Louis van Gaal is confident he can lead the Dutch to World Cup glory - as his squad is better than it was eight years ago.
The former Manchester United boss led the Oranje to a third-place finish in Brazil before the wheels fell off. Failure to qualify for Euro 2016 or the World Cup in Russia showed that a rot had set in before Van Gaal’s third stint with the national team ended in qualification for Qatar.
The 71-year-old, who is undergoing treatment for testicular cancer, struck a bullish tone ahead of tonight’s kick-off against Senegal. He said: “I believe in this group of players. In 2014, we came third with a squad of lesser quality.
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“I expect more from this group. Of course, it depends on technical skills and luck that you score at the right time.
“We could become world champions even though there are squads that are at a higher level than mine. The thing is how they deal with it. And there, I think, I benefit from a head start.
“So, what I’m saying is that we can become world champions. Whether we will is a separate issue.”
Asked to expand as to why he felt as he did, Van Gaal offered an insight into the strength of a group being led by Liverpool ’s Virgil van Dijk.
He said: “These players are well-connected. They work together professionally - and that always contributes to success. Besides that, they want to carry out what we agree upon.
“Not every group wants to execute that. I’ve been a coach for more than 30 years and there are always players who disagree and don’t want to execute what you say.
“That can lead to a lot of issues. What I do is remove them. But this group is keen. The squad in 2014 wanted to execute but the quality is now higher.
“Plus, I have an excellent captain. I didn’t appoint Virgil - he was there before me - but he is a truly excellent captain.”
The Dutch take on the reigning AFCON champs at Al Thumana this evening and van Gaal believes the Senegalese pose a real threat.
He said: “Qatar have been working on their preparations for six months - you can do a lot in six months - I’ve had one week and there’s a big difference there.
“And Senegal aren’t AFCON champions for nothing. They beat Egypt who have some big players. At first glance, Senegal would be the toughest opponent. Ecuador, for me, is a mystery. But I think Senegal is stronger than Qatar.”
