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Cruyff’s Column: The Big Problem of Our Football

September 12th, 2006 | By: Jan | 15 Comments »

Here’s the old master, in his own words:

“I promissed to get back to Oranje in this column and so here I am. I have seen two of the three international games Oranje last played. I missed the Luxembourg match, altough I heard I didn’t miss a lot. Against Belarus, it wasn’t all that bad am I happy to say. But for all of you who think I’ll defend Oranje, I won’t. And I don’t need to. The facts are clear to see.
Our Dutch football has a huge problem across the board. And this comes to the surface most painfully with our first National Team. Because they play against at the highest level there is. And our problem is not to be solved with the old cliché “the ball needs to circulate faster”. You can only play fast-paced football if all players are capable of passing the ball to the exact foot, with the right pace and direction. Never “into” the man, always just before him. Never to the weak foot, never so that the player needs to turn his back to the opponent’s goal, etc etc. If that pass is not good (enough), it slows the game down. The player needs to wait for the ball, or handle the ball… It doesn’t mean you can’t win a match, but it does mean you can’t really dominate, play attractive football or pressure your opponent.
And you don’t see this only with the Dutch team, you see it with all Dutch clubs. Our youth teams, even the Jong Oranje team that won the EC last summer, are not trained and guided in a manner where this type of functional technique is taught. We have technically skilled players, sure, but it’s all trickery. And that trickery will be of use against teams that allow a lot of space. That’s why we played well against Ireland, that’s a side that typically allows space. Then, our technical trickery allows us to play the ball freely, unpressured. But, if we play against teams that keep the spaces limited, such as the “smaller” football countries do, it gets hard to dominate. Because our basis technical skills – passing, handling – fail us.
One of our trademarks was, that we had a phenomenal technique and good tactical skills. We could take on any team. Players like Keizer, Muhren, van Hanegem, Krol and later Vanenburg, Wouters, Blind, De Boer and Cocu were always capable to remain the “boss of the ball”. Wouters was always seen as a work-bee, but he had tremendous functional technical skills. And he only applied them if needed. If he didn’t need to use trickery, he just simply pass the ball. Wouters’ assist in the 1988 EC semi-finals to Van Basten’s winning goal is an outstanding example. First, you need to be able to see it, then you need to execute what you see to perfection. And that pass was perfect, in terms of speed and direction. Holland won that game, due to that type of play.
So, we know the problem. But nobody does anything about it. It’s the way we train. We need other types of training-sessions, other types of excercises, other types of trainers. It’s not very complicated, but you need to do it!
We all talk a lot in Holland. About the coach, about former players, but no one addresses the real problem. And it is solvable and it’s high time we solve it!”

Published at www.cruyff.com

Tags: Johan Cruyff, The Netherlands

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Comments

By Simon | September 12th, 2006 at 10:47 am

Good. He’s right.

Posted from Sweden

By Jan | September 12th, 2006 at 12:56 pm

He always is. He can’t make mistakes, because before he makes them, he knows already so he won’t make them… Or something like that… Puzzled? You won’t be after the upcoming Cruyff Quotes…

Posted from Australia

By mrfocus | September 12th, 2006 at 1:33 pm

“Before I make a mistake, I DO NOT make that mistake.”

It is obvious this man knows what he’s talking about. I hope he’s transmitted his thoughs to San Marco, and club coaches in the Netherlands.

I’m simply amazed.

Thank you Jan for translating the text.

By ferenc | September 12th, 2006 at 3:05 pm

cruyff is still brilliant - marco should learn by heart his every single word

Posted from Hungary

By Daniel | September 12th, 2006 at 4:09 pm

Johan is very clever.

I like how he shifts the focus away from the selection issue (vNistelrooy + Seedorf + vBommel will make it all better) to looking at the problem as a whole.

But, how was young Oranje able to pull of the clock-work orange style of fast build up, pin-point passes and outplay their opponents to win the Euro Cup? Didn’t they get the same ‘flawed’ training?

Posted from United States

By HUP | September 12th, 2006 at 5:50 pm

Cruyff for manager!

Posted from Canada

By Samuel Knight | September 12th, 2006 at 6:29 pm

Eh, Daniel, Nederland hasn’t won a Euro since ‘88.

And Cruyff rightly put the problem in an overall picture - the ability to pass the ball with precision. That ability in 2000 Euro is what made Oranje look so formidable. Remember Bergkamp’s goal against Argentina? Remember de Boer’s pass?

Cruyff rightly looked at what the team could do together.

Personally though, I’m not sure that Johan realizes that there are very few footballers who can ever replicate the precise passing that he and a few others attained. But boy that is something that Oranje would benefit from.

Posted from United States

By Daniel | September 12th, 2006 at 6:52 pm

Samuel, Oranje Under 21 won the Eurocup this summer in spectacular fashion with lead roles for Klaas Jan Huntelaar (dropped from Senior Oranje right before the start of the games), Stijn Schaars and of course Coach Foppe de Haan.

They completely outplayed Italy, France and Ukraine with a quick pressing possession game reminiscent of the classic clock work orange style of ‘74 and ‘78

Posted from United States

By Samuel Knight | September 12th, 2006 at 8:18 pm

You’re right - I missed the young Oranje.

And yes, it did seem strange that KJ was not on the senior team.

Posted from United States

By sphinx | September 12th, 2006 at 8:32 pm

cruyff leave a few clear massages…
to the blogposers,
get it to the system, not the players or coach.
to knbv,
the trade marks we have loss.
to basten,
be a trainer, know your men(who could be bosses of the ball or work bees)and back to the type of play he won 88.
as defensive plays more and more popular many people saying “total football is no more than a passing fraud any more”
before arguing on that, let’s get our system work well back.

Posted from Myanmar

By Daniel | September 12th, 2006 at 8:35 pm

I think Marco dropped Klaas Jan because he wasn’t convinced at Klaas’ ability to play outside of the 16 yard box –> at his ability to help defend and build up the attack from the back.

He gave the same criticism to Ruud vNistelrooy, who is a pure goal scorer and not so much a total-footballer. (Marco and Ruud had strong discussions about this the night before the portugal match)

I think it might also be the reason he loves Dirk Kuyt. That guy works his ass off all over the pitch. (Doesn’t seem to be as lucky in the 16 yard box, though.)

The same with Kluivert btw, that guy played really well all over the pitch, not just in the penalty box.. I wonder if he’ll play today for PSV..

Posted from United States

By Alex | September 13th, 2006 at 4:12 am

Forgive if my question is ignorant, but why didn’t van nistlerooy play against portugal? I love the dutch team and feel portugal to be quite inferior. it’s sad.

Posted from United States

By Robert | September 14th, 2006 at 3:35 pm

Daniel, If that is the case van Basten has been proven right in the last few days of CL play. I saw Liverpool - PSV. Kuyt did not score but was one of the stronger players on and all over the field. In the Real Madrid game van Nistelrooy also did not score of course but his play outside of the box was useless and often even looked clumsy. In the Celtic - Man U game Vennegoor of Hesselink showed very well too.
That was btw. a great game with some supurb efforts by Saha (Man U) and Nakamura and Boruc(Celtic). Too bad it was a bit overshadowed by crappy officiating.

By Alex | September 15th, 2006 at 10:48 am

The Dutch simply needed a goal against Portugal. Not playing van Nistlerooy was inexplicable

Posted from United States

By misha | September 18th, 2006 at 5:07 pm

Jan vennegor of hesselink played great agaist Man U he always played great for PSV in champians league, why is anybody talking about patrick klievert when JV of H is available? His substitution in the world cup was way 2 late to give him a fair opportunity to score. Everyone trashed MVB for putting him in instead of Ruud, but I would like to see what he can accomplish if he was given a start.

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