Who to replace Arjen Robben?

i voted for affelay.

Posted from  Hungary

how good is afellay on vs one and at running? cuz we need a penetrating type of player… kuyt sneijder and vaart arnt great dribblers.

Posted from  Switzerland

If he’s fit, how can anyone not vote for Van Persie?!

Posted from  Japan

Van Persie when he’s fit, sure. But he isn’t. Afellay is one of the most skilled individual players with Van Persie. Tremendous in one on one situations and good penetration skills… Sjite, this sounds like porn!

Posted from  Australia

no matter wat is his level of skillness , van basten shud put ibra at left( if Robin is fit then its no prob surely robin at left).
well we all know afellay is less experinced of all but its not the concern he has got pace skill and good attacking footballer as well. Why not we do an experiment at least for 1st half. we really need a top class attacker down the left and kuyt isnt the one in my view. Put on Ibrahim tell him do watever u can , no pressure, show everything and i hope we get a good result.
i guess the dutch camp is not that disappointed. they have a great bunch of player who r mentally very strong , played at top most level. yah it wud b great to have robin n robben at starting 11, but without them a draw wud b a fine result. But i dont think they will go for a draw.let them come against france and then against romania and we will show wat we can do. and one thing whoever plays at left back he shud play his level best and shud make us feel that robben is not absent.

Posted from  Nepal

I say Start with Dirk Kuyt, Van Persie is not 100 % fit, and Afellay is still not mature enough he goes forward and does not come back to defend.
mayebe Afellay would be a good option in the last 30 min of the game

So if Marco reads this blog then he will no doubt notice that as one of the 2 million plus Dutch coaches living outside Holland, he should follow my instructions.
Relatively simple, substitute Robben with Affelay purely as no one really knows him or how to play him and he has no nerves at that age. After 60 min and we are leading 1-0 put in Kuyt to run the Italians ragged and cover double the metres a normal player would. This will free up Ruud and vPersie who by then may already be playing.
Oh Yes and Marco please utilize Engelaar in both attack and defence to use his head, Just stand there he is already higher than most. No need to jump man.

Posted from  Singapore

Hey Jan,
even though I’m Switzerland blogger and I’d support Switzerland against the Netherlands my Dutch blood hails me for tomorrow’s game, we have to win against the Italians. Living in Italy and being the only dutchman here in Rome I have to get a chance to mock my Italian friends.

By the way, do you know of the wonderful EK stamps by the Dutch Post?
http://onlinewinkel.tntpost.nl/onlinewinkel/default.asp?cookie_test=1

I’ve received 5 from my Dutch grandparents, there are 4 sets with 5 players each. The set I received has van Nistelrooij, Bouma, Emanuelson, van der Vaart Seedorf.

Doei

Posted from  Italy

Afellay. He’s one of the best dribblers in the team now.

Posted from  Australia

There is no natural replacement for Robben imo.

Posted from  Canada

And now, lets get ready for the first big upset of the tournament. Poland beating the Krauts 1-0, and every Dutch fan in the world goes mental.

Ballack gets his boot accendentally stuck in his big mouth, falls over, pulls down an unknown Polish player in the penalty area, and another equally unknown Polish player scores convincingly from the spot. Lehman is sent home after the game to finish his anger management treatment.

You read it here first.

Posted from  United States

….and finnster’s prediction is quickly disassembled.

should be a good game tomorrow. i would love for Italy (obviously) and the Netherlands to advance out of the group.

Germany are such a bunch of scummy toolbags. If the final ended up Germany-Portugal I don’t think I’d watch it.

Posted from  Japan

Jan more news please… whos gonna start? what does marco van basten think? is affelay ready? i noe ur busy and are doin a fantastic job already but the oranje feaver is really getting to me.. i cant wait for tomorrow but at the same time im nervous to not hear anything from van basten and who hes going to play..

Posted from  Switzerland

And so it looks like I was very wrong. Podolski just made it 2-0 Krauts. Ironic he was born in Poland…I can see some distant relatives having a few problems right now

Posted from  United States

Breaking News…Robben ruled out for the France game as well…he trained by himself today and has a pulled groin. Prognosis is 7 days.

Posted from  United States

Podolski, Klosse and Gomez! What a great “German” attack! Dissapointing for Poland, yet another loss to Germany. Ref screwed up the off side call! Podolski,why did you choose the Nazi side? You would have looked better in Red and White! Congrats on two goals regardless!

Posted from  United States

@Ryan: WT…!? Where are you reading this? It’s like I’m supporting a china cabinet ffs! I demand v. Basten wrap their legs with pillows for their next practise.

I voted afellay . although id love to see huntelaar get on the pitch and show his worth to the world. maybe van basten can play with 2 strikers up front? or else just replace robben with afellay and ruud with hunter.

If this is practise, what do you think will happen when Gattuso and Mazzeratti gets their hand on them on Monday? There won’t be 11 fit players left to play France if this keeps up.

God forbid, I am just waiting to hear news about EVDS pulling a hamstring as well…This is ridiculous. Don’t these guys warm up properly ?(certainly Babel didn’t, not sure of Robben, and Van Persie heals as fast as a leper victim back in 1842). Don’t Oranje have proper strenght coaches that let these guys warm up properly, and stretch out properly after games? There are too many injuries for this to be a coincident. They need to seriously look at the routines. I agree with Matt C, it certainly does look like a china cabinet, and somebody please keep the bull and Stevie Wonder out of it please…This is bordering ridiculous now, and we have not played a game yet…

Posted from  United States

between 7 and 10 days out for robben (vanbasten said).
missing italy, france, and not sure neither for romania.
van basten is still allowed to call another player until tomorrow,
i’m not sure he made the right decision to keep robben in.
if he’s lucky he’d play the last game, and of course not at 100%.
vanbasten runs the risk we were out of the tournament before robben’d play again at his top. (an enormous big urge lot of risks actually)
if i was drenthe, i think i’d rather spend a month in a monastery

Posted from  France

Wel Wel i dont know much about medical practice but what i do know we will have spageti for lunch tommorow or dinner depends what time zone your in hey guys this is all about fun just enjoy and have fun ORANGE team will win man this dutch team has more comments in it then any other great we get all this attention i just love it nr 1 van of the Orange team in Aruba greeting.

Posted from  Aruba

Finnster, I am laughing my socks off, although it’s not a laughing matter… But you’re funny and you’re right!

Posted from  Australia

Afellay will show his skills! Holland rules!

HAHAHAHAHA we are the champions did you see that game wauw world class the first 3 goals in this EURO CUP and ho did it THE ORANGE LIONS we rule and will keep on the great job

Posted from  Aruba