The Dutch National Soccer Team

[Cork Evertonian]

Supported them as a second team since 1988. Quite sad to see the decline, going from world cup finalists in 2010 to where they are now. These things tend to go in circles i suppose so I'm sure they will be back eating at the top table again.

I know for a fact that there's some good youngsters coming through at Ajax.A strong Ajax normally lead's to a strong dutch national team.I think really hiring Danny Blind as manager of the national team seriously hindered their world cup qualifying campaign.But yeah the Netherlands may be down right now, but their not out.As Dutch Toffee said,the fact that so many teams over there play on plastic pitches is a major hindrance.Perhaps the dutch FA should introduce a law banning the usage of them.

 

[Cork Evertonian]

Its all about money. Normally players were staying till 25-27 but now clubs like man city, chelsea, man utd and arsenal are bringing in 16 or 17 year olds. Couple of years ago holland u17 won the european championship with 7 players from Feyenoord. After that tournament 4 of them left to England.(Bruma, rekik, ebicilio and ake)

The dutch league is some kind of a youth league at the moment. Last year before the Europa league final i saw a piece about man utd spending more money in the last three years than ajax since WW2. That tells you everything.

Yeah the clubs outside of Ajax Feyenoord and PSV are feeder clubs, for those big three clubs of dutch football.Ajax Feyenoord and PSV in turn seem to be feeder clubs for teams in the English German and Spanish leagues.Johan Cruyff was very critical of Ajax's policy of being content with just winning the Eredivisie, and then being a feeder club for teams in the big four leagues of europe.

 

[Huyton Layne]

Lol i don't know what came over me there.I want all yank on the forum.lol

i honestly thought it was your normal word for it. My mate from Clare calls it soccer but I think his primary game is Gaelic

 

[Cork Evertonian]

i honestly thought it was your normal word for it. My mate from Clare calls it soccer but I think his primary game is Gaelic

No one i know in Ireland uses the word soccer in general conversation.So the guy from Clare is in a minority there.

 

[PITA]

I quite like them being crap to be honest.

I wish the Germans were crap.

 

[Cork Evertonian]

I suppose Germany were in a similar situation after a dismal Euro 2000.Then they were hammered 5-1 by England in a world cup qualifier.People were wondering what has happened to German football.But they turned it around.They reorganized their structures, and in less than a year they were in a world cup final, and they won the last world cup as well.

 

[PITA]

I suppose Germany were in a similar situation after a dismal Euro 2000.Then they were hammered 5-1 by England in a world cup qualifier.People were wondering what has happened to German football.But they turned it around.They reorganized their structures, and in less than a year they were in a world cup final, and they won the last world cup as well.

We can take comfort from the fact that they were crap for about 2 months. They never seem to play fair. Other teams do and spend decades being crap.

 

[Khalekan]

There have been periods where Dutch football has been stuck in the wilderness before. I mean, they didn't qualify for a single World Cup in the 80's for instance

This period is really troubling though. I don't think they've ever missed out on two consecutive major tournaments in my lifetime

There just isn't much money on the Dutch league outside of the main teams, and it's hurting the national team

@Dutch Toffee what are your thoughts?

I didn't realise they never qualified for a Workd Cup in the 80s, Mike.

And they had a great team in the 88 Euros, with Van Basten, Gullitt, Rikjaard etc.

 

[Billy Dean]

I suppose Germany were in a similar situation after a dismal Euro 2000.Then they were hammered 5-1 by England in a world cup qualifier.People were wondering what has happened to German football.But they turned it around.They reorganized their structures, and in less than a year they were in a world cup final, and they won the last world cup as well.

They got to the 2002 final because they had an easy draw. They were crap. From 2000-2004 they were crap.

 

[Jamo Martinez]

They're just jarg Belgs anyway

 

[Cork Evertonian]

They got to the 2002 final because they had an easy draw. They were crap. From 2000-2004 they were crap.

They were crap but they turned it around.Hopefully the Dutch do the same.

 

[Cork Evertonian]

We can take comfort from the fact that they were crap for about 2 months. They never seem to play fair. Other teams do and spend decades being crap.

I kind of admire the way German teams get the job done by hook or by crook.Sure they may be cynical at times but all winning teams need that.They never play fair you say.But that's the thing PITA life just ain't fair.

 

[PITA]

I kind of admire the way German teams get the job done by hook or by crook.Sure they may be cynical at times but all winning teams need that.They never play fair you say.But that's the thing PITA life just ain't fair.

I think that you might have misunderstood. Not saying that the Germans don't play fair per se. I meant that they don't play fair by only being crap for a short time. Also a big admirer of their tournament record.

 

[Cork Evertonian]

I think that you might have misunderstood. Not saying that the Germans don't play fair per se. I meant that they don't play fair by only being crap for a short time. Also a big admirer of their tournament record.

Still though it was enjoyable seeing the Germans being crap.Even if it didn't last very long.lol

 

[TheBigIguana]

Their problem is they are always trying to play 4-3-3 and pass from the back but end up just passing between defenders and never getting the ball forward into dangerous areas