Dick Advocaat is poised to return as Netherlands coach amid public disapproval of such an appointement and media criticism of the process of finding a replacement for Danny Blind, who was sacked last month after a run of poor results.
A new coach is expected to be named next week as the Dutch bid to revive their World Cup qualification hopes after a shocking run since finishing third at the 2014 finals in Brazil. The country's' failure to reach last year's European Championship in France has been exacerbated by the Dutch struggling in their 2018 World Cup qualifying group. Blind went after a 2-0 loss in Bulgaria last month saw the Dutch drop to fourth, six points adrift of leaders France, three off Sweden and two behind the Bulgarians, at the halfway stage of their Group A campaign to reach the 2018 finals.
Advocaat, who turns 70 in September, is the latest choice of the Dutch FA, according to local media, after Louis van Gaal, Ronald Koeman, Frank de Boer, Henk ten Cate and German coach Roger Schmidt were reported to have turned the job down. However, a poll in De Telegraaf at the weekend said 73 percent believed Advocaat did not deserve another chance after spending just three months last year as Blind's assistant before leaving to take up a job with Turkish club Fenerbahçe.
