Scotland v Netherlands: Dutch in a state of flux like Scots, says Ronald de Boer

Ronald de Boer reckons the Netherlands are suffering due to the money involved in football

A major tournament without the Netherlands and their Oranje hordes would have seemed unthinkable until two years ago.

The Dutch, World Cup runners-up in 2010 and semi-finalists four years later, finished fourth in their qualifying group for Euro 2016 in France.

But surely that would be a one off?

Not so, and after the campaign to reach the 2018 World Cup finals in Russia, the nation that had been narrowly beaten by the greatest Spanish side of all time in the Johannesburg final seven years previously, would again be missing, squeezed out by France and Sweden.

Robin van Persie scored an own goal in a 3-2 defeat to Czech Republic in qualifying for Euro 2016

"It's the coming and going of generations," former Netherlands and Rangers midfielder Ronald de Boer told BBC Scotland.

"The likes of [Robin] van Persie, [Arjen] Robben, [Dirk] Kuyt, [Nigel] de Jong, [Rafael] van der Vaart, they were an exceptional generation, we don't have them anymore.

"We just have to accept that this generation has gone and it's going to take time for that to come round again.

"We had it in the 90s, we had it in '88 with [Marco] van Basten, Frank Rijkaard and [Ruud] Gullit, we had it with [Johan] Cruyff, it comes and goes.

"We just have to get used to it."

De Boer's words will not make happy reading for the Dutch supporters, who have traditionally been able to bank on their place at major finals.

Scotland have yet to crack the reason behind their absence from such events for the past 20 years, but De Boer is convinced of the problem facing the Dutch.

"You know, as a small nation, we have only 17 million people, of course Scotland even fewer, that's one of the things," he added.

Andres Iniesta scored an extra-time winner as Spain beat Netherlands in the 2010 World Cup final

"The other is money that is involved now in football. We can't keep our best players anymore.

"They go at a very young age to go abroad and I don't think they are tested anymore, not at the highest level.

"If I play against a player of a lower standard, I think I'm a good player, but then if I suddenly play a team from the Premier League and you have a problem, you see the gap is so big. Not all our young boys are tested anymore.

"What happened in Brazil [reaching semi-final] was down to experience, a bit of luck and the genius of [Louis] van Gaal. He saw the shortcomings but changed the way the team played.

"There's still no transition from one generation to the next one."

Whilst the Dutch will be favourites for the Pittodrie clash with interim boss Malky MacKay's Scotland team, de Boer is wary of any opponent given the deepness of recent scarring.

Frank and Ronald de Boer played together at Rangers in 2004

"Every opponent is difficult at the moment in the state we're in," the former Ajax and Barcelona man added.

"Scotland has the same problems as us, in that both countries were used to their teams playing in the Champions League, only Celtic is doing that in Scotland now.

"The league has suffered because of the money in England, Germany, Italy, Spain and even France now, so it's difficult to keep all your players and bring the good players in.

"It's the same in Holland. Very good players who are 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, they don't come to Scotland, they don't come to Holland, when he's in the prime of his career."

De Boer's twin brother Frank is likely to be mentioned as a replacement for Dick Advocaat, the outgoing Dutch coach.

But, might the man sacked by Crystal Palace after just four league games consider a return to Rangers where the pair teamed up for a short time in 2004?

"The Dutch team will be one of Frank's things 'to do,' but if a big club came knocking on the door that would be very difficult to say no to," he added.

Thursday's friendly could be Dick Advocaat's penultimate match in charge of Netherlands

"It would be the same with Rangers, he would think about it for sure, he had a great time there although it was a short spell.

"I don't know. Rangers is a challenge, it's a helluva task as we have seen over the last few years that there is no stopping Celtic, so it is a challenge.

"But, I don't know if he is, at this moment, ready to take that challenge."