With the Euros approching, I took a look back at my original Oranje XI and decided a few changes had to be made. I made to many mental concessions to appease a sense of balance in terms of position, formation, era, etc. So I made a few changes. Originally I put Jaap Stam at RB to include a '90s era player even though he was a true centreback, and I put 1970's Feyenoord defender Rinus Israel at centreback. I removed both of them. Wim Suurbier replaces Staam and Rijkaard replaces Israel. I also left out Dennis Bergkamps as he played a similar attacking midfield role to Johan Cruijff. So I just decided to forgot them, because I am sure Rinus Michels would have found a way to get them both on the field. Faas Wilkes, a nod to the 1950's era was replaced. So the formation is not as strictly correct as it was before. Neeskeens was really a box to box central 'do everything midfielder', Cruijff was more up front, and Gullit was not really a striker nor a rigt wing/forward.  However, Holland especially when it plays well has always had an abandon towards formations. Enjoy, and let me know any ommissions I made as it was the comments below that goaded me to improve this entry.

Goalkeeper: The choice is really between two players. Van Breukelen the PSV and Oranje stopper during the 1980's with the scowl and great skill. Or the Gentle Green Giant Edwin van der Sar, the reliable quiet leader and all time caps leader. In the end a team with Van Breukelen has to be more enjoyable, and he was a bit better in my estimation. Edwin has a a seat on hte reserves. Other notables include Heinz Stuy, the Ajax keeper who never got called up,  Jan Jongbloed the reckless goalkeeper for the 1974 and 1978 teams, and Jan van Beveren.

Defense: Defense is not what Holland is predominantly known for, but there have been a fair share of stellar defenders.  Ronald Koeman is obviously a lock, and his incredible goalscoring ability in addition to his stout defense makde him arguably the finest defender in hte world in the late 80's and early 90's.  Ruud Krol is another lock as he was an excellent left wing for Ajax throughout the 1970's and for Holland even becoming captain. I must have been crazy to leave off Wim Suurbier as he and Krol are part of the same unit, you can't have one without the other. It takes wingbaks of true quality to play with only one centreback for nearly an entire World Cup (1978) and get a way with it. That tandem was legendary for Ajax as well. In my defense for leaving off Suurbier, I wanted to give a nod to Jaap Stam, one of the best defenders of the late 90's and a versatile one to boot. Few times has Sir Alex Ferguson been wrong about a player. Originally I had the other CB as 'Iron' Rinus Israel, the Feyenoord hardman who scored in the 1970 European Cup final and had been captain for country. I dropped him however, in favor of Frank Rijkaard. I know Rijkaard was not always a centreback, and even when he was he was always had a bit of midfield in him, but he was a rock in the middle and this is total football isn't it? Frank de Boer was not somebody I considered putting in hte first eleven, but his work rate and long tenure put him solidly on the bench.

Midfield: It is often hard to tell who should be a midfielder and who is a forward or even a defender. Cruijff was a midfielder but seemed to be centre forward in 1974, gullit was everywhere as was Neeskens. So I just decided to forget the formations and put the best trio I could think of. Cruijff in the center in the attack position, maybe more withdrawn maybe not.  Johan Neeskens as the do it all man with the huge workrate, who was the perfect compliment to his name sharer. Johann I and Johann II are a must. I wondered if a Marc Overmars, Phillip Cocu, Edgar Davids should make it as I felt I sold the excellent 90's team a bit short, and it killed me to leave off the versatile rocket boot Arie Haan, but Wim van Hanegem was a quintessential left side left foot player, and was good from set pieces so he gets the left side of midfield. Other names crossed my mind like Seedorf, Van de Kerkhof twins Willy and Rene, Jan Wouters,  Coen Moulijn and favorites like Wim Jonk and Aron Winter also were hard to ignore.

Forward: Ruud Gullit has to be put somewhere and while I do not imagine him as an up top striker he has the versatilit to be in many places in a single game, so think of him as a right sided attacking midfielder. Marco van Basten is a no brainer and he would be the up top 'striker.' Dennis Bergkamp would be the 'hole' player behind van Basten. He and Cruijff will have to work it out. Faas Wilkes was dropped, and I do not feel that bad because I included him to give a nod to the preprofessional days which lasted until the mid 1950's.  Abe Lenstra was another such old timer. For the more modern players, leaving off Rob Rensenbrink is hard. It is interesting that he is a virtual unknown as he finished runner up and third for Ballon D'or in the late 1970's as well as scored the 1,000 goal in World Cup history. Consumate team player, willing to be the goalscorer or the facillitator. He player for Anderlecht by the way, when they were good. Patrick Kluivert is the record goalscorer for Holland so it is hard no to mention him, although he rubs me a bit the wrong way but can't be too down on him. Johnny Rep was a stylish player for Ajax in the 1970's and certainly merits a spot on the bench. And last but not least is good old goalscoring machine Ruud van Nistelrooy. I had to leave him off because his performances for Oranje have never matched those for his club. maybe he can prove me wrong in the Euro.

                              Hans van Breukelen                                    

              Wim Suurbier       Ronald Koeman            Frank Rijkaard                     Ruud Krol

                          Johan Neeskens               Johan Cruijff                 Wim van Hanegem

                  Ruud Gullit                      Dennis Bergkamp               Marco van Basten  

Manager: Rinus Michels

Substitutes:

Edwin van der Sar (GK)     Rob Rensenbrink (F)    Rinus Israel (D)         Jaap Stam (D)

Frank de Boer (D)           Arie Haan (M)            Edgar Davids (M)          Marc Overmars (M)

     Johnny Rep (F)              Patrick Kluivert (F)      Ruud van Nistelrooy (F)

Kits:  1974 World Cup Second Group Stage Match Versus Brasil

 Older Legends

                                    Faas Wilkes                                     Abe Lenstra