The remarkable victory over Germany gave Roy Hodgson a first real glimpse of what his side could be without the veteran striker
It is a sad indictment of the Netherlands’ recent decline that their only chance to mark the recent passing of Johan Cruyff is over this international break and not beyond.
Rather than heading to this summer’s European Championship to compete for the crown that they won in 1988 under Cruyff’s fellow pioneer Rinus Michels, Holland are instead confined to providing friendly fodder for countries who do have a tournament to prepare for.
Following Friday’s 3-2 loss against hosts France in the Amsterdam Arena – the home of Ajax, where Cruyff made his name – it is hard to imagine any kind of outcome at Wembley that could possibly provide a fitting send-off for the Dutch master.
But then how could it? Football, after all, very rarely deals in romanticism.
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Even before his death last week, Cruyff’s legacy on the game he transformed had left many football lovers misty-eyed.
Yet his revolutionary ideas of Total Football and its “organised chaos” – with a constant cycle of players perfecting a system dependent on adaptation – were pure science.
The Netherland’s absence from Euro 2016 after finishing fourth in their qualifying group is proof of the dangers of failing to change with the times.
For too long, a succession of coaches have kept faith with waning stars – from Robin van Persie to Rafael van der Vaart and Wesley Sneijder – hoping that their grand moment would finally come.
After being outclassed by Spain at the World Cup in 2010, finishing bottom of their group in Euro 2012 and stuttering to the semi-finals in Brazil two years ago, their obduracy has inevitably caught up with them.
England also know plenty about the perils of believing in a golden generation for too long, which is precisely why they can have no excuse when it comes to deciding what to do with its last surviving member, Wayne Rooney.
With the Manchester United striker still sidelined by a knee injury, Saturday’s remarkable victory over world champions Germany gave Roy Hodgson a first real glimpse of what his new-look side could be without him.
Suggestions in the days since that the captain should be dropped from the squad altogether are, of course, absurd.
Yet while Rooney’s experience and previous goal-scoring feats mean that he is without doubt an invaluable asset, they do not make him a foundation from which to build around.
Like the great Dutch side of the 1970s and the all-conquering Spanish team of the last decade inspired by his teachings, England finally have a crop of talented youngsters and a recognisable style of play, based on the high pressing and rapid counter-attacking that has brought Leicester and Spurs so much success this season.
The bustling bulldozer who burst onto the scene at Euro 2004 would be in his element but, with his increasing preference for playing with his back to goal and taking extra touches to link the play, Rooney simply can no longer serve as a focal point for what his team are trying to achieve.
On Saturday, Harry Kane conjured up and converted a chance with a turn and finish that even Cruyff would have proud of, while Jamie Vardy took just two minutes to score his first international goal with a darting run and audacious back heel at the near post.
It says much for Rooney’s dwindling effectiveness in open play that five of his last 11 international goals to make him England’s all-time top scorer have come from the penalty spot, a job that both Kane and Vardy perform with distinction for their clubs.
Now fully recovered from long-term absences, both Daniel Sturridge and Danny Welbeck – whose pace and versatility are also a perfect match for England’s current approach – will be given the chance to further press their claims on Tuesday night.
Few will ever rival Cruyff for individual status within the game, but his enduring legacy is in the constant search for a team working in perfect synchronicity, regardless of reputation.
It is a vital lesson that the current Netherlands team would do well to remember if they are to return to former glories.
And one that Hodgson cannot afford to forget if his England squad are to achieve any of their own.
READ: Running out of time: 7 players who must impress in England’s forthcoming friendlies
