I just generally love Dutch players. The best ones aren’t the quickest or strongest bar certain exceptions like Robben but they are so technically gifted it’s unbelievable. Down the years, you’ve had RvP, van Basten, Sneijder, Cruyff, Neeskens. Now you have people like De Jong, Blind, VdB etc. They must qualify for every tournament.
Blind and his exit from the club to me is a transfer that highlights our lack of DOF.
First his imperfections were not highlighted by a DOF under LVG - saying that, he built himself to be an important player under LVG. Then I look at the Europa League final game where Blind had been isolated by Mourinho but put back in to the first team for and he played fantastic then against Ajax.
After that Mourinho just sold him because he had a free role to do as he wishes rather than being under control of a DOF.
We consider a left footed LCB; Blind was the best and is still the best we would have had without buying a new one. Covers a gap in our squad. He is good enough for a CB partnership when the partner is able to play around Blind's weaknesses.
He was good enough for a 2nd or even 3rd back up to our LB position. He could cover the CDM role to the same standard, especially when we see Matic drop in defence from midfield to create a back 3 - I dont see why Blind couldn't have done that with his intelligence, defensive skills, his ability to read the positions of the game and his ball playing abilities which were absolutely fantastic from deep.
Imagine all those times we played a back 3 & how people want Shaw to play as a LCB - wasnt Blind that exact player but better? The guy used to send our attackers in to free space after a pass that bypassed our midfield straight to the LW. His ball playing ability as a defender was the best in the whole squad.
Like why do we keep Rojo & Jones and ditch Blind? Some would argue Bailly should be in that list too now.
People say that Blind & Smalling was only good enough because we played possession football - I disagree with that but even if it was true, did we even get to try them together under a different manager and different tactics throughout the force of a DOF? No.
Even if he ended up failing in a partnership, we then go buy another slow CB in Maguire (he has his own flaws but nothing that makes me hate on the lad like some of the other fans tend to do when wanting some perfect players all across the pitch). All those times we played a back 3; how would have Blind - Smalling - Maguire played in a back 3?
That's got near world class ball playing ability on the ball on both the left and right channel which would be wonderful for our attacking play plus players that play to their strengths whilst covering other players weaknesses aka a team. Do Lindelof and Bailly have the ball playing abilities to play in a back 3 better than Blind and Maguire could? Not for me.
That just oozes a lack of DOF to me. Mourinho didnt want to use him but Ole could have and most likely would have used him. We give our managers too much ability to rule the club because of our lack of DOF but also in sync with a slight respect we give our managers to try and turn them in to the next SAF like tenure of dominance.
them's fighting words. Carry on.(Bring it, KirkD.)
