At the end of Brilliant Orange: The Neurotic Genius of Dutch Soccer, author David Winner addresses the looming influence of the monumental Dutch soccer star Johann Cruyff, the most famous of the total footballers from the glorious 70s. Dutch fans have wallowed in despair at the decline of the efficient, stylistic dominance on the pitch. Winner includes a quote by Gunner Netzer to capture the feeling: “I really love the Dutch football culture, but it’s gone. The old style has been replaced by this new realism and you can only hope that the Dutch will have some success with it. But the beauty has faded. I only see a team with very good players, but very result-oriented” (263). One of the loudest voices protesting this descent well into his old age was Johan Cruyff who continued to argue for a return to 1970s tactics and form on a variety of media platforms. Specifically, Cruyff has labeled the 4-4-2 system a “lazy way of playing” and advocates the 4-3-3 system that the 1970s total footballers excelled at. Simon Kuper counters Cruyff’s stance as reactionary and calls Ajax a “tribute band, a ridiculous attempt to recreate 1973.” He adds that the club would benefit with a more defensive approach but that this is impossible since a coach who implemented this would be “slaughtered by Voetball International, the Telegraaf and Cruyff” (269).
But hope remains following Ajax’s recent defeat of Real Madrid while playing in a 4-3-2-1 formation. Cruyff’s death in 2016 has perhaps opened a new chapter in Dutch soccer that will hopefully find a rebirth of brilliance and forge a new identity. Most have come to terms with the fact that Cruyff’s idealized vision of what soccer should be does not necessitate a nostalgic clinging to the tactics and style that the 1970s squad perfected. But a yearning for a return to form remains; Winner’s book encapsulates the obsession with this historic high-water mark in Dutch football and every future Ajax success is framed in the language of the past. For example, in an “Off the Ball” interview Winner called the Ajax performance against Real “Cruyffian”. Ultimately, the old Ajax squad marked an intersection in history and athletics where a team of the best European soccer stars fused in collective unison to create something truly unique and beautiful. The Dutch eyes should look to the past for inspiration and honor the memory of these players, but their eyes should look to the horizon where a World Cup victory still awaits, if, of course, their penalty kicks go in.
WATCH | We hear now from @dwinnera of 'Brilliant Orange' fame on Ajax's brilliant showing in Madrid ⚽️
