Stuttering Dutch study 'English game'

It is not an exaggeration to say that when Holland run out in north London tonight they will be trying to get back to where they were about 14 months ago.

Then the Dutch were co-hosts and joint favourites to win Euro 2000, and looked quite capable of fulfilling their role when they stuffed six past Yugoslavia in the quarter-final in Rotterdam's De Kuip stadium.

Holland stepped out of De Kuip, an arena known as "the bath tub", with a clean glow. Then came Italy in Amsterdam, memorable for Dennis Bergkamp's shot against the post in the first half and the missed penalties by Frank de Boer and Patrick Kluivert.

Then there were a whole rash of skewed penalties during the amazing shoot-out. Five minutes later Frank Rijkaard had resigned. Soon after Bergkamp had retired. Orange disorder.

A month later and Louis van Gaal, recently sacked from Barcelona, had been appointed on a contract to 2006. Van Gaal, not known for his reticence, immediately proclaimed that his aim was to win the World Cup. People thought Van Gaal meant 2002. He said later he meant 2006.

"Only then can I be judged," he said last week. Van Gaal had just been asked if he was considering resignation if Holland fail to qualify for a major finals for the first time since the World Cup of 1986 in Mexico. That is the mood.

A year ago tomorrow the Van Gaal era got off to the most false of starts. In possibly Europe's toughest qualifying group, after 21 minutes Robbie Keane put the Republic of Ireland one up. When Jason McAteer added a second Van Gaal's lustre began to fade. He was rescued by late goals from Jeffrey Talan and Giovanni van Bronckhorst.

For the Dutch the draw felt like defeat. Six weeks later the Dutch lost 2-0 at home to Portugal, the group favourites, and though Holland got some retribution in Porto in March they were again left feeling beaten when a two-goal lead became a 2-2 draw. An injury-time penalty from Luis Figo was responsible. And England think their story traumatic.

There was more Dutch anguish when Estonia came within seven minutes of a huge upset just 10 weeks ago. Leading 1-0 and then 2-1 the Estonian part-timers conceded three in the last seven minutes in Tallinn.

"It all went as I predicted," said Van Gaal afterwards, to strange glances. We haven't even mentioned nandrolone, for which both Frank de Boer and Edgar Davids have tested positive.

Asked to assess his first year in charge, Van Gaal replied: "I don't know if I should be happy. All I can say is that Ireland, Portugal or Holland will be killed. But we have the best goal difference. I'm still full of hope."

Ruud van Nistelrooy scored two of those late goals in Estonia, having replaced Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink after an hour, and if there is an identifiable pattern in Van Gaal's time - and in the Netherlands that is a big if - it is the gradual introduction of players like Van Nistelrooy and PSV Eindhoven's Mark van Bommel. Van Nistelrooy is now preferred to Hasselbaink.

Tonight offers the Dutch their best preparation for the crucial game against the Republic of Ireland, whom they trail by four points. Van Gaal said. "We want to practise against the English especially, because the Irish are the same physically and mentally. They think positively and we can learn from that attitude."