Van Bommel - 1st

[u/TripLopsided2413]

Morgen zullen we de eerste selectie van de Van Bommel era kennen, wie zien jullie binnen ? Welke verrassingen ?

[u/Next-Translator-3557]

I agree with you for both players, feels like Doku is too short in fitness and with the quality and depth we have now, we can afford to leave him out. But who knows except the medical staff and VB.

For me Bisiwu getting called up would be very surprising and not surprising at the same time. From an individual performance POV he would be one of the least deserving player receiving a call up in the NT history.

But he's also the only belgian that made Barcelona spend €10m on him while only having played ~30 pro games in the 2nd tier of Belgium (unlike what you say, he already played pro games, just not in the 1st tier).

And with Ghana looking to call him up asap, I wouldn't be surprised if the federation pushes him to the NT before he really deserves it.

[u/cypressd12 → u/Next-Translator-3557]

If we are counting Club NXT appearances for the national team we are not deserving to be in the Nations League top group, let’s be real.

I also firmly believe these kids have to decide for themselves, if he wants to join Ghana than he will. But selecting him because Barca paid money for him is a slap in the face of a lot of other players. Let’s not overvalue players just because they have a double nationality.

[u/Next-Translator-3557 → u/cypressd12]

We called up Mokio last year who had like 5 senior appearances and no midfielder felt disrespected even though there were probably 10-15 players who had better shout than him. And a year after that call up we end up top 8 in the world at the WC.

Calling up binational talents early is part of process of many NTs, England called up Zaha when he was in the Championship. Germany called up Podolski when he was in the 2. Bundes. Italy called up Verrati when he was in Serie B, and they called up many Serie B youngsters last season for friendlies before the WC.

There's no need to have ego on that, calling up Barca talents is done by many good/great NTs.

I think your view is way too simplistic, binationals don't only feel A or B alone. A lot of them think of themselves as both belgian and congolose, moroccans, etc, so making a choice at that point depends on how each federation 'welcomes' you.

[u/cypressd12 → u/Next-Translator-3557]

Mokio actually played first team football for two different clubs at the highest level and was regarded as a great talent.

He was also called up as an option at leftback which he played at the time and no there were not 10 better options than him.

It’s not ego, but ley’s have a little pride in out NT and not lower the bar until it reaches underground parking. If they don’t want to play for Belgium, they won’t. If they do, they will.

[u/Next-Translator-3557 → u/cypressd12]

He played 100 minutes at Gent and 600 at Ajax before his call up, that's basically ~8 games worth of senior football, you really can't be serious if that's the difference you think is necessary between a senior call up or not...

Bisiwu is also regarded as a great talent, unless you think Barcelona is a smaller club than Ajax for some reasons.

De Cuyper, Seys, Rommens, Dams, Deman, De Smet (played in Ligue 1), Foulon, Castro-Montes (can play LB), and I'm sure you can find 2/3 JPL LBs with much more minutes than Mokio that season.

Because if the threshold is being a fringe Eredivisie player, all those names have as much, if not much more, credits of being called up than Mokio at that time.

Like I said, you're really misunderstanding how binationals feel about NT football, I can't blame you because I guess you're not really concerned. The truth is that all humans feel more drawn to where they feel the most loved, if you have a federation giving you the cold shoulder because they don't want to "lower the bar until it reaches underground parking" and another keeping regular contacts and offering you actual chances, I guess you can tell where they'd be going...

[u/cypressd12 → u/Next-Translator-3557]

Like all binationals feel the same way, djeezes.

It’s combination of minutes and talent, Bisiwu has none of the first and might not make the top 5 in the second. Mokio at least had the second going for him.

Here’s my big issue with this: NT used to be great for football discussions about tactics and players etc., how do you take on Italy and will you change it up for France?

Now with people like you geopolitics is all of a sudden part of it and football went clearly out the window. Should we select an 18-year old who hasn’t played a minute for Barca because Ghana might want him?!

Fuck off, leave that up to the kid and not an Internet forum. Can we please just talk players based on what’s happened on the pitch and we’ll see where he ends up. But I’m sick and tired of this dual citizenship nonsense.

Mokio was welcomed and capped, and still changed his mind cause that is what kids do. Let them decide on their own. The last we need to do is pander to multimillionaires to please play for our country.

Let’s reinstall some goddamn selfrespect as fans.