e-Spurs goes Oranje‏

By Marc Ashed

 

I recently had the pleasure of exchanging emails with the editor of the fantastic Football Oranje blog (football-oranje.com or @football_oranje) about young prospects in the Eredivisie. We focused on 11 bright talents that have the potential to move to bigger leagues throughout Europe in the next 2-3 years. Again, a huge thanks to Michael atfootball-oranje.com for the player descriptions and check out his site for great content related to the Oranje and Eredivisie.

I also exchanged some emails with Amsterdam Spurs supporter group and hope to link up with them when I have a day free in Amsterdam this summer.

 

1) Jean-Paul Boëtius
Tricky winger who broke onto the scene this season, terrific pace and trickery which has bamboozled a number of Eredivisie defenders. Should stay at Feyenoord for another two seasons to avoid becoming another Elia.

2) Tonny Vilhena
Terrific passing ability and vision which has made him, in the opinion of many, the most talented player in the Netherlands. A box to box midfielder in the elk of Steven Gerrard, and has a terrific shot.

3) Adam Maher
Along with Vilhena a player with brilliant vision, and is seen as the new Wesley Sneijder. Already a Netherlands international, who eclipsed Pirlo in the recent friendly with Italy. Probably the brightest talent in the Netherlands, but will join either Ajax or PSV this summer.

4) Marco van Ginkel
The complete box to box midfielder who has the pace to burst through defences. Keen eye for goal which has seen him net 8 goals, while his combination with Wilfried Bony has led him to assist in a massive 10 goals. Could play up front in the future.

5) Jürgen Locadia
Deadly striker at the ripe age of 19, exploded onto the scene with a hat-trick on his debut earlier this season. Scored 5 league goals with only 14 shots, and will surely be a first team striker next season, and a future striker for the national team.

6) Stefan de Vrij
Commanding defender who is currently the best in the Eredivisie, already the captain of Feyenoord, reads the game brilliantly. Great in the air, and brutal in the tackle. Will move to another club this summer, for what will prove to be a bargain price.

7) Bruno Martins-Indi
A left back for Feyenoord, and a centre back for the Netherlands, brilliant in both positions with pace and strength he is set to have a brilliant future. Good tackler and also a great crosser of the ball when he goes forward. Defensively he has it all.

8) Viktor Fischer
Winger who has the future in his hands, has the capability to play for the best teams in Europe and become a player in the elk of Messi or Ronaldo. The boy has everything a winger should have, great pace, trickery and an explosive finish when in the box. Has expressed an interest to play more centrally. Recently signed a new deal so off limits for now.

9) Jordy Clasie
A feisty midfielder who can play just in front of defence or behind a striker, tough in the tackle but has brilliant vision,which leads him to start many of Feyenoord's attacking moves. Could leave this summer with Fiorentina the biggest link.

10) Jetro Willems
Left back who is brilliant going forward and can be found over the half way line at most times in PSV matches, but a question mark still lies over his defending ability with the horror of Euro 2012 still restricting his national side appearances.

11) Christian Eriksen
Been an excellent midfielder for the last few years, brilliant at linking Ajax's play from defence to attack, low centre of gravity which allows him to glide past midfielders at ease and has a deadly finish when around the box. Still a little lightweight but smart enough to stay out of physical battles using his excellent movement. Will leave Amsterdam this summer and whoever signs him is getting a brilliant player.

How these talents relate to Tottenham Hotspur and the EPL

The Eredivisie is proving to be one of the top breeding grounds for world class talents. All the major Dutch players of today's game such as Sneijder, van Persie, van der Vaart and Huntelaar have started at Eredivisie clubs and players such as Luis Suarez, Jan Vertonghen, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and current Swansea manager, Michael Laudrup made their mark on the Dutch league before moving abroad. Ajax possess a top 3 youth academy in the world while holding their own against the likes of Real Madrid, Borussia Dortmund and Manchester City in the Champions League while teams like PSV and Feyenoord are capable of competing with EPL and La Liga teams (aside from the big boys). The Dutch teach an attractive technical system of football which they call "total football" and you don't have to look much further than the overall game of Jan Vertonghen to see what total football means. Everybody on the field is capable of attacking at any time which leads to incredibly fast and lethal counter attacks. AVB seems to prefer technical players that are versatile and skilled with the ball and logically, the Eredivisie would be a great league to scout for these style of players.

All 11 players are ones to watch as the next few transfer windows pass and many of them will join top 7 clubs in England. In other words, get used to these names because they are going to be around on the top stages for a while.

Viktor Fischer is along with Christian Eriksen, the brightest name on the list and has already been linked to Manchester United & Chelsea despite being 18 years old. He has scored 9 goals in 16 games for Ajax this year and has the potential to be special. Just look at this absolutely ridiculous goal by him from a month ago WOW

We have been seriously linked with Christian Eriksen and Bruno Martins Indi. Both would be fantastic additions and bolster our squad rotation. Bruno Martins Indi has the ability to be a top left back in the EPL and Eriksen is on the path to becoming a top midfielder in the world. One player that we have not been mentioned with but would be an astute purchase is Jürgen Locadia. Locadia would be an outstanding purchase for the future. He has a good goalscoring record and at 6'3, is a physically imposing striker.

As we transform into a team of AVB's vision, it would be wise to look towards the Dutch league. The next generation of players in the Eredivisie and the Oranje are incredibly talented and the future looks extremely bright. It would be beneficial for Spurs to become a little Oranje in the next few years to continue our beautiful style of play and it can start with Christian Eriksen and Bruno Martins Indi.

 

Proost!

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Marc A. Ashed @marcaron22

 

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