The Netherlands, a different approach?

ThisDrinkingLife and The World Cup:The Netherlands

The last World cup was a shame for the Netherlands. A once proud footballing nation taken to a world cup final against Spain and proceeded to kick lumps out of the Spanish for well over an hour of hack football. If they had spent a bit more time focusing on utilising their talents rather than negative football they might have actually won the game.

Could it happen again? Well they have Louis van Gaal in charge, a tough no nonsense coach but he is a disciple of the Ajax school of football, Total Football. But then I do remember him making a complete balls up of his last time with the national team, when push came to pull he reverted to panic negative substitutions in key games. Those Ajax years were a long long time ago kids. I mean how the hell is Kuyt still a member of a Dutch team?

But as always the Dutch team have quality in their ranks. Robben, Sneijder, and van Persie, three players who on their day can change the outcome of a game with a touch of sublime skill, or at least get a dodgy peno.

I think they will still struggle to beat the Spanish, but I do think they should have enough skill and quality to easily dispatch the Aussies and just enough to beat the Chilean team. Further than that? No, don’t think this Dutch team will go that far this year. it will be one of those Dutch teams that tends to break down after the second round.

Key player is Robin van Persie, the Netherlands’ all-time record scorer. An awful year with Manchester United where he looked like a spoilt child at times, he really needs to get back to form at the World Cup to save his career from its worrying slide downwards.