Euro 2008 Dutch bicker-watch

[Man of Harveys]

Of course, as any football fan knows, one of the main side attractions of any major international football tournament is the Dutch national side's ability to screw it up, often entirely due to (very entertaining) internicine internal rifts which leave their unquestioned potential as piss-all more than that. Thank god.

So, it's a gentle start so far but a nice little unhelpful pre-kick off snipe from the sidelines from Ronald de Boer here. There's still time for the full "Euro '96" implosion to develop though - where the black and white Dutch players ended up transiting this fair island on...gulp..separate buses divided on racial lines. Even England could beat them then (OK OK, that's a cheap shot, I apologise).

IMHO there might be a bit of a racial subtext to his quotes like "I strongly feel that some players are more proud to play for their countries than we are. Many come from a lesser background and had to crawl to where they are." Maybe not.

BBC SPORT | Football | Euro 2008 | Netherlands | De Boer queries Dutch commitment

 

[Silent Bob]

Van Bommel and Seedorf got in early.

I look forward to Cruyff's biennial "how I would have done it" speech after they go out.

 

[Tooting Gull]

Brilliant. Now just put those comments to a few self-righteous current players, light the orange touchpaper, sit back and watch the fireworks.

 

[ali jenkins]

The dutch will win because Ive got them in the sweepstake at work!

 

[Papa Lazarou]

Can't we just watch the female dutch supporters in bikinis? (sorry I don't have photos, I'm at work).

Papa

 

[captainmorganrum]

Haha, quality stuff.

The Dutch will finish bottom of the group-of-death.

And as my Grandaddy was Dutch, I'm supporting them.

Klass-Jan Huntelaar is GOD!

 

[Man of Harveys]

Can't we just watch the female dutch supporters in bikinis?

Even they'd probably start arguing loudly with each other about who's got the best tits, covering themselves in phlegm as they do so...actually, that's ok

 

[Easy 10]

I also have them in the sweepstake, so I'm hoping against hope that they can play nicely together this summer without Mr and Mrs Smack having to pay a visit to Bottyland.

 

[Tooting Gull]

Seriously though, what is it with the Dutch? They really do have the self-destruct button, the team ethic that makes clubs/countries winners is just not there. They would rather have a row than lift the trophy.

By comparison, even our own prima donnas look quite humble next to ego maniacs like Van Bommel and Seedorf.

 

[Wozza]

Can't we just watch the female dutch supporters in bikinis? (sorry I don't have photos, I'm at work).

Papa

We were among Dutch fans at the last Euros.

The ladies got a lot of attention...

 

[Simster]

Seriously though, what is it with the Dutch? They really do have the self-destruct button, the team ethic that makes clubs/countries winners is just not there. They would rather have a row than lift the trophy.

By comparison, even our own prima donnas look quite humble next to ego maniacs like Van Bommel and Seedorf.

Ronald De Boer has made it QUITE clear that the reason Clarence Seedorf is having a strop is because Van Basten once started him on the bench and when substitutes were made, Seedorf wasn't one of them.

So that's that then. Who wouldn't flounce after that sort of disgraceful treatment?

 

[Gully]

I will never understand this over fascination with Dutch women, they aren't really all they are cracked up to be...many smoke heavily and as a result have deeper voices than Barry White.

 

[Simster]

I will never understand this over fascination with Dutch women, they aren't really all they are cracked up to be...many smoke heavily and as a result have deeper voices than Barry White.

...and many of them are blonde, fairly tall, have splendid tits and look smashing because they have a healthy diet and cycle everywhere.

 

[Man of Harveys]

We could do with TRUFFIPOOS keeping us updated on this - if this is what's being run on the BBC, the Orange gobshites must be opening their mouths as wide as the River Maas' delta and letting rip to their local hacks.

 

[Tooting Gull]

...and many of them are blonde, fairly tall, have splendid tits and look smashing because they have a healthy diet and cycle everywhere.

I'm shinking thatsh a great shtereotype.

 

[Man of Harveys]

I'm shinking thatsh a great shtereotype.

...although a lot of them seem to have big round arses too. Must be all that cheese.

Seriously though, what is it with the Dutch?

Much as I truly detest any form of cheap stereotyping and trying to put this in the very nicest possible way, having spent years talking to a lot of Dutch traders through work, the fact that their team behaves like this every single time really comes as little surprise to me - just my HO, and I'm sure there must also be literally millions of Dutch people who obviously don't behave at all like that too.

 

[Tooting Gull]

...although a lot of them seem to have big round arses too. Must be all that cheese.

.

Frankly, I don't give edam.

 

[Gully]

...having spent almost 5 years living in the Netherlands I can confirm that there are plenty who don't meet the traditional stereotypes...there are three women who are short, fat and brunette.

 

[Dick Knights Mumm]

Frankly, I don't give edam.

and you can stop clogging up this thread.

 

[Trufflehound]

We could do with TRUFFIPOOS keeping us updated on this - if this is what's being run on the BBC, the Orange gobshites must be opening their mouths as wide as the River Maas' delta and letting rip to their local hacks.

Sadly the Dutch media seem to be going in for some unadulterated fawning over "our heroes" at the moment. The TV news report this morning simply showed some dull footage of them getting off a bus and walking into their hotel in Lausanne. If there's much backstabbing going on the reporters have taken a vow of silence.

They are delighting more in the injury problems in the French and Italian squads.

They do actually think they're going to win - mind you the last time they believed that was in Italia '90, and we all know how that panned out.



Edit: I've just noticed the papers here are carrying reports of de Boer's comments in the BBC interview, so hopefully that will spark "severe recriminations".