van Hanegem

I don't know if you could call it a liability, maybe it's a fact that the pace in the PL forces a manager to make a gameplan in which is decided at forehand who will be replaced after 60 minutes?

Ok, but Yoshida was bought in the time they were still working with the Saints am I right? And what to think of Jos Hooiveld who played regularly a couple of years ago? If the academy wasn't able to deliver that kind of players there really must be something wrong! I find it hard to believe that there aren't any English kids who can reach that level so the Saints wouldn't have to buy mediocre defenders from abroad.

LOL We do play 90 minutes but the Eredivisie is much less intense than the PL where you have to give 100% for 90 minutes in almost each game. In Holland it's often more of a tactical game whereas the PL has more to do with fysical power and a lot of running. Players in Holland tend to be a bit lazy compared to the PL, with the exception of the games between Feyenoord, Ajax and PSV off course. Not to worry you but Clasie had his problems in the Eredivisie too. He allways played 90 minutes but you could see him struggling regularly after 60 or 70 minutes and it's no surprise he needs to be replaced after 60 minutes or so in the PL. I wonder if he will ever be able to play a full game for 100%. Off course he's busy to get more "ausdauer" (stamina?) but with his short legs there's only so much he can do to improve. Perhaps you should accept it that there will always be midfielders who can't play 90 minutes in the PL because of the pace. Even great players like Iniesta from Barcelona wouldn't be able to make a full game in the PL.

Hopefully Martina will succeed in Southampton but that would be against all odds, he never made a good impression in the Eredivisie while playing regularly. And as a Dutchman I know the level of the Eredivisie... I won't eat my clog though when he proves me wrong, I was never impressed with Yoshida too when he played with VVV Venlo and even he gets to play every now and then. I find it unbelievable that the Saints aren't able to deliver homegrown defenders who can compete with guys like Martina and Yoshida. What's wrong at the academy?

True, Koeman is known for criticizing players who don't deliver for some time. I don't have a problem with that at all, when you get payed millions to put on a short in public you must face the consequense as well when you play like a turd. I don't believe Koeman does this to wash himself clean, he's just expecting a reaction from the players in order to turn things around. Sometimes this works against Koeman, especially when the results don't get any better. In that case it's better to move on, a manager is "a passer by" anyway. And you're wrong: Koeman doesn't "need" Southampton at all, when he leaves some other job will come along.

I can understand the doubts wether Clasie's physical endurance fits the PL, I had my doubts too when he signed fot the Saints, believing the Italian serie A would be better for him as the pace in that league would fit him better. But now I believe he will make it as he already adds something to the team with his passing. Off course he still needs to improve in many ways but I'd expected that he would play regularly in his second season because it's a big leap from the Eredivisie to the PL. It seems he's adjusting a little faster... Too bad the team is not in great shape at the moment, it's always easier to fit in when things are going well. It would be foolish to expect from Clasie that he already puts his mark on the team, even someone like Iniesta would need more time to cope...

Clasie isn't playing much...

Dutch education of footballers is more about tactical and technical skills and less about growing muscles. Off course the youngsters do train in the gym but apparantly much less or different than English kids, to my knowledge you have to be very carefull with children training in the gym who are not fully grown. Still, it is surprising that Clasie didn't put much effort in building his body when he was at Feyenoord. I'm sure he stopped growing at 16 so he had years to work on his physical strength before crossing the Channel...

Clasie is talking about deli products you put on your bread, I guess he discovered you guys eat spam and stuff like that... Looking at the pic in this article Clasie is growing muscles in his arms... http://www.ad.nl/ad/nl/1049/Oranje/article/detail/4184675/2015/11/12/Clasie-In-Engeland-zijn-spelers-van-13-al-ijzersterk.dhtml

No one in Holland believed Clasie would make it to the first team of Feyenoord as he was too small, looking like a toddler. Due to financial problems and not being able to buy a decent midfielder, Feyenoord gave him a chance and he took it. Last season he was one of the best in the Eredivisie when it came to conquer the ball and setting up a counter attack. Question is: can he do this in the PL also? Though the PL is way more physical than the Eredivisie I believe he can but it will take a season to adept. His pass at Pelle (with the right speed at the right foot of Pelle) which led to the first goal against Bournemouth shows "the kid" can play his passing game in England too, I assume he's far better at this than the other midfielders from the Saints or am I wrong? But he still needs to get more power in order to win duels with his direct opponents, I guess he's on a tight schedule in the gym right now which will pay off in half a year or so. When things work out at Southampton and Clasie becomes a key player I believe he can go all the way to the top. It's going to be interesting to follow his development the coming years!

Quite remarkable that mancity sells season tickets for 300 quid (the cheapest). Yup, that's me being Dutch, I know...

You're probably right, qualification for WC 2018 is not going to be easy for Holland with France and Sweden as the strongest opponents and only the number one will qualify directly (which will be France imo). This tournament might come too early for our current youngsters but for the qualification for EC 2020 they'll have the right age and experience and only need a decent coach.

Koeman used to say that "you have to jump on the train when it comes along" in the past so he left some clubs before the ending of his contract. However, he acknowledged that this harmed his reputation and his career was a bit at a dead end before he joined Feyenoord. He stayed for three years and left with a very good feeling about getting things done. With this experience in mind he won't break his contract as easily as before but off course that might be different when he gets a mega offer from a different club and the Saints go along. Such an offer won't come from the Dutch FA right now as I explained above. Besides, the Dutch FA doesn't pay that the wages he can earn in the PL or in Spain. If he does take the job at the Dutch FA it will be for the honour and his reputation.

Oh yes, we're ****ed off with Blind and the Dutch FA but Bert van Oostveen from the Dutch FA is responsible for having Blind as manager (and Hiddink before him) and when he sacks Blind he has to go himself too. Not going to happen right now but when the national team keeps losing the friendly games too (Holland will be a nice sparring partner for countries who qualified for the EC) things will change and then it will be the right moment for someone like Koeman. Things can only get better for the Dutch team after this misery and there's still enough potential to turn things around. Remember that this nearly very same team became 3rd at the WC in Brazil last year... Koeman would change tactics (he already said he doesn't hold on to the "Dutch School" like Blind and Hiddink did when he doesn't have the right players) and he would get the right players behind him to execute his plans. But first this van Oostveen fellow has to move as Koeman feels this guy has done him wrong and they will have to wait till Koeman's contract at Southampton has ended. And off course there might come an offer from a big club he can't refuse...

Thanks nta, I will add Solanke to your list as I have seen him play over here in Holland for Vitesse. It was only a few times but enough to see his potential, I'll eat my clog when he's not the center forward of England in three years time...

I guess it is strange that a rather small country like Holland did well for a long time, on the other hand we do have great facilities for kids to play football. In every hamlet there is a football club and many times more than one, for each age (starting at 4 years old) there is a competition in which a team plays at least 18 games a year and in addition there are tournaments (cups, friendlies etc.) and many amateur clubs invest in special training sessions. Out of a population of 17 million, the Dutch FA has 1.2 million active members so there is a rich source to pull from. The problem is that too many kids get too pampered these days by there parents and don't have the stamina to overcome difficulties to get ahead. They rather choose something else to do instead...

Ok, thanks for the correction. Could you tell me who are the biggest talents in England at the moment, the ones that will probably make it to the top?

Pundits over here say England doesn't and won't play an important role at the WC or EC anymore because of all the foreigners playing in the PL. English talents don't stand a chance to get experience at the highest level, playing european games with the big clubs and so on. I guess these pundits do have a point but on the other hand England do have some great talents like Barkley and Ramsey right? At Vitesse Arnhem there is an English loanee from Chelsea called Solanke, just 18 years old but it would surprise me if he won't make it to the top, this boy shows real potential... As for the Dutch: I'm not worried that we're out for such a long time as England has thus far. Zhe Germanz are a rolemodel for us, when the German FA realised it was all going wrong they changed policies. They came over to Holland and learned about the way we educate and develop our youth players (technical and tactical skills) and they added this knowledge to their existing programs (organisation, defending and fysical skills). It took them 10 years but see where they are now... I guess Spain is the only country which might keep them off the title and their national team is young enough to reign at the WC in 2018 too. Holland will have to look at how the Germans altered things, starting with special attention on defending (as every Dutch team is always focussed on attacking, defenders are looked upon with some disdain) and fysical programs (Jordy Clasie is a good example of lacking the fysical abilities needed these days). But first things must break down, beginning with failing to qualify for the EC which should lead to some changes in the top of the Dutch FA which failed to see that Holland is getting behind... But I'll sit in my armchair hoping to see some good football from Germany, Spain and an outsider like Belgium. And hopefully from England too!

Michiel Kramer

I was never impressed with Rodgers to say the least, I thought he was very lucky with Suarez when Liverpool came in second and the interviews with him at Match of the Day gave me the impression that the man was clueless when it came to tactics. However, last night I saw a documentary about Swansea and how close they were to enter oblivion and bounced back. After the departure of the manager Martinez they chose Brendan Rodgers who presented the board of Swansea a 'complete dossier' with his vision on football. Too bad there weren't any details told of his vision and I guess Rodgers didn't want to co-operate with the producers of the documentary as he wasn't interviewed like Martinez. Yet, as Swansea made it to the PL with Rodgers at the helm, he surely must have some abilities?

Yup, we're screwed as Turkey won't lose at home against Iceland next tuesday. But to be honest, Holland doesn't deserve it's place at the EC as we're just not good enough anymore. We've had our spell for a couple of decades in which we could rely on the exceptional talents of the likes of Cruyff, van Hanegem, Gullit, van Basten, Bergkamp etc and also on the great tactical insight and technical skills of our players. Though we came in second and third in the last two WC's it was clear Holland wasn't able to play their usual attractive football based on talent and tactical skills anymore, our game became very poor to look at. With Sneijder, van Persie and Robben nearing the end of their careers we don't have any players left at the moment who are able to reach their level so we're in for a long time of gloom. Players like Depay, Wijnaldum, Clasie do have talent off course but they aren't exceptional good. Luckily we have some great ex-players and coaches who sound the alarm bells (like Koeman did last week at a gathering of Dutch coaches) and urge for changes in our youth education. So one day we will bounce back!

VVD was tested a couple of times but every time he was dismissed as the managers weren't convinced of his abilities. Stefan de Vrij got injured so VVD got another chance and he played a solid game though it was only Kazachstan we were playing... The idiot manager Danny Blind said after the game that VVD is making progress now he is playing in the PL, as if a couple of games in the PL is making the difference.

Up for grabs then... In that case Klopp will look for "zhe Germanzz"...

Strange bunch they are... But I guess Klopp will do better for them than brainless Brendan as he's proven he knows something about tactics. On the other hand, as we like to say in Holland: "a manager/coach is as good as his material allows him to be..." So Klopp will be needing to buy some enforcements... What's the current pricetag on Mane?

"Liverpool Football Club is not a job, as so many have come to realise, it is a calling."