Gullit: "Holland doesn't produce defenders"
Thursday, 10 June 2010
Ruud Gullit is confident about
Holland's chances at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa
to commence Friday at 16h00. The former European Champion
is in South Africa to promote the Holland-Belgium bid
for the 2018 World Cup and he will work for ESPN as
an analyst. According to Gullit Holland do stand a chance
to win it.
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| Ruud Gullit, here after scoring
Holland's opening goal at Euro 88, played all positions
when he was active. Even in the Dutch national team
he was used as a center back at some point... |
Yet he does see weaknesses in the
team as well. "Our problem is that we can not play
badly and still win the game. Look at the way World
Champions made it through the first round in the past.
They kept their cards to themselves. We usually throw
our trumps out on the table immediately, like we did
two years ago at the World Cup. I'd have rather seen
a terrible game against Italy and France and win it
1-0. Holland usually peek to early."
"Do you know what's the best
compliment Holland can get? It's the question when they
will finally win it. It means other nations are reckoning
with Holland. In the last Champions League final there
were more Dutchmen than there were Italians on the pitch.
To me that proved that we dare to be exceptional."
Gullit - like so many others -
sees the defense as the weak point of the team. "That's
because we don't produce defenders in the Netherlands.
We expect all the wrong qualities of a defender. The
first question asked about a defender is whether he
can come forward and build up. They never ask whether
he can defend and tackle. It says a lot that at the
Dutch top clubs there are foreigners in the center of
the defense."
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