Well, he does not seem to fit in a 4-3-3 system with 1 DM and 2 half players like PSV plays often and Ajax pretty much always. It's funny they did saw that at Ajax, but then thought it was a good idea to pay 4 million for van der Hoorn. Clever with one decision to then mess up with another. We really have to wait and see. Maher does look like a softie. Does not go well at PSV and instead of doing something with the balls he did get in a game, he started to complain on Twitter he wants to play on 10. Top players earn the respect of the team and the coach to cater towards them. To make them the center of the team. Now he is not able to get into that position, he starts to complain rather make his point on the field with the balls he is getting. There is no reason to start messing up first touches, goal scoring opportunity's, loose duels, all because you don't play the 10 position. Vilhena is worrying me also. He does not track back or even just let's his man walk away. Hard work is the basis of success towards the top and I heard that Vilhena quits after training, rather then to practice on things he wants to develop more, like free kicks, penalty's or whatever.
I like this in a few years from now: I know that Bazoer wants to develop into a DM, but I want him on the right center back position. This might actually be something better than we have had in years. Shades of Stam/de Boer/Davids. Not the same types mind you, just talking about quality. At least I hope so.
Kishna is almost ready for the first team I think. What an amazing player. He also now being developed as a striker and he is really good at it as well.
That probably justifies 2 gifs: Concerning Kishna: Concerning the news that he is possibly developed into a striker: I think we all agree that when RVP retires and Luuk/Siem de Jong become our prime options that we are in deep trouble. Dost goes without saying. Castaignos is a hardworking striker without refinement. Plus he is really annoying. We need a technical player up front in development ASAP. To take over the torch from RVP is a big job and will take some time. First the outbreak year. Then the dip. Then the rediscovery year. Then the transfer to a top club (if everything goes well). The establishing as a first team member. Will all take easily 3 to 5 years. RVP has maybe 1 or 2 more top years ahead of him. It's tight as it is. It's an absolute disgrace that a country like the Netherlands has nothing dreamy/silky futher up the pipeline that quite soon can take over.
Not to mention that his history of injuries makes him a rather unreliable option at this point. The real question is if he will outgrow his injuries, or if they will continue, and further delay his development.
Not yet feeling it with him. Bit hyped at the moment, but I question his mental quality (staying grounded, being hungry all the time, fighting spirit) and also his football quality. What has he really showed thus far? I have not seen something spectacular other than him being quite young and getting playing time. That is really it. Scored some goals, yes, but not goals out of nothing. Just goals. If I start seeing magical stuff I will change my mind, but do not see that much reason to jump on the train yet. His father is from Curacao, his mother from Serbia, but what matters is where he received his football education and that is in the Netherlands. Here he got the chance to become a footballer and become as good at it as he currently is (or not, however people judge his current ability). Dutch facility's, Dutch coaches, Dutch competition set up, cues in Dutch society all have contributed to growing more myelin layers that enabled him to become the footballer he is today. Serbia has done nothing in this respect. Though the player wants to play for Netherlands as far as I know, it is irrelevant IMO. International football is about the relationship between a nation and the players they developed. It's not about being Serbian or Dutch, it's about being a Serbian developed football player or a Dutch developed football player. The more you deviate from that line of thinking, the more hollow the competition becomes. It loses it's meaning. Claiming players based on heritage is a loophole really. It's even cheating IMO.
What, you want the US to not play all of our German born and trained football players????? WTF? (just joking)
Does anybody else think Depay will develop into a decent no. 9? Skillful on ball, good upper body strength and resilient. Reminds of young RvP at times especially with his cockiness and temperament...
Only if he leaves Eindhoven and moves to Amsterdam to train under Bergkamp. The way PSV are playing none of the players will ever amount to much at all.
Depay is a 4-4-2 striker. Not a good enough header for a lone striker. He sucks at it. He is more a 9.5 player. Not a 10, not a 9. Something in between. Lens idem dito. The idea I have now is to have him nicely develop at the left side. Kishna as a striker. Narsingh must continue what he does. Boëtius can play either side. Has been right winger in the youth as well. According to thatkid, Ajax has Dekker on the way. I on the other hand do not believe in wingers without loads of speed. I even think Depay lacks enough of it. For the coming years he should be fine, but past 25 I have to look at it again. That being said, after Overmars we were blessed to get Robben, but something of that level I do not yet see. Defense might become stronger than in a long time though Midfield with Ayoub, Ake, Strootman, van Ginkel etc. might come good as well.
They are no Kluivert's , No No.10's and No Great Wingers though. RVP was a 9.5 Player till even 2-3 years ago. Depay is exactly similar to RVP, if you follow their paths. If you want another RVP as No.9, you have Depay
The RvP comparison is funny.. I say him play today (scored a hat-trick.) and I heard a couple of Ajax supporters saying: "We have our own Robin van Persie now" As for other options: Mathijs de Ligt. He is a AM now. But I see a future (technical) striker. Other than Dekker, we have Nouri, Slabbekoorn and a couple of others who can also end up as wingers. (I do have a preference for Dekker on the wing and I like the other two better on the midfield) There is also Nunnely.. One of the finest talents from Ajax and I expect him to next big Robben, Overmars type of winger. El Ghazi (the kid who already made it clear he'll choose for Holland over Morocco) is another one. He is plying a little unfortunate now, but had a great start in the A1. He is tall, fast and has great technique. now it's all about learning to make the right decisions at the right time when he has the ball.. I think he'll need 1 - 1.5 more years of development. There is also this kid from Feynoord.. Tahith Chong (LW). I have only seen him play a couple of times, but I really like what I am seeing. Looks like he is Feyenoord's answer to Ajax's Che Nunnely.
Donyell Malen scored 6 goals and Justin Kluivert 2 against the Groningen C1. 2 were assisted by Nunnely and 1 by de Ligt.
Google him. Does he look Serbian to you? Born in Holland and has a Dutch dad making him more eligible to be Dutch than Serbian imo. As if Richairo would want to join the Serbian NT and become their Balotelli..
Depay is not prolific enough and doesn't really stick out when PSV are playing bad. Wijnaldum is probably the player best equipped to play the striker role, I feel like he's their best player by a mile. Gigi will make it abroad and become a star, he's that good. I only rate Depay as their 3rd most talented winger, 1 being Narsingh and 2 Bakkali, but the former is injury prone and the latter too young still. Holland should play with Robben and Narsingh on the wings with Lens 1st back-up and then Depay.
Dekker and Nouri will stay in Holland for (atleast) the next three years. http://www.ajax.nl/Ajax-TV/194423/Dekker-en-Nouri-dromen-van-Ajax-1.htm
Netherlands U17 gets beaten by England U17 in a sequence of friendly's leading up to to the Elite Round (qualification for the Euro in malta). Final result was 2-0 for the Three Lions. English match report. Dutch match report. Dutch line up: Maybe it was Slab going to 8 second half and Nouri staying on 10. Could not tell, so I guessed. People can let me know if this was the case. What I read in the reports was: 1. England victory was deserved as they were ruthless with their chances. 2. Netherlands was on par on the field. 3. First half little happened. 4. After the English goal Netherlands upped their game. 5. The Dutch became more dangerous thanks also to Berenstein. My thoughts. Worry's: How can Paal, Nouri and Slab be on the field at the same time and basically not creating anything for an entire half? Overrated? Another worry I have is that these three are not really able to function well together. Maybe they are all 3 ball in the feet players. Players that need movement around them, rather than be the movers. We see how that bites with Sneijder and RVP. Both players rising exponentially with more movement around them. This coach for U17. I am not convinced of him. I believe he lost with big numbers from Italy and I think he plays with the point to the front rather than with the point to the back. Not sure he is attacking enough. The reports suggest a conservative approach from the start rather than going straight for the kill. Also where is Bobby Adekanye? Is he too young or does this current coach not even know we have kids at the Barca academy? For the Elite round we will have to get passed France and this coach has yet to show me we can beat a big nation. Did I read somewhere that Austria's U17 this generation is pretty nice? Sweden is the last of the three country's. My understanding we have to end up top to qualify for the Euro, which we missed out on last year IIRC. This could be a second time we fail to give a generation the experience of getting at an end tournament to win it. That feeling is important I reckon. Germany is next. Word is that the other 11 will be in the team to give them a chance to prove themselves. I hope this coach does not take too much time to mess around. There are few contact moments on NT level. Very soon he needs to qualify for the Euro. I would rather see him finding a formula to let the best players get used to each other. I remember a suggestion from thatkid of playing Slabbekoorn striker: I would invest in building chemistry between the top players. We have France to beat, a dangerous Austria and Sweden. Cheers
Not sure if winning is the most important thing at this level.. From what read, the English boys were physically more developed. I am also not sure about the coach for U17.. I'm not sure about the way the KNVB looks at youth football in general.
Short update post. Netherlands U17 lost to Germany U17 1-4. Today they could finally win a point drawing Portugal 2-2. Netherlands U17 finished dead last in the group. I have not seen the games (unable to get video), but I am worrying for qualification. This coach never seems to win and almost always loses to big countries. I have no idea how they expect the Dutch NT to get past France in the Elite round. Development also happens with playing interesting games at end tournaments. Look at Depay, Rekik, Ebecilio, Kongolo, Vilhena, Willems and others playing for big Dutch teams. Those players won the U17 Euro and they still talk about it as their greatest international experience so far. I think it is good not to hype '97 too much. Until now they get serious beatings. Some might be repped as silky, but do they have the steel?
I believe KNVB and Ajax both want to win international tournaments. For Ajax this is definitely the case as I have read that in an article where Jonk and Jongkind explained their philosophy. Cor Pot in Israel last summer was also pretty clear about this change of course with the KNVB. You also see that with U21 winning the Euro's for the first time IIRC 2006 and 2007. Also U17 has won the Euro back to back. That might be an indication that the focus is much more on winning this last years.