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JC: understanding Van Basten

December 11th, 2007 | By: Jan | 83 Comments »

It’s a pity that Marco van Basten and John van ’t Schip decided to stop managing Oranje after the EC. But, I can also understand it. When you’ve done the same job for four years, you want to move on, even if it was fun.

But being team manager can also be frustrating. You can plan everyting ahead, but then players get injured, or get a form crisis or other stuff happens at club level which you can’t control. You only have the players for a couple of days, once every two/three months… And as a club manager, you can actively manage your group and sign players, as a national team manager, you have got to work with what you have got.
Looking back on four years Van Basten and Van ’t Schip, you have to say that they did will in term of results. The criticism has always been focused at the quality of play. I found that too harsh, most of the times.

When the draw was made for the EC2008, the Dutch club teams were all kicked out of their respective UEFA tournaments. Looking at the performances of Dutch players abroad, there were also only a handful of players who excelled. And still, Holland managed to get in the top of the European ranking.
I have always said, that the quality of play of Oranje is a reflection of the quality of Dutch football in general. Our quality has diminished. Not a lot of people see this, or want to see this, but for me, it’s the truth. And if most people don’t want to see this, it will only get worse.

The so-called experts keep talking about 4-4-2 or 4-3-3. This is a non-discussion. It sort of takes away the focus from the real issues. The real question is: no matter which system you pick, how will be able to execute the positioning play needed to dominate the game like we did for decades? We can’t play Total Football anymore. Our ability to execute the Dutch School tactics is shockingly absent. And believe me, it doesn’t matter if you play 4-4-2 or 4-3-3. The system (which is just a piece of paper with names on positions) is not going to change that fact.
I don’t blame the players. But I do blame our coaches and youth development trainers. I recently heard Adrie Koster, who is doing very well at Ajax by the way, say that he specifically trains his players on the coaching-aspect. He wants his players to be more verbal on the pitch. Well, excuse me for saying this, but if that is lacking at a club like Ajax, something in the development phase has gone terribly wrong.

And it all comes to surface once you reach the top level. Our U21 team did well. It all looks fresh, but then it sort of gets stagnated. You can see it with all the young talents at Ajax, AZ, Feyenoord and PSV. They do well at Eredivisie level, but when they have to perform on European level, it goes horribly wrong.

That’s why I was always reserved with my criticism on Oranje. Because the problem is not Oranje. Oranje is the little bird in the mines. The problem lies at club level and particularly at development level. All criticaster talk for hours about the system and who should play left or right, totally ignorant of the real problem.

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Tags: Group C, Johan Cruyff, marco van basten, Oranje, The Netherlands

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Comments

Displaying the most recent 25 comments from a total of 83 comments.

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By Finster01 | December 21st, 2007 at 6:24 am

Arsenal – AC Milan in CL.!!!!!!

There goes a sickday for me in the US…Can’ t wait for that one.

Pool – Inter should be interesting too

Posted from United States

By goose | December 21st, 2007 at 6:57 am

People;

TO ALL A MERRY CRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEWYEAR!!!

lets hope 2008 will bring us some glory!! (dont think so but we can always pray!!)

im off to Germany(!) for our holiday…. ill talk to you people next year

Jan; thanx for another Oranje-blog year….keep it up! im already thinking 2010~!!!!

grtz

Posted from Netherlands

By ferenc | December 21st, 2007 at 7:23 am

Merry Christmas to all

@goose: have a nice trip to germany and happy new year

Posted from Hungary

By Jan | December 21st, 2007 at 7:43 pm

Hi all,

I’m still holidaying so don’t expect too much articles. There is a Van Basten interview coming up but otherwise it will be a bit silent.

Enjoy the season all, don’t eat too much turkey and watch out with the fireworks.

See you all at the flip side!

Posted from Australia

By Bob | December 21st, 2007 at 8:03 pm

It seems, perhaps, appropriate to express gratitude during this holiday celebration,to recognize the opportunity we all have at this time of human history, to think about, discuss, cheer and seriously consider a subject as peripheral as Netherlands football. In order to have this experience, there must be a relatively high level of world peace, prosperity and personal freedom. As we all end 2007 and look forward to 2008, I am thankful that we can share our thoughts on this blog, can enjoy more Dutch football and eagerly anticipate more great competitions in the year ahead. We do live in a time of many blessings and I wish you all a Happy Holiday and New Year.

Posted from United States

By Chuck from San Francisco | December 21st, 2007 at 11:02 pm

While I agree with the warm sentiments expressed by Bob and others, and wish you all the best in 2008, I must say that world peace is perhaps more fragile now than at any time in recent memory, prosperity perhaps at it’s most unequal, and personal freedoms are in jeopardy in many lands, especially the U.S., as we speak. I know that a common love of football, and interactions through this blog, delivers me from the insanity of the real world, and for a few moments, let’s me just worry about who will win the next match. Football (soccer) may just save us all. Thanks for this great blog. Happy New Year.

By Finster01 | December 22nd, 2007 at 12:09 am

Just wanted to add my sentiments to the last comments and wish all you Dutch fans a very merry christmas and a fantastic 2008 (not too fantastic when you play Norway please:-).

This blog is excellent thanks to the many and frequent contributors such as Jan, goose, ferenc, bob and all the rest of you. It is beginning to become part of my daily ritual to check out.

Please keep it coming throughout 2008, it actually makes my day!!

Posted from United States

By Kyle | December 22nd, 2007 at 1:27 am

Merry Christmas to you all out there, including any other fans other than Dutch that read this blog, in the end everyone has the right to cheer for their squad and the right for their opinions, even if they do attempt to try fight with others. It’s the way the world works and sometimes those that know best should just smile and nod.

Jan I hope you are having excellent holidays and make sure to not fire fireworks in the house when Holland brings home that trophy in EC 2008 (yes I may be dreaming but why not dream big). You have kept me checking out this blog, even with my infrequent commentary and blogging on my own part in some ways. I will admit this vacation of yours has saddened me with less news, but what can I expect we all like to rest and relax, just felt like I should bug you slightly.

To the rest, don’t worry about Dutch soccer, yes it’s been an awful year for the club soccer (it will get better next year), but we qualified for Euro, and in the end it’s better to be in a tough group then an easy one, it only hardens us up before the next step.

Happy Holidays to all, whatever you celebrate, and enjoy the new year of 2008 when it comes by, as we can all throw are heads back and yell out Oranje in unison when they win.

Hup Nederland

Posted from Canada

By Caleb | December 23rd, 2007 at 7:19 am

Merry Christmas to everyone, and if I don’t get another chance to come on here until then, Happy New Year. I’m off to Mexico for the holidays (although I’m　still hoping I will be able to watch footy on my vacation)! Hope everyone gets a chance to have a little break. See you in the new year.

Posted from Japan

By FlyingDutch | December 23rd, 2007 at 3:00 pm

Merry Christmas to everyone.
@Jan: Thank you for all the articles.

Posted from United States

By Marc | December 24th, 2007 at 3:21 am

Merry Christmas!!! just wondering if the rumours i heard are true… Is holland really switching its system due to player complaints to a 4-2-3-1? i can see it working out with the system switching to a 4-2-4 when we attack. should be nice:

—————————–van der saar——————————–

——heitinga———-mathijsen——–oijer————van bronchorst-

——————seedorf——————-sneijder———————

—van der vaart————-van persie———————–robben—–

—————————-van nistelrooy——————————-

Van persie would be playing as a shadow striker and could join van nistelrooy up front… this position would resemble more of his central strikerposition at arsenal.robben would stay the left winger that he really is while van der vaart will have the right wing. Van nistelrooy up front with seedorf and sneijder as recuperating midfielders taht create the game. looks nice on paper, lets hope it looks nmice on the field.

Posted from Switzerland

By stephen | December 24th, 2007 at 1:12 pm

Merry Christmas friends.

Posted from United States

By Albo | December 24th, 2007 at 2:50 pm

Merry Christmas to all of you from the Argentina blog.
Saludos

Posted from United States

By Mario Rosado (Dutch admirer) | December 24th, 2007 at 4:11 pm

Merry Christmas to all of you my good friends… I hope Santa Claus would be kind to all of you but the most important thing is that you have health, love and why not some money in their lives. A hug from México!!!

By Gretzky | December 24th, 2007 at 5:45 pm

Merry Christmas everyone and a Happy New Year! Hup Holland Hup!
Keep up the good work Jan. Douie!

Posted from Canada

By finnster01 | December 25th, 2007 at 6:55 am

Van Basten to take over Bayern after EC08?

At least that is what the German soccer magazine, Kicker, is speculating.

http://www.kicker.de/news/fussball/bundesliga/startseite/artikel/169441/

By JumboMkd | December 25th, 2007 at 11:03 am

Merry Christmas to all Dutch football fans. I hope to see a lot from you in Macedonia next year and I hope to see Macedonia surprise Oranje again

Best Regards from Macedonia
Igor Naumovski
http://www.MacedonianFootball.com

By Mario Rosado (Dutch admirer) | December 25th, 2007 at 8:15 pm

Is stupid that Bayern thinks of van Basten as their coach when one of their most influential players hates van Basten, we all know who he is: Mark van Bommel. It would be very strange for van Bommel to see van Basten at Bayern and if that is the case they´d better start reconciliating.

By tjeerd | December 25th, 2007 at 11:26 pm

Hello Sportsfans: Here is a cool hi-lite real of the Feyenoord NAC game last weekend enjoy!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vOnJRWECRDM

By tjeerd | December 25th, 2007 at 11:27 pm

De Guzman scores two pretty goals in the 2-0 win over NAC

By Mario Rosado (Dutch admirer) | December 26th, 2007 at 1:30 am

About Feyenoord…how is Kevin Hofland doing? I think he is better defender than Mathijsen. Why Mr. Marco has not called him to the national squad?. What do you guys think???.

I haven´t seen him play but a remember he is a tough man who could do very well at Oranje.

By ferenc | December 26th, 2007 at 4:00 pm

don’t know too much about hofland… i’m worrying what’s going on with robin van persie. in the last weeks he played only once at arsenal (against chelsea as a sub) and since this game he even hasn’t been benched. i really really hope that he won’t become a second robben – i mean as often injured as robben…

Posted from Hungary

By Manolo | December 26th, 2007 at 8:21 pm

Let us hope the manager will not let what happened in the World Cup against PORTUGAL happen again in the upcoming Euros.

Holland put on a shamefull display. There is no room in football for such rough and unsportsmanlike tactics.

By paul | December 26th, 2007 at 10:40 pm

I have to agree, the dutch and the argentines were very poor sports in the last world cup.

Apologies from both football federations is expected and the entire world is still waiting.

it’s never to late to do the right thing.

By Caleb | December 28th, 2007 at 1:39 pm

Haha, Paul, Manolo.. you guys must be Portugeuse.. and in that case you should not talk about rough and unsportsmanlike tactics. If you want to find the one of the dirtiest teams in the world, look no further than your own national team – it is the team that is truely shameful.

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