National team boss Danny Blind has named a 36-man provisional squad for Netherlands upcoming ties with Greece and Sweden.
- By Michael Bell
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The Oranje face Greece in a friendly on the 1st of September before the World Cup qualifiers begin with a trip to Sweden five days later.
Ajax left back Mitchell Dijks and PSV midfielder Jorrit Hendrix are named in the Netherlands squad for the first time, while Bart Ramselaar is another in line for his debut, having pulled out of the last squad due to injury. Bayern Munich winger Arjen Robben is absent as he recovers from injury
Blind will name his final squad for the two ties on the 26th of August. The full provisional squad is as follows:
Goalkeepers: Jasper Cillessen (Ajax), Maarten Stekelenburg (Everton), Michael Vorm (Tottenham), Jeroen Zoet (PSV)
Defenders: Patrick van Aanholt (Sunderland), Daley Blind (Manchester United), Jeffrey Bruma (VfL Wolfsburg), Virgil van Dijk (Southampton), Mitchell Dijks (Ajax), Daryl Janmaat (Newcastle United), Rick Karsdorp (Feyenoord), Timo Letschert (Sassuolo), Jairo Riedewald (Ajax), Kenny Tete (Ajax), Joël Veltman (Ajax), Ron Vlaar (AZ), Jetro Willems (PSV)
Midfielders: Riechedly Bazoer (Ajax), Jordy Clasie (Southampton), Jorrit Hendrix (PSV), Davy Klaassen (Ajax), Davy Pröpper (PSV), Bart Ramselaar (PSV), Wesley Sneijder (Galatasaray), Kevin Strootman (AS Roma), Tonny Vilhena (Feyenoord), Georginio Wijnaldum (Liverpool)
Attackers: Steven Berghuis (Feyenoord), Memphis Depay (Manchester United), Bas Dost (VfL Wolfsburg), Klaas-Jan Huntelaar (Schalke 04), Vincent Janssen (Tottenham Hotspur), Luuk de Jong (PSV), Jürgen Locadia (PSV), Luciano Narsingh (PSV), Quincy Promes (Spartak Moscow)
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Hmm…
3 Feyenoord
3 PSV (+ Ramselaar)
7 Ajax.
How is this fair. More importantly is this really helping Ajax, the national team and Dutch football progress.
If some of the Ajax players have no real chance of starting national matches they are better off concentrating on qualifying and playing in the champions league and trying to win the title.
Personally I believe Ajax will not really contend on the European stage until the likes of Van de Beek and Nouri are pulling the strings in the midfield and Tete, El Ghazi etc have fully matured. (and they’re going to have to spend the money to keep them there for a while for the good of Dutch football)
Whatever happens the Ajax-biased Blind has to go.
And what of his natural bias for Daley.
Mourinho won’t play him as a CB so he shouldn’t be considered there. So does he get a run ahead of Wijnaldum, Strootman, Bazoer, Clasie etc.
We need players in the CM, DM positions who can get on the ball, play in tight spaces, play quick, run quick and have vision under pressure. Daley get beaten for pace too easily and looks comfortable only when he’s got time, invariably passing to defenders or looking for the long pass forward. There is little urgency when he’s on the ball and he lacks intent. He doesn’t give the players ahead of him the confidence they need. This is the type of player the national team needs to move away from.
I’m really hoping Strootman can find his form and stay fit and healthy. With Wijnaldum with him we just need a 8 and 10 in the mould of Inesta to compliment. Unfortunately Van de Beek and Nouri are still a way off yet.
How Erik Pieters continues to be overlooked shows how clueless Danny Blind can be. Regularly plays for a top-10 Premier league club and is both physically stronger and in terms of defensive competence he is MILES ahead of Willems, Dijks, and Van Aanholt. Not bad going forward and putting in a cross, either.
I think Erik Pieters, Elia & De Guzman should be called up.