Dick Advocaat was in a bullish mood. Realistically, the Netherlands had to win their last two group games convincingly to stand any chance of making it to the World Cup after another tortuous qualifying campaign. Even then, Sweden could take matters out of their hands with a heavy win over Luxembourg. It was something the Dutch press and public feared, but seemingly not the manager.
“They won’t win 8-0. What a stupid question that is. 8-0? Well no, I don’t believe that,” replied Advocaat, when the prospect was put to him in his pre-match press conference. Fatally for the Netherlands’ chances, and embarrassingly for the manager, Sweden won by precisely that scoreline. After victory in Belarus, the Dutch lined up for their final match in a curiously resigned atmosphere, needing to beat Sweden by a seven-goal margin.
Despite Arjen Robben’s best efforts in what proved to be his last international appearance, the Netherlands unsurprisingly missed out on a place in the play-offs by goal difference. It capped off a miserable four-year cycle for the national team, who have now failed to make it to the last two major tournaments. The disappointment was palpable and Advocaat brought his third stint as Netherlands manager to a close a month later.
Although they’ve never won the World Cup, the Dutch have a proud record at the tournament, particularly for such a small country. This summer they will be missing for the first time since 2002, having finished as runners up in South Africa and beaten semi-finalists in Brazil. The failure to qualify for an expanded Euro 2016, finishing behind the Czech Republic, Iceland and Turkey, was considered a shameful blip, but now seems revealing of a wider malaise.
The manager has changed regularly, with the disastrous Danny Blind sandwiched in-between old-stagers Guus Hiddink and Dick Advocaat, but results and momentum haven’t. Previously a staple of the top 10, the Netherlands have slid down the FIFA rankings and currently find themselves in 21st. Much soul-searching has accompanied the latest failure, with difficult questions about where they go from here.
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The Total Football model that was the foundation for their success in the 1970s has been tweaked as time has gone on, but an underlying emphasis on attractive, attacking football remains. The Dutch have long been wedded to a technical 4-3-3 system, with pace out wide and an emphasis on rapid transitions, that has helped them to punch above their weight in population terms. In recent years, this philosophy has no longer been treated with quite the same unquestioning reverence.
Louis van Gaal achieved tremendous results with a rather limited squad at the last World Cup, memorably blowing away reigning champions Spain on the way to topping their group, with a counter-attacking 3-5-2 that made the most of the resources at his disposal. He incurred the wrath of Johan Cruyff for doing so but demonstrated the importance of adaptability to optimise performances. In Dutch football, the debate around idealism or pragmatism comes heavily-loaded.
It’s something that the new manager will continue to wrestle with. Ronald Koeman was appointed last month and takes charge of his first game against England tonight. He’s spoken about restoring pride and envisaging a positive future for the national team based around some bright young players. Five of his squad are uncapped, including the exciting Justin Kluivert and Guus Til.
The bigger concern is the talent vacuum left behind since a number of key figures have retired or fallen out of favour, like Arjen Robben, Wesley Sneijder and Robin van Persie. From regularly having a handful of world class players in their prime to call on, the Netherlands squad now looks functional but nothing more. Outstanding replacements have yet to emerge, with a dearth of real quality amongst those in their peak years. It simply adds to an already challenging task.
The Dutch have tended to enliven international tournaments with their vibrant orange shirts, fanatical supporters and exciting style of football, but they will be missing from Russia this summer. While far from a vintage crop of players, Koeman has the raw ingredients and time needed to lift the Netherlands’ low spirits. Failure to make Euro 2020 doesn’t bear thinking about.
