Tag: Muhren

World Cup 1982 and the Dutch debacle

The last World Cup we had to miss was the 2002 one in Japan/South Korea. Mr Van Gaal is probably extremely motivated this time around to atone for his sins. That World Cup, I hardly watched a game. I simply couldn’t be bothered. I did follow Hiddink with South Korea, but that was it.

How different was it with the 1982 World Cup. In my view, still one of the best World Cups (after the 1974 one, but definitely before the 1978 and 2010 ones…). What was not to like? Scotland. Brazil. Yugoslavia. France. Spain. Argentina. And Italy, of course.

But after two lost finals (and two dramatic Euro campaigns in 1976 and 1980) Holland was not present at the World Cup.

A lot of people claim that Holland lacked quality to qualify. As in, not enough talent.

I do not agree. I think Holland always had enough talent to qualify any tournament (also the 1984/1986 tournaments and surely the 2002 World Cup).

zwart hiele boskamp

Team manager Jan Zwartkruis with goalie Joop Hiele and Jan Boskamp

But at the time, our Oranje was not as popular (amongst players and clubs) as it is today. And the KNVB was definitely a more amateuristic federation. For the 1974 and 1978 World Cups, the KNVB had two world class coaches for the big tournaments (Michels and Happel) but the qualifications were done by “KNVB stall wards”. KNVB coaches, who worked according to the “rules”. Icons like Cruyff and Van Hanegem would get in trouble with these “rules” later on in their careers, when they pursued a coaching future.

Remember, all this was right after the period in which players were not properly insured when playing for Oranje. Or not even properly compensated. THe time in which Cruyff’s personal sponsor contract (with his own sports fashion brand) collided with the overall KNVB sponsor contract. The JC two stripes vs the Adidas three stripes, etc etc.

A time in which there was no real Dutch football culture yet. Sure, Total Football had dominated the 1974 tournament, but the football culture would become a topic as such (for the KNVB, clubs, media etc) when Michels led Oranje to victory in 1988. The barren period between 1978 and 1988 is testament to that.

The KNVB did not employ a good team manager for the Dutch team like they have done in recent decades. We did not have coaches with established careers like Hiddink, Van Marwijk or Van Gaal in charge. But “company men” like Fardronc and Zwartkruis.

Uriguay

The Mundialito team: Standing from left to right: Hugo Hovenkamp (AZ), Kees Kist (AZ), Martin Jol (FC Twente), Ernie Brands (PSV), Ronald Spelbos (AZ) and Pierre Vermeulen (Feyenoord), seated: Rene van de Kerkhof (PSV), Pim Doesburg (PSV), Ben Wijnstekers (Feyenoord), Jan Peters (AZ) and Willy van der Kuylen (PSV).

With all due respect to them (and the players did have enormous sympathy for these coaches), it was not what the players needed. In those days, football players were like outlaws. Like rebels. They didn’t care about nutrition. They hated training (as it was merely running in those days anyway), they smoked, they partied hard and tactically, they were unskilled and undisciplined. It was not a coincidence that tough coaches like Happel, Michels, Weisweiler, Menotti, Herrera, Schon were successful. Players needed a strict ruler in those days.

I believe there was still that belief in Holland that after Cruyff and Van Hanegem, it was all over again. We used to be a small football nation and after that “wonder-generation” it would be over. Once these guys (and Krol, Jansen, Rensenbrink) would retire, Holland would go back to being small. And every decision, every step, every though reflected this inferiority belief.

The 1980 dressing down in the Italian EC further “proved” that point. We were not going to ever be able to perform well at a World Cup.

Strangely enough, the Dutch teams didn’t do too shabby in those days. AZ’67 had a very strong period in those days, with pretty good football too. It was very much 4-4-2 (a style which collided with the 4-3-3 of Oranje and played by Ajax and Feyenoord) but players like John Metgod, Ron Spelbos, Hugo Hovenkamp, Jan Peters, Pier Tol and Kees Kist surely should have been able to lift Oranje’s level.

Frans Thijsen and Arnold Muhren made headlines in the UK with Ipswich Town and Ajax, PSV and Feyenoord did produce enough quality for Oranje to qualify for a big tournament.

But Oranje need a tactical and psychological heavyweight to foster and develop all this talent into a well oiled machine. And I believe (again: with due respect) that the circumstances offered up by the KNVB were ideal.

zwartkruis Happel

Jan Zwartkruis as assistant to Ernst Happel (second from right): not much love lost between these two….

Jan Zwartkruis was the team manager. I don’t want to say anything bad about him as I believe he was a very good assistant coach. He oozed football. He was a pro player in the 1950s (and played with Marco van Basten’s father, Joop) and had all sorts of jobs in amateur football. He started as keeper coach and moved his way up via all sorts of amateur clubs. In 1962, he started to work for the KNVB, as assistant to Elek Schwartz. One of his own teams was the Military Team, which at the time was one of the breeding grounds for talent. Players like Jan Mulder, Rob Rensenbrink and the Van de Kerkhof twins. Fourteen years later, after the abysmal European tournament in 1976, he was asked to be care taker manager for Oranje for two games. That deal was extended with another two games, but as Zwartkruis refused to give up his job with the Ministry of Defence, the KNVB appointed a team manager above him: Ernst Happel. Zwartkruis would go back in assistant role. To give some colour regarding his work and his relationship with the players, there is a funny anecdote about Zwartkruis practicing with the goalies. He is warming up Jongbloed, while the media is watching. Zwartkruis hit 4 balls in a row over the goal. Prompting Jan Jongbloed to yell: “How about one shot on target maybe, Jan?”.

platinin nees

Michel Platini and Johan Neeskens

After the 1978 World Cup, Zwartkruis got end responsibility over Oranje. In his biography, years after the event, he told about his battles and clashes with Happel, whom he called a brute. The passionate and animated Zwartkruis had a bad relationship with the Austrian tactician and found him closed off, cynical, headstrong and anti-social.

Zwartkruis was in charge of Oranje at the Mundialito in 1980/81 in Uruguay. A FIFA Celebration tournament, celebrating the 50est birthday of the World Cup. The 6 winners were invited to compete (Uruguay, England, West Germany, Italy, Argentina, Brazil) but when England declined, two time runners up Holland was invited.

Zwartkruis needed to further renovate the Oranje team. The 1980 squad was already quite different to the 1978World Cup one and in at the start of 1981, it was AZ delivering the skeleton for the Oranje squad.

Here we see Holland draw against Italy, with a good early goal from Madrid coach Ancelotti and the equaliser of AZ playmaker Jan Peters.

Argentina was making a shift from the 1978 Mario Kempes lead team to a squad with a young Diego Maradona (he scored that tournament) and Ramon Diaz.

Italy would win the World Cup 1982 and the Mundialito squad already had names like Marco Tardelli, Cabrini, Scirea, Ancelotti, Bruno Conti and Giancarlo Antognioni.

The Netherlands squad had the best players of that generation, but as stated before, it was the AZ faction that was in form and had the confidence but their style of play didn’t really fit the style of play of the Ajax/Feyenoord contingent.

Holland did seem to have more and maybe better talent (like Tscheu La Ling and Rene van der Gijp) but somehow Jan Zwartkruis didn’t like players with too much of an own mind. Ruud Geels was Holland’s top scorer but didn’t get a starting berth while Wim Kieft was already broken through at Ajax but was deemed too young, just like defender/midfielder Frank Rijkaard. Wim Jansen and Johan Cruyff made Ajax champions in the season after but Zwartkruis ignored them for being too old. Rumour has it that Zwartkruis indeed toyed with the idea of selecting JC, but the iconic number 14 was quite clear in his statements: no more Oranje.

The rest of the world felt that Holland had it. With players like Neeskens, Van Hanegem and in particular Cruyff no longer part of the squad, the Belgium and France coaches were buoyant. “This Holland has lost its best players. We are confident we can get a result against them now.” The only Golden Generation players left were Ruud Krol, Johnny Rep and the Van de Kerkhof twins.

Holland didn’t do too well in Uruguay and the World Cup qualifications was not a smooth ride either. Zwartkruis did seem to select the best player of that era (Wijnstekers, Spelbos, Hovenkamp….tough defenders… Michel Valke, Jan Peters, Jan van Deinsen…good midfielders… Pier Tol, Pierre Vermeulen, Rene van de Kerkhof, Simon Tahamata, …powerful forwards… But Zwartkruis couldn’t get them to play well together, as a unit. The automatisms, the flowing play… it seemed lost.

rijvers 1982

Kees Rijvers in charge, with a young Frank Rijkaard at the back

The coach was replaced during the qualification period and seasoned success coach Kees Rijvers (ex-international and ex-coach of FC Twente and PSV) was brought in to reach the World Cup.

So we were in a group with Cyprus, Ireland, France and Belgium. Belgium in those days was a fierce opponents, as was France (not unlike today) and Ireland was an outsider, who could make it hard for you. Cyprus was the opponent against which the goal difference was taken into account. Winning wasn’t enough: goals were needed!

Zwartkruis used a younger generation of pretty gifted players, from Ajax and Feyenoord but also using a number of players from new powerhouse AZ-67. A number of cool headed strikers like Nanninga, Schapendonk and Van Kooten were added to the mix as well.

In the first qualifier, away against the Republic of Ireland, Ajax winger Simon Tahamata scores the opener after a powerful run by right winger Toine van Mierlo (Willem2). But led by Liam Brady, the Oirish came back into the game, setting up two goals: 1-2.

Our second qualifier was away against Belgium, and we lost that as well. Lost the ball in defence in the build up, Vander Eycken picks the ball up and drives into the box, he gets tackled unfairly and the ref gives the penalty.

Two games lost and the players don’t feel it with him anymore. Rijvers comes back in and the coach falls back on some old hands, Neeskens, Rep and Arnold Muhren, to give the team some more experience and grit.

The first home game was played in Groningen, versus Cyprus. AZ left full back Hugo Hovenkamp scored the first, with MVV striker Cees Schapendonk scored the second with Roda JC striker Dick Nanninga (of WC1978 finals fame) scoring the third: 3-0.

Next game was France at home. The France of Giresse, Didier Six, Rocheteau, Bossis vs the Oranje of Arnold Muhren, John Rep, Hugo Hovenkamp, Piet Schrijvers and Ruud Krol. A sensational free kick of Muhren finished this game to 0-1.

Ireland came visiting, a must win game for Holland. Frans Thijssen scored the 1-0 but Ireland drew 1-1 before half time. In the second half, a penalty for Holland, converted by Arnold Muhren. He never misses. 2-1 up but Ireland came back into the game, via a Frank Stapleton (ex Ajax) goal.

Holland needed to win the away game against France. Van Breukelen made his way into the team and when Michel Platini was awarded a free kick outside of the box, Ruud Krol at the last second decided to move to the post which De Breuk left open for Platini to go for. Allowing the goalie to focus on his left only. Platini hit it sweetly and despite Krol on the goal line, the French #10 scored. Van Breukelen would later say that Krol’s last second dash into the goal distracted him. See for yourself. The slow mo replay shows how Hans got his footwork wrong, but making a split step while the ball was already traveling half way. He was too slow to get to the corner as a result. Didier Six scored the 2-0 and Holland would not be going to the Spain WC in 1982. Belgium finished first and France and Ireland tied at 10 points at second spot, with France having a slightly better goal difference.


This dreadful World Cup campaign shocked the world, as one of the favorites would not be at the tournament and players like Neeskens, Rep and Ruud Krol basically ended their World Cup careers…

 

Ajax loses in Spain: Muhren turns around in his grave….

It was quite a week for Ajax. First there was that big away game against little-but-by-now-big brother Barcelona. Then there was the passing of Gerrie Muhren, erstwhile midfield maestro and to top it all of, there was/is all that criticism on Ajax’ playing style by none other than a number of Ajax icons…

Let’s start with Gerrie. The Muhrens are a famous family from Volendam. If you want to experience Holland in all it’s glory, you don’t want to go to Amsterdam or Delft or the Keukenhof. You go to Volendam. What you’ll get there is wonderful fish (eal), great music (paling-rock) and tremendous football talent.

Wim Jonk and the Muhren Bros are probably the most famous ones. The Muhren bros (Gerrie and Arnold) played football for Ajax. Their Muhren cousins played paling rock for the Cats. With Golden Earring, the most successful Dutch rock/pop band. See below….

Gerrie was quite a big talent when he was young and Ajax wanted him so much that they also signed his young brother Arnold to please the family. Arnold didn’t make it big as a youngster in Amsterdam and left to play for Twente. Via Ipswich and Manchester United, Arnold did make it big for Ajax later, when he was in his 30s. He was the man with the assist on Van Basten in the 1988 Euro finals of course.

But Gerrie was the real deal. A natural lefty, but two-footed. And extremely skilled with the ball.

Gerrie Muhren doing his trickery with the ball in the Bernabeu against Real Madrid is probably one of the most iconic images of Dutch football (along with Coen Moulijn being tackled by a Real Madrid player and all of Feyenoord’s players chasing this one particular Spanish defender, hahahaha).

gerrie ajax

Muhren was special. He didn’t look the part. He was small (think Modric, Xavi, Iniesta), thin and uncool. Johan Cruyff, Ruud Krol, John Rep….they all looked as if they were part of The Beatles or acted in a Fellini movie. Muhren looked like he worked for the Volendam fish markets. And he most likely did.

But boy could he play. Once he wore his football shoes and his kit, he wouldn’t walk or run on the pitch, he’d glide. He wouldn’t kick the ball, he caressed it. He famously broke all keepitup records and hit the ball in the top corner of the goal at will from any angle. A true talent.

He didn’t make it to be 68 years of age. The older Muhren brother died last week. He suffered from MDS, a bone marrow disease. Gerrie played for Ajax from 1968 to 1976. He played almost 300 official games and scored 72 goals. He won the European Cup thrice and won the World Cup with Ajax. He played for Betis Sevilla in Spain, his own Volendam, MVV in Maastricht and for Seiko in Japan. About his trickery against Real Madrid, with which he silenced 100,000 socios, he said: “This was our signal to Real Madrid: we are better than you.” Ajax won that game 1-0.

His ball skills and technique were hailed by many. His biggest rival for Oranje, Willem van Hanegem, was a fan. “Gerrie can kick the laces out of your boots with a ball.” Muhren only played 10 international games for Oranje. When he moved to Sevilla, he won the “Best Player of the Spanish competition” award. Muhren cherised that award more than anything. “In those days, there were many great players in Spain, just like today. In my day, it was Cruyff and Nees at Barca and Kempes was a big star there too.”

By the way, Muhren scored the goal against Madrid too. People tend to forget this.

Murhen organised football clinics after his active career and was scout for Ajax.

It was highly ironic that in the week of the death of the Madrid slayer, Ajax was slaughtered by Barcelona in the first CL game.

Although, in all fairness, Ajax didn’t do that badly initially.

From what I’ve seen, Barca was the more dominant team, but if Van Rhijn and Duarte would have been a bit more clinical, Ajax could have taken charge of the game. With 1-2 for Ajax, I doubt it if Barca would have overrun the Sons of Gods like they ended up doing….

It’s not strange that Barca beats Ajax. I don’t think the  Ajax players need to blame themselves. Ajax without Eriksen is simply a fairly average team. Frank de Boer gets a top performance out of them due to his man management and tactics, but with Eriksen (and Alderweireld) gone, the real class has left. I believe Schone, Fischer, Sigthursson and Blind have what it takes, I believe Duarte can grow a lot and Denswil is a true talent but players like Sana, Poulsen and Krkic would never have made it in Ajax 1 under Michels/Cruyff/Van Gaal….

This year, reaching 3rd place in the CL is doable and should be the objective. A freak 2nd spot is always a possibility but a big future in the CL will only be feasible (for Ajax, PSV and/or Feyenoord) if the clubs can hold on to their top players for a longer period… Which probably is wishful thinking…

MUHREN_GERRIE_oranje

This weekend, it’s Ajax – PSV. The two coaches of these teams (Frank de Boer and Cocu) are good mates off the pitch and as per normal, they agree on many things. Cocu: “Ajax is the favorite. They are one step in front of us, as we had to create a new team this season. Frank has been going with his squad for a bit and he won the title three times in a row.”

Although Ajax lost 4-0 in Spain, PSV’s loss against Ludogorets in the EL at home was a bigger shock. Cocu: “We have a young team, and we have had some changes too… These things happen. We need to work hard to prevent this from happening.” Cocu might not be able to use Willems against Ajax, while Rekik and Wijnaldum are definitely out.

De Boer will most likely use Krkic as central striker and have Icelandic goal scorer Sigthursson on the right wing. Fischer will most likely start on the left.

Soon, a post on Ajax playing style and the criticism.

cocu de boer

The Magic of Santiago Bernabeu

Tonight, Ajax will play in one of the most impressive venues in the world, the Santiago Bernabeu. What is the magic of this particular home of Real Madrid.

“The stands, the pitch, the name even….”.

Leo Beenhakker is walking through the stadium and feels at home, clearly. Hands in pocket, talking in fluent Spanish with people he knows for a long time. He shares photo opps with unknowns and lights a little cigar.

Don Leo switches between Spanish, Dutch, English… And says “a beautiful house is not always a home… But Bernabeu is all of that. Look at those stands. Even empty it’s a beauty to behold. Once 100,000 people start breathing in your neck, you’ll go berserk,” says the former Ajax and Feyenoord coach who led Real as coach twice, from 1986-89 and from 1991-92.

Don Leo is back in Madrid, invited by Ajax. “The magic of Bernabeu is obviously the massive history. This stadium was the home of so many great players, big games, finales, ECs, WCs… And you smell it, you feel it, you can taste it. And once that stadium explodes the players get a kick and opponents feel intimidated. It’s like Broadway for actors or Madison Square Garden for musicians. It’s the top.”


Beenhakker returns home

Leo isn’t alone. With him, a number of great ex-wingers from Ajax are present. Mr Ajax Sjaak Swart, Bryan Roy, Johnny Rep… The latter: “Wow, this is something eh? I’m happy we are seated on the lower stands. If you need to climb to the third tier now, we’d be broken before the game even starts,” the former Golden Boy winks. “Did you know I scored a hat trick here, once? It was a friendly…”.

The Bernabeu was built in 1947 and club legend Alfredo Di Stefano has his own seat in the stands. Rep played here often, with Ajax and later with Valencia. “The seats are so close onto the pitch, it feels as if the people come up to you.”


Bryan Roy, John Rep, Sjaak Swart

Young Ricardo van Rhijn is visibly enjoying himself. Last year, when Ajax battled Real Madrid, the right full back played with the C-team but today he is a firm starter in Ajax and close to being one in Oranje. And he can “add” the Bernabeu to his list of big venues, with the stadiums of Man United, Man City and Borussia Dortmund. “The Bernabeu was on my list, for sure. I think you can proudly say you played there…”

Gerrie Muhren became famous thanks the Ajax away game against Madrid in 1972. He kept the ball high on his foot for a bit. “The Real players didn’t dare to attack me. The people gave me an ovation for it,” the Ajax midfielder says. His picture is still to be seen in the Real Madrid Museum in the stadium. “It’s like a temple and is part of that infamous list of sensational venues… Wembley, Azteken, Maracana… The name itself… Santiago Bernabeu… Sounds so good. I hope they never break this down.”