Van Basten’s Dutch set to fight the odds

Getting through the group stage of the European Championship would feel a bit like winning the tournament for the luckless Netherlands.

Given the opposition and a lacklustre qualifiers, it would be no mean feat for the Dutch to reach the quarter-finals of a championship.

Despite having won the title once, when Marco van Basten scored in the final against the former Soviet Union, the Dutch have reached the semi-finals in 1992, 2000 and 2004, and made the last eight in 1996.

The tournament in Switzerland and Austria will also be their sixth successive finals.

However, Van Basten will need to make the most of his team’s obvious attacking qualities if it is to make progress.

Ruud van Nistelrooy, who should be fresh after missing much of Real Madrid’s season through injuries, and Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, who scored a remarkable 33 goals in 34 league games for Ajax Amsterdam, will compete for the position of lone striker.

There is no shortage of candidates for the support roles, with seven men to choose from for three attacking midfield roles, even after Clarence Seedorf withdrew from the provisional squad.

Wesley Sneijder and Rafael van der Vaart were regulars when available but with Dirk Kuyt, Ryan Babel, Arjen Robben, Robin van Persie and Orlando Engelaar all available, Van Basten has an embarrassment of riches.

Giovanni van Bronckhorst will be one of two defensive midfielders, with Denny Landzaat or Demy de Zeeuw flanking him.

The toughest job facing the coach will be lining up a defence that can cope with the likes of Luca Toni, Thierry Henry and Adrian Mutu, in particular in the centre.

Van Basten, one of the world’s great strikers, knows full well how to break down a defence. The challenge facing him as a manager at the tournament will be how to build one up.