0 Why would you shift Ake to the left back position, while we have Hartman for that spot? Keep Ake where his strength lies and that's the (left) CD spot.
Because Ake has been fairly successful and more battle-tested in the LB position, for both club and country. Wouldn’t mind having Hartman tried out, to be fair. Koeman has been gun shy trying out new defenders while the options are clearly available (add Frimpong, Micky, Botman (injured now) to the waiting list as well) - this has got to change! Need more options in the back line so the old farts like Blind and De Vrij can be logically phased out. Virgil is not getting any younger either.
We should stop shoehorning people into positions we have players for, who are proving to be more than up to the task. Players have to combat for the spots their strengths lie, instead of moving them to a position just to have them in at the cost of those, who's natural position it is. We have several CD options, and they have to fight for those spots. The imbecil MO is to move a CD to the LB position, or worse, to play a turtle there and ignoring a young guy, who's been proving to be the one for that spot. Hartman should be competing with Owen Wijndal for that spot, but unfortunately Owen went on a downwards track.
Ake plays LCB and LWB at a pretty high level. Van de Ven at LCB looks pretty good at Wolfsburg and now Spurs, and I’m all for seeing him play there for Oranje against France with Ake to his left. Hartman at LB early days for him from an experience standpoint, but I would prefer to see him over Blind. Koeman needs to smarten up and have as much speed and athleticism on the pitch against the French. No Weghorst, De Roon, or Blind please.
Barca are rumored to be interested in Maatsen https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/f...elona-keen-17m-rated-Dutch-U21s-defender.html
Is he transferfree? Anyone leaving? Cause afaik they still can't sign new players without getting rid of a paychecknumber. 89594
De Ligt started… and played a full match. Well, that’s new scenery, considering recent injuries and him falling out favor.
Yes, and he had a couple of great touches. Don't know why he hasn't featured for Jong Oranje. Amazing how many great defenders the Dutch have to call upon. EDIT: Plus his family is a neighbor of yours in Marbella.
How Brighton found a future Premier Leaguestar in the KKD (=our second tier league) Jan Paul van Hecke has the world at his feet. The Zeeland defender played as an amateur five years ago, but is now an important force in one of the sensations of the Premier League. He has now skipped the step to the traditional top three, partly thanks to a data model. He explains why Brighton once decided to visit Breda for de Zeeuw. ...... An accumulation of sporting successes follows. He seizes his chance in the Premier League, settles in a direct duel with Erling Haaland, makes European football with Brighton and goes to the European Championship with the Dutch Young Orange Team. There he forms a central duo with Micky van de Ven. Brighton break open his contract, which runs for one more season. "If I were you, I'd stay. I think you're going to play a lot. You're going to get your minutes', are the words De Zerbi uses to convince Van Hecke of a longer stay. 90088
So I read that Dean was born in the Netherlands, but he moved to Spain when he was 5… hmm, are we going to hear complaints that he doesn’t play the “Dutch way”? And more importantly, do we need to worry for Spain poaching him…?
He was raised in Malaga and as a football player at that club. Indeed I don't consider him Dutch brand. It's not Barcelona. So basically we had nothing to do with his development.
IIRC, he was the Captain of the U-17 team that narrowly lost to France in the finals of the recent Euros. He was also the PK taker converting twice from the spot.
But Huijsen has represented Oranje's U16, U17 and U18. So he obviously still feels Dutch in his bones. If he turns out to be a good CB I will happily take him
Yep, that's correct. I just looked it up, and that Oranje U17 also had another CB who I heard is pretty highly-rated, Thijmen Blokzijl. He's been ever-presence for Groningen, but unfortunately the club has not been doing so hot at the moment in the Eerste Divisie... stuck in the mid-table. If they don't get promoted, maybe some big Dutch clubs will try to snatch Blokzijl. That Oranje U17 also boasted some really exciting talents... most notably Babadi, Vos, Milambo (breakthrough season for all three of them?). Then there were Slory, Misehouy, Van Duiven, Kleijn.
No surgery needed for Mickey https://www.football.london/tottenham-hotspur-fc/players/tottenham-van-de-ven-surgery-28073504
I noticed that Spurs have been in free falling since Van de Ven went off injured… hmmm 4 losses and 1 draw in last five matches. Outside the Top 4 now, after leading the table at the beginning of the season.