And Oranje beats Norway as well…

I think the biggest positive we can take from this clearly easy group is a new found consistency (let’s face it, Oranje’s never been one for that). The argument will begin as to whether we should take supposed ageing legs like Van Bronckhorst and Ooijer to a World Cup in 2010, whether they should start etc. and I expect most of this board to say they shouldn’t.

Can I just point out, though, that this supposed “weak” defence has conceded just two goals from seven competitivequalifying matches? No-one else has a better ratio, though Spain, Denmark, Sweden and Hungary can equal it with a clean sheet in their next games. To win a World Cup a team needs a solid defence, not necessarily a great defence, and some game changers – I would say Oranje already has this and change is not necessary in defence.

The only real question mark for me is the goalkeeper – it’s tough to win a major cup without a great keeper. The indecisiveness in keeper seleciton is a huge worry and something Van Marwijk needs to sort out – Oranje need to go into 2010 with a keeper who’s confident and commands the respect of the back line. I’m hoping Stekelenburg can live up to his potential and have a great World Cup, but it’s something in the balance for sure.

Posted from  Japan

@jan we all are here for a long time.send some letters or contact BVM.Sticking with 25 players is too good for Gelling the team but sticking with the first eleven for consequtive matches is a blunder.
look at sir alex ferige….One day park will play other day Tevez will play.Coz SAF knows against someteams park is necessary and against someteams Tevez is necessary.We can see the same with gigs/anderson-schloes/Fletcher etc.
we need to test our diffence in a competative game against a good attacking team like arjentina,brazil,spain,portugal will show the pathetic stage of our diffence and not italy anad other teams.
i belive even teams like camroon,Ivorycoast can teach us a lesson.

Posted from  India

@rob
steke has the charisma.Only one thing he has to to do is stay focused and do a remarkable season for Ajax in 09-10.this guy is courageous and i belive he will not let us down.
@rob ofcourse our group is not weak but we made it like weak group.Scotland beat france twice before2008EC and they almost beat italy.so because of our heavybrillinat attacking talents we won bit easily.i think anyother team wouldhave strugled in this group except germany,spain,england.
But all other teams in this gruop doesnt have a leathel attacking quatrets that made the job easy for ou diffenders.it will not be the same with arjentina,brazil,portugal,russia,spain kind of teams.

Posted from  India

I thought it was a good match, no matter what you say, without Huntelaar, we lack a natural stonecold finisher.
Schaars worked well, there was a bit more flow in build up with a lefty Schaars and right footed V.Bommel than with two right footed players.
I agree our defence conceeded very few goals, but we haven’t met opponents with real speed and quality up front, that means more than one good player.
Still think Mathijsen played a very good match, though Bouma not in any way less in defensive qualities, he is about 7 centimeters shorter, so that might prove to be a hurdle for V.Marwijk to put him in center. Braafheid totally convinced me, he played way better defensively than Gio, some very nice moves from him, very convincing after a quiet 5-10 first minutes.
Whatever you say, Heitinga did good as well. I’m only worried about the speed of Ooijer, no doubt he was/or maybe still is a decent defender, but he seems to slow down more every season, we can’t have that with fast opponents, who replaces him in centre is up to the players themselves to prove, Heitinga, Boulahrouz, Marcellis or perhaps even Maduro or Luirink.
(BTW V.Marwijk said he views Maduro as an option for the long-term, so i guess no WC for him then).
We shouldn’t be too worried, Mathijsen, Heitinga, Braafheid have proved to me that they are at the least decent defenders, besides if V.d.Wiel or any others do a lot better at than Heitinga or Mathijsen, V.Marwijk would see that and respond i guess. We shouldn’t fool ourselves though, V.d.Wiel isn’t world class, YET. I think he and Marcellis are better of developing quiet and steady, with few major trauma’s (remember Vlaar vs Toni nightmare, which set him back about 2 years in development). I think V.Marwijk wants to wait until they are fully ready to take over impressively and convincingly, so that there won’t be as many doubts over whether or not they are good enough. Now hold on with your responses, cause at the pace of their development, that just might be a lot earlier than you might think i mean.
The fact that Braafheid replaced Gio at half time looks to me as if V.Marwijk wants to replace Gio in a slow and natural transition, rather than cutting him out all at once, causing controversy.
I think we may just have to live with Heitinga being our RB for the WC
this seems most likely to be our defence for the WC with only one question mark, and that could be anyone.

Braafheid-Mathijsen-?-Heitinga

Heitinga with either Zuiverloon/V.d.Wiel at RB
Boulahrouz
Marcellis
Vlaar
Luirink
Maduro
you don’t know, Luirink might have a spectacular season for AZ in CL which brings him into oranje and a european topclub.

Stekelenburg, totally has the appearence and physique of a top goalkeeper, made some nice saves yesterday, i think he has the potential, just needs to make the last step to becoming a steady, reliable keeper, and then, say at around 30-32 years old he might make the step to being a world class keeper.

Posted from  Netherlands

BTW, has anyone noticed Heitinga looked a bit slower than he used to be, maybe he should lay off the steroids and work out a bit less for a while, Ibrahimovic had the same problem at Inter or Juve some time ago, he spent so much time working out that it affected his speed and agility for the worse.

Posted from  Netherlands

When Sar made it into Oranje in 1994 (?) he wasn’t the leader he turned out to be. Give Stekel a chance. He’s got it all and his leadership will develop.

As for BvM and his choices – Tiju: since Scotland he had injured players and therefore the need to change the line up. Now it was Sneijder, next it will be another. I can fully understand that he sticks to a consistent core group of players until they fail or until they are injured or suspended.

I have the feeling Braafheid is close to a starting position and so might Schaars be…I think consistency and team are the key words. They can all play ball, but to rise above Spain, Brazil, Germany, Argentina, we need to create a strong team: work ethics, total football, automatisms and foreward pressure.

If bloody Greece can win an EC, surely we must be able to win a WC!!!

I’d just like to clarify that the reason Gio was replaced was because he had a hamstring problem.

First game i missed in almost 21 years!!

a decent result, well done vMarwijk

Posted from  Netherlands

Regarding Heitinga I would like to point out that he gave some beautiful passes against Norway, there’s one in particular that I remember that was awesome!

He played a lot better than against Iceland. Defensively he was solid as well. I think he played better than vdWiel but that’s hard to say cause every game is different.

Posted from  Netherlands

@ Lis
I know Gio had an injurie, but that’s irrelevant to my point, V.Marwijk could have just put Braafheid in the starting line-up already, but instead he eases the transition by already occasionally Braafheid putting him in, whether or not that is because of injurie doesn’t matter, just the fact that he doesn’t rush Braafheid into the squad is the point i’m making. Eventually I expect Braafheid to get more and more playing time, and eventually become a regular.

Posted from  Netherlands

I think heitinga looks solid defensively. Van der wiel might just have a slight edge over him in attacking play but isn’t nearly as stable defensively. For the moment i’d say we’d pick him as rightback for the WC. Depends ofcourse on what kinda season Van der wiel wil have.

Posted from  Netherlands