I saw arsenal "youth team" play everton at highbury last night and the stars of the show were Quincy Owusu-Abeyie and Van Persie. These Dutch younguns made a total mockery of everton's near first team. Quincy got a screamer storming through the midfield, but Van Persie is really exciting I reckon. He didn't really have his shooting boots on (ie didn't attempt much) but he created so much for his team mates and his link play was awesome. He even came up with an arrogant flick in the build up to the thrid goal. If these sorts of guys flow through into your NT i think you will have a firghteningly good side.
And you probably haven't even seen the young talent in our domestic league yet! So yes I personally am very excited with all them highly talented youngsters breaking through. Particularly because the world seems to have written us off '(we'll show em).
During Euro 2004. Even though we got to the semis we apparently were rubbish (according to the global media including BBC pundits like Mr. Lawrenson)
That certainly wasn't the impression that I got. I think its your history that costs you in this area. You've always had talent but come up short too often but very few thought that the team was rubbish.
i thought their teamplay was rubbish! and their coach was rubbish! but they have some top players no doubt.
Well I literally heard BBC pundits say things like 'Dutch total football is a farce'. Posters on these boards haven't exactly been positive about the Dutch either. I've said it many times before: people's disappointment with Dutch football says more about their inflated expectations than about what Dutch football has actually achieved over the years.
Its a bit hard to justify attendance at your domestic games! Hard enough to get up 'norf! Shame Staam retired really
the commentary here in the UK was pretty derisive - particularly first half against portugal but these are the same muppets who sulk and won't even look at the camera after england lose. Professionals not.
What annoys me is that Holland just can't seem to win no matter how they play, and whether they win or lose. If they play fantastic football yet lose, they're immediately labelled as underachievers, as a bunch of imploding chokers. At Euro 2004 they played rubbish football yet got to the semis, and this apparently píssed people off too because it was un-Dutch. Yet when the Germans play rubbish football and get far in a tournament, they're applauded for their team and fighting spirit. It seems there's different standards for Dutch football, and people refuse to look at the squad objectively. At Euro 2004 we had a team that combined inexperienced youngsters with near-retirement veterans. I've never heard a single pundit outside Holland comment on that fact. In many ways that reputation for playing attractive, total football is a curse. People have outrageous expectations of Dutch football, expectations they can never live up to. It's not often that you get a Cruyff.
Does anyone else get unnerved by the way that van Persie flails his arms about when he moves? It's just weird...
Its true though JN i am afraid. Holland has an international brand for exciting quality football, which I guess they have not lived up to of late. I recall even in little old NZ for France98' we would all be camped in front of telly for the Hoolland games - there was a real air of expectancy. I think the fab 3 of Van B, Gullit (sp) and Frank R really put you back guys on the international radar. For eg - when those 3 guys went to AC Milan - we suddenly had hours of Italian football on each week in NZ. they were just serious entertainment drawcards I reckon your latest side could get things back on track with these young scamps. Van P last night really showed how different you play to the English for eg.
Not too bad and getting better. Remember there are some really piss poor clubs out here and some really small stadiums as well.
/me guesses AFCA was a bit "lost in translation" ... The Jitty Slitter said: "Its a bit hard to justify attendance at your domestic games!" This sounds a bit like Jitty Slitter is talking about how few people visit football matches in our (Dutch) league. (In this case "attendance" = crowd) While I think he's actually trying to tell us how difficult it would be for him to visit matches in our (Dutch) league (because going to North-London ("norf") is already a challenge, so I guess he lives in the southern parts of London). (In this case "attendance" = to attend/to visit) remember, it's just a theory!
Hi Johan, I live in the UK these days. Could you please let me know about some of the young talent coming through, their names and what positions they play in? Thanks.
There's of course those you already know like Castelen and Kuijt (Feyenoord) who've already found a place in Oranje. But there's also Jerrel Wolfgang and Klaas-Jan Huntelaar (Heerenveen), Nicky Hofs (Vitesse), El Hamdaoui (sp? Excelsior), Raymond Fafiani and Ramon Zomer (Twente), Daniel de Ridder (Ajax), ARnold Kruiswijk (Groningen). And then there's them two teenagers playing for Arsenal of course! Plenty of talent about, we haven't got anything to worry about for the next 10 years or so.
correct mate (though ec1 not south London). Much as I would lvoe to see some Dutch games it is hard for me to get over there. Hopefully more of your players come here. In addition to the two arsenal players, robben has been cutting a swathe for Chelsea. there is a article here with some info on Quincy and Van Persie http://football.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,9753,1351084,00.html Arsenal have drawn United in the next round of the Carling Cup, and it seems Wenger is going to stick with his youth side against a mixed United team. Shoudl be a cracker if Quincy plays anything like he did last week. Van Persie is exceptional I think. I would have him on the bench for your NT, even though he is not playing regular first team football. He looks a cut above moost other people out there. A magic touch.