NETHERLANDS thread

second rate, as you say. but probably one of the most important positions. you can score as many as you like (or not!), but if the cb's are shite you are lost. that's what happened to the dutch. they need some good new defensive players.
 
Bert van Marwijk seems to struggle when plan A fails. In the WC, plan A for the most part worked, the team scored goals which put the opponent in a difficult situation. This time around, the team didn't score goals despite the impressive offensive force, and there was a complete lack of plan B. In the last match, I am confident that I would have come up with a better plan than what van Marwijk did. Playing 3 defenders against 3 strikers is just plain suicidal, and they payed the price. Portugal should have won the game 5-1 if they had a competent striker.

Jetro Willems impressed me, despite some errors. He is young, and will most likely become a world class back. Sneijder impressed me with his determination, even though most of his attempts failed. He kept on fighting, and if more had followed his example, the Dutch would not be sent home with zero points. Rafael van der Vaart deserved a spot in the team, and he proved it against Portugal. Gregory van der Wiel was a shadow of himself, but in all honesty, he did not get any help defensively. But I admire the guy for keep trying.

The biggest disappointments in this team was the central defense along with Robben and van Persie. RvP can somewhat be excused, because he can't be expected to work wonders on his own, but he also missed a few definite sitters in this competition. Robben is fast, technical and has a decent shot, but he is probably one of the easiest players to read. He should learn to pass more frequently, and his game would improve immensely. All in all, all Robben ever does is to bring the tempo down, which is not in favor of the Dutch style when attacking. They want the ball to move fast and furious between world class players.

4-2-3-1 Should suit this side wonderfully, given that Robben passes the ball.

I've never really had a thing for the Netherlands, but I actually do now. This team should be one of the easiest to "fix" and I am sure they will come back with fury. Pretty ironic that a completely failed tournament got them a new fan... oh well the irony :)
 
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Not using Strootman at all was a puzzling decision, he's probably the most rounded central midfielder the Dutch have.
 
Willems impressed me too. He made mistakes, but he is very young. I also think he will become a world class back.
 
I don't think he will.

He's very young though and although his performances weren't the best, people shouldn't be too harsh on him. Poor kid is 18 and was never expecting to be starting for the Dutch in Euro's at such tender age! He will get a lot better.

Don't see why he wouldn't fade away as he gets older though. He'll be decent but the same way Eljero Elia and many other fast athletic players get hyped as kids, so does he, and I think he like many will turn out decent but nothing special.

Time will tell...
 
Any reason why Emanuelson was snubbed? I know it is pointless now but I think he could have added something instead of Willems who is way too young.

And Huntelaar?! I was excited to see the former Milan player after hearing about the huge season he had. Then I saw the same average performances I saw from him at Milan and Real.
 
joeryan said:
Were we watching the same player? I seen no evidence at all of s potential world class player.
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If you know football, you can spot talent even when it isn't shining. I would say the odds are in Jetro's favor, but I won't guarantee a smashing career. He got pace, he got guts, he's hard working on the pitch and the world is in a left defenders drought at the moment. I got my eyes on him.
 
Or chances are he'll turn out like Urby Emmanuelson and many others. A good player but not a world beater.

Anyway, I liked what I saw from him in last game more than first 2 but again the kid is very young, had played only in a friendly before the competition and could've been nervous. He'll only get better. The question is how good.

And let's not forget, Ibrahim Afellay and Ismail Aissati of PSV were also supposed to become world beaters as many other 'Dutch' young talents. Very few did. Aissati completely flopped while Afellay is now in Barca but again, not a world class player many expected him to become.

@Zeem, I agree. Urby had interntaional experience and could've done better. Jetro should've been his back up just like he was backup to Pieters.
 
Is this the start of the conveyor belt of Holland players? I mean left-backs, having witnessed Braafheid and now this boy Willems, jings.


FD
 
gabe.paul.logan said:
hmm yeah Affelay the only noteworthy youngster in this squad and he is benched all the time in barca
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Going to Barca may prove to be a poor decision. His career progression will inevitably suffer given the talent ahead of him in the Barca side. I'm not saying he should have stayed at PSV, but maybe a move to the Bundesliga or Serie A would have been more beneficial.
 
PLF said:
Or chances are he'll turn out like Urby Emmanuelson and many others. A good player but not a world beater.

Anyway, I liked what I saw from him in last game more than first 2 but again the kid is very young, had played only in a friendly before the competition and could've been nervous. He'll only get better. The question is how good.

And let's not forget, Ibrahim Afellay and Ismail Aissati of PSV were also supposed to become world beaters as many other 'Dutch' young talents. Very few did. Aissati completely flopped while Afellay is now in Barca but again, not a world class player many expected him to become.

@Zeem, I agree. Urby had interntaional experience and could've done better. Jetro should've been his back up just like he was backup to Pieters.
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Yes I have noticed this too. Any young player from Holland with that extra pace and 'class' becomes hyped in what we must remember is not the strongest of leagues.

It's the same thing that happens to any young Argentinian player who has a decent season in the Apertura/Clausura even Primera B.

And most turn out to be nothing out of the ordinary.

Time will tell. Didn't strike me as anything out of the ordinary say compared to a young Paolo Maldini who looked mature beyond his years and similarly Javier Zanetti.

I think Holland are not that great a side either. Their run in the World Cup had a great deal of fortune in it. Most of all in how Brazil managed aided by Felipe Melo's headache and meltdown , to implode.
 
Willems world-class?

Jings that's nearly as funny as the moment I saw Edson Braafheid coming on in the World Cup Final.


FD
 
two great assists from blind in first two goals. I'm loving this wing-back formation of oranje. no words for robben and rvp. :WORSHIP:
 
he sensational, plus robbens pace they annihilated spain, cant believe this result..
 
Excellent stuff from Holland! Keep it up boys. I was tipping Van Persie for top scorer in this tournament, but I have to consider Robben too :D
 
Beating Spain 5-1 deserves its own trophy.

... here, have this!
pokal.gif
 
thanks for correction, damjan. (it's the shoes, innit?)

now, artem owes me an apology. :COAT: (jk)
 
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That too, but I knew about that particular clearance because my little brother always says he thinks Veltman is crap, and that proved him somewhat wrong. :P
 
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