It seems that Everton’s new signing Royston Ricky Drenthe comes with something of a reputation, or baggage if you prefer? Unfortunately this reputation is gleaned more for Drenthe’s off field antics rather than from his performances on the pitch. The term ‘enigmatic’ is probably the best way of describing the Dutch international with a penchant for rap music and skating.
Bombed out of Real Madrid and deemed something of a bad joke his career seemed to be back on track during a loan spell at Hercules. However, that soon turned sour when he returned late from the winter break citing a “loss of confidence in Hercules management”. Strangely this was somewhat at odds with his original claim that he was actually on strike over unpaid wages. If he was in any doubt as to what the Hercules fans thought of his actions then he only had to look at the graffiti freshly daubed on his house when he finally returned a week overdue. Surprisingly Drenthe received little support for his actions, from parent club Real Madrid or even the Players’ Union for that matter, particularly when it did emerge that the players hadn’t actually been paid.
The crucial word in all of this seems to be ‘support’, since leaving Feyenoord as a 20 year old to sign for the Spanish giants Drenthe seems to have had very little of it. Saying he hasn’t always helped himself could be considered something of an understatement though. His driving skills, or perhaps lack of them, seem to leave a lot to be desired, unless you consider running red lights, crashing into police cars and driving at speeds in excess of 100mph.
His apparent inability to select the right studs for his football boots while at Madrid left him more often than not slipping and sliding across the football pitch. Might it not have been an idea for somebody on the Real Madrid coaching staff to proffer a little assistance in this matter if it was required though?
How his loan spell at Everton will pan out is anybody’s guess, the general feeling is that it will be either one extreme or the other. In David Moyes Drenthe does now have a manager with a proven track-record in rejuvenating players’ careers though, Tim Howard, Mikel Arteta and Steven Pienaar are testament to that, and Drenthe certainly has a point to prove. Also on the Moyes curriculum vitae is the ability to successfully handle some of the games more colourful characters: Duncan Ferguson and Thomas Gravesen anybody?
Yet woe betide Drenthe if he does actually cross Moyes. If he is in any doubt as to what the possible outcome would be in the event of that happening he only needs to have a quiet word in the ear of Joseph Yobo, Per Kroldrup or maybe Yakubu to discover there really wouldn’t be any way back. Lurking in the background as well is the spectre of Andy van der Meyde, a Dutch winger with something of a chequered history when he signed for Everton. All things considered I think we can safely say that didn’t work out too well for Moyes, van der Meyde or Everton now did it?
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