The College Dropout

Since 1974 The Netherlands have been to: 3 WC final 3 WC semi 3 Euro semi Won Euro 88 Thats 10 semi-final appearances in 30 years. But not a powerhouse. That's certainly more SF appearances than Spain. More than any European nation outside of Germany and Italy I would guess.

Claiming Netherlands have not been an international powerhouse is absolutely absurd. I'm talking quality of player. WC appearances doesn't tell the whole story. 2002 team would've had Reizeger, Stam, Seedorf, Zenden, Kluivert, Davids & Makaay all in their 20's. Would've had RVN and Robben in the ranks too. They didn't miss out due to a lack of quality. The following Euros they got to the semi's - that team was excellent on paper. They won the Euros in 88. 1986 was before my time but again, I can only assume the reason for not making the previous World Cup - again - was not down to a lack of quality. This past 4-6 years they haven't developed any quality. This is the first time that's happened - in my lifetime and maybe can only be compared to the early 80's rut. From 1974ish to 2014 - the Netherlands was seemingly never more than 1 tournament away from challenging. Apart from maybe a 3-4 year spell in the early 80's. 35-40 years of consistently producing top quality footballers is a result of some systemic phenomena. That's not an outlier, a purple patch or punching above your weight. 40 years - that was their level. This isn't a regress to a mean or where they should be. They've fallen off and unless they start to produce players again soon, we might be seeing a historic shift. What your saying might apply to Croatia, Greece, Uruguay or Belgium. For periods they have punched above their weight and have gone long periods of time being pretty poor (maybe Croatia have always been pretty handy actually).

I don’t entirely buy the population thing. Suriname is a nation of half a million with a wider diaspora. For 20 years straight Surinamese (is that right?) descendants have been good footballers as a disproportionate rate. Now it’s stopped. The a mean was the previous output imo. This is a slump not a return to the mean. Netherlands overall were a top nation for 30-40 straight years more or less. They can’t be compared to Belgium. Netherlands have been good for too many generations.

Genuine question. Are you more interested in just contradicting me or do you actually rate Janmaat - specifically regarding his time at NUFC as a fullback?

Bolasie's a good player but I will never forget how he tore Daryl apart in the 5-1 that day. Then I realised, the lad would be sleeping week in week out defensively. When the wind blew, Janmaat would fall.

He's started 13 of the last 15 games for Watford Ok this new one seems to like him. Point remains, he's a bang average footballer all things considered. A poor full back. Wouldn't get in the England squad. ANd was a bad player for us when he was here most importantly.

Janmaat is a slight upgrade on Elmohamady. Neither are fullbacks. Lack the pace or trickery to be wingers so make decent wing back options at best. On a good day they can look quality. He can't even get a regular start at Watford under 3 managers. When you have shit managers, sometimes you can over-rate the players when they show glimpses of ability. When we first signed him I was really impressed. He looks a player technically and is fairly big for FB. However, he can't fucking jump, got beaten by smaller men at the back post again and again. And was always sleeping defensively.

At the moment I reckon England get ko'd at group stage or R16. It's a joke in goal. No faith in Stones & Jones. Over-reliant on Wilshere in midfield. I think we have some nice attacking options but I don't think we've figured out how to get the best of them. Kane & Sterling need to start and we need to get the best out of them. Then we see how we can get Rashford, Lallana, Vardy & Alli involved somehow.

Tbf Wijnaldum is playing regularly in a Liverpool side that have been excellent, Anita was a young up and comer and looked decent before he got Pardewed, and Janmaat while having gone down hill was a pretty decent fullback, especially when he first joined us. They made a Semi Final with Gini & Janmaat key players. With a close to prime Robben, Van Persie and Sneijder. We were relegated with those two lads as actual key players. As in the ones to make THE real difference. Those lads are not those kind of players. Gini & Janmaat do have talent but for whatever reason, they don't make it count enough. And the other Dutch lads we had here with international caps were plain old bobbins or always injured.

Sometimes being class, sometimes being shit > Always qualifying but never doing anything decent Wasn’t really comparing. Even when they’ve missed tournaments. Quality wise the Dutch were great. Always a number of quality players. My entire life span pretty much. Gullit, Davids, Overmars, Makaay, Van Nistelrooy, Robben and then the production line suddenly stopped. Did the lack of money in the Dutch game kill the development? Similar could be said of France but their youth ranks are thriving. Where England have always been ok. Not much has changed.

The fall off is the worst I’ve seen for an international side. Can see Argentina maybe going that way next. England have been fairly consistent all things considered.

Country capping Vurnim Anita and regularly calling uo Wijnaldum and Janmaat are bobbins. Shocked.

Always felt Lascelles was fairly slow himself. At least when I first saw him play.

I think he started KDB in 2 games at the start of the season. Didn’t play well, think he was loaned out either that same August or the Winter. Never to be seen again.

Worst of all. He chose to play Oscar and Schurlle in front of them. They are all roughly the same age too.

I agree a lot of players get away with being better on the ball but sometime dodgy at the back. Varane’s rapid which helps with a high line. And he’s a big strong lad. But even last season I felt Pepe was the better defender and player. Antics aside Pepe was under rated. Imperious in the Euros too.

That wasn’t my point. A few times people have made it seem like his footballing abilities were limited. His only real limitation was pace. Needed a relatively deep defence and a quick partner. Bringing the ball out, left foot, right foot nee bother. Jamie Carragher was a CB who I think was excellent but pretty limited on the ball.

Again - John Terry had great distribution.

I know English is not his first language.... but the heritage talk about Manchester United is wild.

It all ended the same way first time at Chelsea too except he took them to new heights. Running deep into the CL very year.

Feels like the pool of top teams is very small these days. It’s been Bayern, Barca and Real in the quarters again and again. Juve and Atleti usually involved. Glad City and Liverpool like strong. Maybe we’ll get some surprises but Bayern will have eased into the semis despite finishing second in their group.

Don’t know what you guys are on but City Liverpool will be fun. Semis likely to be tremendous fun.

Has been solid as owt all season. Overall we are top half in goals conceded. If you takeaway the match day rounds he missed throUgh injury. I’m sure we would be close to top 8. Southgate is a moron. He’s picked 5 players ahead of him including Joe Gomez

Juve better chance of beating Real over 2 legs. They won’t do. City and Liverpool will be fun.

Players being overlooked for their national side is bad for us in the long term. And tbh I like Jamaal and I wish him the best in his career.