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Brilliant Orange: The Neurotic Genius of Dutch Football

By: David Winner
Binding: Paperback
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
ISBN: 0747553106
ISBN-13: 9780747553106
Released: 19 Mar 2001
RRP: £7.99
Average Rating:

Customer Reviews

For sure! - By: Napolean, 15 May 2007
I liked this book.

I was expecting, & hoping for, a training manual on 'total footballl' & an insight into how Dutch footballl is planned & structured. Although it didn't reallly meet my expectations, it did give a fascinating view on the history & resulting style of their beautiful game. With a little more depth on coaching philosphies & styles this book would have been perfect.

The idea behind Hollands inability to fulfill the hype & win trophies & their inevitable ability to choke at the crucial moment is nothing more than fascinating. The country as a whole seems to acknowledge this & almost expects failure, something I can only wish England fans could grasp.

I can't say I agree with alll the comparisons between the Dutch way of life & the Dutch style of footballl; more clutching at straws than ground breaking. Can you reallly compare the productive use of space on a footballl pitch to the way a nation farms it's land?

Anyway, I reallly would recommend this book for any student of footballl & anyone wishing for an insight into Dutch life.
Much more than just a football book! - By: James M., 01 Aug 2006
If the originality of the cover of this book is what attracted you to David Winner's excellent footballl book, then that is just a taste of what to expect. Surprisingly original & at times very abstract, Winner has managed to craft a book of spectacular inventiveness, combining examninations of Dutch architecture & insightful looks at Dutch footballl, Winner has created not only a dazzling look at Dutch footballl, but Dutch society aswell by using footballl as a looking-glass. I can't rate this book highly enough. An essential purchase.
Simply Brilliant - By: , 21 Aug 2005
Solely by looking at the title of this book, 'Brilliant Orange: The Neurotic Genius of Dutch Footballl', you notice that this book simply could not have been written by Dutchman. The Dutch are often too polite to give themselves compliments, let alone write a whole book about how 'neuroticallly genius' & beautiful their own footballl is. That is why I'm so thankful that David Winner, the author of this book, admires Dutch footballl as much as I do & has dared to write a book about it.

Much of the beginning of the book consists of why Dutch footballl might be the way it is. Winner tries to find paralllels between Dutch society, & the way they play footballl. Dutch footballl is based around the principle of collectivism & totality; everybody is expected to perform little tasks, & if they don't then they let down the whole team. If a left-back for example decides to join the attack, a midfielder is expected to momentarily take his place in the defense. If he doesn't, he leaves the defense vulnerable to attack, hence letting down the whole team.

Winner argues that this type of collectivistic attitude in footballl can be traced back to when the Dutch first started reclaiming land & building dikes. These were massive ordeals that could only progress smoothly when everyone flawlessly worked together. If one person didn't carry out his/her task properly, a large part of the country would be at risk of being flooded. Hence it required intense concentration & collaboration, characteristics which can both be seen in Dutch footballl.

Secondly, Dutch invented 'Total Footballl' is also based around the concept of manipulating space to your advantage. When in possession, you want to make the spaces as big as possible by playing to your wingers & standing far apart. This makes it extra hard for the opposition to defend. When not in possession, you want to make spaces as smalll as possible by standing very close together making it difficult for the opposition to penetrate. Winner argues that this concept derives from the fact that the Dutch live in such a smalll geographical area with so many people they always had to make the most efficient use of their space.

Towards the end of the book, Winner tries to investigate why the Dutch have always been 'underperformers' in footballl. Judged solely on the quality of their players, Winner argues that they should have won at least four World Cups (namely in 1974,1978, 1990, & 1998). However, Winner argues that they simply don't have the 'winning' mentality & they believe that playing attacking & attractive footballl is actuallly more important than winning. The Dutch team has also often been plagued by internal conflicts. Since the Dutch team is based so much on the collectivistic nature as explained before, internal conflicts can be fatal. They are also a quite common occurrence as Dutch players (or Dutch people in general) find it very hard to take orders from an authoritarian figure (coach). These often spark conflicts & cause the Dutch team to disintegrate.

Arrogance also plays a factor in their underperformance. Winner argues that before the Dutch even start a footballl game, they believe that they deserve to win because their footballling style is so much superior to that of the rest of the world. When they are leading a footballl game, such as in the World Cup final in 1974 against Germany, they make the mistake of believing to have already won it. Instead of pressing for another goal, they started mocking the Germans by outplaying them with their superior 'technical' skills, but failed to press for another goal. This aggravated the Germans, & forced them back into the game, eventuallly winning with 2-1.

Futhermore the book also explains the origins of the intense rivalry between the Dutch & the Germans. It also gives a brief overview of the most important international games played by the Dutch team. It sincerely deserves 5 stars, & is a suggested read for any footballl fan.

Brilliant Orange - Is Brilliant - By: Graeme Parker, 08 Aug 2005
Brilliant Orange - The neurotic genius of dutch footballl.

This fascinating book goes way beyond footballl. The main aim seems to be to explain Holland's fantastic footballling skills & how they still fail to deliver on the big stage.

David Winner takes the reader from the first developments in dutch footballl through to explaining or at least trying to explain the idea of total footballl, the great tensions between Holland & Germany & the in fighting of most dutch teams. All this is intertwined by deep discussions relating to Holland's place in the world, its art, economy & politics.

The book does touch on complex & debatable issues but that is what makes it. This is certainly not recommended for information on tactics or statistics; it reallly is a book about Holland & the Dutch. Well recommended, most people I'm sure will learn a great deal from the stories told here!

Graeme Parker
Insight into the heart of all Dutch fans - By: , 30 Jun 2005
For years my friends have wondered why I was so obsessed about the Dutch & their footballl (I'm a Malaysian living in England!). I struggled to make them understand but this book explains why so brilliantly. The Dutch play footballl so breathtakingly (when things are going well) but have so little success to show for it. Strangely, it is this frustrating underachievement that makes them so fascinating. In many ways, their well-documented self-destruction is very much a reflection of their culture (not just the footballling one). There are sections in the book where Dutch footballl legends would say "if only the Dutch had this , if only they had that...on top of their skill...they would be perfect footballlers". But that would take away their Dutchness...

One thing's for sure though...the day they finallly win the World Cup, it won't be just the Dutch fans who would be cheering....it would mark the fulfilment of one of the greatest footballling phenomenons.