Current Squad list

Pos. Player
GK Maarten Stekelenburg
GK Edwin van der Sar
DF Kew Jaliens
DF John Heitinga
DF Wilfred Bouma
DF Urby Emanuelson
DF Giovanni van Bronckhorst
MF Rafael van der Vaart
MF Demy de Zeeuw
FW Ruud van Nistelrooy
MF Wesley Sneijder
FW Robin van Persie
DF Mario Melchiot
DF Khalid Boulahrouz
MF Denny Landzaat
MF Clarence Seedorf
GK Henk Timmer
FW Dirk Kuyt
FW Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink
FW Ryan Babel

*squad as if August 22,2007

Should van Basten stick with 4-3-3?

I've visit ESPNSoccernet recently and read an article from Ernst Bouwes. Well this guy , is not a big fan of Holland using the 4-3-3 formation. I couldn't agree more with him after watching Hollands performance in both qualifying games - against Bulgaria and Albania - althought they won. It's true that 4-3-3 has served Holland well in the past - especially in the Cruyff era , but it seems that the system didn't suit our current players. Most of the players play with different system with their clubs week in week out - 4-4-2 being the most common. The main problem lies with our fowards. To excel in a 4-3-3 formation, we need genuine wingers on both flanks. But the only natural winger that van Basten has in his disposal now is Arjen Robben. Ryan Babel, Robin van Persie, and Dirk Kuyt are not natural wingers, the former being the most obvious. All of them thrives in a two striker system. The main victim in this system would be Ruud van Nistelrooy. Since Germany last year, he suffer from lack of supply, especially from his fellow wingers. The trends continue in the two qualifying games - eventhought he score two goals. To add the confusion, van Basten plays a left footer on the right, and a right on the left. Consequently each of the wingers has to turn around whenever he reaches the goal-line and they're forced to cut inside to shoot, which is believed to be very dangerous. But, that is not the case as we seen so far and this has limited the number of crosses for the central srtiker - mainly Ruud. Even the midfield has no clue how to provide passes to the fowards, since most of them usually plays in a different system. While, the under 21 side has prosper under the two striker system, winning the European championship twice in succession under coach Foppe de Haan. Now even the 'kids' are not use to 4-3-3 system, which would not suit them in the future if van Basten or any other manager in the future stick with 4-3-3. Hopefully van Basten would look deep on the situation and ponder whether he should defend the Dutch football heritage - the 4-3-3 system, or change with time.