van Hanegem

You're welcome Moonraker. Breaking away from the EU is risky off course but so is staying on as the goal is to form a union which will have all the power and England and the Netherlands and so on are mere provinces obliged to be dictated by this new "empire". Did you know that the nazi's had a Plan B in case their "1000-year Reich" would not happen? Yup, the ultimate form of the EU is a lookalike of their Plan B... In order to succeed it's necessary that feelings of national identity and culture are diminished and step by step this is happening in Holland. The introduction of the Euro, the import of thousands and thousands of (economic) refugees and the implementation of European laws (it is said that up to 70% of the laws in Holland are coming from Brussels), it all seems part of a plan to slowly alter the unity among the Dutch into some European citizenship. You could argue this isn't such a bad thing but I believe that eventually things will get ugly as the standard of living is already going down the hill for a lot of people. Cuts on care for elderly, jobs taken over by eastern europeans who are much cheaper, the emergence of a parallel society combined with xenophobia against muslims who don't assimilate, it could all lead to an explosive situation and we all know what happened in the past... I don't trust a Nigel Farrage or a Geert Wilders in Holland and I don't like the way they are are addressing the problems, I believe their popularity is just the result of failing politicians from the other parties. However, they are the only voice of the people who are fed up with the current situation and I do hope that their popularity will lead to a break up of the current EU (though I realise this is far from real). Your remark about gaining an equitable deal for the UK sounds a bit awkward to me. Maybe I do not understand you in the right way as it comes across as a kind of bail out financed by other Europeans... Just like all those eastern European countries want to get in the EU because off the benefits they get but don't want the duties coming along with the membership. That's not the way it should work...

Oh, we have the same people over here. They usually look away when they're confronted with all the negative sh*t caused by the EU. Just like they do when you criticise on the negative impact of the islam in Western Europe. I couldn't care less...

Me too, a trade union suits me just fine. You should be glad that England doesn't participate in the Euro currency, the ECB is printing money in a ridiculous way which results in such a low interest that the Dutch pensionsystem (one of the best in the world) could collapse. It's a farce... Next week there is a referendum in Holland about the treaty the EU has planned with the Ukraine. It's believed that many Dutch will vote against it just because they're sick of the EU and it's incompetence. I hope there will be a massive "no" but I reckon it won't happen as I don't get the impression that many people care or know what's at stake.

I'm just a simple Dutchman so I hope that the Brexit will happen as it could be the first step of the downfall of this monster called EU. I'm all for Europe but against a union in its current structure with too much political power and too many politicians who are making a mess of it. Besides, there are too many differences between east, south and northern european countries so it won't ever work out, there's simply not enough support from too many citizens. So, before we have to pay taxes directly to Brussels, let's kill this monster... The costs of a breakaway will probably be immense (especially for countries with the Euro as a currency) but at least each country will have the possibility to take measures to deal with them instead of following orders from Brussels which lead to nowhere.

Now that would be something... However, in that case it will be difficult to stay in the top 10.

Can't imagine Koeman willing to sign a contract with the KNVB as long as Bert van Oostveen is in charge there. Koeman was ****ed off when van Oostveen chose Hiddink and he is not one who forgives or forgets. But as England failed to finish off the Dutch yesterday, we'll be stuck with Danny Blind for another year...

Bazoer would be a fine choice but with Bayern Munich, Barcelona, Juventus etc. following him I doubt the Saints have a chance. Though I gess it would be better for Bazoer to start at a club like Saints as he will get more time to play...

Like I said Vectis, I know he's doing a good job for the Saints but it's totally different with the Dutch national team. Not that the other defenders are any better but Virgil has been a source of unrest too many times now with weak defending while there aren't any others to correct his mistakes. The defence is really shaky and the Dutch are desperate for a central defender who can organise the defense and keep the door shut. Thus far Virgil is not that CB though I have to admit that I don't know which Dutch defender should take his place at this moment. Maybe van Dijk can add something to the national team when they start playing better and there's need for Virgil's qualities.

You couldn't be more wrong, the so called pundits on dutch television said that van Dijk should play for the national team.

To be honest: the Dutch do not have great central defenders like Jaap Stam anymore and I can understand why Virgil is selected. He's big, a good header and he does have a the occasionally good long ball. But he does make mistakes which show he's not the central defender the Dutch desperately need. Look at his mistakes in the game against the Czechs and you'll know what I mean. It's not just this game, I remember some games with Southampton also. Wasn't it against Spurs when Koeman was angry with Virgil? Off course I do hope that van Dijk will be the central defender the Dutch can rely on but at this moment he is not that man. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aiESksXFh58

Nah, we lost at home against Luxemburg back in the '60s before Cruyff changed some things. But this team and the way we play comes close to the worst ever. We lack some talent (and Robben off course) and to make things worse: we still have to make do with that idiot Danny Blind as the manager. Hopefully England will destroy Oranje so Blind will be sent away, opening the door for someone who is able to make things better. I have to admit that I don't like to see van Dijk play for Oranje. I know he's doing a good job for the Saints but he's just too limited to play as a central defender, especially when things get better and a new manager is going to try to make the Dutch play like they used to do in the past. I do have my hopes for Clasie for the future...

Agreed, next season will be decision time for Clasie. He says he's at 75% at the moment so there's room to improve. But I do have my doubts if 25% improvement will be enough for him to cope with the power in the PL for a full season.

Indeed, you have to look further and then you can conclude that Cruyff changed the game. Not only in the seventees as a player for the orange squad, Ajax and Barcelona but later on as a coach also. Besides, Messi and Ronaldo are fantastic players and a joy to watch but put them in a mediocre team and I believe their star won't shine so bright anymore like it doesn't when they play for their national teams. Cruyff was capable to make any team competitive and not just by being a player who made the difference on the pitch (like Maradona did with Naples and Argentina) but by coaching his teammates on and off the pitch and adjusting the tactics during the game. This is what Koeman said last year in may when things turned ut well for him at Southampton: "I've had some great years with Rinus Michels as a manager but Cruyff was the coach in my career, he was the most influential person for me. The fact that I got the chance to be part of his Dream Team is without doubt the very height of my career as a player. Not just the successes but also the beautiful way we played: Cruyff made it all possible..."

Though being a Feyenoord fan (hence my nick) I can only admit that Cruyff was the best player I've ever seen on a pitch. True: Messi, Maradona, Best, Pele, Di Stefano and so on are at the same level when it comes to skills (and in some ways even better) but Cruyff added much more than just scoring goals, technical skills etc. He directed the whole team wether it was Ajax, Barcelona or the Dutch National team he was playing for. He was the man with the ideas and the creativity on and off the pitch, deciding which player should play in which position and doing so he changed the way the game was played. There has never been a player as complete as Cruyff was and I doubt there will ever be another one like him. He played his last season for Feyenoord, the arch rivals of his so beloved Ajax. Why? Just to take revenge at the idiots at Ajax who told him he was too old instead of letting the decision to quit to himself. Cruyff made Feyenoord the champions and cup winners in his last year when he was already 36 and way past his best years. See him play here next to a young Ruud Gullit and enjoy his still phenomenal passing skills... [video=youtube;T3-_Z4Rolx4]

MotM for me though he was struggling in the first half like the whole team did. Setting up two goals for Mane and one great finish, that's Pelle back in form...

Elia says he didn't hit anyone but he told it was stupid to go out on a thursday night... He has to pay a fine from the club and that's that. Hopefully he will do better for Feyenoord the next few weeks as he doesn't meet the expectations for too long now...

Oh, I just compared Ziyech with Tadic because he's another technical gifted player from FC Twente and the latter does have his problems with the pace and the power of the PL, that's all. I agree, Ziyech has the "faster feet" but if he's fast enough to stay out of duels? I have my doubts and surely you will agree that he looks fragile compared to the average defender in the PL. But I would like him to prove me wrong as he's one of the truly gifted players left in the Eredivisie. Too bad he won't play for the Dutch national team. Though Haller is not the fastest around he does add something to a team like FC Utrecht in the penalty area and I rate him higher than Milik from Ajax or Kramer from Feyenoord don't you? However, like I said above, it will be a big gamble when Koeman buys him. But then again, Leicester gambled right with Mahrez who also played for a second division club in France...

You're right and I forgot to add that the AD is usually misinformed...

Yes, I quite like Haller and I would like to see him play for Feyenoord. However, Ajax is also looking for a striker and they do have the cash to pick him up for 6 or 7 million euro's. FC Utrecht picked this guy from a second division club in France for as little as 500K and it turned out very good for them. Haller is a clever center forward with some nice skills and he keeps his cool in front of the goal. But then again, the Eredivisie is way behind when it comes to defending and pace compared to the PL so it will be a lucky shot when Koeman is seriously interested...

Ziyech is the best attacking midfielder in the Eredivisie at this moment but if he's up for the PL? Tadic looks like a bodybuilder compared to Ziyech... It would be better for Ziyech to stay in the Eredivisie for one more season before he leaves the Netherlands. And when he does leave I guess he would better take a chance in Spain or Italy. According to the Dutch newspaper AD Koeman wants striker Sebastien Haller from FC Utrecht when Mané leaves. Yup, another player from the Eredivisie... http://www.ad.nl/ad/nl/11264/TransferTalk/article/detail/4218865/2016/01/05/TT-Ook-Chelsea-en-Bayern-willen-Mane-Van-Gaal-niet-bereid-Fellaini-te-verhuren.dhtml

I thought everone knew the Scottish competition is even worse than the Finnish...

Yoshida also came directly from the Eredivisie and even for Dutch standards he was a mediocre defender back then. I thought Hooiveld also went straight from Holland to Southampton but that isn't true, he first went to Finland ans some other Scandinavian countries... You could say Alderweireld came from the Eredivisie also as he seldomly played for Atletico Madrid. Even he wasn't top of the bill in Holland but he did alright for the Saints, hopefully van Dijk will do as well as him. Hopefully the academy will deliver better defenders in the future...

Maybe Koeman should have replaced him after 60 minutes?

Ziyech is at this moment the best attacking midfielder in the Eredivisie, even better than Tadic was when he played for Twente. But if he's fysically up for the PL? I doubt it...

I know off course that the academy has delivered some good players and as far as I know it's still the best in England. That's why I don't understand that the Saints picked up some mediocre defenders from the Dutch competition instead of giving their own youth a chance. This happens at many clubs with too much money but in my opinion it should be different with the Saints because of their policy.