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Benching Kuyt: hardheadedness…

March 25th, 2007 | By: Jan | 20 Comments »

Dirk Kuyt was the Man of the Match in his own Kuip. None of the internationals was so present as him, last Saturday. And that, without playing a second! That is quite a feat.

For the first time though, it wasn’t a positive contribution. Maybe more destructive. If you saw the former Feyenoord star sitting in the dug-out, you wouldn’t be able to recognize the politically correct positivo from Katwijk.

We don’t know him like this. Finishing off training-sessions with glee, running back into the dressing-rooms, no smiles, no voice-bites for waiting press… Something was wrong…

Kuyt had two issues. One, he feels he has the first rights on the center striker position. And two, he expected to come onto the pitch, to show the Oranje youngsters how you do it.

In both instances, the team manager thought differently. And that’s fine. That’s why we have him and the KNVB pays him. As long as his decision bear fruit: results and good football.

In terms of results, we’re doing ok. Although Rumania and Bulgaria are on par in terms of loss-points. So, it can still get to be a bit of thriller in this group.

In terms of good football there is hardly any progression. The Oranje defense acts below par in terms of building up. The midfield is being laughed away by physically stronger opponents (Portugal, England, Italy). And the center striker position is like the Bermuda Triangle. Great strikers go in, and collapse under the weight never to be heard of again (Van Nistelrooy, Makaay, Kuyt).

The team is in trouble. In these days it needs loyalty, teamspirit, mentality, you name it. But on this front, van Basten is conducting risky business. Kuyt is normally an example of loyalty, of teamspirit and sacrifice. And not having him start, that’s ok. He can handle that. With difficulty, but still. But to not allow him to come onto the pitch when the team is in trouble. When the team needs a positive workhorse. When the fans need someone to put their hopes on. If that means that van Basten will lose another character-player (Van Bommel, Van Nistelrooy) it will become a heavy burden….

In that regard it’s interesting to see how Seedorf will experience all this. He only got 4 minutes to do something. Or what does newcomer Demy De Zeeuw – who earlier on expressed his doubts about van Basten’s approach – make of all this? He trained as starter, told the NOS that he also wore the starters-shirt during a secret training session only to be benched in favour of Wigan sub Landzaat.

If loyalty is the last resort for the team manager, he should think hard about investing in loyalty. And it wouldn’t hurt either, to think hard about a different system. This Oranje is just not capable of playing in the three-striker doctrine.

source: column van Nijnatten

Tags: Dirk Kuyt, marco van basten, The Netherlands

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Comments

By mrfocus | March 25th, 2007 at 10:48 pm

Hey,

I was just wondering if anyone who watched the match understood what the ref (Marcus Merk) talked about with Robben during the warm-up? I saw during the intermission that they were both talking, but the commentary was in dutch so I didn’t understand what they talked about.

Thanks.

By goose | March 26th, 2007 at 1:20 am

@mrfocus: on dutch tv they said that it had to do with Markus Merk warning robben about his diving…think that was the case..mr. Robben has made a great name for himself, haha,
gtz

Posted from Netherlands

By Misha | March 26th, 2007 at 1:36 am

This article sums it up beautifully , thanks for posting it Jan. At this point I hope we don’t even make the Euro’s. So we can get on with rebuilding the integrity of Dutch football. For the polar opposite of our mood check out Pedro’s article about Portugal praising Scolari. Makes me sick; but the truth is I am afraid to play them now. I have a feeling this team would get blown off the pitch. So lets not even go to Austria, I don’t think I can handle another crushing defeat at the hands of Portugal. This party sucks, so many great international players most managers could make 2 teams that would compete at the top level, Van Basten makes players unhappy and the mood of the national team is like a beaten team playing out the remains of the game. I bet the players that are officially cut by MVB, are relieved to get off the sinking ship and swim ashore. We can all see the pending gloomy end of the MVB era and personally I would be relieved to go home and not be associated with darkest period of Oranje history, in my lifetime. So I can understand why Ruud, V. Bommel, Stam, and soon maybe Kuyt, don’t want anything to do with this team.

By goose | March 26th, 2007 at 1:39 am

maybe Kuyt is on vanbasten’s list to be the next great player who quits Oranje cause of vanBasten, it would be a great list; vanBommel, vanNistelrooy, Kuyt…vanbasten should really watch what he is doing cause everybodys fed up with him (at least here in Holland), been reading the papers today and there’s as much critisme on the players as there is on vanBasten and his arrogant style of communicating and his unlogical selection of players..

Kuyt is a real soldier who should not be humiliated in de Kuip!! He looked very angry after the game..first time ever i have seen him like that

grz

Posted from Netherlands

By Misha | March 26th, 2007 at 1:56 am

I have never been angry about Oranje losing before WC06, sure I was always disappointed but not really angry. Well maybe when Robben was subbed out in the last Euro. But this is getting ridiculous. When MVB took over all I heard in Holland was “this may be good” and “MVB hates Suriname players”. Now I do not get much chance to visit A-dam but my friends and my wifes family are getting like they were when we did not qualify for Korea\Japan, they just refuse to talk about it at all. It’s just getting pathetic.

By goose | March 26th, 2007 at 2:31 am

i know what you mean Misha, same here..im at work now and everybodys talking about a shamefull it all was…people just dont understand why it is that we play this bad..remeber; its not a unique thing, we have been playing bad since God knows how long…its not only getting pathetic its also becoming very worrying (esp. that there is no growth to be seen)
vanBasten should leave so we can try to make things work before EC 08 (i know he wont but alas..)

almost ashamed of beeing dutch (and Oranje fan) these days…THANKS MARCO

Posted from Netherlands

By goose | March 26th, 2007 at 2:32 am

btw; if we were to play portugal we would get slaughtered like theres no tomorrow (like Belgium), portugal is a much better team (still hurts to say but it is the truth)

Posted from Netherlands

By Misha | March 26th, 2007 at 3:51 am

You know that article that Jan posted about VDVaart relating how happy he is to get home to his supermodel wife, how much money HSV is going to pay him, and about how he does not really care to follow Dutch football. does that sound like the future leader of Oranje to you? Cause if that is it then we should just give up. Van Der Sar has been with this team for so long now how could he possibly think that this character is our future leader. Maybe he just meant to call VDV out and imply that he should get his head in the game not his celebrity status (a la Beckam). Sure miss Van Bommel. What are we going to do goose, should we just hope that Germany takes care of Portugal? I cant hope for either scenario. I may just not watch if we have to play them.

By goose | March 26th, 2007 at 4:06 am

@misha; you know that i think vanbommel is our main man but cause of vanBasten its impossible to call him back, the things Jan said about the hyrarchie is very true..we have no leader and no-one will step up the plate…
vdVaart made real progress in HSV and has become more of a man but im not sure if hes a real leader (he wasnt at Ajax but he is at HSV)
with all these Ajax players selected the team has a very strange hyrarchie going on…i mean Kuyt should get more respect (from the manager and the players) but hes not from ajax so….
really, really hope vanbasten doesnt drive Kuyt away like he did vanBommel and vannistelrooy

what do you mean by Germany taking care of Port.? you mean during the EC’08?? I know we are not gonna play a role in that tournament if we go on like this…the papers are really giving vanBasten sh#t btw.! Good to see!!

grtz

Posted from Netherlands

By goose | March 26th, 2007 at 4:21 am

http://www.nieuwnieuws.nl/archives/2007/03/harde_kritiek_op_oranje_en_van_1.html

@Jan: maybe interesting to translate, some comments form the press (and Cruyff’s opinion)

Posted from Netherlands

By carrington | March 26th, 2007 at 5:20 am

its funny but everyone seemed to be critiszing van bommel at the world cup and now saying that we miss him!! that doesnt make sense. i fink people should realise its not really van bastens fault its just the players we have are jus not as good as previous. The only world class players we have now are van persie and robben. Defence is horribly bad and too many youngsters not yet developed. bastens just trying to pick a team that he finks could gel, i admit i hate the way he is still saying this 433 system could work, it doesnt. Kuyt and persie up front could work, or huntelaar and persie, with robben and vaart on the wings delivering crosses……

Posted from United Kingdom

By Jan | March 26th, 2007 at 5:22 am

I’m on it goose, thanks!

Posted from Australia

By goose | March 26th, 2007 at 5:45 am

@car.; well i have to say that ive been a vanBommel fan since the beginning, ive been saying we need players like him ever since he got f3cked by vanbasten prior the WC…think we all agree that vanBommel didnt play a brilliant WC but nobody did!
sure; part of the problem is the lack of quality in Oranje at the moment BUT, even with this quality we should be able to perform on a decent level wich we dont and thats the responcibility of the manager,,,true Oranje isnt as good as we were 8-9 years ago but we arent this bad..
btw: dont think vdVaart can play as a winger….

grtz

Posted from Netherlands

By Jan | March 26th, 2007 at 6:59 am

Oranje:

VD SAR

Kromkamp-Boulah-Matijssen-Emanuelson

Robben-Sneijder-Zeeuw-v Persie

Huntelaar-Kuyt

Would that work?

Posted from Australia

By goose | March 26th, 2007 at 7:05 am

@jan; it would prob. work better than the team that tried saterday, hahaha, cant get any worse now can it??

but Boula and vanPersie are both out and i would play Seedorf and not Sneijder (also would play vanBommel and vanNistelrooy), would also change Kromkamp for deCler..dreamteam:

vdSar

decler- Boula-Matijs.-emma.

vdVaart - Seedorf- Bommel

robben - vNistelrooy- vanPersie

Posted from Netherlands

By goose | March 26th, 2007 at 11:00 am

Latest news; vdvaart will NOT travel to Slovenia, hes injured…

vanBasten told the press he still thinks he used the right tactics against Romania after seeing saterday’s game on tape..

Kuyt was asked if he tough of leaving Oranje like vanBommel and vanNistelrooy did..he repleyd: i dont give in quickly, ill train hard but if i dont play on wendesday it would be a dissapointment…well marco, you know what to do, we dont want Kuyt to walk away also

Posted from Netherlands

By Samuel Knight (Oudegeest) | March 26th, 2007 at 12:28 pm

Great comments abovee.

Benching De Zeeuw after he looked good practicing and had a great run with AZ, just seems weird.

No, not weird. F***ing stupid. Your central mid-field gets a couple days of practice. They get a tiny bit used to each other, and you just throw it away for a Wigan back-up? WTF?

Almost as stupid as not putting Van N on the pitch when you just needed one F***ing goal against Portugal.

I thought Van B was learning, but no, I think the basic consensus is correct - he just can’t cut it as a coach. He just doesn’t have the strategic sense. He was a fantastic striker, but that does not automatically mean he can be an effective coach.

Posted from United States

By ferenc | March 26th, 2007 at 1:03 pm

my oranje:

VDS

heitinga,boulah,de zeeuw,emmanuelson

van der vaart,seedorf,van bommel,sneijder

kuyt (or ruud),van persie

Posted from Hungary

By Jan | March 26th, 2007 at 3:56 pm

Good one Ferenc, I’d like to see that team play :-).

Sam, as Co Adriaanse once said: a good racehorse doesn’t make a good jockey

Trou though. He was attacked for that remark and I am sure it was a factor in his demise at Ajax. Co was head coach at Ajax and the Ajax management wanted Co to take Marco on board as assistant (without the right papers and license). Co ridiculed MvB a bit and was attacked for it.

Recently van Gaal was negative about Oranje and was bitten back by MvB, Rijkaard and Koeman.

Posted from Australia

By goose | March 27th, 2007 at 2:48 pm

@ferenc; what going on in your team…deZeeuw as a central defender???very interesting..it could solve the ‘we need a player who can built from the back, like Rijkaard or deBoer’problem….is vanderVaart playing as a ‘number 10′behind the striker or is he more a midfield player??? really think you made a very interesting line-up, didnt look at it good the first time a read your comment

good one ferenc

grzt

Posted from Netherlands

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