Louis van Gaal was passed last time, but now he really has to ‘come out from behind the geraniums’ to lead the Dutch national team to Qatar, according to the claimants.
The lost game against the Czech Republic killed Frank de Boer, after a contract of only 279 days. Rightly so, say the respondents, because De Boer made tactical blunders (91%): “Players who have learned to walk forward should not be taught to walk backwards in one go, because that does not work”, according to one participant. Although a few also break a lance for De Boer: „Frank de Boer was not a bad national coach, but had spoiled, very moderately playing players, who were only concerned with themselves. No national coach can change that, no matter how loud he screams.”
That the players are too busy with themselves and too little with the team is a recurring reproach. “Any successor should handle those over-the-horse millionaires well. They’re just spoiled kids!” Bringing back discipline and team spirit in the team is therefore an urgent appeal from the position takers: „Choose a trainer who stands above all parties. Someone who makes his own choices without looking at the club the player plays for. A trainer who dares to change the ‘star’. I don’t care who.” However, that makes a difference to most of the respondents: in the choice between Louis van Gaal, Dick Advocaat, Ruud Gullit, Erik ten Hag and Henk ten Cate, a large majority chooses Van Gaal (84%). “There must be a clear structure and discipline, and only Van Gaal can achieve that in the short term.”
In any case, it is not necessary to get a trainer from abroad, according to the respondents, because ‘we have enough quality in-house’. Looking beyond the borders would even be a failure for Dutch football, according to three quarters. A few see it differently: „Go for a leader who is credible, who has earned his spurs as a coach and who can turn a group of good players into a close attack team. Think of names like Josep Guardiola, Zinedine Zidane, possibly even Jose Mourinho. The Netherlands is a small country with a limited number of coaches at the highest level, you don’t have to be ashamed to attract a foreigner, as Belgium has already successfully done.”
Whoever becomes De Boer’s successor, he must immediately return to the 4-3-3 formation and set the Dutch School with an attacking style of play as a basic requirement (66%). “The trainer must ensure that we start playing attacking football again and that the players fight for every ball,” it sounds. With the following comment: „In the end, the players have to do it themselves. The set-up is nice but in the field that changes all the time. We just have mediocre players.” The majority disagree with that last point. A narrow majority (53%) therefore expects the team to qualify for the World Cup in Qatar. A positionr has an original suggestion with that prospect: “It would be a stunt to appoint Sarina Wiegman.”
