Flying Dutch... and their Premier League rejects
HOLLAND’S incredible comeback was not just about the two late goals against Germany that booked them a place alongside England in next summer’s inaugural Nations League finals.
With manager Ronald Koeman taking the lead, it’s been a resurrection of some fortitude involving Premier League castoffs joining forces with emerging talent such as Liverpool’s Virgil van Dijk and Ajax’s Matthijs de Ligt and Frenkie de Jong.
The strange mix is ensuring that the failures to qualify for the last World Cup and Euro finals are a distant memory.
For Koeman, rebuilding his career following his Everton sacking, to reach the last four of Europe’s newest prize has been some achievement.
Among the goals have been Memphis Depay, underwhelming at Manchester United, Daley Blind, who, again, didn’t set the Premier League on fire, and Liverpool flop Ryan Babel.
And Newcastle fans will rub their eyes in disbelief at seeing Luuk de Jong come on as a late substitute in the memorable 2-2 draw against the Germans in Gelsenkirchen last week.
But one of the stand-out Dutch performers has been Depay, who has been displaying with Lyon the attacking skills that made Manchester United hand over £25million for the then-PSV Eindhoven forward.
Many at Old Trafford have suggested that Depay couldn’t handle the sudden fame.
But don’t rule out a return to Old Trafford sometime in the future – United have first refusal if Lyon decide to sell him.
“He was a fantastic professional and, if somebody thinks it didn’t work out because he wasn’t a great professional, they are totally wrong,” said United boss Jose Mourinho. “The image of him in an amazing car or dressing in a very specific way was wrong.”
And striking partner Babel admits that it is a second chance with the Dutch side he wasn’t expecting at the age of 31. He said: “I’m sure a lot of people have lost sight of me. I’ve been under the radar – now I’m back.”
The perfect description of Koeman’s reborn Holland.