To describe the current Netherlands team as one in transition is a generous portrayal of just how far they have fallen. Ever since coming third in the 2014 World Cup, they have won six games, lost seven and tied two in all competitive matches. This record was not good enough to qualify for the 2016 European Championship despite being in a poor group, and now the Dutch are struggling to qualify for the 2018 World Cup. It seemed like they were on the rise after the 2014 World Cup with Louis Van Gaal at the helm, world-class winger Arjen Robben and a number of bright young stars, including Memphis Depay.
Dutch Struggles
Since Van Gaal left the national squad for an unsuccessful stint at Manchester United, there has been a struggle to find consistency at the managerial position. Guus Hiddink’s time in charge was a disaster. Not only did he fail to qualify for Euro 2016, he was not playing the attacking style that many fans craved, often resorting to route-one tactics with strikers Bas Dost and Luuk De Jong.
Hiddink was predictably sacked, but instead of replacing him with new blood, his assistant, Danny Blind, was promoted with little success. Blind was put in a tough predicament and could not steady the ship, but his inability to adapt and struggles in the early parts of this World Cup qualifying meant that he was doomed. He was sacked and the Dutch are once again searching for a saviour.
Dick Advocaat
This could have been the Netherlands’ chance to introduce new blood into the national team. There were options available such as Frank De Boer, who had tremendous success with Ajax, winning four straight titles. Instead, they made the somewhat surprising decision to appoint Dick Advocaat at the tender age of 69; the oldest manager in team history. This is his third stint as the manager of the National team and he has just finished a season at Turkish club Fenerbahce.
As the manager of the Netherlands Advocaat has a record of 19 wins, eight draws and seven losses. There was speculation that legendary Dutch player Ruud Gullit would be appointed instead, but the man who has managed Chelsea, Newcastle and LA Galaxy among others chose instead to take up a position as assistant underneath Advocaat.
While the Netherlands have started strongly under Advocaat, it must be noted that the first few fixtures have not been a true barometer of the team’s or manager’s quality. His first official match was against Luxembourg, where the Oranje won convincingly 5-0 thanks to a magnificent performance from Wesley Sneijder.
Prior to that, the Netherlands had two friendly matches, beating Morocco 2-1 and Ivory Coast 5-0 in which Fred Grim led the team on the touch line. It has been reported that Advocaat selected the squad and formation. Twelve goals in three matches is how Dutch fans want to play. They can stand losing, but they cannot stand unattractive football.
This is a step in the right direction for the Netherlands. While there will be question marks about appointing a manager this old, his experience will be invaluable to a team littered with budding stars. Advocaat and Gullit have already shown that they have faith in young players Wesley Hoedt and Mathijs De Ligt. This trend will have to continue if they wish to overcome the odds and make the World Cup in 2018.
Future
So what does the long-term future look like for Advocaat and the Netherlands look like? It is unlikely that he will be a part of any long-term plans, but his philosophies and coaching techniques will be utilised to make the World Cup. This will be no easy task, as they sit behind Sweden and France in their group.
If they do make the tournament, it is very difficult to tell how they will do. Expectations are always high for the Oranje, but making it out of the group stages would probably be a symbolic victory for the team. It is most likely that Ruud Gullit will take over the team after the 2018 tournament as he will have a crop of young talent waiting in the wings for the likes of Arjen Robben and Wesley Sneijder to retire from international football.
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