Koeman said some interesting stuff on ESPN this morning...
- Still plans for Memphis to be first-choice striker at the WC with Weghorst as Plan B option
- Very impressed with Summerville, seems likely to call him up in March
- Huge fan of Kees Smit, says he could go to the WC
Met our assistant manager (and my absolute childhood hero) tonight 🥲
Should've told him to tell Koeman to stop selecting Weghorst 🤦
Brobbey is likely to be unavailable for our next matches due to injury, and with Emegha out too, I really wouldn't mind Zian Flemming being given a chance.
Scored again today and now has seven goals in 20 games in the best league in the world. Works hard and is a good finisher.
Frenkie de Jong has picked up a hamstring injury and will now miss our matches next month.
Yet another missed opportunity to get a strongest XI familiar with each other ahead of the World Cup. We've barely been able to field it at all in the last year or so.
So frustrating.
Koeman's first-choice attack has Memphis up front & Malen at RW, but with Memphis not in good form, Malen thriving up front for Roma & Summerville on fire at West Ham, I'd love to see a setup with Malen up top & Summerville on the right next month (surely he'll be called up...)
Malen, Lang and Brobbey are the only ones of our forwards consistently playing well right now, while Summerville is doing well enough to earn a call-up, but they're hardly going to win you a World Cup...
Emegha will miss next month's friendlies through injury.
He hasn't played since November, Meerdink hasn't since October, Zirkzee barely plays, Memphis & Gakpo are in poor form and Xavi isn't doing great at Spurs.
Our attack really isn't looking good heading into the World Cup.
Bosz has officially signed a new contract with PSV. Unless Slot leaves Liverpool, we're now going to be in big trouble after the World Cup if Koeman goes, which feels likely. Will probably end up with Van Bommel or Van Nistelrooy.
Some good performances from Dutch strikers this weekend! Malen has a debut goal for Roma, and Brobbey scored again for Sunderland - he's defo earned another chance with Oranje.
Also, Van Persie's son Shaqueel has just scored his first senior goals for Feyenoord 👀
Can we play him up front? Probably still better than our strikers 😂
Purely speculating here, but can't help but wonder if this is the KNVB beginning to prepare a replacement for Koeman...
Doing so would only really prove to be a mistake if Koeman went and won us the World Cup, but that's obviously fairly unlikely, as is the possibility that he'd then want to stay in the job after winning it, rather than retiring on the highest possible note
Given there's a good chance, going by recent interviews, that Koeman will step down after the World Cup regardless, it really does seem like a huge mistake to not just decide now to not offer him a new deal, so that the best possible replacement can be secured.
Bosz wants the Oranje job, but will he really turn down the PSV offer just in the hope that Koeman leaves? I doubt it.
If he stays put and Koeman goes, we'll have to hire Van Bommel, Van Nistelrooy, Van Bronckhorst or a foreigner, none of whom are good options (2/3)
By deciding not to discuss Koeman's future until after the World Cup, the KNVB are risking losing the best candidates. Ten Hag has already taken a new job as a technical director, and Bosz has been offered a new PSV contract that doesn't include an Oranje release clause (1/3)
Starting to get worried about the form of our attackers... Gakpo, Xavi and Malen aren't impressing in England, Emegha hasn't played since November and Memphis didn't have the best season in Brazil.
Just don't have the firepower to win a World Cup right now.
Justin Kluivert is undergoing knee surgery and will now likely miss our March friendlies along with Denzel Dumfries.
Setbacks for either would make them a doubt for the World Cup...
The upcoming World Cup will be the first since 2010 in which we wear black shorts with our home kit - it's about time!
Things didn't go badly last time we wore them 😏
As per the very reliable Footy Headlines, these are our World Cup kits!
I absolutely LOVE them. Our best shirts in a long time 😍😍
We're likely to face Brazil or Morocco in the World Cup R32, and as mad as it sounds, @streaupwafel.bsky.social and I would rather Brazil 👀
Hear our justification at the 10-minute mark of the World Cup Draw podcast, available below & on all podcast providers
www.clockworkoranje.com/p/2026-world...
English 👍
The Clockwork Oranje Podcast is back!
In the first episode of 2026 World Cup coverage, topics include group-stage opponents, potential matches in the later rounds, the qualifying campaign and the best XI.
Listen below or wherever you get your podcasts
www.clockworkoranje.com/p/2026-world...
Two tough tests against very good sides, good to see!
The Netherlands' path at the 2026 World Cup, based on the world rankings:
R32: Morocco 🇲🇦
R16: Switzerland 🇨🇭
QF: France 🇫🇷
SF: Spain 🇪🇸
F: Argentina 🇦🇷
Just realised that if we top our group, we'll face the second placed team from Brazil and Morocco's group in the first knockout round, and if we come second, we'll face the winner of it...
Yeah, this really wasn't an easy draw for us.
Our World Cup group:
Oranje
Japan
Tunisia
Ukraine/Sweden/Poland/Albania
This World Cup draw may genuinely be the worst thing I've ever watched, and I've watched many hours of a Netherlands team managed by Danny Blind, so that's saying something
Best case scenario: Oranje, Australia, Tunisia, Haiti
Worst case scenario: Oranje, Morocco, Norway, Curacao
Returning on Monday: The Clockwork Oranje Podcast 🙏
Going to be doing the first of a series covering the 2026 World Cup, discussing the group stage draw and looking back on qualifying ✌️
I've never been the biggest fan of Guus Til but there's a real case to be made for him returning to the Oranje squad at the moment.
Playing mainly as a striker, he has eight goals in his last nine.
Peter Bosz follows up a 6-2 win over the Italian champions with a 4-1 win away to the English champions, all while playing great football and looking set to win a third league title in a row.
Just a reminder to the KNVB that he's out of contract in the summer...
