Romania. Austria or Türkiye. Switzerland or an extremely unimpressive England. Taken at face value, history and international reputation, it is not a route to the final of a major international men’s tournament that would terrify Europe’s best.
To add Netherlands as the nation facing this path, this opportunity, and normally there would be a big favorite. Generally.
In years past – eras past, it’s probably more reflective to say – an Oranje team would have looked at upcoming and potentially future games and simply decided, at that moment, they would reach the final. And few would have objected to such a thought.
But this Holland is not what Netherlands, and the current iteration has a number of problems, not least failing to qualify for two recent tournaments and only finishing third in 2014 as the only vaguely respectable run of the last six attempts.
Even so, it is undeniable that if their main players perform well in this series of games, it is very likely that they will become the team that best takes advantage of the way this half of the game plays out. Euro 2024 the draw has been opened and they reach the final. First, however, Ronald Koeman must find a quick solution in midfield.
It is well established that Oranje’s preparations were hampered by mid-park pre-tournament defeats, the biggest of which was to Frenkie de Jong.
But that doesn’t mean they don’t have more any players who can make an impact there – but the need to find the right combination has been a recurring theme in the tournament so far. Without this, they lack control of games, protection of the defense and a supply line for the attack – all of which have been problematic too often for them to otherwise be a real contender.
The fight’s headliner was Joey Veerman. The PSV player started the tournament, was quickly dropped after a poor performance, was reinstated for the final group game… and promptly replaced, about half an hour after the start of the game, for another abject match. He is not the only player who has underperformed and finding a combination, a balance, by its very nature, requires more than one player.
Jerdy Schouten started all three but didn’t leave spectators brimming with confidence, and while Tijjani Reijnders definitely deserves a starting spot, Koeman has struggled to place him in the center or at the top of the pitch.
It may well be that the Netherlands’ best option here is to go back to the future and reintegrate a player who was once a mainstay: Gini Wijnaldum. Now part of the contingent of former stars based in Saudi Arabia, he has played just 70 minutes so far off the bench in all three group stage games. He can, however, bring balance and control to the midfield when he is fully fit, even if it doesn’t happen for the full 90 minutes and even if it isn’t in the same previous barnstorming, goalkeeping, high-pressing role that he used. to fill as No.10.
Koeman has yet to turn to Ryan Gravenberch, talented but apparently still unreliable and certainly never having shown the consistency that the Netherlands realistically need to provide a platform for those further ahead.
And actually, further on is where the next problems lie.
Cody Gakpo and they. managed so far and also protect it with greater intention.
There are really two options at the moment for Koeman.
Can he accept in his own mind that the Netherlands are not ready or capable of reaching the final and defeating countries like Austria or Switzerland, who lack an element of star power but appear to be among the best-coached and most cohesive teams of the tournament. . So he could use the Euros as a proving ground – in other words, find a way to get Jeremie Frimpong and Simons playing together and so on, ready for the next tournament, and the next.
Or believe that he really can guide the nation to the final in Berlin and find a much more pragmatic but reliable duo in the middle of the park than he has managed so far, whether that means a change of form or dropping another name even further. advance.
Clearly this is not the greatest Dutch era of all time. But football is not governed by linear rules and it opens up an opportunity for a historic journey. For them to have any real chance of taking advantage of it, though, they must first answer the middle riddle.
