Netherlands (National Football)

It was supposed to be the beginning of an exciting new era for the Dutch national team. In reality, though, it was anything but a dream start. Playing their first international friendly under the leadership of new manager Guus Hiddink, the Netherlands lost 2-0 against Italy on Thursday night.

The outcome of the match was somewhat of anomaly. After barely 10 minutes of playing time, Dutch defender Bruno Martins Indi had been sent off for slightly shoving Simone Zaza, the Italian striker who had broken through the Dutch defensive line and was technically denied a clear and obvious goalscoring opportunity.

Nonetheless, the result must have presented Hiddink, who would have liked to instil some confidence in his troops at the start of his reign, with a bit of a headache. Even with Martins Indi’s sending off taken into consideration, the Dutch looked utterly incapable of resisting the Italian Blue hordes.

In many ways, the result was also a condemnation of Hiddink’s decision to return to the 4-3-3 formation the Dutch public seems to love so much. As Dutch romantics like to point out, this setup can indeed be seen as an inherent part of the "Dutch school" of football. Against Italy, however, it proved wholly ineffective.

In midfield, the Netherlands’ Nigel de Jong, Georginio Wijnaldum—who in due time might be replaced by a fit Kevin Strootman in the starting XI—and Wesley Sneijder were overrun by the Italians, who concentrated the bulk of their players in the centre of the park as usual.

Up front, sole striker Robin van Persie seemed isolated and unassisted by wide men Dirk Kuyt and Jeremain Lens, who neither looked like traditional wingers nor inside forwards.

Although the Dutch defensive line has improved in stature since the World Cup, the likes of Stefan de Vrij and Daley Blind now playing for Lazio and Manchester United respectively, they too were unable to physically impose themselves or bring the ball forward.

Looking back at the World Cup in Brazil, Hiddink’s debut as Netherlands boss made Louis van Gaal’s successful campaign in Brazil this summer seem all the more laudable.

Shortly before the tournament, following an embarrassing loss in a friendly against France, Van Gaal had changed the Netherlands’ 4-3-3 formation to a newfound 5-3-2. The switch worked like a charm. In Brazil, the Dutch finished third, demolishing reigning world champions Spain 5-1 along the way. 

Some saw Van Gaal’s change in style as unnecessary. Some thought the Dutch could have done even better if they had implemented a more attacking style of play.

The Netherlands’ friendly against Italy, however, vindicated Van Gaal’s decision to take a more cautious approach during the World Cup. By taking a radical decision, the Dutch boss managed to get the most out of a squad that’s flawed in many ways.

For that, Van Gaal deserves praise from the Dutch fans. It’s also something for Hiddink to consider.

Perhaps the squad isn’t that good. Perhaps the cold reality is that drastic measures are needed to achieve results.

You would think the Netherlands’ successful campaign at the World Cup in Brazil made the Dutch happy. But in truth, only about half of the Oranje fans were happy with their team’s third-place finish. The other half was too busy commenting on the style of play being used to enjoy the success.

Since Dutch football came to maturity in the 1970s, there has been a divide in Dutch football culture.

On one side of the boundary there are the romantics, who believe a game of football should, first of all, be attractive to watch. Then there are the pragmatists. They believe matches are there to be won.

It’s difficult to blame the pragmatists for thinking football is a competitive game. Who wouldn’t want to wrap their fingers around that beautiful, golden trophy?

If you’re not willing to play for the win, you can’t even compete in the tournament. Somewhere during the qualifying round, San Marino or Andorra would send you home.

At the same time, you have to admire the romantics.

In the 1970s, Dutch football became famous not only because it was so effective, but also because it was beautiful to watch. Dancing around the pitch, constantly looking for opportunities to attack, manager Rinus Michels and star player Johan Cruyff made football into art.

But Louis van Gaal, who saw himself facing a major problem when key man Kevin Strootman suffered a serious injury just before the World Cup, wasn’t bothered.

2014 was not the 1970s, and he wasn’t going to go to the World Cup in Brazil to win a dancing competition. Louis van Gaal was going to do what Louis van Gaal does best: outsmarting his opponents and winning—no matter what.

And so, shortly before the Netherlands’ opening match against Spain, he switched from his regular 4-3-3 formation to an unusual 5-3-2.

This caused utter confusion among the Dutch public. How do you play with five defenders? Where does that leave the wingers? And what, for heaven’s sake, is the use of two defensive midfielders?

The Dutch romantics went a step further, outright condemning Van Gaal’s new tactics. If it had to be done in this way, then why bother? According to the romantics, dumping the Oranje’s traditional 4-3-3 setup like some out-of-favour, second-rate striker was like selling the Dutch soul to the devil. It simply wasn’t worth it.

A few months later, and with the World Cup behind us, Van Gaal and his pragmatist following have been vindicated. The Netherlands were successful in Brazil, reaching third place and beating top nations like Spain, Chile and Brazil along the way.

Pact with the devil or not, Van Gaal had shown the Dutch public that a no-nonsense approach to football could bring them success in the 21st century.

Still, the romantics cling onto their ideas, not allowing themselves to be swept away by the new tidal wave of pragmatism. But new Netherlands boss Guus Hiddink, who took over from Van Gaal after the World Cup, is not one of them. Hiddink has seen what his predecessor did in Brazil, and he liked it.

As reported by Mike Allen of the Mirror, Hiddink said: “You go to tournaments to win. First survival, and then worry about playing good football." Under Hiddink, Van Gaal’s legacy of pragmatism will likely be continued.

In the Netherlands, the debate between those who want to win and those who prioritise beautiful football in an absolute sense will likely continue forever. But thanks to Van Gaal, it is no longer the official doctrine to favour style over result, and in doing so, the new Manchester United boss has made life much easier for his Oranje successor.

That, in itself, is a legacy Van Gaal can be proud of.

Ahead of the World Cup in Brazil, Netherlands boss Louis van Gaal had his trademark—and typically Dutch—4-3-3 formation in mind. Even against opponents like Spain and Chile, the two strongest opponents in the group, the Dutch were going to do it their way.

But in early March, disaster struck. During Roma’s Serie A match against Napoli, Strootman suffered a serious injury. It quickly became apparent that the midfielder would definitely miss the World Cup.

Strootman had been part of the much-talked-about "Big Three," Van Gaal’s affectionate nickname for his three best players: Strootman, Arjen Robben and Robin van Persie. After that fateful night in the Serie A, the "Big Three" was now a "Big Two."

It was back to the drawing board for Van Gaal. The execution of his favoured 4-3-3 formation depended on the presence of Strootman. Without the Roma man, who seemed impossible to replace, all balance had disappeared from the Dutch midfield.

To understand why Van Gaal thought his key midfielder was quite so important, it’s fruitful to look at the midfield make-up of a typical Van Gaal team.

First, there’s the destroyer. In the case of the Netherlands, Nigel de Jong played that role beautifully, making tackles and stopping the opposition from executing attacking moves. Then, there’s the attacking, central midfielder—the playmaker. At the Dutch national team, that was often Rafael van der Vaart or Wesley Sneijder.

The third man was the all-rounder, in some ways reminiscent of the old-school “box-to-box” player. Not a defensive midfielder, nor an attacking one, the third man in Van Gaal’s midfield trio had to assist the destroyer in defensive mode, but once the ball is conquered, he had to join the attack.

Constantly running from one end of the pitch to the other, Van Gaal’s third man has a double duty. This takes great stamina, but also intelligence and positional awareness. With his two separate but equally important tasks in mind, the all-rounder must be able to take instant decisions about his course of action. 

Does he run forward and leave his direct opponent unmarked, possibly exposing his team to a counter-attack? Or does he stay behind, providing an extra lock ahead of his defence, leaving the attacking midfielder to provide extra creativity up front?

At the Dutch national team, Van Gaal felt Strootman was the only midfielder capable of fulfilling this role. Without him, the boss had to change tactics.

The Netherlands went on to play in a 5-3-2 at the World Cup. To many people’s surprise, it was a huge success. The Dutch managed to reach the semi-final and demolish reigning World Champions Spain 5-1 along the way.

Following this World Cup success, Van Gaal has implemented his new-found 5-3-2 at Manchester United—perhaps to fix the "broken squad" he feels he has inherited, as per The Guardian. But it should be remembered 5-3-2 is Van Gaal’s make-do-and-mend formation.

Ultimately, Van Gaal will want to return to 4-3-3, the formation that brought him success at clubs like Ajax and Barcelona. To do that, though, he will need an all-round, central midfielder.

Had Strootman not suffered his injury last year, a move to Manchester United would have seemed more than logical. But the midfielder has not returned to fitness yet, and to find his man, Van Gaal might have to look elsewhere.

In the meanwhile, Strootman must work hard to make his comeback and become an even better midfielder. He must wash away the bad taste of missing out on the World Cup, regain confidence and start making progress again.

Who’s to say what will happen if Strootman manages to take back the momentum he had before his injury?