Weak Oranje can’t control the game

Typical pic: Van Bommel doing whatever and Culina just watching it, cool and collected…

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Bert van Marwijk has had his first disappointing experience with Holland’s best. It wasn’t the result so much, nor the difficult and toothless second half. Van Marwijk was primarely annoyed with the game play of his team in the first 45 minutes.

Five days before a serious WC qualification game – the start of Oranje’s campaign – Oranje lacked sharpness and concentration in the execution. Elements that seemed so well groomed against Russia in their first game post-EC.

Whenever the team collectively wanted to pressure the Aussies, one or more Oranje players didn’t deliver. Or an unnecessary foul was the result in the ax of the field. The cooperation between De Jong, Van Bommel and Ooijer/Mathijsen was lacking, to say it in a friendly fashion. Against Russia, these four disarmed danger-man Arshavin, but Australia was constantly able to find AZ-player Brett Holman in midfield

Van Marwijk was honest in his analysis: “I was suprised. Really, Australia played our offensive midfielder Van der Vaart much better than we did against Holman. We discussed it during half time and with ten men we did better against them. That was a huge disappointment.”

It doesn’t have to mean anything for the Wednesday execution, but a bad dress rehearsal can best be followed by a game in a packed Kuip in Rotterdam than in the dreaded venue in Skopje. The opponent and their fans will try anything to get Oranje out of their rhythm.

Macedonia did it before, in 2004. The Dutch federation did everything they could to allow Oranje to start their campaign at home, but Macedonia didn’t flinch. They even start with two home games: Holland and Scotland. The Madeconian coach let slip that they count on four points out of these two games. The first three are in the bag, after their 1-0 win over the Scots.

Van Marwijk won’t change his starting eleven, looking at his decisions in the past. In his first press conference he already stated that he wants to play a fixed team as much as possible. If a player has a bad day, this won’t affect his next starting position.

If Arjen Robben is top fit, he will probably come in for Ryan Babel. The winger was rested against Australia due to a knock on his ankle he took with him from Madrid.

John Heitinga, causing Stekelenburg’s red card and the penalty, will stay right full back, although the Atletico player himself repeated again that his best position is center back.

Since Michael Reiziger retired in 2004, the right full back position is a bit of a worry (Kromkamp, Ricksen, Ooijer, Boulah, Heitinga, Melchiot have all been tested there), but Van Marwijk doesn’t want to keep on experimenting. “We need stability,” he said.

Huntelaar’s substitution was a bit sad. The Ajax striker scored a good goal and played well, but had to be sacrificed for reserve goalie Henk Timmer. The latter had to concede a second goal after another defensive mistake; Wiltshire was allowed some time and space to cross the ball in and Mathijsen had lost track of his opponent, allowing him a free header.

Huntelaar wasn’t happy with his exit. “I was a bit disappointed when minutes later, Van Persie couldn’t go on due to a little injury. I’ll have to accept that Robin didn’t feel that injury when I was taken out.”

Is there the first seed of another rift within Oranje?