Holland World Cup 2014 squad: The lowdown on Louis van Gaal's picks







Dutch football expert Peter McVitie picks out the key men in Manchester United's manager-in-waiting Louis van Gaal's provisional Holland squad and assesses their chances in Brazil as they look for a first World Cup triumph.



HOLLAND

Who's in (30-man provisional squad)



Goalkeepers: Goalkeepers: Jasper Cillessen (Ajax), Michel Vorm (Swansea City), Tim Krul (Newcastle United), Jeroen Zoet (PSV)

Defenders: Paul Verhaegh (Augsburg), Patrick van Aanholt (Vitesse), Daryl Janmaat (Feyenoord), Joel Veltman (Ajax), Stefan de Vrij (Feyenoord), Ron Vlaar (Aston Villa), Bruno Martins Indi (Feyenoord), Karim Rekik (PSV), Terence Kongolo (Feyenoord), Daley Blind (Ajax)

VIDEO: Scroll down to watch Louis van Gaal put his players to test

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Midfielders: Leroy Fer (Norwich City), Nigel de Jong (AC Milan), Jordy Clasie (Feyenoord), Jonathan de Guzman (Swansea City), Georginio Wijnaldum (PSV), Wesley Sneijder (Galatasaray), Rafael van der Vaart (Hamburg), Tonny Vilhena (Feyenoord)

Forwards: Quincy Promes (Twente), Arjen Robben (Bayern Munich), Jean-Paul Boetius (Feyenoord), Robin van Persie (Manchester United), Klaas-Jan Huntelaar (Schalke), Dirk Kuyt (Fenerbahce), Jeremain Lens (Dynamo Kiev), Memphis Depay (PSV)

Who misses out?

Gregory van der Wiel’s absence - by his own request as he has a severe knee injury - is a big disappointment for the Netherlands as Louis van Gaal is set to switch to a 5-3-2 system and Van der Wiel’s attacking nature would have added a lot to the team.

So close: Holland were beaten by Andres Iniesta's goal for Spain in the 2010 World Cup final

Biggest selection headline

In a team full of bright young players, it’s somewhat a surprise to see Ajax’s Young Player of the Davy Klaassen miss out.

Feyenoord youngster Kongolo is the surprise inclusion. The 20-year-old defender only became a regular for his club after the turn of the year and is yet to make his debut for the national team.

Surprise package

Feyenoord youngster Clasie could be given a chance in the centre of midfield. The 22-year-old is a very special talent with excellent passing ability and is a very strong tackler as well. If the 5’ 7” central midfielder gets a chance in the team, he will impress more than a few spectators and it will see the speculation surrounding his future increase even more as a move away from Holland looks likely this summer.

Danger man



Van Persie will be the team’s main striker and, Van Gaal says, is one of only two players who are guaranteed a spot in his final 23-man squad – the other being Robben.



Dutch of class: Robin van Persie and Arjen Robben (R) will be Holland's leading lights in Brazil



Van Persie’s international career has not been as successful as his club career and, after a torrid Euro 2012 display, he’ll be desperate to put in some bright performances in Brazil and justify his starting over Schalke’s goal machine Huntelaar.

The architect

Van Gaal’s new formation should accommodate Sneijder perfectly. With two supporting midfielders and two up front, it will allow him to link up well with Van Persie and Robben and create a lot of chances for the Netherlands.



The hatchet man

Easily De Jong. The AC Milan midfielder is famous for his reckless style, most suitably illustrated through the karate kick on Xabi Alonso in the last World Cup final. However, the former Ajax man has developed a bit since then.



Tough tackler: Former Man City midfielder Nigel de Jong (C) is renowned for his robust approach

His positional sense and his decision making are much better than we saw at Manchester City and his tackles aren’t quite as risky, but he still has that tough side to his game and is the man who opponents will have a tough time getting past.

The verdict: does this squad have what it takes to go all the way?

Quite simply, no. With Spain, Chile and Australia in the group, they have a very tough start to the competition. Finishing second to Spain in the group will likely set up a second round tie with Brazil which will be a test beyond this young Netherlands squad.

This is very much a squad that will develop and have a better chance in future tournaments than it will this summer.

In transition: Holland's developing squad are likely to leave Brazil disappointed again