Scotland - Netherlands
A few things to think about for this fixture. Here is a good news article I read and had to share.............
BERT van Marwijk's boys are making all the right noises, aren't they? They're happy to be here, they're focused on Hampden, they see tonight as the start of their preparations for the World Cup – a game they must win. They're playing for places in the squad and for their spot in history. No Dutch side has ever gone through a qualifying group with a blemish-free record. From Van Persie to Kuyt, Robben to Huntelaar – they're all determined to make it eight out of eig
Or so they say.
I'm guessing they're not as focused as they're making out. I'm guessing that one howitzer of a tackle from Scott Brown in the opening minute will make them think of the big picture, especially if the rain is belting down on top of ADVERTISEMENT
their heads and Hampden is at its most raucous. Ronnie Browne's O Flower of Scotland might be enough in itself to make them wish they were somewhere else.
Scotland's first job is to get inside the heads of their opponents and plant a thought that says. 'How badly do you really want these points?' They want to instil doubt.
Robin van Persie of Arsenal: I've got Man City away on Saturday! Do I really need this tonight?
Dirk Kuyt of Liverpool: We're playing in the Champions League next Wednesday. What if I get injured here?
Arjen Robben of Bayern Munich: We've got Dortmund away at the weekend. Now that's a must-win game!
Wesley Sneijder of Inter Milan: I'm carrying an injury already. Mourinho will kill me if I make it worse!
Wishful thinking from a Scottish perspective? Perhaps. But there's a precedent. Two years ago, the Dutch had secured a place at Euro 2008 before their final game, which was away to Belarus. They fielded a pretty strong team that night, a mix of established stars and squad players who were supposedly jumping out of their skin with enthusiasm. They'll probably go with a similar blend tonight.
They played limply in Belarus and lost 2-1, their consolation goal coming just a minute from time. We mention it now because things go through a player's mind in games like that. They have their club season ahead of them. Some of them are at new clubs and haven't yet established themselves. Some are struggling with form and fitness. Belarus then, and Scotland now, are not the be-all and end-all. It might take a Brown thunderclap to remind the Dutch of that fact. We're sure the Celtic man can oblige.
One of his trademark smirks wouldn't go amiss either. They seem to drive opponents round the twist every time.
As football players, the Dutch are among the most complex in the world. They are brilliant, but they are also flaky. Go back through the generations and you will find wondrous individual talent and iconic teams, but you will also find a whole lot of head-wrecking failure. The mindset of the Dutch footballer? You could cover the Hampden pitch with the amount of academic research done on why they are such erratic beings.
Holland have been involved in six penalty shoot-outs in major championships and have lost five of them. They could and possibly should have won the World Cups of 1974, 1978 (they were beaten finalists) and 1998 (dumped out on penalties in the semi-final), Euro '76 (where they lost in semi-final extra time to Czechoslovakia), Euro '92 (beaten on penalties by Denmark in the semi-final), and Euro 2000 (beaten on penalties by ten-man Italy in the semi-final, missing three out of four attempts in the shoot-out and another in normal time).
The idea that they are going to breeze into Hampden and take the points is an easy one to subscribe to – the bookmakers make Scotland 5-2 outsiders, after all – but it ignores the unpredictable fragility of the Dutch.
This is largely the same team that ripped into Italy and France in their first two games of Euro 2008, walloping the Italians 3-0 and the French 4-1. They looked invincible. They were immediately installed as favourites and all the greats from the past came out of the shadows to acclaim them as the next great Dutch team. Cruyff saluted them, Neeskens sang their praises, Rep and Rensenbrink and Krol all lined-up to hail the Brilliant Oranje.
Then the Russians beat them 3-1 in extra-time in the quarter-finals. And the interesting thing was that virtually nobody in Holland was surprised. As a country they have become immune to the false dawn. Their players have been bottling it for generations.
Their manager, Van Marwijk, says they are determined to achieve the 100 per cent record in Group Nine, but the likelihood is that not even Van Marwijk knows what kind of performance his boys are going to put in tonight. They haven't exactly been thunderously impressive on the road in the qualifiers, even though they have won everything so far.
They beat Iceland 2-1, beat Norway 1-0, beat Macedonia 2-1. That's their first-choice and fully motivated team winning by the odd goal every time. It's not the kind of dominance that should strike fear into Scottish hearts.
You're looking for some statements to be made in the opening minutes, some reminders to the Dutch that they're in for a hellish night. Sometimes football can come down to fairly simple things like who wants victory the most. The Dutch have the quality, but when the tackles start flying in, do they have the heart? Whatever else holds them back tonight, you know the Scots won't be lacking in that department
Ahhhhh.......Im still betting Holland, Russia , England @ 5.33 for 1000. Maybe DNB Holland....Ill make up mind later.......
Holland will not let England go 8 for 8 and not join them with a victory over Scotland. I expect a Holland win or I will lose my money.
Last edited by MWdePro; 09-09-2009 at 03:56 AM.
Wales - Russia.......a bit of news..
Toshack sends out another side today hit by injuries and withdrawals, against Euro 2008 runners-up Russia in the World Cup qualifier at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium.
They will be without Jack Collison and Simon Church, who have been attending the funerals this week of their fathers. Also out are Jason Koumas, who retired from international football on Sunday, and long-term injured duo Gareth Bale and Simon Davies.
It leaves Wales, who seem destined to finish fourth in Group Four, with a mountain to climb against the Russians — who are battling with Germany for top spot and automatic qualification for next summer's finals.
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote