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From: mark@NOHAM.otford.kent.btinternet.co.uk (Mark Kent)
Newsgroups: 
 alt.ascii-art,alt.animals.ethics.vegetarian,alt.politics.socialism,alt.seduction.fast,comp.os.linux.advocacy
Subject: Re: What does everyone reckon our chances are for the Euro 2004
 qualifying?
Date: Thu, 31 Jan 2002 00:19:26 +0000 (UTC)
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Mart van de Wege <mvdwege.usenet@drebbelstraat20.dyndns.org> espoused:
>On Wed, 30 Jan 2002 11:58:56 +0100, brokenbroker@ytp.net wrote:
>
>> On Tue, 29 Jan 2002 19:20:47 GMT, FinaliDentity <no@spam.com> wrote:
>> 
>>>"Mirak" <karim-boucher@wanadoo.fr> wrote in
>>>news:3c56e685$0$206$626a54ce@news.free.fr:
>>>
>>>> All taht you say is that france is lucky because they are the first
>>>> team to win a world cup and a euro in a row ? AHAHAHAHAHAH Is it luck
>>>> to lose only 3-2 against holland with bench players ?
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>Let's see, Holland, so "great" a footballing power that ...
>>>
>>>THEY DIDN'T QUALIFY FOR THE WORLD CUP???!!! Geez, you'd think you could
>>>come up with a better example than THAT! :)
>> 
>> Don't you think it's weird that Holland didn't qualify? Perhaps they
>> have too many stars which therefore splits the team. When playing their
>> best, many believe (incl. me) Holland to be about the best.  It's their
>> team spirit/sum of egos that's their problem.
>> 
><snip>
>
>Ok, one off-topic x-post and I'll shut up. Apologies to all.
>
>The problem with dutch teams, the national side included, is *mentality*.
>We dutch fans, and by extension the coaches and players, like a carefully
>structured, tactically intelligent passing game. For this you need a team
>with good players (check), a smart coach (check) and good form (always a
>variable).
>
>The ego problem of too many stars and no team exists, but the major
>problem is bad form. When the form isn't there, the team can't play its
>favourite game, so then it would be time to just go in there and *fight*
>for every mm of grass. Unfortunately, we don't have the players with the
>right sort of mentality for that style, like the germans and the english.
>In fact, teams and players that are able and willing to employ this style
>of play are roundly boo-ed by both press and public. Only one major team
>in our league has this as its 'house style', and unsurprisingly, it is
>widely regarded as an 'ugly' team (Feyenoord Rotterdam).
>
>Therefore, on good form, the Netherlands can beat anyone, on bad form they
>in turn can be beaten by everyone.
>

Netherlands are always a team to treat with caution and respect.  Seem
to fall down on penalty shoot-outs, though.

Presumably Van Nistelroiy will be key part of next team?

-- 
Mark Kent
                                               Take out the ham to mail me.