014 along with Dutch Voetball and thanks Jan for keeping it going!

    Hup Holland!

  9. Nice article Jan..blinding pic though.

    I do however disagree with a few of your predictions. See my views below:

    Afellay will recover well for Barca and have a good seconf hf season and make the WC squad.

    Fer will not get a place as he will lose the fight with De Duzman(who is a technically better player).

    Martins Indi will make the plane and start with Veltman/Vlaar in middle of the defence.

    Afellay, Van Persie and Robben will be the starting three.

    1. I hoping Buttner can either settle down at Man United or join a Top ten Club in EPL so that he can get more playing time. I wont mind mind him on the wings + every minute playing time till WC …definitely a players that can change the ball game when other start sleeping.

  10. @ Tiji….I hope Van Gaal sees what you see…..and if he gets a call vs France… than he is will go to Brazil. the funny thing is Van Gaal has already wasted valuable time on De Vrij… I hope this time around he wont make the same silly decisions.

  11. I hope Seedorf looks to sign 1 or 2 Dutch guys for Milan this month or in the Summer.

    He could take Afellay on loan from Barca this month and sing someone like Bruno Martins Indi.

  12. I am looking forward to see Seedorf with Milan as coach that will be amazing. I believe he’ll do really well. Hopefully he gives Emanuelson some more minutes.

  13. whats happening with this story…..

    Kishna has been offered to Juventus

    Ricardo Kishna has been offered to Juventus by agent Mino Raiola. His contract with Ajax will expire in June and Juve could start talking to him in the next few weeks.
    Source: Tuttosport

  14. ManU apparently close to Coentrao deal. This means Buttner has to leave. He has not been able to displace Evera, now with Fabio and Coentroa in the team also he has no choice but to leave. I love to see him at my beloved Liverpool, but thats not gonna happen.

  15. All news is nice, but only 2 things really matter. Afellay and van Ginkel. They need to get fit in time and with that in mind I don’t understand both players aren’t pushing harder for a spot at a nice club. Look at de Bruyne going to Wolfsburg (though that was a buy, not a loan) moving from a top club to a less good club, but still nice to play for. Still quite ambitious. That guy at least understands it.

    What does Affelay want to do at Barca? Van Ginkel coming back from injury and Chelsea just buying Matic? How many minutes do these 2 players think they will get at their current club?

    With them, we get more quality depth in the team and we will need that with such an exhausting tournament in Brazil.

    1. To be honest I don’t think Afellay cares much about the sport aspect, as long as he get paid in Barcelona. Last year he wanted to stay with Barcelona and seemed quite unhappy to play with Schalke, he announced he’ll leave the club in febuary if my memory is good, didn’t even try to see if he would come back from injury before. It was clear he didn’t want to stay there.

      Also remember how long he stayed with PSV rejecting interest from italian and english clubs, he only accepted Barcelona as it was impossible to refuse, now it seems like he would accept the bench rather than going to a less top club and playing.

  16. I think Van Ginkle Will definitely be loaned back to Vitesse to get some playing time and gain match fitness for the next big and brighter season. I dont think Mou will sell him given his talent and the age.

    Now if Afellay doesnt make it then I think it should be Depay/Sneidjer/Robben/ on Left and Lens/ Narsingh/Wijnaldum on Right with Classie backup for Vaart. Strootman/Van Ginkle and De Jong/ Blind/Fer

    1. Vitesse just brought Labyad, and Achenteh who can also play midfielder. The second one probably comes to replace Van Aanholt next year as left back though, I doubt he’ll get any minute as midfielder. By the way, he is a really interesting player, hard worker with a great stamina. He can still chose between Holland and Morocco I think, why not to consider him as Oranje material if he does well with Vitesse.

      Propper, Veijnovic, Janssen, Labyad…I doubt that they need Van Ginkel back now.

      1. Still don’t understand why you like Wijnaldum as much while you keep saying you don’t like headless chickens.

        I’m not saying that he is one, but he is definitly more about using his speed and power than Afellay.

        Wijnaldum has a poor vision, pass quality and positionning, his body is definitly working better than his brain.

          1. That’s only eredivisie statistics and most of his goals are “strikers” goals, where he runs into the box and finishs an action.

            He has no long shot quality, almost never scores from long distance shots.

            Also his goals statistics can’t be compared to Afellay or Narsingh as he plays in a position and a role where he definitly has more chances to score than them.

            When he was playing on the wing with Feyenoord, he didn’t score as often.

  17. Lets hope that Afellay wakes up and make a move within a few days. I have a feeling that as the window moves closer to the end he will become more desparate as this is his last chance to make the move that could give him the playing time that will see him make the WC.

  18. I also hope Afellay gets fit in time for the WC but I am not too worried because we have enough players who can cover his spot….Depay, Wijnaldum, Elia, Lens.

  19. This is good for the NT if Vaart and John can get some time together

    Benfica winger Ola John is set to join Hamburger SV on loan until the end of the season. Hamburg had been looking for a replacement for the injured winger Maximilian Beister, who will be sidelined for the rest of the season, and have now struck a deal with 21-year-old two-time Netherlands international, Hamburger Morgenpost reports.

  20. Has anyone seen Babel play recently? Havent watched him since his move from Ajax, but read a few places that he is doing well..I wonder if he will ever fully mature and fulfil his great potential..or is it too late?

  21. I will never get the fascination of some people with Afellay. This guy hasn’t played in like 2 years and some are hoping he can miraculously turn into the player he was years ago. To me he is just an idiot for his moves and his attitude in last tournament where he badly sucked. He won’t even be on the bench for Barca.

  22. Leroy Fer
    Played one excellent ball through to Hooper but otherwise failed to impose himself on a limp midfield battle.

    Ron Vlaar
    Got forward regularly for set-pieces and coped well in one-on-one duels with Campbell. An encouraging return from injury for the Villa skipper.

    Leandro Bacuna
    Made some important clearances from corners and provided plenty of penetrating crosses into the Cardiff box. Also surged into the danger area in the second half but missed his shot instead of teeing up a furious Benteke.

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