Gunter Netzer. Former star player. Head strong. Incredibly talented. Un-German in his football vision. Grumpy like his Dutch alter-ego Willem van Hanegem. He is not a real fan (”Most of the time I am not impressed with how the game is played”). He is not a fan. He is a critic.
In front of the German ARD cameras, he said: “What Holland showed is brilliance. Utter brilliance. You hardly see this type of play in international football. You are under pressure against France and the coach plays two extra strikers. That is just out of this world.”
Former German team manager Rudi Voller once had a huge row with Netzer, live on telly. He had just said that Voller should start to teach his players how to play football. Netzer will never budge.
Netzer: “Van Basten took an incredible risks, but he is capable of forcing his luck. It paid dividends and Marco won the match for the Dutch.”
The German icon sees the Dutch confidence (Dutch courage anyone?) as Oranje’s strongest asset. “It starts with Van Basten, who was uncompromising in his four years stint. He never backed down for criticism, went his own way. He battled Van Bommel, Van Nistelrooy, Seedorf, Cruyff even and many reporters but went on to do his thing, with his team. They have the guts to play their own game, with their incredible talents.”
The whole world looks with admiration towards the peformance of the Dutch. First they serve off Italy, then France. Two behemoths in World football.
The Guardian: “This match reminds us why we love football. I want to see every match played like this. And let’s be happy England isn’t here. Our boys would be cut to mince meat by the Dutch.”
It’s the turn around in particular that catches the imagination. “I am high at the moment. They only need 25 seconds or less to move from their own goal line to the net of the opponent. I don’t know what to say, it is football from another planet.”
“Now it’s clear why they call this the Group of Death. It’s because Holland plays in this group and they kill off every opponent.”
And: “Oranje re-invented football. Again! Five players running at the opponent in unison, creating space, combining, dummies and converting their chances. It’s attack, attack, attack… Fantastic play. We want more more more…”
Team manager Van Basten gets the praise he deserves, at last. “What a star! Among all those big name and lesser big name players, he is the main man. Which manager would actually play Van Persie and Robben to defend a lead?”
“This team brings a huge smile to my face. Football nowaday is cynical, negative. Van Basten should come to England to do master classes with our English managers. Many many thanks, Mr Van Basten.”
The Guardian also recognizes the luck Oranje had. “And when needed, Van Basten is even allowed to play a second goal keeper, this case Andre Ooijer. Why not?”
Still, the title is maybe not for the taking for Oranje. “Holland plays great, fantastic. But they won’t win the title. Their success will go to their heads. Like the Heineken beers on a Saturday night. It’s their biggest weakness and they still don’t realize that.”
“If justice exists in football, and it doesn’t, Oranje should win this.”
Holland winger Ryan Babel will miss Euro 2008 after tearing ankle ligaments in training.
Babel is expected to be out of action for several weeks and will therefore not take part in the summer showpiece in Austria and Switzerland.
The Liverpool attacker sustained the injury a day before Holland play their final pre-tournament friendly, against Wales in Rotterdam.
Holland coach Marco van Basten has not named a replacement for the 21-year-old although he is permitted to do so once Babel has been examined by a UEFA doctor.
The Dutch will line up alongside France, Italy and Romania in Group C. Their first match is on June 9 against world champions Italy.
Despite the injury blow, Holland boss Marco van Basten has delivered an ominous warning for John Toshack’s Wales ahead of their meeting at Feyenoord’s sold-out De Kuip stadium, demanding a flurry of goals to send his side into the Euro 2008 finals on a high.
That will be worrying for Welsh ears, because the last time they faced Holland they were thrashed 7-1 in Eindhoven in 1996, and Van Basten clearly wants a similar scoreline against a country they have beaten on all five previous meetings between the side.
“We must be more clinical and take our chances. This team has matured over the last two years and everywhere the expectation is so much higher, not surprisingly,” he said.
“But we cannot allow ourselves to let teams off the hook when we are making chances and on top.”
Former Manchester United ace Ruud van Nistelrooy scored early on against the Danes, but Holland could not build on that opener.
And now Wales could feel the backlash with a young, inexperienced side set to line up against the Dutch.
Before Babel broke down Van Basten reduced his squad to 23 after Wigan defender Mario Melchiot proved his fitness after struggling with a groin problem. The three unlucky players to step down were keeper Sander Boschker, Denny Landzaat and Khalid Boulahrouz.
Wales could find themselves facing virtually Van Basten’s strongest side, but Arsenal’s Robin van Persie is unlikely to be risked as he is still suffering from a thigh problem.
Van Basten, perhaps significantly, made a point that the forward had been risked too soon by the Gunners at the tale end of the season.
He said: “We are not going to do that because Robin is a special player we would rather see in the side to face Italy.
“He came back too quickly last season and had a relapse. Our doctors believe it is better to allow him to recuperate as long as possible rather than risk him being injured in a friendly.”
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