Dutch old guard promise win to save Hiddink’s job

HOLLAND’S star players have rallied around under-fire coach Guus Hiddink ahead of tonight’s do-or-die Euro 2016 qualifier against Latvia.

Just 10 weeks into his second spell as Oranje manager, Hiddink has pledged to stand down if the World Cup semifinalists fail to win at the Amsterdam Aren A today.

With four defeats from his first five matches, Hiddink has already lost as many as predecessor Louis van Gaal did in his two spells as manager.

But if it is to be the end of Hiddink, he’ll at least go out with a bang by going for all-out attack in the must-win qualifier.

Manchester United’s Robin van Persie, back from injury, will be paired with Klaas-Jan Huntelaar in attack, with Arjen Robben, Wesley Sneijder and Memphis Depay all supporting. United’s Daley Blind will be asked to shield the defence.

An exasperated Robben spoke his mind when asked to comment on the speculation over Hiddink’s future.

‘I’m done with it, come on,’ the Bayern Munich winger told De Telegraaf. ‘What do I hope for? We just all go in together. We have started this together, now we are in the s*** but we must ensure we get through it. But we could win 10-0 and the problems would still not be corrected. You would all still be critical.’

Robben added: ‘This is the Dutch team of everyone. Everyone has an opinion about it. There were periods when everyone criticised Van Gaal.’

Wednesday’s 3-2 home defeat to Mexico in Amsterdam was the first time Holland had lost when Sneijder had scored and the Galatasaray playmaker echoed Robben’s annoyance.

On the reaction to Hiddink’s pledge to resign, he said: ‘It was typically Dutch. Yes, he said it himself, I know. But I already know what will be in Monday’s newspapers when we win. It was “only” Latvia. Let’s stop it.’

Holland sit third in Group A and, despite the prickly comments, failure to reach the finals is almost unthinkable.