Actually things got slightly better when Vennegoor came on. It's precisely games like this that you need a player like him rather than a bunch of overrated primadonnas.
I'm sorry but it cracks me up when Davids promotors slag off Cocu for being too old. If you don't rate Cocu that's fair enough but it's pretty plain to see that Cocu is both fitter and quicker than Davids. You also seem to be missing an understanding of Dutch supporters' sentiments. It's not just about football, it's also about personality. We're sick and tired of the Davids and Seedorfs of this world who act like moody barstewards off the pitch and who completely ignore the fans. I do agree that we have midfield problems, we've had those for a while now. I do not believe Davids is the answer. My personal choice right now would be Van der Vaart, Schaars and Van Bommel.
I am sorry to tell you this, Netherlands really played terrible against Luxemburg. How could you struggle against such weak football nation? Come on. You could have done better than that. You should have beaten like 5-0 or 7-0. Look even Scotland won like 6-0 and France beat Georgia 3-0.
Anyway Gio, Bouhla and Sneijder are back for the Belarus game (did Mrs Sneijder FINALLY have that baby?). Three AZ players dropped I think (Jaliens, De Cler, and?). We should be fine. I don't believe in all the doom and gloom that some posters seem to predict, we do have a fairly decent squad with lots of promise for the future. The only problems we have are that a) we're fielding a bunch of physically weak midgets b) with such a high number of inexperienced players and teenagers we're bound to be extremely inconsistent. We need some over my dead body players in midfield and we shouldn't be putting so much responsibility on Huntelaar as he's bound to have a couple of bad patches. I say once Robben's back, let Kuyt start.
my friend you seem to be lost here. I K-N-O-W T-H-A-T R-O-B-B-E-N I-S I-N-J-U-R-E-D. what was the point of bringing his injury up?
Because you talked about Van Bommel and Robben in the same sentence, indicating that both had been dropped by Van Basten. I thought you didn't know. No need to shout by the way.
Neeskens you have completely lost your mind? Let me help you as I cannot believe that you are serious. I suggest getting an eye exam ASAP. Vennegoor's intrdouction brought the end Huntelaar's involvement (not that he had match to begin with) as Oranje pumped long ball after long ball for no reason. You fool no one with this tactic not even the minnows on Saturday. Nice finish by Jan on that sitter that he fluffed. Enough about him with Oranje for heaven's sake. There was no football played, no passing, no build up play, no speed of play, no thinking, no creativity. Playing the long ball made it easier for Luxembourg. Every other detail is much too painful to mention again, but the Manager must do better with his tactics and player selection. Finally please get over the Cocu talk for once and for all. 100 Oranje!!!
I have not lost my mind. Things weren't working when all the allegedly technically gifted players were on. So Van Basten got Vennegoor in and they started to look more dangerous. I've plenty to criticise Van Basten on but his subbing at the Luxembourg game was good.
Oh and by the way, I didn't bring up the name Cocu. It was that other Davids groupie who did. All I did was point out that Cocu is in every way the fitter player when compared to Davids. I don't mind you rating Davids more. Just that simultaneously claiming Cocu is too old, Davids in Oranje is downright silly.
For all the objective posters out there: see this is how it works on this forum. Huntelaar has been declared a superstar and there's nothing he can do wrong. He plays rubbish for 90 minutes yet someone else is to blame for it: Evil Van Basten who along with Vennegoor is entirely to blame for the rubbish performance. As Davids once said to Hiddink: I wish you'd all take your heads out of your arse. Van Basten wasn't to blame, the players were. They got on the pitch with a rubbish attitude feeling superior to tiny Luxembourg and they almost paid the price. If you make millions a year out of football then God help me you don't need a manager to take you by the hand and inspire you to a big win over Luxembourg. And yes I'd rather see a 'limited' Kuyt and Vennegoor giving it their all than more talented players who couldn't give a feck.
HAAAAAAAAAH......so Cocu is quicker and fitter than Davids. What's next? Cocu to be played as a left wing at PSV? You're full of it. Cocu at 36 gets your vote of confidence to be a starter for us in the WC. The inclusion of Davids, at 33, however, in this squad of teenagers is downright silly. No, you never agreed that we had midfield problems until after the WC. You were always singing praises of the team especially after Super van Bommel got admitted back to the team. several other members and myself here were growing worried about the performances and all you were doing was bloating about how we had a changed "winner" mentality and a great team of 6s that can beat any team of 8s. What will it take to convince you that van Bommel technically and tactically is not an answer to Holland's problems in the midfield? It seems a failed WC campaign is not enough. Please don't tell me the whole team was shit because from what I saw we had a decent defence and a very capable frontline. The blame falls mostly on Cocu and Bommel who couldn't win/keep the ball in the midfield and Sniejder who wasn't linking up with the attack. Believe me, van Bommel was kept a second string player at Barca even when some major players were out injured for a while is no coincidence. His negatives outweigh his positives and he wasn't able to make it in the big time. Period.
I thought you were against van Basten for excluding Ruud,weren't you? I said this before, if Huntelaar was to show inconsistencies(which he is expected to do at his age) then everyone has the right to blame van Basten about Ruud's exclusion because it's plain stupid. Alienating proved World Class players will always come back to bite you in the ass and this wasn't his first or last mistake. Whoever defends van Basten on this needs to take THEIR head out of his ass.
Nah, they won't. What I don't understand is that Tahamata is not part of the squad. Especially with Robben injured, we could use him on the wing.
I was thinking about cloning Faas Wilkes Seriously though people, it looks like our NT is lacking from a fresh crop of world class players this decade. Yes I know we have talents coming through the ranks but nothing quite like what we had in the 90's . Luckily however a lot of times players seem to come out of nowhere, so lets hope for some miracles.
What technical players? Where were they apart from Van Persie? They did not look more dangerous when Vennegoor came on. It started an awful game of long ball end of story. As you said long ago about this new group of hungry players ther are no egos here so now they have a shite attitude? These same players that you have praised before have accomplished nothing, so how did they develop a poor attitude? It was the old guard who causes all the problems I thought so what is it? Finally it is VB who is to blame for the selection and the hideous tactics? Play Hunter and Jan, together? Play Kuyt on the wing when he clearly cannot cross well let alone beat his man? What was the formation out there?
I seriously do not like the over-dependence on Robben. I understand he's very very important, but the dependence on one person has to stop before the Euro. We all see what happens when Robben wasn't there in the match vs. Argentina, and what happens when he was marked by Miguel vs. Portugal. I see a pattern that Holland basically can't a) score b) play well when he's marked by a good defender. Van Basten also needs to stop playing the 433 no matter what, change the freaking tactics if you don't have the players to fit a 433 w/o Robben.
I agree with the over dependence of Robben, but it definitley appears that they need more techinical players like Raffie and Wesley as well. Those players mentioned plus Van Persie are clearly the best footballers in Oranje at the moment. They will have trouble if they are not on form, but speed of play is always the key for Holland. Passing and posession, not long ball! Van Basten must get his tactics right and change the system of play. I have been saying this far too many times. Why be so rigid? 100 Oranje!