The Sports Lowdown For All Your News and OpinionsAging superstars and youthful inexperience
It’s no secret the Dutch have a few oldies in their squad. Not only that, their biggest names are now the wrong side of 30. Arjen Robben 31, Wesley Sneijder 31, Robin van Persie 32, Klass Jan Huntelaar 32: the once core of the national side have seen better days.
These players cannot be the nucleus of the team anymore, they simply don’t have the legs for it. A new generation of Dutch players is required and therein lies the rub.
Surprisingly, most of the Netherland’s squad is aged 24 or below. Memphis Depay is 20 while only Daley Blind has hit 25 in the current Dutch defence. Their futureis in their hands, but they are mere youngsters on the international scene.
Back in the real world: the Oranje do not have any players in their peak. Either too young or too old, they are missing players aged 26 or 28. There is a missing gap, an absent generation.
