Nigel de Jong: Hatchet Man

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Nigel de Jong: Hatchet Man

October 5, 2010 — by Sean — 4

Quite a half-year’s work for the Dutch holding midfielder. He’s been dropped from his national team after his latest leg-breaker against Newcastle’s Hatem Ben Arfa over the weekend, and who could forget his flying kick to Alonso in the World Cup final, or the way he broke US MNT player Stuart Holden’s leg in a friendly in the lead up to the cup.

You’d like to think he’d get his, but this sort of player never seems to be on the receiving end.

Link to the Ben Arfa video here, and the other mentions embedded below.

4 comments

Sean
October 5, 2010 at 12:46 PM

de Jong should be beaten brutally
Suman
October 7, 2010 at 3:35 PM

Devils advocate:
http://www.offthepost.info/2010/10/dropping-of-nigel-de-jong-was-the-wrong-reaction-from-van-marwijk
Suman
October 7, 2010 at 9:39 PM

I agree with OtP on this:

Bert van Marwijk’s Dutch side were criticised for their aggressive tactics in the World Cup final. How can Bert be so two-faced? Who do you think gave the Dutch players these instructions in the World Cup?

Is this not van Marwijk merely making de Jong the scapegoat for the personal criticism he received as manager after the World Cup?

If van Marwijk thinks that he should not [pick] players that commit reckless bad challenges, how can he continue to pick Mark van Bommel? His challenge in the final on Iniesta was a genuine leg breaker. There was intent and a willful neglect for the ball.
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