Match thread: Netherlands vs Ireland, Poland and Austria.

What about Nathan Ake. Apart from strootman who is still on the road to recovery.Akes versatility and experience is =< any other midfielder right now.. Defensive I mean. Klaassen was waste of time,Bazoer also looks like will be the same case.Propper looks like another klaassen .

Blind should have gambled with Ake in this friendlys.Though he hasn't played at DM but his experience and versatility is where he could have made the difference.

I'm jus wondering if doesn't get to play DM at club level,will Danny continue to ignore him.

 

Credibility as a coach- in the best interest of the team (all rounded LB) rather then just trying to fit his son jus because he Plays for Man United.

Alexender Buttner - without a doubt -package deal. The energy that he brings into the game cannot be matched by any LB at the moment. Its jus that he has been caught in a club crisis.

 

Good 2-0 win.
First clean sheet for us with Blind, just took 10 games!
Well done, again we were really good at times. Another small improvement to Poland but I still want more. Also I expected better from Austria, they seem pretty poor to me.. just highlighting how shitty it is that we are not at the euros.

Zoet was great until injured, 3 or 4 outstanding saves. Hopefully ok from that knock. Cillessen fine, but why not give Vermeer a chance? Maybe he didn't have gloves, Cillessen did not even have his shoes on.
PVA not noticed except for a couple sloppy giveaways first half and a great pass for Promes building up to Wijnaldums goal.
Not really tested, which is maybe good on him!
van Dijk very tidy again.
Bruma good defensively, seems apprehensive on the ball and so forward decisions not always the best.
Tete winner of a great competition v annoying Arnautovic.
Strootman Bazoer a bit sloppy to start, esp Strootman, and lucky a great Zoet save bailed them out. I think they got better though, and again not scored against. Bazoer I think was a little bit better each game, not 100% convincing yet for me but doesn't give the ball away much at least. Hopefully midfield lineup is Strootman - van Ginkel - Sneijder/ Pröpper anyway and Blind takes the opportunity to give his depth some minutes.
Wijnaldum more or less anonymous in a 10 until the great shot for his goal. van Ginkel came on for Strootman and finally Vilhena comes on for Bazoer, but not much time to judge to me more or less pointless subs although maybe an agreement with Roma.
Berghuis on RW did not really test Fuchs. He was not bad and I really don't understand the praise on him, but happy for another assist, if that one counts as an assist, which probably keeps him above Memphis. Good attitude, and he told Fox Sports that he will not give up on Watford despite his lack of game time last season so I wish him well.
Promes on LW should work on his finish, should have had at least one goal, but lively and always making the RB work. Should have had an assist for that van Ginkel chance as well. Still completed more dribbles and crosses than any player in the match.
Currently the best of our wingers, if Robben is out.
Janssen great, tough header to make although unmarked always working hard and making runs. Hopefully not injured bad. He is the first player with 3 goals in his first 5 Netherlands games since van Hooijdonk in 1997. And that's 25 goals in 24 games for him in 2016.
Also after the match he admits he wants a transfer: "I want to make a step up, that is clear. England? We will see."
And so begins a miserable euros without Oranje ... hopefully a summer of vacation during serves to motivate and strengthen their resolve to be ready for Sweden.
Really need to hit the ground running with only Greece friendly Sept 1 between us and that first WCQ v Sweden on Sept 6.
I do appreciate that we used a pretty consistent lineup style.
I imagine we will line up the same as we saw today and thankfully/hopefully with an attacking intent, even if it is counter attacking rather than possession football, and maybe with just a few minor personnel changes:
Robben>Berghuis
Willems>van Aanholt
Sneijder>Wijnaldum
depending on fitness of the older players

 

Huh??! How so??

Blind played at LB for a bunch of games at world cup 2014 no problem.
He played well against Spain too. He's not outstanding at LB, but he can certainly hold his own. For you to suggest we wont qualify for WC2018 because Blind is playing LB is a bit absurd, sorry

 

Just to repeat that header by Janssen wasnt as easy as it looked because he was really close to the keeper. Many other strikers wouldve headed it right at the keeper, but Vincent let the ball glide off his head, into the ground and in for a goal. Considering its only Janssen's 5th cap it was a cool finish

 

I couldn't watch last games cause I'm enjoying some holidays abroad but good thing to have won against two decent teams, even if only friendlies.

The only thing that makes me nervous is the Wijnaldum choice...Why all dutch coachs keep playing him as an attacking midfielder while even the Newcastle uses him as LM ? How could Berghuis start two games for Oranje while Wijnaldum could take that spot and make another midfielder to start ?

The midfield is a problem, Holland doesn't have a real good DM and no good 10 neither.

 

Lots of food for thought here. Obviously it's great that Oranje has gotten some positive results, that said I don't believe these 3 recent opponents are anything special especially Poland and Austria despite their respective qualification records and form.
Blind will stay on as Manager for now and I know that makes everyone so happy however he has decisions to make with the selection.
What a liked about the last 2 matches despite being far from perfect was that Oranje showed better with their effort and speed of play which had been recently missing.
If the team plays in a counter attacking way all the time I am not sure this will work as tactics need to vary, and although lacking the needed quality Oranje should try to boss the play against some opponents, the problems of recent times have been slow reactions in covering defensively and a lack of speed in play and movement and dynamic play at that.
I think we saw better improvement in those areas at times these past 2 games.
I know only friendlies but these were serious matches for all with start of Euros and certainly Poland and Austria have some worries to sort out.
I will be curious to see what Daddy does with his son? He is slow and unathletic, but he is good on the ball and that is an important quality.
In goal i say go with Zoet as Cillessen to me concedes too many goals and his mentality is weak. I too would have liked to see Vermeer but I guess no runout for him does not bode well for #1 shirt.
Blind should have benched Cillessen long ago. Don't see anything special with him. In the back Bruma wore armband vs Poland has to mean he is guranteed place, but I am not sure about him. Just shaky at times and has switched off as well in certain matches. Will he move to Inter?
Van Dijk great season in EPL but he too has not been clean in his play either. I lean towards Virgil over Bruma.
What about De Vrij? He had some rough moments too. Lack of pace in the back for any defender is a scary thing. When healthy I would think he won't be in the reckoning straight away, but who knows how highly rated he may be in the Coaching staffs eyes?
Veltman or Tete at rightback who knows how he goes with that you would think it's Tete as Veltman is not a natural rightback but this Coach thinks different. Perhaps Janmaat once he moves to a new team, but no more Van Der Wiel please.
Perhaps the young Fosu Mensah is one to watch. For a central role or on left maybe Lazio's Wesley Hoedt. Will BMI ever be considered again?
Leftback is Willems for me as he adds much neended dynamic ability, but it could be sonny boy.
Will PVA be called or Buttner, or Dijks or even Ake who I thought played well when I saw him play at Watford.
Once again who knows?
Midfield there are questions there too, but it's great to see Strootman back. Hopefully he gets back to his best form and fitness, but he is a leader, and the boss out there.
Bazoer is obviously young but highly rated by many of the big clubs so maybe he continues to grow into the player they see and that Oranje certainly need.
I like Wijnaldum but I understand the debate around him. Needs to be more of a presence, although I believe he can play in many roles, box to box, out wide, or even a false 9 as he is very athletic and makes good runs. These qualities have not been displayed enough due to a lack of speed in the Oranje play which has not helped bring out the best of him in my opinion along with his mental state of playing with the underachieving Newcastle.
I say 100% no to the slow unathletic, and overrated Klassen. Same goes for Propper. Van Ginkel as a sub over them yes. Will Sneijder be back? I would think so, but who knows about this one either. Classie is what he is slow, weak, and unfit most of the time. Good on ball with good handling speed we know, but he is what he is. Maybe Fer if he can find a stable club is an option.
Very happy with Janssen at the #9
I wonder what happens to him after the Euros when the transfer activity is at its peak? He MUST play so he better make the right choice as his decision is crucial to Oranje.
Quincy Promes is interesting to me I want to see his continued development at a bigger club, but for now he has an edge over the other wide players with the exception of our most feared player Arjen Robben.
Robben when healthy is our only true World Class player incredibly and sadly. His resume, leadership, and quality speaks for itself, but his time is likely closing. That said I hope he finds form, fitness, and the fountain of youth and maintains his high standard of excellence.
Luuk De Jong likely as a sub is not a favorite of mine. Just slow and lacks that dynamic feature that is needed.
Huntelaar? Will he accept a likely continued sub role if called?
Dost seems like a better fit and he is better then De Jong, but who knows? Obviously I hope for some new prospects to develop.
Will Memphis get it together? Where will he go, how will get react to his very dire situation at ManU.
Not a fan of Narsingh or Berghuis. I was completely shocked that the bench warmer at Watford even got called.
Okay let's hope for some new young talent on every position to develop to get us back on the right track.
At the very least the Coaching staff needs to grow and demand better of themselves and the players. Scout these games of Sweden and France to attack their weaknesses just as Van Gaal prepared for Spain. Oranje must clean up their lack of sloppy, mindless, slow, and unathletic play that we saw a lot of during the miserable qualification failure.
Build on the better moments of the past 2 matches. Play with focus and attention to detail, with movement, speed and energy from all XI at ALL times.
It will be a very painful next few weeks of the expanded Euros were incredibly no Oranje to see, but many shite minnows that I have absolutely no desire to watch.
Oh the pain
Please God bring Oranje back after this fall I pray.

 

Not bad, we beat 4 teams who qualified for the EURO's at their own home in the last months.
Still, never rely on friendlies. Main thing is they bring us important points on the FIFA rankings.

Have to say I think Advocaat as assistant is very positive since he brings a lot experience Blind lacks.

 

I'd like to point out that perhaps this Austria game was the first time in a long time that no player is older than 27. We have hit the bottom so in a sense, there is no way but to go up. I have to accept that this team will play counter attack with less possession because of the quality of players/coaching that we have. Like it or not, we are in rebuilding mode. Unless we have better young players (quality + coaching + development) this is the new reality for Dutch team.
It is also time for Zoet to be the starter. I still cannot shake off Cillessen' pk and other deficiencies that he has.

 

And what about Krul, once fit again?
How do you guys see him compared to Cillessen and Zoet?

Personally I'm fine with either Cillessen or Zoet. I like Cillessens footballing abilities, but I feel Zoet may make saves Cillessen does not.
Although what Orange14 says above about Cillessens stats record is true he was only marginally above Zoet.
One thing I like in a keeper is when they get pissed off or have a little freak out when a goal gets passed them, I love that fire.. Krul wins in this regard he has so much personality, and if he returns to his past form I think he is my #1.

 

Zoet is chosen as the goalie of the CL 2016 teams:
www.vi.nl/.../finalisten-domineren-sterrenteam-uefa-opta-kiest-zoet.htm