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Remember the defender so bad he was dropped by Holland? Aston Villa are on his trail
Major international soccer tournaments are often a shop window for a move into one of Europe’s big leagues. Still, Ron Vlaar must be pinching himself this morning.
Vlaar, a 27-year-old centre half currently on the books of Feyenoord, is reported to be closing in on a move to Aston Villa, where he would link up with, or maybe even take the place of, Ireland international Richard Dunne.
If you watched any or all of Euro 2012, you’ll know that the Dutch back four was without doubt the worst unit ever to take to the field in European championship finals. And yes, we're including Ireland in that.
You can draw some conclusion on Vlaar’s capabilities from the fact that he was actually dropped by Dutch manager Bert van Marwijk following the opening defeat to Denmark in Ukraine last month.
His central defensive partner that day, Johnny Heitinga, was himself dropped after the game against Germany, allowing Vlaar back into the side – and he was again dire against Portugal.
Still, a couple of inept performances in the global spotlight was clearly not enough to derail a move to the Premier League, where new Aston Villa manager Paul Lambert has clearly been on holiday for the last six weeks in a resort without any television reception.
So what do Feyenoord think? Surely they’re fighting tooth and nail to keep their, eh, star man?
Well, no. They’ve told him he can leave if a suitable offer is made. The definition of “suitable” in this context is sadly unknown.
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cian0_116/07/2012 12:24 pm #1 46So you're basing a player ability on two games for his country? Surely that means Wayne Rooney must be up there with some of the worst players to take the field at a European championships!? Or Wesley Schneijder for that matter?! or Shay Given, or Robbie Keane! I'd be interested to know whether you watch Dutch football, Shane? Ron Vlaar is the captain of Feyenoord. A team who've just qualified for the champion's league with the 2nd best defence in the league. Fairly shoddy journalism, this. - ReportPhil Kimberley16/07/2012 12:47 pm #2 39Just like having a good tournament doesn't make you a great player (Toto Schillachi?), a poor tournament doesn't make you a bad player - as Wayne Rooney proves every two years. Just like writing a terrible article probably doesn't make you a moron. See? I am giving you the benefit of the doubt too.
- ReportLee Merrett16/07/2012 6:04 pm #0 22He was actually one of the few Dutch players to hold his head high during the tournament and didn't play badly at all. Did you actually watch their games ? You can't blame the Dutch failings on one player ... How lazy ? is this so called journalism ???? I suggest you watch some Feyenoord games from the last few seasons to realize how stupid you have come across.
- Reportdutchieboy17/07/2012 9:23 am #0 7This is a ridiculous effort at journalism. I guess Shane doesn't get paid to do this and this site is just 'for fun'? It's the only way I can explain some of the ridiculous statements made. Firstly, Vlaar was NOT dropped. The preferred partnership has for years been Heitinga - Mathijsen. The latter was injured for the first game and so was given his starting spot back. Doesn't say anything about Vlaar's ability. Second, Vlaar doesn't want to extend his contract with Feyenoord and the club is still in a recovering financial situation. He's one of the most important players (captain) and Koeman wants to keep him. The business side, however, points to selling as the best option. If you guys need someone to cover your Dutch football news let me know. It worries me when reading news about other countries on this website if this is the level of accuracy when it comes to Dutch players.
