Blind considering Netherlands future after Bulgaria blow
Danny Blind is questioning his suitability for the Netherlands job after overseeing Saturday's abject 2-0 defeat to Bulgaria which puts a World Cup adventure in 2018 in severe doubt.
An early brace from journeyman Spas Delev, currently a forward for relegation-threatened Polish outfit Pogon Szczecin, was enough to get the better of a Dutch lineup comprised of stars from Bayern Munich, Liverpool, and Manchester United.
The result leaves the Netherlands in grave danger of missing Russia and a second consecutive major international tournament. In UEFA's World Cup qualification Group A, Blind's side has limped to seven points from five outings, leaving it six points adrift of leader France, and three points short of Sweden in the playoff position.
"The blame is on me. It falls firmly on my roof. I must now think about it and my employer will be doing the same," Blind told Reuters.
"I've worked long enough in football to understand how it works. I must now look at myself in the mirror. It can't carry on like this."
There were clues to a lack of depth in the Dutch talent pool from the selection of Matthijs de Ligt. The 17-year-old had made just seven professional league appearances for Ajax before becoming the youngest player deployed by the Oranje since 1931, and was at fault for both of Delev's strikes.
Related: Delev's 1st-half brace sees Bulgaria stun sputtering Netherlands
Blind believes De Ligt has a bright future in the game, but conceded that it may have been too early to hand the defender full international recognition.
"I must be truthful to myself and to the KNVB (the Dutch football association)," the manager said. "I must be convinced that I can get things right but we must also be honest and say that getting to Russia is now going to be a lot more difficult.
"I must think now whether I'm still capable of doing the job."
Dutch fans will be hoping that a failure to reach back-to-back tournaments again precedes success. After not competing in the 1984 European Championship in France and 1986 World Cup in Mexico, the Netherlands returned to the big stage by winning Euro 1988 in Germany.
Whether Blind is at the helm by the time Euro 2020 ticks around seems increasingly unlikely - particularly if Italy shames the Netherlands in Tuesday's friendly at the Amsterdam Arena.