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Boschker and Landzaat go home

May 25th, 2008 | By: Jan | 16 Comments »

Captain Landzaat is out!

Marco van Basten informed Sander Boschker and Denny Landzaat last Sunday over the phone. Unpack your kit and book a holiday, lads. Sorry. Won’t be needing you.

Something like that.

The FC Twente goalie seemed to be on par with Henk Timmer in terms of skills and experience, but prefered to take the Feyenoord goalie. “For starters, Henk has been with us the whole campaign. That to me is worth something. Secondly, he is very important in the dressing room. Henk is a leader. Player listen to him. And he is good for the atmosphere. A winner, a good motivator. His off day against Austria doesn’t count. Every one has one and Henkie had his. What are the odds that that will happen again?”.

Landzaat was the prefered choice if either De Zeeuw or Engelaar would show that the level Van Basten is after was too much to ask of the two lesser experienced top players. “De Zeeuw played a lot of good matches for us, but he was drawn into the losing swamp at AZ. He showed us clearly he still has it. Engelaar impressed during the whole season, but the question then remains whether he can do for Oranje what he did for FC Twente, with all due respect. I am convinced he can. Both De Zeeuw and Engelaar are more dynamic than Landzaat, so I had to give Denny the dreaded call.”

The Feyenoord midfielder already sensed during the training sessions that he was on his way out. “It was clear last Saturday that Engelaar and De Zeeuw satisfied the manager. I knew it would be tough. I came back to Feyenoord to keep in the picture for Oranje. If Feyenoord would have performed better…who knows? I think I could have been important for Oranje, but then again… Every player will tell you that. But I’m 32 years old and still extremely ambitious and fit. I’ll focus on the WC2010 now.”

Strangely enough, it’s the captain who goes. In the last minutes of the game last Saturday, Rafael van der Vaart was captain when he was subbed. Landzaat received the band. Weird, that Oranje’s last skipper is sent home. “Oh, that captain’s band? Yeah, well… It didn’t mean a lot. I’d much rather be number 23 in the hierarchy and go along to the EC.”

The last player to be told to go will be either Mario Melchiot or Khalid Boulahrouz. Melchiot is the prefered option but he still suffers from injury. “We will determine on Tuesday at the latest if we can take Mario to the EC. If both players are fit, my preference goes to Mario. He played the whole season at Wigan, and he played well too. He has been part of our squad for some time, so it’s obvious he has the advantage over Khalid. Then again, if he can’t get fit, it’s over. We can’t take question marks with us.”

Tags: Boschker, Engelaar, Euro 2008, Landzaat, Oranje

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Comments

By Rob | May 25th, 2008 at 10:19 pm

Good stuff. Landzaat had to go and has. As Van Basten said, there’s little between Boscher and Timmer. Only those behind the scenes can judge the better man to take, and the fact that Timmer’s been present for the qualifying campaign makes him a sensible choice for team spirit.

We’ve all got to pray Melchiot stays fit, otherwise right back is lookeing very bad – I’d much rather have Kromkamp or Jaliens than Boulah being considered as a right back option.

Posted from Japan

By psveind | May 25th, 2008 at 10:33 pm

Good news! I’ve been waiting for this day for three years.

Posted from United States

By Miguel Rosado | May 25th, 2008 at 10:35 pm

If Melchiot isn’t fit he has to call Kromkamp or play Heitinga as right back.

By Michel-Olivier | May 25th, 2008 at 10:39 pm

what happen to castelen, opdam, vlaar, Schaars, and hofs?

Posted from United States

By Jan | May 25th, 2008 at 11:30 pm

I too think he’ll play Heitinga right back if Mario is out.

Hofs had some injuries this season and has struggled to get back into his old form. Vlaar has still not recovered from his injury and hasn’t played a minute for Feyenoord. Castelen had some injury issues as well and is believed to be not good enough, as yet. Opdam is had injury troubles over the last seasons and didn’t have a strong season at AZ.

He is one of the dispensation players in De Haan’s squad for the Olympics, with Feyenoord striker Roy Makaay and Heerenveen (and former PSV) striker Gerald Sibon.

Posted from Australia

By Jan | May 25th, 2008 at 11:31 pm

Schaars is getting fit and has played some games for AZ 2 recently. I expect him to play at the WC2010.

Posted from Australia

By goose | May 26th, 2008 at 6:04 am

@jan; if Melchiot doenst get fit Ooijer will play right back

Posted from Netherlands

By tiju | May 26th, 2008 at 8:52 am

taking boshker was a drama (vanbasten shaekspere)
Why he took him?
Well who all will be in our back line
Gio/De cler
Bouma/Mathjenson
Heitinga/ooiger
Bulahr/melchiot?

By tiju | May 26th, 2008 at 8:54 am

all these diffenders are not enough to catch heny,ribery,luca tony especially
Another materazi header goal?or another tall italian guy?
ha ha bla bla
O god save us from header goals

By Marc | May 26th, 2008 at 10:23 am

guys lookin at the players chosen i am really likin what the lineup could end up looking like…
——————————–vandersaar———————————–

——-Boularhouz———heitinga———–bouma————vanbronckorst–

———————–engelaar—————–sneijder———————

———vanpersie————-vandervaart———————-robben——-

——————————-vannistelrooy———————————

im so glad we found some1 like engelaar for the holding mid position… it means gio moves back to defence and creates more stability. judging by how much kuyt runs i would use him also as a holding midfielder even instead of engelaar. he recuperates sooo many balls.

Posted from Switzerland

By Igor | May 26th, 2008 at 11:58 am

I really hope melchiot will be fit in time…oijer is not very dynamic as right back, but honestly i think that boulah is even worse there and he is more of a wild card. oijer is more experienced and has been a part of the squad all year, so he should get the nod there. Heitinga would be a better option at right back than oijer or boula but he is playing well defensively and is good in the air so i think that he is most valuable playing as centre back.

Posted from Canada

By Michel-Olivier | May 26th, 2008 at 1:28 pm

@ jan
they used to be regulars for the Oranje, i thought marco didn’t like them anymore.

Posted from United States

By Mario Rosado (Dutch admirer) | May 26th, 2008 at 3:11 pm

we have talked about van basten fights with van Bommel and Ruud.

But let me know please guys what was the issue with Kromkamp?

He is the best right back in Holland and he is out of picture, why?

By finnster01 | May 26th, 2008 at 6:56 pm

I don’t think Kromkamp and MVB ever got along.Remember when he joined Liverpool briefly MVB said in all the British the papers it was a very bad move and he wouldn’t get the playing time needed with ‘Pool. Kromkamp hit back, and Kuijt was caught a little bit in the middle at one point (Kuijt being a bit of an MVB butt boy. If there is an apple waiting for MVB in his locker, chances are Kuijt put it there). Turned out MVB was right on his prediction and Kromkamp never could hold down a starting job for the reds. Although he got selected in the WC2006 squad, I don’t remember him ever play a single minute for Oranje. Could be wrong on that one, but I don’t recall it (someone please confirm).

I just don’t think MVB rates Kromkamp highly, don’t think he ever did, and given the history, their personality may clash and we all know MVB’s track record on that front…I think Kromkamp is just a victim of the circumstances. Another coach, he would probably be there.

Posted from United States

By Jan | May 26th, 2008 at 7:05 pm

Finnster said it right again , including the Apple thing… Hahahahaa…

Van Basten wants to form a homogeneous group. With personalities that match. That has also been the problem with Bommel and Seedorf, I suspect. Bommel is a little rat on the training (I don’t mean this in a bad way, he’s just a winner) and Seedorf demands a lot of attention.

The big mistake Bassie made, is that in the beginning of his reign, he said he’d only select on football skills. And he doesn’t. And neither would I. Bassie should have been open about the “softer” elements of selecting a team.

Van Gaal was also very focused on personality. He’d go to players’ homes to interview them and get an idea of what makes them tick.

@Michel: I pretty sure that some of these players are sorely missed (Schaars, Vlaar) and some turned out to be not good enough.

Posted from Australia

By sphinx | May 26th, 2008 at 11:51 pm

Marc! i just want to make some innovatio to your squad:
Boularhouz———heitinga———–bouma
Engelaar _____De Zueeuw____Afelly
Kuyt___________Vaart________Robben
Ruud

Posted from Australia

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