Review: 2018 WC Qualifying - Towards winning our first WC title: А дело бывало -- и коза волка съедала.

Agree with all exepct France at home

Fully agree with your predictions execpt France at home. I believe we'll draw this match, end up with 23 points in total.

 

Yup very true. I haven't actually been following the U-20 WC but I suppose if they won it they have young talent.

 

Way too early to really make predictions. Also keep in mind players do get injured and do get suspended. That could change the whole game. If Robben is injured for some important games, that could be a huge problem. If say Valbuena and Pogba were injured for France it could also change the result as well.

 

I doubt Robben (and Sneijder) will remain in the team after the Euros.

 

Sneijder won't but Robben might though. Pirlo is still in the Italy NT at 36 years old. He moved to NYC but still plans on going to Euro 2016.

 

Italian players are geneticly close to being immortal.

 

I think Sneijder is more likely to be in the NT beyond the EC than Robben. That said, lets see if and how Robben transforms his game when/if he loses his speed. I mean he's not just a kick and chase fast winger. His ability to make the ball stick to his foot is among the best in the world too

 

Robben I am 100% sure may even play beyond WC 2018. He can be this generation's Totti. Firstly he has always adapted his game. Started as Conventional LW to Inverted RW to 2nd ST for Bayern in 13-14 season(for some time) and for a while for Dutch NT and he has excelled in both positions. His game has also grown. He actually heads the ball pretty decent for Bayern nowadays and has learned to use his wooden left leg(though not great) at the age of 30. That takes tremendous self-belief, confidence but most of all, a whole lot of hunger and the willingness to learn. Robben is mentally one of the toughest players. He comes back quicker than anticipated from an injury and goes back to MOM performances from the 1st game itself time and again. And he is a big game player and can tide over disappointments, he has been the best player of his team in Eredivisie, EPL, La Liga or Bundesliga. He was speaking very fluent German, Spanish or English within 1 year of his stay. These are all tremendous qualities and shows how incredibly adaptable he truly is.

Apart from the historical and mental perspective, look at this game. Honestly he is an amazing passer today. His vision has grown by leaps and bounds, he is less trigger happy(though still selfish enough to make the difference and win games). Remember that 6-1 odd game against Kazakhastan or something like that? I remember him taking on 3 players, beating them & passing the ball to a crowded RVP, making a run and getting the ball. Time and again he was making 15-20 yard passes from the byline surrounded by 2-3 players at a fast speed.

He is still very quick at 31 and will likely remain quick enough for 2-3 more years. If he does loose speed he can easily transition into a 9 or 10. I have been saying for years that Robben has evolved from the wing position. He now also enjoys playing centrally, it allows him a 360 degree of rotation, he is 1 footed and being in the centre allows him more space, more link-ups, through balls, runs, distance shots. You need your best players involved, not double marked in the byline. He can our Totti, play the 9. I would love to see Robben play ST with his dribbling skills, pace and finishing ability. Robben also has good finishing ability and fantastic distance shots allowing him to play ST. Also under Jupp, he was defending like an insane person. So if he plays the 10, if required he can drop back, defend and build up after 2-3 years.

It will be a matter of shame if the coach can't utilize him as 9/9.5(2nd ST)/10, in all these roles he can be devastating even if he miraculously loses his speed

 

The football is evolving. Holland has been doing great lately because it was their best generation, and because some groups were pretty easy to be honest. France sucked because the generation sucked, it's very concrete, France didn't have any Robben, Sneijder or even RVP in its 80-85 generation.

Go back in the time, Holland was awful during the qualifying 2002 and France was top in 2004 :

France 5-0 Slovenia
France 3-0 Israel
France 5-0 Cyprus
France 6-0 Malta
Slovenia 0-2 France
Israel 1-2 France
Cyprus 1-2 France
Malta 0-4 France

Quite similar to Holland in 2010.

I really really doubt that Holland would finish above France in a group with 10 games. The french team doesn't miss anything now to be honest, you have big players on every line

 

I think Robben has every intention to play the WC. And as long as he doesn't suffer a career ending injury, and provided we qualify for the tournament, I'm sure he will.

 

6 september 2016: Zweden – Nederland
7 oktober 2016: Nederland – Wit-Rusland
10 oktober 2016: Nederland – Frankrijk
13 november 2016: Luxemburg – Nederland
25 maart 2017: Bulgarije – Nederland
9 juni 2017: Nederland – Luxemburg
31 augustus 2017: Frankrijk – Nederland
3 september 2017: Nederland – Bulgarije
7 oktober 2017: Wit-Rusland – Nederland
10 oktober 2017: Nederland – Zweden

 

By the world cup I think that France might have the most complete team in the world. The only question will be at RB really. Otherwise world class, or close to it, players at every position. Better than the current German team IMO.

I think we will come 2nd in this group. Our team can give France a good fight though if our younger players step up and grow into their talent (guys like Veltman, Willems, Ziyech, Memphis specifically...I'm not worried about Klaassen). Also our injury prone players need to get healthy and stay healthy...guys like Strootman, Marco van Ginkel, Clasie and Robben.

Ultimately I think I'd like to see this come 2018 for the WC:

Cillessen
Janmaat - Veltman - De Vrij - Willems
van Ginkel - Klaassen - Strootman
Ziyech
Robben - Memphis
​

Guys like Tete, Riedewald, van Dijk, Clasie, Wijnaldum, Propper, Promes, De Jong and co. on the bench or available. Maybe a surprise player like Ayoub, Bergwijn, Ould-Chikh or Nouri can step up by then also. My bet would be on Bergwijn who already looks good in the first team at 17.

 

I have a question for you all, which team do you think would win Team A or Team B?

Team A:
---------------------Huntelaar---------------------------
---------Robben-----Sneijder------Depay---------------
------------De Jong--------------Wijnaldum------------
---Blind--------De Vrij---------Vlaar--------Janmaat---
-------------------------Cillessen--------------------------

Team B:
--------Griezmann----Benzema----Valbuena-----------
---------Matuidi--------Cabaye-------Pogba------------
---Evra--------Mathieu---------Varane-----Debuchy---
---------------------------Lloris---------------------------

 

Team B should win but neither are optimal line-ups.

 

I'd go with -

Lacazette Benzema
Griezmann
Pogba Cabaye Schneiderlin
Digne Koscielny Varane Debuchy
Lloris

Subs - Mandanda, Sagna, Sakho, Matuidi, Sissoko, Valbuena, Giroud

This is a very strong team

 

For me the two optimal teams would be these:

Cillessen
Janmaat - Veltman - De Vrij - Willems
van Ginkel - Klaassen - Strootman
Sneijder
Robben - Memphis

vs.

Lloris
Jallet - Varane - Sakho - Digne
Cabaye
Pogba - Matuidi
Benzema
Lacazette - Griezmann​

 

No Valbuena has skill and is very talented, and is probably France's best player, they want him at the start.

 

There is no place anymore for Cabaye, was mediocre with PSG and France lately, his poor english transfer proves his end. Matuidi is a way better. France had many good players playing in sub english teams (N'Zogbia comes to my mind) but they don't call them unlike Holland.

Digne is no PSG and NT material neither. Kurzawa is better.

Fekir is a serious contender to Lacazette in attack now, and Martial can explode next year. For the midfield Kondogbia is in a really good form, Imbula signed to Porto for 20mo, Veretout from Nantes is expected to join Tottenham for 15mo, can be a NT material.

 

I like this lineup on paper as it relieves Sneijder of any defensive duties, and allows him to play in a more free role, but I think Blind is too conservative to ever try this. He'll probably stick with a traditional 4-3-3.

 

No love for the likes of Amavi, Laporte, Zouma, Umtiti, Corchia, Tolisso, Rabiot, Ntep, ...?

 

I second this. I'd love to see a 4-3-1-2 with Sneijder in no. 10 and given the chance to release not only one, but two, pacey finishers in Robben and Memphis. But yeah, the likelihood is that Danny Blind will stick with the traditional 4-3-3, not wanting to cause any kind of controversies.

On the defensive duo, how much confidence do people have on Kongolo? He was under-performing last year (given the high expectation after making the WC squad). I hope he's storming back this season. This kid got so much talent. Being a lefty, I like him in the LCB, with De Vrij or Van Beek on the right hand side.

 

They are all potential backs-up but I don't see any of them in the starting XI