I was right after all. Sadly. As a supporter for the Dutch I’d rather be wrong. Holland did not survive the group stage. I could not, however, forecast that we would perform this bad. The orange squad revealed. The Dutch lion standing naked. A collective big fail.
It is a letdown of the likes that a Dutch team has never produced before. Even in 1980 we had a draw and a victory in the group stage (goal difference 4-4). Disappointment, anger and grief have mastered a lot of fans.
The reactions are comprehensible. The orange squad played like the hair of commentator Hans Kraaij jr.: separated and spiritless.
Before and after the tournament I pleaded for a system with wing players and Huntelaar as a central striker. Huntelaar never got a fair chance. The atmosphere was not good. Players were not heading in the same direction.
The benchmarks didn’t lie: the departure at Schiphol Airport, showed a divided group of libertines. When they arrived back, they looked like a scattered funeral procession.
The atmosphere wouldn’t improve in Krakau en Charkov. Here is a peak behind the curtain. Huntelaar being shut up by the players. On the pitch van der Wiel constantly being passed over. Not by Ronaldo, but by his teammates. Van Persie and Huntelaar didn’t team up as well. On and off the pitch. A “shut your face ” of Robben towards team manager van Marwijk, when he summoned the first to assist in the defense. After the match against Portugal there was supposed scuffle involving Bouma and the team doctor. Discord amongst the Sneijder and van Persie camps who battled for favors and supremacy. So why did Holland collect 0 points?
The 10 reasons “Oranje” failed:
1. The Dutch players in general. Too many egos, no connection. A lack of shape, and willingness to fight for each other. No respect, they didn’t stand in awe (anymore) for the manager. Football obesity and ambition anorexia.
2. Bert van Marwijk could not rely on his system and finally put all the responsibility with the players. In a sort of compromise fell from his beliefs in the last game without solving the puzzle. Even he – as a king of card players – could not provide a healthy atmosphere within the group.
3. The Dutch football association KNVB. Poorly housing in Krakau, with travels of 1000 miles distance. No forecast of problems within the team (they should have hired a good psychologist!) and playing in a black (mourning) shirt. Special notice for PR manager Kees Jansma who could not establish a good connection between players and press, what resulted in much negativity.
4. Specific players jockeying for their position, intimidating and securing their system and position (Sneijder, Van Persie, van der Vaart, Huntelaar, Affelay, Robben).
5. Mark van Bommel, who, as a captain, son in law and ally of van Marwijk could not unite the players on the pitch
6. A lack of quality with the defense in general (passing, marking, structure)
7. The tactical blunders of van der Wiel
8. A lack of quality and experience of from Willems
9. UEFA, who put us in an outback free from ambience in Ukraine.
10. But in the end, Marco van Basten is to blame. He linked us up in an early stage – during the draw- the Germans, Portuguese and Danes. A group of opponents far deadlier than Holland were prepared to deal with!
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