Dire Dutch losing touch with glorious past as Paul Pogba strike makes World Cup 2018 qualification look tall order

What do Jason McAteer and Paul Pogba have in common? You could be forgiven for thinking not a lot. But they are actually the last two players to score winning goals against the Netherlands in World Cup qualifying.

McAteer, the former Liverpool midfielder, scored the game’s only goal for the Republic of Ireland 15 years ago in September 2001 in Dublin as the Dutch surprisingly missed out on the World Cup in Japan and South Korea.

Since then, though, it has been an unblemished record on the path to global gatherings for the Oranje: Won 10, drew 2 on route to the 2006 World Cup; W8, D0 in reaching the 2010 World Cup; W9, D1 on the track to Brazil 2014.

That sequence was rudely brought to a halt by the world’s most expensive footballer on Monday night in Amsterdam. Pogba is now the other bookend to match McAteer after his goal led France to a comfortable 1-0 victory in qualifying for Russia 2018.

Of course, to much Dutch hand-wringing Holland missed out on the expanded Euros last year – finishing below the Czech Republic, Iceland and Turkey in their qualifying group. That is looking less and less like a blip and more like the beginning of an alarming decline for the creators of Total Football.

open image in gallery

On Monday it was Total Failure as France bossed the game in Amsterdam from start to finish and should have won by more. “France had fun tearing Orange apart” was the headline in the Dutch daily De Telegraaf. “Powerless Orange” was another.

Antoine Greizmann and Kevin Gamerio of Atletico Madrid and Pogba should all have added to the scoreline after the Manchester United’s man 30th-minute goal. Everton’s Maarten Stekelenberg kept Holland in the match with some fine saves and, in fact, the Dutch could have nicked an undeserved equaliser in the 88th minute when Memphis Depay, that lesser spotted Manchester United winger, hooked a shot goalwards only to see Hugh Lloris save.

Pogba’s goal was an embarrassment for the men in orange: a poor pass out of defence meant for Tottenham’s Vincent Janssen – who has lost his place in the Spurs side – was easily intercepted by Laurent Koscielny. He passed to Dimitri Payet who fed Pogba. All the while the Dutch captain Kevin Strootman of Roma stood off allowing the Frenchman to line up his shot. He duly did, and whacked it, but Stekelenberg should have saved it. Danny Blind, the Dutch manager, said as much afterwards.

And that is the problem for the Dutch: there is an acute lack of quality players available. Monday’s team sheet made interesting reading only for its lack of star names. The “Big Four” are nearing extinction with Robin Van Persie, Arjen Robben, Rafa Van der Vaart and Wesley Sneijder all unavailable. It was the first time in 14 years none of them have been in a Dutch dressing room.

But the days when they could shape games are gone anyway. Bayern Munich’s Robben, 32, has gas in the tank but he withdrew shortly before the international break and has played only 121 of the last 1,260 minutes (10 per cent) for Holland. Van Persie, 33, and Sneijder, 32, are seeing out their footballing days in Turkey while Van der Vaart, 33, plies his trade in the Danish Superliga.

All this meant on Monday Janssen led the line with Davy Klaassen of Ajax on the left and Quincy Promes of Spartak Moscow on the right. Strootman, Liverpool’s Georginio Wijnaldum and PSV’s Davy Propper were in midfield. The French daily sportspaper, L’Equipe, gave Propper 3 out of 10, Wijnaldum 4. Strootman was lucky to get a 5.

The Dutch team used to instil fear and respect in equal measure but long gone are the days of Van Basten, Bergkamp, Kluivert, Cruyff, Neeskens…the list goes on and on.

open image in gallery

The defeat to France was their fifth defeat in a row in the Amsterdam Arena (imagine the hoo-ha if England lost five on the spin at Wembley). In their first 53 games at the stadium, they lost just four.

And the latest loss leaves Holland with a battle royal on their hands to avoid missing out on the World Cup in Russia as they did the Euros in France. They sit third in Group A with four points from three games. France and Sweden are joint top with seven. It promises to be a fraught and treacherous road for Blind’s boys – assuming Blind is allowed to travel it; he is already under pressure.

Holland still have to go to France. The last game of qualification is at home to Sweden who they drew with in Solna. That tie already has the look of a play-off for second place about it.

A play-off to reach the play-offs. In the week that the genius that was Johann Cruyff has been celebrated in a book about his life it is a sad state of affairs how far and fast Dutch football is sinking.