Ruud Gullit is not mincing his words – his beloved Netherlands are in deep sh*t.
Some have spoken of Dutch failure to qualify for Euro 2016 as a mere aberration. This is largely the same squad of players that reached the World Cup semi-finals after all.
But Gullit has very strong words for his countryfolk. Football Oranje have translated the legendary player’s cutting comments to Nederlandse Omroep Stichting.
“It is a crisis because you could see the signs and that it was coming. We have been asleep really. Everybody used to look at us as an example and we were really proud of that.
“But the other countries have improved and all the lesser countries now know you have to defend and that you can with limited resources achieve the best result.”
The former AC Milan and Chelsea star feels that the current squad are missing leaders and experienced heads to guide their younger teammates:
“I think that we still have a lot of good talent. Let’s not make it sound worse than it is. The most annoying thing about this squad is that they are not taken by the hand by experienced players.
“If you look in this case Wesley Sneijder and Robin van Persie. But they are attacking players and in my time you had defenders. Players with character give you the balance in your team.“
In the kind of comments that are common in the UK when discussing a dearth of upcoming talent, Gullit questions the grassroots development of youngsters in the Netherlands:
“It is of course a completely different generation in this day and age. Players get picked up and dropped off at school. They get told everything that they must do in training. There is no own initiative anymore.
“Kids do not play in the playground or on the squares. Their initiative is taken away from them.You have to look at the roots. It is too easy to say that this generation has no talent when it is quite clear that they do.“
Although not blaming Dutch coach Danny Blind for the current malaise, Gullit makes clear who his preference to manager the national team was – Southampton’s Ronald Koeman:
“The wrong decisions have been made. Is it Danny Blind’s fault? No. We the public all wanted Ronald Koeman. He did not get it which is a shame. If it would have been better with Koeman? We will never know.”
