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June 2nd, 2008 | By: Jan | 42 Comments »

Ruud, I’m sorry…

Ok, only one week to go, or so…

We need to have made up our minds. Do we wear the orange jersey next week in front of the telly or are we chickening out and do we opt for the Azzuri blue? Or maybe the Spanish red/green?

I believe we have a shot at the title! And I believe we can even play impressive football too! I believe Marco van Basten could emerge from all of this as the most successful coach since Rinus!!!
Mark who? Clarence who? Edgar who? Guus who? Leo who? Johan who?

This is my fave line-up:

————Sar————-
Kuyt Heitinga Melchiot Gio
—-Sneijder Engelaar——-
Vaart Afellay/Persie Robben
——Van Nistelrooy———-

I believe Sneijder should be directing the game from the back. He has the vision, the intelligence and the passing skills. What he lacks is depth. With Afellay/Persie and Robben, we have two players who can penetrate. Artist Van de Vaart needs a free role to weave his magic wand and Kuyt can run till he drops.

I do have another idea though…

If we are really really realistic, we should confess that we don’t have the best team. We may have a tremendous goalie and some wonderful talent up front but we lack the real defensive genes at the back and our football intelligence there is also lacking…

So, in my mind, there’s two things we can do. We can play the pretty straightforward way we normally do. Key-words are: dominating, passing-positioning, individual skills, patient build up play. Then, I believe that if all our players play better than average (with some up front playing exceptional) and if we’re lucky in certain situations and if the opponent is maybe not that good on the day…then…we could win this. Like 8 other nations, by the way.

We could also do it differently. Gamble. Go for broke. Death or the Gladiola (as we say in Dutch).

How? By inventing a new system!! Like Rinus did in 1974.

They called it Total Football then. Let’s call it Jan Football now .

Before you shoot me, fire me, sue me or decide never to visit this site again, just think about it for a second…

Here it comes:

WE PLAY WITHOUT CENTER STRIKER!!

Yes, Ruud starts on the bench.

I know it sounds bad, but just think about (although this would work better with Babel on the bench, but still)…

We play the newly discovered 1-5-5 system.

Five defenders. Three in the center, to mark and butcher the opponent’s strikers. Two players wide with the spirit and skills to work the channels.

And five creative players in midfield who are not positioned statically upfront, but who will arrive there.
Just think about it: the opponent’s defense will go berserk!! Who to mark? Where’s Ruud?

It’ll be like:

—————-Sar———————-
Kuyt Heitinga Engelaar Bouma De Cler
Vaart Sneijder Van Persie Afellay Robben

These five will combine and dribble the opponent drunk!

Lots of movement, lots of penetration… I can see it before me.

And if it doesn’t work, we’ll bring our friend Ruud. And Klaas Jan if necessary. Ryan Babel wouldn’t be a shabby option either, but he’s not longer with us this EC…

It’s simple. Either we’re kicked out after three horrible games (and I’ll take the blame) or we conquer the world. Or actually Europe. And the world in 2010.

If you think of it, Man United plays like this. Arsenal plays like this. Brazil in 1982 should have played like this. Even Oranje in 1974 played like this, because JC was everywhere except in the central strikers’ position (which was his).

Vote for Jan now!

Tags: Euro 2008, Kuyt, Persie, Robben, Van Basten

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Comments

Displaying the most recent 25 comments from a total of 42 comments.

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By Matt C. | June 2nd, 2008 at 12:08 pm

Also: “Death or the Gladiola (as we say in Dutch)”

I’ve never heard of this saying – what is it in nederlands?

By goose | June 2nd, 2008 at 12:29 pm

@Matt; it means something like ‘all or nothing’, ‘death or glory’

@Rob; i just see what i see…ive seen Ruud for many years now and he doenst look good to me, sure he scored v Danmark but he missed many more,its not even the scoring im worried about, he act so slow up front…maybe hell be a differnt player once yhe EC start…i do hope so

thanks for the positive thinking anyway

Posted from Netherlands

By Matt C. | June 2nd, 2008 at 1:09 pm

Goose: Thanks, but what how is it written (or said) in Dutch? (just curious)

By Peter vdL | June 2nd, 2008 at 1:36 pm

cannavaro’s injured… surely good news for oranje.

Posted from Germany

By goose | June 2nd, 2008 at 1:37 pm

De dood of de gladiolen… it is said in the same way as it is written, hhaha

Posted from Netherlands

By ferenc | June 2nd, 2008 at 2:18 pm

cannavaro’s injury is not a good news. he was crap this season. he’s only there because of his name. chiellini or bonera are better than him.

Posted from Hungary

By goose | June 2nd, 2008 at 2:57 pm

Chielini was the one who injured him…he will not play at the EC, thats for sure…

@ferenc; are you sure? should we not be happy? i havent seen him play much this year…at least it will give the team a downer; whatever defense they play against us will be their first time playing together..i say we strike at the beginning of the game!! haaha,

Posted from Netherlands

By ferenc | June 2nd, 2008 at 3:04 pm

@goose: i’m sure. i’ve been following spanish football for ages,and he’s a real madrid player. he’s not as good as he used to be. maybe it’s because of the more open-minded spanish system,i don’t know,but cannavaro 2008 is not the cannavaro who won the worldcup for italy. chiellini is a topclass defender (juve). he might become the new materazzi.

Posted from Hungary

By goose | June 2nd, 2008 at 3:10 pm

@ferenc; shit! … but still; dont you think it will affect them that their captain is out?

Posted from Netherlands

By Matt C. | June 2nd, 2008 at 3:12 pm

Goose – bedankt

By Miguel Rosado | June 2nd, 2008 at 3:26 pm

Ruud has to play. He has nothing else to show and we have no time for experiments. Ruud is going to show why Marco was wrong in 2006. He is one of the few players we have with lots of experience and we want to bench him!!! I just find that crazy!!!, although Jan’s formation could work because there are so many creative players that would make Italy crazy I don’t think it’s time to let Ruud on the bench. Ruud is not off form he’s been scoring since he came back from injury and he’s like Luca Toni he doesn’t shine outside the penalty box but he’s very very effective. I bet that if Marco leaves Ruud on the bench Donadoni will be very happy.

By goose | June 2nd, 2008 at 3:28 pm

@MR; i hope youre right my friend

Graag gedaan Matt

Posted from Netherlands

By Miguel Rosado | June 2nd, 2008 at 3:40 pm

Cannavaro got injured and it seems unlikely that he’ll play in the finals!!!.

By Caleb | June 2nd, 2008 at 3:46 pm

Ferenc – I agree that Cannavaro didn’t look the same as he did in WC2006 this year, but he still looks a very solid defender, and I’m sure he would have done very well when playing for Italy. I think it’s a good thing for us that he is out.

Posted from Canada

By frenchnetherlandsfan | June 2nd, 2008 at 4:03 pm

rob …. rob rob rob ^^
what could i say …
of course france is far far ahead for the team balance, and defense.
boumsong is a good player don’t know why u always decry him, but anyway, he’s maybe the last sub, defense is the same since 3 years, sagnol-thuram-gallas-abidal , there’r so ok that evra bench and players like mexes clichy or sagna aren’t in the 23.
makélélé and toulalan are best defensive midfielders i’ve seen this year in whole europe.
i’ve always disliked french team, always admire nederland … but france is of course more ready.
hurt ribery and maybe we’ll be lucky, cause their creatives players crap (for sur also hurt nasri and benzema^^).
i’ll end by saying i’m nearly optimistic, we could beat italy or romania .. but france, it’ll be very very hard.

Posted from France

By ferenc | June 2nd, 2008 at 4:52 pm

@frenchnethetlandsfan: french defence is not as solid as it looks on the paper. thuram is 36 and i’m a barcelona fan,so i’ve been watching him sice his arrival at camp nou. he’s slow and no more secure. he even had serious problems against teams like huelva. he wasn’t a regular at barca,at least. abidal is good in defence but he lacks the creative instinct. at the moment evra is far better. but domenech is a stupid guy and i would bet abidal will start. gallas had a mediocre season,sagnol i don’t know. mexes and flamini should have been selected. vieira might be out due to injury. makelele is getting old and slow. danger will came from ribery and benzema (and probably henry).

@goose and caleb: cannavaro’s absence will have a psychological effect on the squadra. he’s the captain and in the national team he and zambrotta (ex-barca and future-milan) are better than in their clubs,but still… after all italy seems the most dangerous rival. but we shouldn’t think that the romania-game will be easy. italy’s fate depend on pirlo’s form – he hasn’t been too good recently but you never know. he’s the organizer…

Posted from Hungary

By Michel-Olivier | June 2nd, 2008 at 4:59 pm

lads, lads, lads, stop being negative and be positive for the orange. we are going to take game by game. what ever happen, happen.
remember the greeks in 2004 and the danes in 1992, maybe 2008 is the dutch.

Posted from United States

By Jan | June 2nd, 2008 at 5:14 pm

Thanks all… I will report more insights later. But yes, losing your skipper will effect a team. Psychology, hierarchy, confidence, all that. Don’t underestimate the impact of a leader on the pitch and in the dressing room. Sometimes a player’s presence does wonders, see Gullit in the past. Or Davids.

My 1-5-5 tactics is obviously extremely left field and I do realize they can’t do that now anymore. But it would or could have been an option that should have been tried. And correct, AS Roma is successful with this tactics as well. Don’t forget Van Persie plays in the striker role at Arsenal and Afellay – he’d play in my set up – has similar abilities (scoring, penetrating, dribbling). But, it’s all just fire-place banter.

I will publish the results from my Crystal Ball soon, hahahahaaa…

You’ll see how optimistic I am about this tournament!

@Caleb: I will post the predictor stuff. THANKS!

@Goose: I like your pessimism. You should become a Feyenoord fan, man

I do feel Van Nistelrooy is keeping his powder dry for the EC. He’s a tad older and wiser and will not fire on all cylinders in warm up games. The man knows he is a starter and he will give it his all in the finals.

Posted from Australia

By dirk v.d.berg | June 2nd, 2008 at 6:02 pm

My line-up

Kuyt–Heitingia–Mathijsen–Gio
–De Zeeuw–Sneijder–Engelaar-
-van der vaart——–robben—
——–Huntelaar————-

I no I changed the formation, but if Sneijder drops back a bit, it would probably help a lot. Most people disagree, but I think Huntelaar should start, and I also think that they shouldn’t attempt to play van Persie, because if we play a not in form van Persie, it could hamper our chances of winning.

Preds
Holland 2-1 Italy
Holland 1-1 France
Holland 3-1 Romania
Holland 3-0 Russia (Yes I think Russia will go through)
Holland 2-1 Spain
Holland 100000000000-0 Germany (2-1AET actually)

Posted from Canada

By Matt C. | June 2nd, 2008 at 6:11 pm

The Guardian (UK) has posted their assessment of Holland (link: http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/sport/2008/06/02/euro_2008_team_preview_no10_ho.html). Short shrift paid to Engelaar, but all in all it’s not off the mark.

By Jan | June 2nd, 2008 at 8:27 pm

Dirk, I like your comment man. I don’t agree on the Hunter – Nistel switch but I’ll buy you a case of your fave liquor if this prediction works out. As long as it’s not absinthe.

I believe Russia will go through too!

Posted from Australia

By Jan | June 2nd, 2008 at 8:30 pm

Excellent piece in the guardian. Thanks for the link!

Posted from Australia

By Jan | June 2nd, 2008 at 8:40 pm

Totally off topic: how small can the KNVB be in their thinking…

FC Utrecht coach Willem van Hanegem might lose his license! The former EC1 winner, World cup for clubs winner, runner up at the WC for nations (1974) and former champs as a coach (Feyenoord) and former Oranje assistant (2004) needs more “points” to keep his coaching license.

According to the KNVB, he earn these points by organizing football clinics for youth clubs and by attending Coach Union meetings and sign the presence-lists… For crying out loud!!

They appointed him assistant coach in 2002 and now- because he failed to show up at those pathetic coach-union meetings – he might lose his $%&& license????

The man analyzes football on telly, writes columns in newspapers, coaches a club and can still hit a bottle on the cross bar from 50 meters is told by Mr Henk Kesler that he will lose his “license”?

De Kromme has more football in his little toe than Kesler will ever have in his whole body – including his little weenie!

What kind of world do we live in?

18 year olds can go to Iraq and get killed but Willem is banned from coaching football?

I am going crazy I guess…

Posted from Australia

By Mario Rosado (Dutch admirer) | June 3rd, 2008 at 12:16 am

Jan, I really think your experiments are cool but Ruud has to play. He is the best striker we have and a man who can score at any moment, players like him are golden players.

This will be Ruud´s tournament and watch out for Robben, he is coming pretty strong.

By Rob | June 3rd, 2008 at 12:48 am

I’m pretty pissed off that Huntelaar’s not been brought on in either of the last two friendlies actually – Van Basten should be trying him out a bit, rather than Hesselink.

That Guardian guy – not bad, but quite a few people here could do better! Van Persie replacing Ruud up front? How is Johnny Hetinga not “really a centre back at all”?

I do actually agree with his point about Engelaar and De Zeeuw – neither of them plays a holding role. That’s why De Zeeuw needs to go, and Van Bronckhorst or De Jong needs to just sit and shield the defence.

Also, against both Wales and Denmark, Oranje didn’t just sit back – I don’t think that’s “the plan” at all – more like plan B if Italy or France win the possession battle.

Posted from Japan