Netherlands a Long Ways Away from Their Glory Days

Holland recently lost an iconic footballing figure in Johan Cruyff.

It seems like the élan that embodied the Dutch style of play has gone with him.

Last weekend, in Amsterdam, the Netherlands couldn't get the better of France, as a porous 2-3 defeat increased the Oranje frustration.

This side used to be called The Clockwork Orange under the auspices of Total Football with its insistence on skills and creativity within a team structure.

Now, the name can remain, but their style of play seems to be inspired by the movie instead.

The team that flashed a glimmer of hope for returning to its imaginative ways during the 2014 World Cup is struggling again to get its feet right.

Meanwhile, France couldn't be happier with its performance on the weekend. Les Bleus look totally ready to host Euro 2016 and make the home fans proud.

Netherlands quickly knew where they stood when Antoine Griezmann netted a beauty in only the sixth minute:

That travelled like thunder.

The Oranje misery doubled when Olivier Giroud capitalized on an atrocious defensive blunder seven minutes later:

Netherlands looks lost for words as well as the ball.

Luuk de Jong’s goal just after the half brought a brief moment of happiness for the Oranje:

They seem to have sorted their head out after surrendering that second goal.

But it was Ibrahim Afellay’s 86th-minute equalizer that got the party started:

Now, it's France who looked lost for words and the ball.

Then came the moment of Dutch dread: a winner in the dying moments, this time from Blaise Matuidi:

Yet another example of why the Netherlands won't be joining the show at Euro 2016.

That's what happens when you allow a work of art to fall into the morass.