Here’s Sky Sports fantasy six-a-side pundit Cameron Hogwood with a Scout report on the Dutch team for tonight’s Netherlands v England match
Sky Sports fantasy six-a-side – Scouting the Netherlands
The arrival of yet another international break is the cause of an untimely pause to the Premier League season, but Netherlands v England still provides us with an opportunity to win the £50,000 Fantasy Six-a-Side jackpot.
Gareth Southgate’s men start the latest instalment of their on-field preparations with a trip to face a Netherlands side led by recently-appointed manager Ronald Koeman.
The former Everton and Southampton boss has subsequently injected fresh impetus into the national team set up, asserting a desire to revamp an ageing squad with the introduction of five uncapped players.
Uncapped stars
The name Kluivert is ingrained as a beacon of football’s star-studded history, but perhaps less so when placed behind the name Justin. The son of Barcelona legend Patrick, who made 79 appearances for the Dutch national, is well poised for an opportunity to impress in the Premier League shop window after being handed his maiden call up to the Netherlands senior team. A swift rise to stardom has seen the Ajax winger notch seven goals and four assists in 24 Eredivisie appearances this season, priming him to reap the benefits of Koeman’s intention to integrate youth into his immediate plans. Following the retirement of Arjen Robben, Dutch football is auditioning for its next attacking talisman. The 18-year-is joined by Atalanta right-back Hans Hateboer as well as AZ trio Guus Til, Wout Weghorst and Marco Bizot as uncapped members of the squad.
Weghorst in particular is an intriguing option for Fantasy Six-a-Side players, with the 25-year-old’s resume gloating a respectable 12 goals and four assists in 26 league games this season. His towering six-foot-five-and-a-half stature would make his involvement, whether from the start or as a substitute, a clue as to the aerial approach England may be forced to defend against. Though he may not be the type of nimble and illusive customer used by one of the World Cup favourites England will hope to compete with, he promises a useful physical challenge for both England’s new and old centre-backs.
Danger out wide
Kluivert could line up across from Spartak Moscow winger Quincy Promes, who continues to be linked with a move to England. The Dutchman has mustered 10 goals and six assists in the league this campaign to enhance his reputation as one of the leading stars and likely future exports in Russia’s top flight. Much like Kluivert, he threatens a tendency to drift across the front line alongside his sheer pace and trickery in the channels. For a potentially experimental England back four, he is a test of their tactical discipline.
Premier League talent
A prominent role in Koeman’s setup beckons for Brighton and Hove Albion’s Davy Propper if he can maintain his strong finish to 2017 on the international stage. The midfielder scored a brace in September’s 3-1 win over Bulgaria, before finding the net again in October’s 3-1 triumph away to Belarus. With Daley Blind, who has often featured in midfield for the Netherland’s, having been omitted from the squad, Propper’s multifaceted value in retrieving possession and initiating attacks gives him a reasonable chance of holding down a starting spot.
As far as shutting out England is concerned, Virgil van Dijk will be the towering presence pinpointed with the responsibility of leading the resistance. The £75 million Liverpool man has comfortably cemented a starting role under Jurgen Klopp and evidently contributed to the Reds’ defensive improvement. With no Harry Kane to combat, he will prove a stern examination of England’s creativity in the build-up and final-ball execution.
Experience
31-year-old Ryan Babel looks a likely candidate to feature against England after again being named in the Holland squad. The former Liverpool forward was recalled to the Netherlands cohort in December 2017 following a six-year absence from international football as a reward for his superb form at Besiktas. Babel has scored nine goals and supplied three assists in the Turkish top flight this season, glossed by two goals and an assist in an impressive Champions League run.
23 goals in 23 Portuguese Primeira Liga appearances for Sporting Lisbon this season market six-foot-five Bas Dost as a worthwhile Fantasy Six-A-Side option. The well-travelled 28-year-old is another proven handful for Southgate’s blend of fresh and familiar defensive figures to contain with a necessary notion of physical and aerial superiority.
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