By request, here is a thread that folks can post their all time Oranje and Eredivisie top 11 teams. I expect that everyone will use a 4-3-3 formation since this is the iconic Dutch attacking setup. However, if you are not using this formation please make a notation. Also use separate postings for NT and Club 11s. Happy picking!!
Orange14's all time Oranje 11 GK - van der Sar Def - Krol, Koeman, Stam, van Bronkhorst MF - Gullit, Neeskens, Snjeider F - Rep, van Basten, Cruyff
Interesting team. I've never seen Rep playing. Was he really better than Robben or Overmars?? There were also other wingers who were highly regarded such as Resenbrink, Keizer, Moelijn, or Vanenburg.
It was a tough call between Rep and Robben but Rep wins out as he played on both Oranje runner up teams in the 1970s. He was also a reliable scorer at every club he played for. Probably the toughest calls for me were Gullit and van Basten. They were great in 1988 on the Euro winning team and then epic failures two years later when they could only manage three draws in the group stage. A single win would have meant not facing Germany in the first game of the knock out round.
Too many talents to be excluded so I will have 2 teams. First Team Van Der Sar Suubier R.Koeman Rijkaard Krol Cruyff Van Hanegem Gullit Van Basten Bergkamp Robben Second team Van Persie Van Nistelrooy Rep Sneijder Davids Neeskens Gio F. De Boer Stam Reizinger Van Breukelen On the bench: Van Tiggelen, Rijsbergen, Haan, Cocu, Van Der Vaart, Seedorf, Overmars, Rensenbrink, Kluivert
My main doubt was playing Resenbrink on the left wing and placing Cruyff in Bergkamp's position. But I think Bergkamp was better than Resenbrink.
My Ajax 11 Van Der Sar Suubier F. De Boer Krol Rijkaard Neeskens Davids Litmanen Van Basten Cruyff Bergkamp My PSV 11 Van Breukelen Gerets R. Koeman Stam Heintze Van Bommel Gullit Cocu Romario Van Nistelrooy Robben My Feyenoord 11 Ed De Goey Rijsbergen De Vrij Israel Gio Jansen Van Hanegem Bosvelt Kuyt Van Hooijdonk Van Persie
R. Koeman is the only player who played and coached Ajax, PSV and Feyenoord so you can add him to all 3 squads as player/coach, but I feel his PSV performance is better than his other 2.
For the NT its a 3-4-3 formation. Playing Total football style. Goal. van Beveren RB. Suurbier CB. Israël LB. Krol DM. Rijkaard LM. van Hanegem RM. Neeskens AM. Cruyff LW. Rensenbrink CF. van Basten RW. Gullit van Beveren was better then van der sar. Period. This is not open for discussion. Rensenbrink is in allthough not a pure winger but Cruyff liked to drift out to the left so he and Rensenbrink can change many times. Gullit not a pure winger but so multi talented that he can play there. Israël had just as good a pass as Koeman but was a much better defender also a good header of the bal. This Squad is filled with versatile intelligent players who can change position with eachother many times.
All time Ajax 3-4-3 formation GK van der Sar LB. Krol RB. Suurbier CB. Vasovic DM. Rijkaard LM. Lerby RM. Neeskens AM. Cruyff LW. Keizer CF. van Basten RW. Rep
Some people have no clue why a certain team is put above other teams. My post about the death of Pelé and the brilliant 1970 team is used to put down the 1974 Orange Squad as just one of a group of great teams. If one's really that dumb to believe the 1974 Orange Squad hasnot got the mythical status and is just one of a group, you really missed something important.