The Orange had a disappointing start to the Koeman II era. France lost big (4-0) and only won 3-0 against tiny Gibraltar. Immediately there is criticism. Willem van Hanegem (79), ex-Orange international and columnist of General Journal, is strict. “They’ve been messing around.”

Van Hanegem makes no bones about it: “It would be crazy if I said it went great. It just hit really hard. You missed a number of players against France, but the problem was that we were dead in the first minute. The Netherlands was very anxious: playing from left to right, and back again. Then you say to France: we are afraid.”

However, brand new national coach Ronald Koeman intended to get rid of the defensive 5-3-2 that did lead to the quarterfinals at the past World Cup, but former national coach Louis van Gaal came in for a lot of criticism. “Koeman must stick to his plan. Now all the scary people – types who first thought that the Netherlands didn’t even have to travel to Qatar – are saying that Louis did a great job. But then it was not at all to peep at.”

Van Hanegem cites the elimination in the quarterfinals against Argentina as an example. “At the end of the game you made it 2-2 and you had the Argentines on their knees, but the Netherlands surrendered and switched back. Van Gaal was so sure of his penalties that I even started to believe it with my crazy head. That keeper who was going to stop all the balls (Noppert, BFA) always ducked into the wrong corner. They should have just pressed on and played all or nothing. It was the same as Belgium in recent years. You should have reached at least one final with that team, right? But you also had such a ‘shit’ as national coach with Martínez. At Portugal he was now clapping again with every goal against a shitty country. That’s a pity. He had the best equipment Belgium has ever had.”

No toppers

Back to the current Orange. In addition to France and Gibraltar, the Netherlands is still in a group with Ireland and Greece. “They manage that easily. Nor should we pretend that there is no quality at all. They are better than they have shown now. It was just bad once and you can call it that. Otherwise, you are fooling yourself and the people at home. Everyone has seen them mess around. The players themselves realize that.”

Quality to secure qualification is therefore still there. Competing with the top is another story. For example, the Orange lacks a goal scorer of the level of Van Basten, Kluivert or Van Persie. “Depay is not a real striker. I think Vincent Janssen van Antwerp – with whom Mark van Bommel does an excellent job – has more as a striker than Weghorst. It is a mystery to me why Janssen has declined for the national team. Well, in the Netherlands they always go too fast.”

“By the way, I hear good stories about Bart Verbruggen from Anderlecht”, Van Hanegem picks up on the goalkeeper problem with our northern neighbours. “It is once again time for a top player to come between the posts in the Netherlands. In my period, the national team could choose from eight good keepers. I sometimes have the feeling that our goalkeepers have only gotten worse since the introduction of goalkeeper trainers.” (BFA)