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Holland – Eternally losing finalists

By David, bettingexpert.com | Edited

 

Few teams come into this tournament with the talents the Dutch team can showcase. It is these players which have allowed them to build a good number of top campaigns over the past couple of years. Will this be another episode of ‘close but no cigar’ for the Orange?

 

Manager: van Marwijk

 

Probable Tactics: 4-2-3-1

 

Players To Watch: van Persie

 

Current Probable Formation: Stekelnburg, van der Wiel, Mathijsen, Heitinga, Schaars, van Bommel, de Jong, Kuyt, Sneijder, Robben, van Persie 

 

Euro 2012 Odds Holland

On the right are odds for the game against Portugal.

 

Euro 2012 Holland Preview

We all know where Holland are coming from. A final in the last edition of the World Cup, lost against Spain after an Iniesta goal. We also know how often that has happened to them in the past. The only international trophy they can boast about is a 1988 Euro when the likes of van Basten were still around.

The Dutch school has never ran dry though and talent has been pouring out incessant, packed and then delivered to the more prestigious leagues in Europe. That is why since that 1988 triumph they have been riding the wave in the European Championships, reaching the semifinals three times and the quarters twice.

Of course, keeping faith with the Dutch football philosophy, it will have to be an attacking formation for van Marwijk. Van Bommel and De Jong provide the muscle in midfield and playing in front of an established backline composed of the four defenders van Marwijk has often shown faith in – van der Wiel, Mathijsen, Heitinga, Pieters. Full-backs van der Wiel and Pieters are asked to move up whenever they feel the need to, accelerating the pace of the game and helping our the three men playing in behind the lone striker. Left-back Pieters has had to pull out though and his place should be taken by Schaars in the starting eleven.

Now as we advance up front manager van Marwijk is truly spoilt for choice. The two players whom he should be starting more often are Sneijder and Robben. They are the more talented layers when it comes to creating play and the two should find each other very often if the Dutch game is to be as fluid as possible.

The Inter man should be employed in a more supporting role behind the striker whilst Robben will start on one of the flanks, probably alternating with the other wide man. This might be Kuyt, although he has been out aside by Dalglish at Liverpool towards the end of the Premier League season. Otherwise there are Babel, van der Vaart, Emanuelson or Luuk de Jong who can be drafted in.

As for the lone striker position it looks natural for van Persie to fill in for that one after the season he has had with Arsenal. However, Huntelaar has done wonders for the national side in the qualifying campaign and with a very good Schalke season behind him he should not warm the bench for very long. More so if we remember how van Persie and Sneijder do not really get along very well. It has often been the Arsenal man who had to settle for the bench in the past. Can it be Sneijder’s time to pay the price for that after the contrasting seasons each had with his own club this season?

Ideas seem to be very clear in the manager’s mind and he knows what to expect from this Holland team. They all know they are capable of something great in Poland and Ukraine but they will have to fight the usual demons if they are to actually wrap their hands around the coveted trophy in July.

 

Holland 2012 – Toppling under pressure

If there is one thing Germany does not do it is giving in when the pressure becomes too much. The Dutch, unfortunately, have proven themselves frequent victim of that syndrome and although they might play freely and wonderfully up to the final it will be this quality which determines where they will stand when the games are over.

Players like Robben and van Persie have at times shown themselves unable to cope in such situations with their clubs. However, the season they have just played diminished the exhibition of that quality. They may have definitely gained the necessary confidence to succeed.

 

Euro 2012 Holland Players To Watch

After a fabulous season which earned him the award of best player in the Premier League it is obligatory to include van Persie in this section. Having proven his fears of not being able to provide the goals Arsenal needed futile, supporting Wenger’s faith in his abilities, he should now be ready to be of service to his country with that same flair and quality that this season helped him affirm himself as a top European striker.

Ex-Real Madrid duo Robben and Sneijder are two top players who should be handed the more important roles in this side. Quality is immense. One went as far as the Champions League final. The other, despite a difficult season at Inter, still proved himself indispensable for the Nerazzurri when he was fit enough to play.

 

Euro 2012 Betting Holland

With many of the top dogs in Europe going through a dormant phase as they rebuild their sides this does look like a great chance for them to go for the top prize. Unfortunately, eternal rivals Germany will stand in the way.

 

Verdict: Runner-up

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