Gakpo signing Liverpool

Who is Cody Gakpo

Where it all started for Cody Gakpo

It is no surprise that Gakpo made it a bit further in football than most of the others who were active in his hometown Eindhoven. “At youth matches of FC Eindhoven, Cody was quickly scouted by our people”, says head of youth scouting Riny de Groot of PSV. Gakpo played more then 10 years in the youth teams of PSV, and played together with other PSV stars like Teze and Obispo.

“Let me say that a visually impaired person or the biggest non-football expert would have been able to see his qualities. If Cody ever wasn’t paying attention, which is not at all strange at those ages, we could talk to him and that never caused any problems. He was an example boy, thanks also to his parents and brother who never caused any trouble.”

Father Johnny played for the amateur department of PSV and is originally from Togo, where he played at a high level. Mother Ank is Dutch. The couple moved into a house in Stratum- Eindhoven and have three footballing sons. Gakpo’s oldest brother (Sidney) also ended up in professional football, but opted for his social career. The youngest brother in the family currently plays for RPC.

From the age of seventeen, things went quickly for the now most famous Gakpo. He pushed through and made his debut in professional football at Jong PSV as a 17-year-old wing attacker. Under Phillip Cocu, the talent made his debut in the first team more than a year later and Mark van Bommel let him take the next step.

The big star at PSV in 2021

Mo Ihattaren was touted as the new big thing in Dutch football in 2021. That PSV had more talents in the wings, like Cody Gakpo and Madueke, seemed less important. But after two years of hype, Mo left PSV through the backdoor, while Cody Gakpo and right winger Madueke were the two figureheads of this  exciting PSV.

Gakpo is keen to become a firm fixture for Oranje as well: “He wanted to be a starter for the National Team!” And so he became….

A talk with the lanky right-footed left winger.

About his inspirations:

“Diego Maradona was my idol. I watched all his movies on Youtube all the time. And Thierry Henry. He was a left winger like me, tall. Usually, wingers are smaller. Overmars, Robben, Messi so I really resonated with the taller players. I watched and analysed him, his movements, his timing, I tried to learn as much as possible. I have always been a PSV fan. I had a PSV doona on my bed, PSV pj’s and posters on my walls. I also had a team photo of Barcelona. I was a fan of Ibbi Afellay and recently I got to play with him, which was amazing. We still speak.”

About scoring goals:

“I am a forward so I love scoring goals. It started in the E pupils. We would win the trophy with a couple of 100 goals. I made 100 goals myself. We won matches 20-0 and if you’d score 5 or 8 it would really add up, hahahaha.”

“I started at PSV when I was six and ex pro Twan Scheepers was my coach for a spell. He’s now a good friend, he helped me a lot with my football, with also with the mental side of things. Some people think that talent is everything but that is not true. When I got into my puberty, all sorts of issues started. At home, at school and a lot of talented players drop out. I used to think I wasn’t good enough, in those days. I wasn’t the typical star of the team or something. And Twan would help me with my confidence and self belief.”

“Mark van Bommel became my coach when was 15 years old, at the A1 level. Fairly quickly I made the step up to the first team and worked with him there as well. He’s very good tactically. I still have a strong bond with him.

Ruud van Nistelrooy was my striking coach from when I was 14 year old. He taught me a lot. With Boudewijn Zenden I am working on my weaker left foot. It’s a challenge in all honesty but it ‘s going better.

About his genes:

“My dad is from Togo. My parents met there as my mum was traveling through Africa. My dad first moved to France but after that he came to Holland. My dad was a good player. He played for the Togo national team and played in the PSV 2 team. My mum was Dutch rugby international, so we always have sports in our home, in some way. I have never seen them play, although I did see some newspaper articles on my mum, as women’s rugby was never televised, I don’t think. My dad doesn’t think we are alike, as players. He thinks he was 10 times better than me, hahaha. But I think I am a bit like him. I do remember that an old coach of my dad came watching me when I was in the A1. He did say afterwards that he felt my dad was better at that age. That motivated me to work harder. I really owe it all to my parents. They were always supportive and brought me to the club and came and watch me play. My mum always simply asked if I enjoyed the game. My dad always wanted to do a whole de-briefing. My dad always told me to believe in myself.”

About his body

“I had shoe size 46 when I was 16 years old and only 1 meter 60 tall. The ratios didn’t work and I was super clumsy. But it all went well. I had a calf injury when I was 17 and broke my ankle. I had a tear last season in my ankle too, which kept me out for 3 months. But I am cautious and aware of my body. I eat well, I take my rest and drink a lot of water. At the Euros, I saw how professional some of the older lads were and that was very inspiring. I also do a lot of weight and resistance training, I do need to be a bit stronger, but overall I’m happy with my body.”

About religion

“I’m raised a Christian and I am really into it. I try to simply be the best person I can be. I do dedicated time to my faith, I read a lot of books, I visit church whenever I can and I pray. I read the Bible daily, yes, I am devout man. I recently got a book from Denzel Dumfries “Praying is believing” which I am reading now. Other lads at PSV share my faith, like Madueke and Donny Malen. With Oranje, Memphis is a good sounding board, how we understand pieces from the Bible and sayings and that sorta thing. We share those insights. It creates a bond and is inspiring. I also love to talk to people from other faiths, like Mo Ihattaren, who is muslim. We do see a lot of similarities.”

About the Dutch National Team

“Once I was in the flow of the Euros, it felt normal. I never really felt that is was special or remarkable you know. I was never part of the squad before but the other lads really include you into things and it all goes so fast too. When I went on a holiday, later, it all sank in. We have a really tight group and I immediately felt at home. The spirit is great. That last match versus the Czechs… It was a tough day. It was hot, and humid but I don’t think we got into trouble, really, until the red card. I tried to stay close to Memphis and Malen. Both players coming from the left, both a PSV history… What I try to improve is to pick the right moment to make a particular move. I met Louis van Gaal last year for the first time, when we drew Ajax 1-1. I saw him at the parking lot and he said: Nice pass! I had given the assist for the PSV goal. “Keep on going like this,” he said.” Now I tasted it, I want to be part of the Dutch national team as a starter and kick some goals.”

About his dreams

“I want to win trophies. This season, the title with PSV. The double, really. And maybe a European prize? I want to score goals and create goals. I hope to be able to make a move soon. I would love to play in England or Spain once day. I have been playing for PSV for many years and I’d love to lave through the front door with a trophy or two. And then go to the World Cup in Qatar and do wonderful things with Oranje.”

Gakpo at Liverpool

In December 2022 Gakpo made the move to Liverpool, as we know a huge but difficult step forward in his young career. PSV had to let him go as they needed a big transfer and Liverpool payed with a big discount.

Gakpo, who shone for Louis van Gaal’s team at the 2022 World Cup, signed a five-and-a-half year contract with for (€40m). The total fee for the 23-year-old would rise up to €50m via bonuses.

Gakpo signing Liverpool

Part of the big Liverpool

In 2025 Cody Gakpo became a very important part of Liverpool under there new Dutch coach Arne Slot, resulting in leading the English Premier League and also a very good campaign in the Champions League.

Gakpo on Transfermarkt

Gakpo on Transfermarkt

Allthough Gakpo has severe competition from Luis Diaz, Liverpool plays so many matches that he is becoming more and more important for Liverpool. Gakpo was never champion at PSV 1, but is in the driving seat too win the Premier League. Some say Liverpool has the best team in 2025, for sure Codys star will keep rising and we all hope for a bright future, at Liverpool and offcourse in the Dutch National Team.

Gakpo for Liverpool against PSV with Obispo.

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WinnerNetherlandsSpain

World Cup qualification draw puts Dutch team in bizar situation in Nations League

It goes against everything sport stands for: losing on purpose. But if the Dutch national team wants to qualify for the 2026 World Cup in Canada, Mexico and the United States via the easy route, it would be advisable to lose the Nations League quarterfinals against Spain on March 20, 2025 in Rotterdam and March 23, 2025 in Spain. Crazy right?

What’s the case. In the draw for World Cup qualification, Oranje were paired with Poland, Finland, Lithuania and Malta in the event of Nations League elimination by Spain in March 2025.

Whereas in the event of reaching the Nations League Final Four in March at the expense of the Spaniards, countries of better caliber must be sidelined: Turkey, Georgia and Bulgaria.

This is dictated by UEFA, which is keen to give more weight to the Nations League and therefore makes the results in it count for World Cup 2026 qualification.

Oranje’s start of the qualification series for Canada, Mexico and the United States also depends on the result against the European champion.

If they win, qualification begins in September 2025 and involves six matches, while if they lose, Koeman’s team must complete eight qualifying matches starting in June 2025.

What remains is that only the winners of the 12 groups qualify directly for the 2026 World Cup. The runners-up, together with four still unseeded teams from the Nations League, will compete for the last four European tickets to the 2026 world finals.

World Cup qualification schedule not yet known

The playing schedule for the 2026 World Cup qualifying tournament will be announced later. The World Cup itself will be played for the first time in three countries with 48 participants.

The 104 duels will take place from June 11 to July 19, 2026. Canada has two playing cities and 13 World Cup matches, Mexico three and 13 World Cup matches and the United States 11 and 78 World Cup matches.

The opening match will take place at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City and the final will be played in New York/New Jersey. The first match of the day is at 7 p.m. Dutch time while the last match of the day is scheduled at 9 a.m. ET.

Koeman too proud to lose to Spain

By the way, it will be beyond the honor of Ronald Koeman and the internationals to lose to Spain in order to achieve a better starting position for World Cup qualification.

Given the opponents, the Orange should be able to qualify for the World Cup without any problems anyway. Nevertheless, in a top sports organization like UEFA, it remains particularly strange that you can take sporting advantage of losses.

Results drawResults draw

Fifa World Ranking

Also based on the FIFA world rankings, the winner’s pool seems considerably stronger. In it you will find the numbers 28, 68 and 82. In the other pool it is numbers 35, 69, 142 and 169.

And there is not much room for error for the Dutch: only the number one of a pool qualifies directly for the tournament in the United States, Canada and Mexico. And so an easier route toward the World Cup is nice.

 

 

 

33 comments

  1. it does not matter,Koeman is the coach,if we qualify,we can go and play in USA..thats it..The moment we face a top team koeman will loose it..i dont care which group we are in..koeman is a serial looser,tactically poor coach,failed every where as coach.
    its sad state of affairs that wonderful generation of Frenkie,virgil,gravenberch,koopmeiners,Gakpo,Frimpong,Timber bros,reinders,Lang ,Hato,Ake,De ligt getting sucked at big time..We have a wonderful team with a clown coach..

  2. ———Gakpo———Brobbey———–
    ————–Simons———–
    —–Reinders———-Gravenberch—
    ————–Frenkie—————-
    Hato—Virgil—-De ligt—-Timber
    ———–Verbruggen——————
    on bench
    ——Lang—–Weghorst——-Summerville—-
    ———Quinten——–Koopmeiners———-
    ————-schouten——————-
    Ake——-Van de ven—Van hecke—-Dumfries
    ————–Flekken————————
    22+4=26
    Olij
    Weiffer
    Zirksee
    Frimpong

  3. I don’t think anybody would have expected this but Bakker on the Right wing looks interesting. he is been deployed on the RW by lille coach Bruno Génésio. Watched marseille and Lille and and he was good impact coming on HT. Dribbling is not there yet but his positioning, drifting in the middle (wing / striker) and particularly his crosses looks top notch. Still a long way to go but he is looking promising and his workrate is another thing that stands out roving all over the park. This will be interesting imo and for surely he is making it count in the books of the coaches.

  4. Jurien Timber,Gravenberch are destroying the EPL clubs..Gakpo is also doing well,not forgetting Van de ven,Virgil,Ake,De ligt..they also doing well ..Also there is Verbruggen and wieffer at brighton and flekken at brentford..happy to see all doing well…Except Summerville..What a team we have with a clown coach…
    ——-Gakpo——-Brobbey————
    ————koopmeiners—————
    —Reinders————-Gravenberch
    ————Frnekie——————
    Hato–Van de ven-Virgil—-Timber
    ————Verbruggen——————-
    its an astonishing team,,,
    on Bench its
    —-Lang———Weghorst——-
    ——–Simons————
    Quinten———-Weiffer
    ——–Schouten—————
    Ake—De ligt–Van hecke–Dumfries
    ———–Flekken——————-not bad options
    with
    Frimpong
    Summerville
    OLij
    For 25 man squad

    1. 3 changes to your first team:

      – Aké much better then Hato
      – Dumfries better then Timber
      – Weghorst (as we speak today) better then Brobbey

      Missing de Vrij, he would be potential Top11 player as well for me….
      I would bring Malen as well as he can be our number 9 as well and on the right side…

      1. @Johan Ake is class player,but prefer more agile and fast Hato..that will reduce the amount of fouls at the dback when we face a world class opponent.
        Dumfries is inferior to Timber at every aspect of game..
        Weghorst is more effective when come in sub..he is a fighter,we need fighters at the end..
        Devrij has lost little pace..Great class player,time for younger blood..
        Malen has given enough chances,but what has he done at NT so far??

  5. Unfortunately all the players you have mentioned have already played for NT and its well known what to expect and where to expect. It won’t change unless you change the equation

  6. Playing Ake at LB, dumfries on right, the usually tactical stuff,it ain’t gonna happen. You have to go as tacking fullbacks like other big teams to lock horns together. Ake is no cucurella, dimarco, hernandez, digne esque. Defense can win you games provide you are good on offensive front as well as to they can compensate upfront. This is the dilemma for NT.

  7. Attacking front are good vs average teams and toothless vs big.

    Zirkzee

    Simons-koopmeiners

    Maatsen – frenkie-gravenberch-frimpong

    Ake-Van dijk-De ligt

    Verbruggen

  8. Zirkzee can be promissing but far from base material. He needs to show it every week. Ihataren is a sad joke, the guy doesn´t have it, even at RKC no base player. He will never return on his PSV level as he prefers MacDonalds over a professional career.

    Simons so far also didn´t show it at NT, he needs to start delivering as well…

  9. Merry Christmas everyone. Since the end of the year is coming up, I think it will be fun to post half of season rating for our players. This is solely based on my opinion on their campaign so far.

    GKs:
    Verbruggen: A-. Excellent campaign, he seems to be up his level. His ball distribution is very good and reflexes is top notch. He needs to work a bit more to not let occasional easy goal.

    Flekken: B+. Good campaign so far. He is starting for Brentford and made nice saves.

    Bizot: B+. Starting for Brest and doing well in CL.

    Defenders:
    VVD: A. Captain of the top EPL team. He has regained his form and is dominating against top strikers weeks after weeks. He is our strongest defender this season.
    De Ligt: C+. He joined the wrong team. MU is a career graveyard. While his performance is not bad YET, he should get out before it is too late.
    Timber: A-. Starting for Arsenal. Played very well in multiple positions (LB, RB and CB). It is a nice recovery from a long injury. He needs to maintain his fitness.
    Van de Ven: C. He had very nice performance at Spurs before his injury. He got some amazing assists using his speed. Now he is out for a long time. He needs to be careful with how he use his speed. In the long run, he will suffer heavily if he does not change his play style.
    Frimpong: B+. He has a drop in performance compared to last season. That is not to say he is bad. It was just that he is on another level last season.
    Dumfries: A-. He is regaining his starting place at Inter. He looks strong and fit now compared to last season.
    Ake: D. He was out for most of the first half. He is occasionally playing for City now but they are in such a bad form right now. It is important that he regains his fitness slowly and not being rushed back to action.
    Maatsen: C-. He does not play much and when he did, it is not very convincing. He will need to adjust to the new team or need a transfer.

  10. Others

    Lang – A +. If tomorrow was World Cup. He would be my starter on that LW.

    Reijnders – B+. Has become an instrumental player for Milan as he plays weak in weak out

    Gravenberch – A. purely based on Liverpool form only

    Gakpo- B+. Good form but one trick pony

    Noslin – B. new kid on the block. Exciting future ahead. Will he be the man upfront at WC

  11. Midfielders:
    _ FDJ: C-. He was injured and then coming back, he found that he is not needed. Barca will try to force him out before his final year. But I don’t think any other club want to pay this much for him. It is disappointed though, he was a rising star a few years ago but never reach his true potential due to joining the wrong team.
    _ Gravenberch: A. What a transformation: from someone who might be shipped out after not making enough minutes to being one of the best DM in EPL. His ability to intercept, passing and dribble in close space is critical to Liverpool’s success. That’s why he is starting that many games for them. Hope that Slot will buy a back up for him in the second half of the season as he does not get much rotation like other teammates.
    _ Reijnders: A+. 7 goals and 2 assists. He is the top midfielder in Series A now. He has everything for a midfield, shooting, passing, dribbling.
    _ Mats Wieffer: C-. He is injured and rarely play when he is available. It might take time for him to adjust to a new league.
    _ Schouten: C+. He was playing well before getting injured.
    _ Koop: B-. He was injured and then get back into starting place for Juve. But his form is not matching the price they paid for it.
    _ Kluivert: A. He is a key member of Bournemouth’s campaign. He is now playing as a number 10 instead of a winger. His passing, dribbling and link up play allow Bournemouth to play a smooth game. This position might fit him better as he does not have the speed and tricks required for a EPL winger.
    _ Van de Beek: B. Found back his form at La Liga. He might get a recall if he keep up his form.

    Forwards:
    _ Gakpo: A-. Starting the season on the bench due to Diaz’s form but have fought and earned back his place as LW. Diaz is now deployed as CF and they switch positions often. He found his scoring boot as well. He is our top forward at the moment.
    _ Malen: C. Never settle into Dortmund team. He is way inconsistent to be relied upon at top level. Sometime he is amazing, sometime he just disappear. Perhaps his best role is impact sub. He is seeking a move away from Dortmund.
    _ Zirkzee: D. What a disaster move for him. MU is not a good club to join at the moment. But the move also shows several areas that he is lacking. He often run to receive the ball instead of getting into scoring position. This is very hard to find a suitable formation for him as he want to play striker but lacking striker instinct. Also his speed and strength is not up to EPL standard. Need to seek a move away and develop those skills under a coach that understand him.
    _ Brobbey: F. 1 goal in 15 matches in Eredivisie. This is a major setback for his career. Given that his form has go up and down several time, it seems that he will never reach EPL/LaLiga/Bundesliga level.
    _ Depay: A-. Well we thought that he is done. But his Brazil adventure is going well. Given other strikers are bad right now, he will get a recall soon.
    _ Weghorst: C+. Nothing spectacular about him but still better than Zirkzee and Brobbey right now.
    _ Dallinga: D-. Another striker struggles with new league.
    _ Danjuma: D. What a disappointment. He was one of the best wingers in CL a few years ago. Now it looks like he is fading away.
    _ Lang: B. He was injured. After that, he is playing well.

  12. Happy new year to all…i really dont know what to say since koeman is the coach of the NT.This guy is not going to beat a top with his negative approach..

  13. Happy New Year guys and thanks Johan for doing an awesome job here. Great to see! I’ve never been a big Koeman as coach fan and I don’t see Oranje develop under him. He sees his job as taking the best players with a Dutch passport and putting them in a system Koeman likes and then probably tells them to “go for it” and “enjoy yourself” or something.

    He doesn’t make the team better. Maybe it’s not easy for an NT manager but you’d expect him to find a way to utilise all the quality we have and play some good football.

    Spain is an interesting opponent, because they manage to do this. In the past people always said: it’s easier for a SPain manager due to the fact only two teams feed into the NT there ( Barca and Madrid, for people who live under a rock). Today, the Spanish players come to the NT from everywhere: England, Germany, Italy, Sociedad, Girona, Atleti, etc etc. Still, they play scintillating stuff.

    If you have Gakpo, Brobbey, Lang, Reijnders, Gravenberch, Schouten, Kluivert, Timber, Frenkie, etc etc you expect a bit more, right? I still think our Euros tournament was cause for firing Koeman….

  14. the problem for the dutch is the balance and are forced to go 4-3-3/3-4-3 and even that is also tatical with one offensive wing back and another defensive ake/ dumfries and very recently Timber on left. the midfield is kind of ok now with emergence of gravenberch but it remains to be seen if he can replicate the same liverpool form in NT or its just a liverpool thing around better players. consistency will be key (NT) and like I always say not just vs some teams buts bigs teams as well.

    players that need more playing , lang, kluivert, frimpong,gravenberch, maatsen, zirkzee. atmost. then only the dutch can be in driving seat.

    also there are some good dutch players in the championship. manhoef, hamer, piroe,goudmijn, van ewijk.chong. good transfers or promotion to epl those in contention could bring them into contention.

    been follow ihattaren also. started with flashes but now looks to be in full flight. he has only one year contract and plus Waaljik is last in the standings. he defintely will be on the move next summer. a ggod transfer and he shud be in contention for wc qualifers.

    1. Ihattaren never played for Holland, and with all the shit he had he will not play as well, maybe Marroco makes a move on him….

      Dutch teams did good in European leagues, accept Ajax (my God)

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Ajax in your wildest dreams!

Imagine watching a game with Tahamata, Seedorf, Litmanen, Arnold Muhren, Van der Sar, Blind, Frank de Boer and more Ajax legends… And then imagine them playing a team like Real Madrid. Wouldn’t that be … oh hang on!

The Ajax legends played Madrid last week, a day after Holland – Hungary and it was a more exciting affair than said Oranje match.

Yes, sentiments and football go hand in hand. Ajax is about to celebrate their 125 year existence and did so in style.

One has turned grey, another is carrying some additional poinds, but Jari Litmanen still looks like he’s 30 years old. The Finnish fan favorite is as fit as can be: the dark hair, the spying eyes and the six pack under his shirt. “Hey, I’m an athlete,” he quips. But Jari is happy to be part of this as he seemingly struggled with the effects of the Covid vaccinations, which kept him off the pitch for 4 years. “Even making a coffee at home resulted in me having to sit for a spell, exhausted.”

Another icon to be glad to be on the pitch is Edwin van der Sar. The much maligned ex Ajax CEO was struck by a stroke a year or so ago and has a tough rehab behind him. “I played a legend game in Seoul last month and that was amazing, considering where I came from. Just great to be in the dressing room with the lads again,” said the legendary goalie.

Jari versus MacManaman

Opponent Real Madrid stayed in the infamous Amsterdam Hilton (of Lennon and Herman Brood fame) and Ajax started their day there for a celebratory breakfast. Next up, a canal boat trip and off to the Johan Cruyff Arena where the moribund group witnessed the unveiling of busts of Frank Rijkaard, Patrick Kluivert, Simon Tahamata and Daley Blind. Next, another meal and off to the dressing room to prep for the match.

Mr Ajax

The Ajax icon with the deepest memories must be right winger and Mr Ajax Sjaak Swart, currently 86 years old and still playing football every week (!!). Mind you, it’s walking football. Swart acted as Van Gaal’s assistent coach for the night, alongside Danny Blind. When asked about his first match versus Real Madrid, the passionate Ajax man bursted out: “We should have won that match at home. It was 1-1 and it was 1-1 in Madrid as well, so we had to play an additional 30 minutes. We had injuries in Madrid and Michels instructed me to play right back! I was up against Paco Gento. Remember him? Easily one of the best attackers in Europe, back then. But check my pocket in my pants!! You can still see Gento sitting there, right! I didn’t care. But Madrid scored and Michels immediately yelled at me: go forward! And I swung in one of my best crosses and Henk Groot headed the ball in. Piet Keizer played Cruyff in front of the goalie, Cruyff!! He should have scored but shot the ball right in the hands of the goalie And the next attack, Veloso hit a rocket in the top corner. End of story. Devastated!”

The Madrid confrontation in the 90s under Van Gaal did go a bit better. But Van Gaal had to improvise, as Frank de Boer wasn’t able to play. Van Gaal came up with a typical VanGalian move: Edgar Davids as centre back and 18 year old Kiki Musampa in midfield. The youngster had only played seven sub turn for Ajax 1. Van Gaal told him he’d play and also said: “By the way, you’re up against their best player: Luis Enrique. Good luck!”

Assistant coach Danny Blind was the captain of the Dream Team as the attacking minded libero. “It was a decent week for us. We won away versus Madrid, and it should have been 0-6, what with the disallowed goals. Then on a plane to Tokyo where we won the World Cup for club teams.” Blind scored the winning penalty of course.

Showtime

Fitness

The Ajax legend couldn’t play in this Legend game. “I done my calves. I had a whiplash there and when it healed, Sjaak Swart got me in the Lucky Ajax veteran team and within minutes, again! My calves went. Even playing golf is an issue these days.” Blind sounds like Marco van Basten. The Ajax/AC Milan hero didn’t show up. “My body hurts. I can’t play at all so there is no fun for me to go.”

Sjaak Swart still plays a slow pace game, twice a week. With Guus Hiddink, amongst others. But he decided not to play. “I’m difficult. If they don’t pass the ball to me within the first 5 minutes, I’m bored already and want to go home.”

The oldest active players were Dick Schoenaker (71) and Simon Tahamata (69). Clarence Seedorf, Wesley Sneijder and Rafa van der Vaart played for both clubs of course and would play for both teams. All players are cheered on by the JC Arena which was at full capacity.

But none were cheered as much and as passionately as Jari Litmanen, still one of the cult heroes. Jordi Cruyff got his ovation sitting in the stands, while the Nouri family ( of Abdelhak Nouri of course) were greeted with a long round of applause. For Real Madrid we saw cracks like Morientes, Karembeu, Steve MacManaman, Cannavaro and Iker Casillas.

Honouring the legends

It seems that the Dutch fans start to enjoy these party evenings. Blind: “We had something like this in 2000 and we had to blackmail people to come and watch. This match was easily sold out.” Sjaak Swart: “I can imagine more amazing match ups. What about a legend game versus Liverpool, Bayern Munich or Man United?” Danny Blind: “Us Dutchies have not been good in honouring our sports heroes, compared to England or the US or Italy. We are starting to warm up for this and it’s fun.”

 

6 comments

  1. Well, Jan, you didn’t lie. This article was much more fun than the last one. What a group of players. Thank you for that.

    Saw the Liverpool-Real match. Van Dijk was his usual top tier self, Gakpo got a goal, and Gravenberch continues to shine. Than there was PSV’s remarkable comeback. (But was it better than Feyenoord’s yesterday?) Hope AZ and Ajax can keep it up tomorrow.

  2. That Ajax-Real match was more fun than NT match. What a class of players coached by Van gaal..Van gaal is still top coach …i still dont understand why he went back to defend VS arjentina again in quarter final..its always better to beat arjetina by 5-2 than beating them in shoot outs..i feel embarrassed with clown looser in charge of NT..i lost lots of interest due to koeman,i can easily predict koeman result..so no excitements..

  3. We have an excellent goal keeper in verbruggen
    We have world class defenders
    We have world class midfeilders
    We have a decent upfront in Brobbey,Gakpo and Lang..We can sure win a WC..but this clown keoman will spoil every chance..i do understand we dont have a vinicius juniro,Lamin yamaal or Nico williams..but we can do it..

  4. ——–Brighton——–
    Aresenal–Inter/Manu–Liverpool-Ajax/City
    —————-Barca——-
    —–Liverpool——–Ac milan——
    ————–Juve/PSV————–
    ——–Ajax———–Liverpool—-
    what else you need..all top club starters…
    ————–Verbruggen————-
    Timber——De ligt—-Virgil—–Hato
    ————–Frenkie————-
    –Gravenberch———-Reinders———
    ————-koopmeiners———–
    —–Brobbey————-Gakpo———
    on Bench
    ————-Flekken/Olij————
    Dumfries—-Hecke—–Van de ven—Ake
    ————Schouten——————
    —Weiffer————-Quinten———-
    ————-Simons——————–
    —-Summerville———Lang————–
    with
    Weghorst
    Frimpong
    Maatsen
    for 26 man squad…

  5. new kid on the block. tijjiani noslin lazio has just scored a hattrick vs napoli. 3-1 coppa Italia . playing striker. being following him. can play anywhere upfront

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Oranje’s year fizzles out….

These matches “for the beard of the emperor” or “for the cat’s pussy” as the Dutch call it, are dreadful to watch.

Uninspiring venue. Bad pitch. Nothing to play for but honour (“what…? Honour? What is that exactly?”) and a team of misfits who have never played together in this team before. A band apart. Kluivert, Hato, Flekken, Brobbey, Zirkzee, De Ligt as LCB.

Skipper De Vrij had his first horror back pass in the first minute and would complain about the state of the pitch after the game.

First half was ok. Oranje in control. Koopmeiners in a central role, demanding every ball and having had more touches than any player (except for the two centre backs). At Juve, he’s a 10. In this Oranje, Koeman wants more security as opposed to the Hungary line up where Gravenberch and Reijnders played in front of De Jong. In this match, Wieffer and Koopmeiners were both in the engine room and Koopmeiners in particular demonstrated his will to convince Koeman.

I”m sure Kluivert and Zirkzee wanted to do the same, but they sadly failed to make an impact, although Zirkzee could have/should have scored his chance.

The only bright light, apart from Koopmeiners, was Noa Lang who had some flashes of creativity and that special cross for Brobbey’s first Oranje goal.

The second half was a tough watch. Bosnia Herzegowina fought opportunistically to give their fans something after the Germany thrashing and they ended up doing so. In the final minutes, Hato had a massive chance to secure the winner but his attempt cleared the bar.

Even with Gravenberch, Gakpo and Weghorst in the team, Orane wasn’t able to find inspiration to kill the game as the players will have tried to keep their legs intact for their upcoming club games.

Lets focus on a more fun topic. Next post will cover the Legend Match Ajax – Real Madrid.

 

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Decent win Oranje, still headaches for Koeman

While the Ajax legends would dazzle in the Johan Cruyff Arena on Sunday evening, it was the legends-to-be playing Hungary in the Arena on Saturday. More on the Ajax – Real Madrid game later.

Expectations were high: Frenkie was back and we would be able to qualify for the final round in the NAtions League, if we would win. But… Hungary would take our place, if they would win it!

Where is the box?

Koeman made some wholesale changes. The tactical solution with “the box” in midfield was abandoned. Koeman’s favorite tactics work well against strong opponents, but when the other team parks the bus with low blocks, making sure the centre of the pitch is full, it might not be the best solution.

No box in midfield. Playing a 2-5-3 system it seems…

Players like Xavi Simons, Calvin Stengs or Steven Berghuis as right wingers will always come inside and join midfield, making it harder to play through the opponent. With a proper 4-3-3 and keeping the width, Oranje expected to have more attacking joy and for this reason Koeman also picked his target man in Weghorst, who would be serviced with crosses into the box (or so was the plan from the outset.

Koeman also surprised with Van Hecke as the central defending partner for Virgil van Dijk, as the Brighton man impresses regularly with his vertical passing and dribbles into midfield. Koeman clearly expected a defending Hungary, waiting for a counter opportunity.

Constant man-more situatio, with Reijnders and Gakpo completely open.

Once can imagine Koeman’s (and our) horror in the first 15 seconds when an opportunistic Hungary got some lucky touches and was able to get a player through on goal, one v one versus Verbruggen. The Brighton goalie was able to block the attempt and the ref stopped the game for off-side, but it was an early warning!

Hungary CHANCES?

Was Hungary playing all attack? Did we prepare for the wrong game?

We were off to a shaky start, as the coordination between Timber as left back and Van Dijk was wanting at times, while Van Hecke had a nervous beginning with some sloppy touches. Koeman must have implored his lads to make sure we start well. “Not starting well” is an ongoing theme for Koeman and his teams. And again, we look off the pace and in need of some quick fixes.

Four Hungarians versus two defenders…. oops!

And this rest-defence topic would stick to the team for the whole game. Yes, we scored four and kept a clean sheet, but Hungary could have scored three goals on the break themselves if their final ball was a bit better. Still a lot to improve for Koeman.

Here we go, two versus one here

Having said that, that midfield does swing. Gravenberch and Frenkie together is very nice on the eyes. I also thought Malen and Dumfries worked really well on the right ( Dumfries with a goal and an assist, well done!). The switch from side to side worked well and Van Hecke got himself into the game well, with his passing and dribbles.

Second half, we played them like a Boa Constrictor would, sucking the oxygen out of them but still they found too many changes to break through of defence. At one time they got flagged for off side which in my view was level.

Work to be done!

Still work to be done for Koeman, but I think he will not use this midfield trio in the next round, when we play Portugal, Spain or France. I do assume it’s back to the midfield box then, with a Schouten to shield our backline. When Dumfries or Frimpong are in the team, they can definitely take that right flank and a more controlling midfielder can sniff out the danger in time to protect us.

There was a medical incident in the first half, which will have had an impact on the Hungarians: their assistant coach Adam Szalai got unwell and lost consciousness and panic broke out on the sidelines. Obviously, the ref stopped the match and it took the medics 15 minutes or so to deal with the situation. When the poor chap was back on planet Earth and on his way to the hospital, the match resumed with a penalty, as a Hungarian defender had just handled the ball.

So the double punch of the assistant coach potentially in life threatening situation and a goal conceded right after will have had impact on the Magyars. Weghorst scored and decided to celebrate his lion claw celebration which was frowned upon on social media, by people believing he should not have done that.

I personally think it’s a bit over the top. The Hungarians decided to play on and then it’s just another match again and of course you can celebrate your goal! Is my view. As if celebrating more modestly would help the guy more in his rehab?

It was great to see Frenkie again, considering he has hardly played after being out for so long, he did amazingly well and would be my Man of the Match ( the media picked Denzel). You can see he is still a bit rusty, but what a joy to have Gravenberch and Frenkie in that engine room.

I secretly wonder if the NT coach will consider player Frenkie as left centre back once Virgil retires, allowing for a midfield with Gravenberch, Schouten and Reijnders, while Frenkie can play out from the back like Baresi/Scirea/DannyBlind/Beckenbauer used to do… Put Van der Ven in as left back as he can cover for Frenkie with his speed.

But that is for later….

Bosnia Line-up?

The Tuesday match versus Bosnia will not be very relevant for the competition so I hope we’ll see some interesting changes.

I would play Frenkie again, for a half, so he can build up his rhythm a bit more, but otherwise I would go for:

7 comments

  1. Good to hear that De Jong and Van Dijk are out. Nice for them to have a week off.

    Maybe it is silly, but its a meaningless NL match. so why not give Gakpo a run at center forward? He and Lang are the two most dangerous forwards, see what it looks like for them to play together. Let Frimpong play on the right (as either fb or rw) and let the fun begin.

  2. Hmmm… I think we need get Brobbey ready. I don’t think Gakpo is a striker. Brobbey can harass 2 defenders with ease. He’s fast, strong and a good player for the combination. He just needs a bit of confidence. The lad hammered in 30+ goals per season when he started from the age of 6. Now he has a dry spell and needs some support.

    Geertruida is indeed not in the squad. Oops. De Vrij is sure to play, as is Koopmeiners and I think Brobbey will be a shoe in as well.

  3. Well, you’re probably right about Gakpo not being a cf…he’s played there at Liverpool, not with great success. It just seems ashame that there has to be a choice between Lang and Gakpo. I like Brobbey, so hopefully he’ll find his game. Disappointed that Koeman did not select Milambo. He has been good in the CL, and with Simons injured, this would have been an opportunity to see him at the 10.

  4. watched the game today. I feel like these guys play a lot better for their club than the NT. Koeman is the problem. I guarantee if we have a better coach, 2 years from now, the Dutch would have a competitive team. First of, Van Dijk is going to be 35 at the WC, De Vri is old. Why not start preparing for their replacement and this nation league would be the place to do so.
    After tonight I think unless we find a much better striker, Brobbey is our guy. Lang has the skills to be in the squad and even be a starter. That kid Zirkee is horrible . He doesn’t bring anything to the team. Koeman gave him many chances. Koeman played him today as a #10 but it didn’t work. If we continue with Koeman, don’t expect much in qualifiers and forget about the WC. I think if can find a better right back and better strikers and a better coach, we can play some decent football.

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