Who Could Have Known About Frank de Boer?
If only there was some way to tell that Frank de Boer isn't the best option for your club.
As the Netherlands bumbled their way to a 4-2 defeat at the hands of Turkey to open their 2022 World Cup qualifying campaign, onlookers expressed astonishment that in his first six months in charge, Frank de Boer has only managed to win two games with the Netherlands, losing to Turkey and Mexico, while also securing glorious draws with the likes of Spain, Italy, and… Bosnia and Herzegovina. Indeed, de Boer became the first manager in the history of the Netherlands to not win any of his first four games in charge late last year, and after his freshest disappointment to begin World Cup qualifying, the same thought dripped from the tongues of all who looked upon de Boer’s results:
If only there was some way we could’ve known Frank de Boer would be this bad.
After all, we know that the Netherlands is historically good at the game, and in theory, are currently good at the game. The manager position is a storied and coveted one. We expect, therefore, that the only people who will manage the Netherlands will be good at managing. But the Netherlands under Frank de Boer have not been very good. They have been decent at most, and at times, like all the times they just decided not to pressure the ball twenty yards away from goal against Turkey, they have been very bad. And it's truly a shame that no one could have possibly seen this coming from a Frank de Boer-led side.
How could the Netherlands know this was coming? How could any of us? That statistically-speaking, the person who is most likely the worst manager in Premier League history would not be good when given the reigns to a massive international side? That a man who oversaw the first four matches of the 2017/18 season for Crystal Palace, lost all four of them, while his team scored zero goals, the first time that had happened in the English first division in over ninety years, could possibly produce a run of poor results for his homeland?
It’s nigh-on unfathomable.
Who would have guessed that the Netherlands might be losing some games under Frank de Boer given his MLS tenure? One in which he took the defending MLS champions, one of the most exciting teams in MLS, who had just added the South American Player of the Year, from the top of the league to a side so bereft of attacking nous and any sense of defending that they did not qualify for MLS is Back knock-out rounds? And after his dismissal, the team still could not recover to make the playoffs over the course of a year in which 10 of the 14 clubs playing in the Eastern Conference qualified. Numerically-speaking, it was more difficult to not qualify for the playoffs than make it into the play-in round. Atlanta’s roster was torched that badly from the mere presence of Frank de Boer and his preferences. You’re telling me that guy isn’t getting results with the Netherlands in the most strongest international region in the world?
Frankly, I feel as if we’ve all been blind-sided. Flabbergasted. Gobsmacked. This could happen to any of our clubs. Clearly, Frank de Boer will still be a leading candidate for open positions in the months and years to come when he moves on from the Netherlands. Perhaps a return to Ajax is in the cards, or he gets a crack at the Barcelona job. Maybe even a trip into the Red Bull machine when their carousel of managers inevitably get snapped up. How can we know, for certain, that all the bad things that Frank de Boer’s teams have done in a downwards spiral of highly-predictable little tragedies will not happen when he is inevitably hired yet again?
Ah, well. Life is full of chaos, is it not? These things are troubling, I’ll warrant you. But just know, when the fear suddenly grips you, and the rumor that Frank de Boer is coming to your club trickles down the Internet pipeline, that your club actually has good personnel for the preferred de Boer system. You actually like the idea of a 3-4-3. It will probably work out, and your talent will carry you through regardless.
I wouldn’t worry about anything.
Sunday League is the Only League for Me
Nothing like an inspiring story of two teams trying equally hard to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.
Notes from Olympic Qualifying
Mexico is better than the USMNT U-23 team, which was true on paper before the game and remains true after they beat the U.S. 1-0.
It could’ve been way worse for the United States!
David Ochoa did this, which is really all that matters.
This meme is probably the tweet of the week.
The U.S. and Mexico both already booked their trip to the semifinals, and the winners of those matches will qualify for the Olympics.
Goal of the Day
VfL Wolfsburg lose like once every eight months or so, so if you’re going to be the team that beats them, it’s probably nice to have Sam Kerr on your team (not to mention get some nifty passing combinations going while you’re at it).
Now if you want to have yourself a hearty laugh, go search “Sam Kerr fraud” on Twitter.
Daryl Dike Szn
If you’re wondering about the big man who’s lighting up the Championship for Barnsley before he hopefully makes an appearance in the upcoming USMNT friendlies this international break, check out this article from Jeff Carlisle.
And just let the record show, once again: a year and a half. In a year and a half, Daryl Dike went from playing for the University of Virginia to playing for Orlando City to being an eight-figure transfer target in the Championship. It took me a year and a half to stop procrastinating and finally renew my driver’s license.
Needless to say, big things coming from Mr. Dike.