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Euro 2016 qualifying is now complete (with the exception of the playoff round) and there were a few absolutely shocking final day results. One huge name missing from the Euros (and when I say huge I mean HUGE) the Netherlands will not be participating in the tournament as they failed to even finish in the top 3 of their group.
When you think of the famous orange kits you start to think of current superstars such as Memphis Depay, Arjen Robben, and Robin Van Persie. But we won’t be able to see any of these stars taking the field under the bright lights in France next summer. What does this mean for the country? Having lost their manager Louis Van Gaal to Manchester United last summer, a replacement for a world-class manager is hard to find. Could that have been the issue or was luck just not on the Dutch’s side? The devastating blow came on the final matchday when Robin Van Persie headed in an own goal to seal their fate of missing out on the Euro 2016 tournament. Not only did they not finish in the top 2 to automatically qualify, but even missed out on the 3rd spot which would allow the Dutch to play in. Finishing 4th, we can expect to see the Dutch playing in some friendlies next summer instead of big matches that will matter in the long run.
This could really impact how the younger players in the Netherlands first team grow. Memphis, Jetro Williams, and Virgil van Dijk, to name a few, will not be able to experience the big stage and furious competition in France next summer. Only winning 1 out of your last 4 qualifying games is never going to be good enough, and losing to Iceland is a loss that will follow them into the next qualifying campaign.
What’s next? Could it be time for the manager Danny Blind (yes, Daley Blind’s father) to move on? I think he should be given more time after being thrown into a tough situation. Once given time to develop some younger players, Blind should be fine and could even find a new contract at the end of the tunnel if he is able to salvage the charred remains of a disappointing stint for the Netherlands national team.
No matter what happens in the future for the Dutch, one thing is for sure, the fans will not tolerate results like this for long. Having reached the World Cup Final back in 2010, The Dutch were on a high rolling forward hoping that it spelled World Cup glory. In 2014, Netherlands were just within reach of a place in the World Cup final for a second straight time. But with Argentina slotting home 4 penalties compared to 2 for the boys in orange, they would have to settle for a 3-0 win over floundering Brazil in the 3rd place matchup. Success like this on the world’s largest stage is what made Dutch fans outraged about missing out on the Euros.
So where do the Dutch go from here? Let us know what you think about what this means for the future of the Netherlands national team.
