Leroy Fer has been added to the Dutch National team this morning after Jonathan de Guzman and Stijn Schaars reported to be injured after their respective matches yesterday. Fer has been called up by Van Gaal to the squad for the World Cup Qualification matches against Hungary in Amsterdam and Turkey in Istanbul coming Friday and next week's Tuesday. The last time Leroy Fer was selected and played for the Dutch was in September 2012 in the qualification match against Turkey. The Netherlands have already qualified for the World Cup but they dropped in the Fifa ranking to 9th place, which means the Orange team could be dropped as group leader as usually the top 7 + the host are selected in the first spot. The Dutch need to win both matches to keep sight on the 7th place on the ranking: http://www.fifa.com/worldranking/rankingtable/index.html A lot of new(old) players have been added to the team. Van der Wiel and Nigel de Jong return, both were dropped by Van Gaal last year. Fer's team mate Ricky van Wolfswinkel was not selected. Source: http://www.nu.nl/sport/3595221/fer-toegevoegd-selectie-nederlands-elftal.html
Certainly deserves it. He's a proper all action midfielder, I can see him making the CM position for the Orange his own in a few years, hopefully still as a Norwich player!
Leroy has been immense as he adjusts to his new environment, as well as playing a big part in the Improvement of Howson and Tettey, who have formed the kind of three-part midfield we have been hoping for with a tactical balance of attacking and defensive play. The call-up is well deserved!
Hmm... possibly. He's got some stiff competition though (Strootman, Wijnaldum, Maher, Van Ginkel, Clasie).
Sneijder, Nigel de Jong, Jonathan de Guzman, Schaars, Siem de Jong, Kyle Ebecilio Clasie and Maher have been very disappointing lately
Me too, keep in mind that Sneijder and Schaars are still 29 and Nigel de Jong is 28(soon 29) They can last till they're 33-34. It's also why I left VdVaart out.
Fair enough. I can accept that N.deJong could still be around as his style of play doesn't really require him to be young, same with Sneijder I guess (plus, he's class). Schaars playing for Oranje in 3-5 years though?
Schaars not but in case of injuries and he has to be in form at PSV, he will still be competition for Fer in midfield.
Ehm, no idea, if you had asked me five years ago who is our best winger I would have probably said Elia and Babel so... For 2016 It looks likely that Strootman and Wijnaldum are certainties, other than those two I can't possibly tell. Maher had two great seasons but he isn't settling in well at PSV. Clasie had a solid season, I'm personally not fond of him. And this season he's been invisible and just overall average. Sometimes he shows signs of brilliance but it's just signs. Too soon to tell if any of them make it to theEC2016, let alone WC2018.