The theory was that for the major nations the new format of Euro 2016 would make qualifying a procession, but tell that to the Dutch. Defeats away to Iceland and the Czech Republic – and a scrappy, harder-fought-than-it-should-have-been win over Kazakhstan – have left them third in Group A, six points behind the two leaders. Suddenly there is pressure: another slip-up and, if the Czechs and Iceland, who meet on Sunday, maintain their form, the automatic qualifying places could be out of reach.
Third place still offers the possibility of a play-off, but there would be a level of embarrassment to that. Such has been the Netherlands form under Guus Hiddink that it is hard to be confident of them beating even the least imposing side in their group.
Which is what makes Hiddink’s vow to quit if the Dutch lose to Latvia on Sunday so fascinating. They should win, of course – Latvia have not won any of their first three qualifiers – but, still, this is a remarkable situation to be in for a side that four months ago was thrashing Brazil 3-0 to take third place at the World Cup.
Only once before has a manager of the Netherlands lost four of his first five games in charge: that was also Hiddink. Back then he qualified from a disappointing Euro 1996 to lead the Netherlands to the semi-final of the 1998 World Cup. But what’s gone wrong this time?
In part it is a familiar World Cup hangover. Germany have suffered something similar, losing to Poland and drawing against Ireland. After the intensity of emotion of the summer, teams find it very difficult to refocus on the mundane task of qualification.
That’s understandable, perhaps even forgivable, but that it does not explain how poor the Dutch were in losing to Mexico in a friendly in Amsterdam on Wednesday. Defensively, they were a shambles, the attempt at operating a high line undermined by dismal organisation exacerbated when centre-back Ron Vlaar was forced off by a calf injury in the first half. Illness has ruled out Bruno Martins Indi, Vlaar’s nominal replacement .
It was defensive shortcomings, particularly in one-on-one situations, that persuaded Louis van Gaal, three months before the World Cup, to change the habit of a lifetime and switch to a system that used a third central defender. Hiddink is unlikely to go the same way, but he is suffering the same issue.
“We have to speak to each other about the errors that were made,” Arjen Robben said after the 3-2 Mexico defeat. “We have no security or stability at the back and we fall into repetition.”
There are problems at the front end as well, although Robin van Persie should return in place of the out-of-sorts Klaas-Jan Huntelaar on Sunday.
“We’ve shown a lot of strength, but we were not conclusive in the final phase,” Hiddink said. “If you get seven or eight chances, you should surely score three.”
Teams down on their luck, though, tend not to. The only positive for the Netherlands is that they have 18 months to find a solution before a tournament for which they should still qualify.
sports@thenational.ae
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