Two games in and two defeats to the Brilliant Orange. The side who reached the 2010 World Cup final is on the verge of elimination. Although they have been drawn in the dreaded “Group of Death” and have no points, they have arguably been the best side in tournament in terms of aesthetic value. With the attacking quality of Van Persie, Robben and Sneijder in the side and with a prolific goal scorer like Huntelaar only restricted to a substitute role, what has gone wrong for Holland? In my opinion it comes down to the tactical decisions of their coach Bert van Marwijk.
In the first game against Denmark Holland were guilty of simply not taking their chances and of then making a defensive error of which they were punished. As the game went on they became more desperate, snatched at shots and forced passes, which made the flow of their game more difficult. I would not say Denmark defended all too well, it was Holland who defeated theirselves. And in the game last night, against the best side in the tournament in terms of balance, strength and quality, Holland started out the blocks again, yet could not convert their chances again and were punished.
For me Holland's players are all about confidence and the side clearly lacks leaders who can bring them through out of adversity. Yet, the issue as to why Holland have no points so far comes down to decision of Van Marwijk of tactics in midfield, his decision to play two holding midfielders.
Modern history
In the past decade two holding players has become the popular tactic of many sides; Benitez used it to great effect with Valencia and took that into his style at Liverpool. Bayern, Dortmund, Man City and Real all use a 4-2-3-1 to good effect and we have seen in the tournament so far how common two holding midfielders are for the top sides; France, England, Spain, Germany and Holland all use them. However, there is a major difference in having a formation and then putting the right players play in that role.
For me, Holland have made the wrong choice in starting both Van Bommel and De Jong. These two players are effectively the same; they spoil play, tackle hard and aim to screen and support the defence. However, did Holland need TWO of these players against Denmark? No. By choosing two holding defensive midfielders, Holland restricted the link between midfield and attack. Sneijder is a number 10 and thus does not want to drop deep to receive the ball, however he has been forced to in order to get possession. However, in Sneijder's preferred 10 role, the set up of Holland at times is a 4-2-4, unfortunately this means the gap between midfield and the forward line is too large.
Spain's midfield overload
Spain are currently guilty of this but for the opposite reason. Their use of a 4-6-0 or how I would see it as a 4-2-4-0, means that Busquets and Alonso are playing as holding midfielders, with Xavi and Iniesta centrally above them and Fabregas and Silva wider looking to get in behind. This tactic fails to offer significant penetration and although it dominates midfield areas, Spain do not require so many of the same style of player to be in the line up.
Like Barcelona, Del Bosque has sought to fill his side with midfielders, at the expense of a forward. However, Cesc or Silva are no Messi and Spain need to change their approach if they wish to win this tournament. It comes from choosing either Alonso or Busquets, and for Busquets tackles better, is more disciplined and works better with Xavi. By having just one holding player with Xavi moving forward to supply the attack, Spain will have a link between midfield and attack and will have another player, for me Pedro, who offers something different, in his case; speed and the willingness to get behind a defence. The key though is changing those two holding players, as it is not necessary.
Germany's perfect balance
Germany have the balance almost perfect; Schweinstieger’s pass for Gomez was precisely what was needed from a holding midfielder, he moved up the pitch and found himself in a perfect space to feed the pass for the goal. Would Van Bommel or De Jong, or Alonso or Busquets be so far up there, of course not. His late movement meant he was unmarked and he possessed the ability to play an inch perfect pass which Gomez (Spain, take note) finished like a true class finisher. It was Khedira who crossed the ball in the first game for Gomez also, and it shows how much of an understanding Lowe has about the roles of his players, a simple concept it may seem, yet having the discipline and knowledge of when to go forward and support the attack and when to hold and support the defence, is a key factor in Germany’s success so far.
Lesser sides, lesser quality
Both France and England played with two holding players, and although Cabaye got forward more than Gerrard, you could see the difference in quality between these two sides and Germany. Knowing when to go and where to go are key for any player, yet most importantly for a midfielder, it is why Xavi and Schweinsteiger are the best two midfielders in this tournmanent, they set the tempo, understand the game and know where to be and when. In the Premier League this season the best midfielder was Yaya Toure whose understanding of his role and movement enabled late runs forward and at other times discipline to hold his position. It is my critique of Gerrard that he cannot play this position well enough because he does not know when to go and when to stay, whereas Lampard showed in the games against Barca and Bayern a real understanding of his role and was a vital part in Chelsea’s success.
The role of a midfielder is key to any side, and with the modern tactic being to have two players holding, it does not mean they must stay there. A perfect combination will be that both can defend and read the game, while having a knowledge to go forward with correct timing and movement, while possessing the skills to create or score goals. Germany at this time are the closest to this perfect scenario.
However, the classic double act would of the spoiler and the creator; Mascherano and Alonso at Liverpool or Busquets and Xavi at Barca and Spain. One holds, breaks up play and finds the deep playmaker who starts the attacks and sets the tempo. Holland’s problem has been they have played two spoilers and no deep lying playmaker, meaning that there is no tempo controller in there. Instead attacks are more about individuals than the team.
Van Merwijk's key decision
In my opinion the ideal side to play against Portugual would be De Jong supported by Strootman (the best man for the double role of defence and attack) with Sneijder as 10, Huntelaar as 9, Robben out wide left and RVP out right. Strootman would be the key factor in the side, from what I have seen, he offers more in this role than Van Der Vaart would. The key will be that Van Merwijk cannot play two spoilers and expect to win the game. Sneijder needs to be further forward and thus it needs a deeper midfielder to link the play.
Of course Holland’s issues come from their shambolic defence, however it has been their lack of goals when in control of the games so far which has put them on the verge of elimination. Formations are only numbers on a sheet, it is what the manager decides to with the players in the side which matters the most. So far England and France have shown they have an idea of what they want, yet lack the quality in midfield to be effective. Spain are causing their own problems in their idealistic pursuit of perfection, meaning it is only Germany who are perfecting the role of a two man holding midfield, which based on the results so far which show that Lowe has got his tactics just right so far. If Holland want any chance of progressing Van Marwijk needs a greater understanding of the issues he has in midfield.
