Oranje’s Painful Exit and the Road Ahead.

Well, the summer of three international football tournaments is officially over. Football fans were spoiled with Euro 2024, Copa America 2024 and the Paris Olympics taking place this summer. Sadly, our beloved Oranje suffered another painful exit at Euro 2024, and now we look ahead to the 2026 World Cup with questions and concerns.

• By Ibrahim Ayyub
• Follow Ibrahim on Twitter

For Dutch football fans, Euro 2024 will be remembered as another heartbreakingly familiar tale. Once again, the hopes and dreams of the Oranje faithful were dashed, echoing the bitter disappointments of tournaments past. While it didn’t quite shatter hearts like 1992, 2000, or 2008, this loss stung like 2004 and 2020 with doubts and lots of second guessing.

Despite occasional flashes of brilliance in Euro 2024, the Oranje overall were disappointing and also lucky. The Oranje made it all the way to the Semi-Finals for the first time since 2004, even though they finished third in their group, because of the luck of the draw that saw them face Romania and Turkey in the knockout stages. Lady luck decided to stay at home when they faced England in the Semi-Finals where Holland’s exit revealed systemic issues that have been plaguing the team for some time under Ronald Koeman.

Ronald Koeman’s tactics and lineup decisions made it easy to second guess the man in charge. Koeman managed to get this team to the semi-finals while displaying some flaws in his tactical setup and his failure to adapt as matches unfolded. Some of Koeman’s late substitutions often lacked impact, which raised questions about his ability to influence games positively.

One of the glaring issues throughout Euro 2024 was Holland’s defensive vulnerability. One would expect a team consisting of the likes Virgil Van Dijk, Stefan de Vrij, Nathan Aké, Denzel Dumfries, and Micky van de Ven to be solid defensively. Just like under Louis van Gaal in the previous World Cup, the Oranje were leaking goals and one has to ask if it was because of lapses in concentration or was it from poor tactical awareness. Looking ahead, the defenders have to be more reliable and composed. One can hope that Matthijs de Ligt, who did not play a single second in this tournament, finds his mojo again and be part of the backline in the future.

The Oranje also had issues with up front. Even though this team boasts talented players in the attack, they often relied too heavily on moments of individual brilliance rather than organized attacking teamwork. The attack was predictable as the team relied on star players like Memphis Depay or Cody Gakpo making magic happen over well-structured offensive patterns. However, with an uncertain midfield, the lack of fluidity up front was no big surprise.

All these issues were on display in the semi-final against England. The Oranje enjoyed a dream start after just seven minutes from a great opening goal from Xavi Simons, courtesy of a moment of individual brilliance. However, lady luck would disappear when England were awarded a penalty eleven minutes later when Dumfries caught Harry Kane on his ankle, courtesy of a VAR review that did not notice a Bukayo Saka handball. Kane converted from the spot and Oranje’s performance dropped when Memphis Depay had to be replaced after suffering an injury.

The next fifty-five minutes were a display of all the shortcomings of this team under Koeman with the Ollie Watkins goals in added time dashing all hopes of another European final since 1988. After the final whistle, the second-guessing began such as why were the Oranje reluctant to attack a tired England team that had just played 120 minutes in consecutive knock out stages games? Why did they fail to play out of the back while an unfit Harry Kane not pressing? Why didn’t Gakpo take on Saka whenever he the opportunity presented itself on numerous occasions? Why didn’t Koeman bring on players like Jeremie Frimpong and van de Ven? All these decisions only left fans questioning Koeman’s selection criteria and game management.

With the World Cup two years away, it is a moment for introspection and strategic rebuilding by the KNVB and Koeman, regarding the issues in defense, tactical approaches, and nurturing the young talents coming through. As the legendary basketball coach John Wooden once said, “Failing To Prepare Is Preparing To Fail.” As the focus shifts to the future, the Oranje must learn from their mistakes, improve their defensive weaknesses, and foster a more organized and balanced approach to matches.

I won’t be a negative Nelly, thus I will end this on a positive note. Amidst the disappointment, there were some positives from Euro 2024. Bart Verbruggen and Xavi Simons emerged as bright spots for the Oranje. Verbruggen’s performances in goal showed promise and perhaps the 21-year-old will be the starting goalkeeper for the future while Simons showcased his potential as one of the faces of a new generation of talent ready to step up. The backline is still full of talented players, who just need to be better coached. Hopefully, Brian Brobbey and Joshua Zirkzee, or another other up and coming player answers the call as the next established goal scorer since Wout Weghorst isn’t getting any younger. Overall, fans have every reason to be optimistic and hope for brighter days ahead.

KNVB Continues Myopic Approach With Van Gaal Pursuit.

 Once again, KNVB had to find a new man to be in charge of the Oranje after Frank de Boer resigned from his post after Euro 2020. Fans wanted the likes of Erik ten Hag and Peter Bosz to be considered but instead, they got the recycled names of Dick Advocaat, Louis van Gaal and even the retired Frank Rijkaard. Well, the KNVB didn’t surprise anyone when rumors came out that they plan on hiring van Gaal for the third time. If true, this means that the KNVB continues their myopic approach of not looking at the big picture and just focusing on the now.

• By Ibrahim Ayyub
• Follow Ibrahim on Twitter

Before we get to the van Gaal hiring, let me do a quick reflection on the Oranje and their disappointing exit from Euro 2020.

I blame Georginio Wijnaldum for being invisible in that loss to the Czech Republic.
I blame Memphis Depay for being so sloppy with his ball control and his passing.
I blame Donyell Malen for missing that golden chance that would have been the opening goal.
I blame Matthijs de Ligt for that boneheaded hand ball play that cost his team dearly.
I blame Frank de Boer for the lineup and clueless substitutions against the Czech Republic.
I blame Jordan Pickford for injuring Virgil van Dijk and costing the Oranje their valuable leader.
I blame the KNVB for hiring Frank de Boer.

I blame Ronald Koeman who left the Oranje to coach Barça. Based on Barça’s disarray, he could have still had a chance to coach the Blaugrana after Euro 2020.

Back on topic, the brief era of Frank de Boer is over and it should never be discussed again. For the third time, van Gaal is allegedly back in charge. Obviously, this hiring was made with the World Cup in mind since it’s around the corner and the Oranje made it all the way to the Semi-Finals in 2014 under van Gaal. However, why do the KNVB continue to recycle previous managers for short term goals and continue to face this situation over and over again?

The Oranje job is a job of short tenure. Four years is the usual life span of a Dutch manager. One has to go back to Bob Glendenning who coached the Oranje for fifteen years, which took place before the second World War. Since then, if one manager made it to four years, he was doing something right. But why is it that the Oranje can’t hang on to their managers? For comparison’s sake. Bobby Robson coached England for eight years. Richard Nielsen coached the Danes for six years and Morten Olsen coached them for 15 years. Joachim Löw just finished a 15-year stint coaching the Germans, although he should have been fired after World Cup 2018. Meanwhile, Óscar Tabarez is still coaching Uruguay and he’s been in charge since 2006. So why can’t the Oranje find their Óscar Tabarez?

I always wondered why the legend, Rinus “The General” Michels did not stay in charge from 1986 until 1994 and then step down for Guus Hiddink. Michels just guided the Oranje to Euro 88 success and then stepped down to manage Bayer Leverkusen, where he didn’t even last a season. Did Michels do it for financial reasons or did he miss coaching at the club level again? Nevertheless, Michels was back coaching the Oranje at Euro 92 before stepping down for the final time. Imagine though if he had remained in charge from 1986 until 1994, especially during the 1990 and 1994 World Cups.

It’s no secret that coaching the national team is not in the interest of a young manager. Young managers want to coach at the club level and deem the national team job as something to do towards the end of their coaching career. So, don’t expect the likes of Erik ten Hag and Peter Bosz to take over the Oranje when they are still employed and sought after by clubs, which involves a day to day operation, unlike the national team where the games are scarce and not much happens in between except traveling to fixtures to scout players. It also doesn’t help that it’s never easy managing Dutch players since they tend to be very opinionated, and, as we saw in Euro 96 and Euro 2012, their egos can be divisive to the detriment of the team.

The KNVB’s biggest dilemma is that they lack a long-term vision. There is no structure and it doesn’t help that managers either resign or get fired. Things have to change or else we will continue to witness the ineptness continue to prevail as it has over the years. After World Cup 2022, the Oranje need to find their Oscar Tabarez and allow him to remain in charge for many years. Furthermore, the revamp should also consist of making sure the youth teams also follow the style of the first team. The system and formation should be the same from top to the bottom in the Netherlands setup which would allow the youth players to transition to the first team without any confusion or adjustments.

Yet, in order to achieve this plan, the Oranje need to find someone who is willing to stay in charge for at least eight years. Is Ronald Koeman the one when, and not if, Barcelona fire him? Or perhaps is it time to hire a foreign manager for the first time since the Austrian Ernst Happel coached the Oranje at World Cup 1978? The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result, and yet, the Oranje have continued to show us just how true that is with their constant coaching musical chairs over the years. Enough is enough and it’s time for KNVB to stop being myopic and use some insight to plan ahead.