Patrick Kluivert has insisted that he and Ruud van Nistelrooy can still form a lethal partnership capable of knocking Scotland out of Euro 2004 on Wednesday.
The two strikers received much of the criticism as the Dutch left Hampden Park without a goal and a 1-0 defeat in the first leg of the play-off on Saturday.
Coach Dick Advocaat insists that he has no doubts that his squad will overturn the deficit and qualify for the finals in Portugal.
But Kluivert has been quoted as questioning Advocaat's tactics, saying that he would prefer to be playing him up front without Van Nistelrooy - and even that his team-mates appeared to prefer passing to the Manchester United striker instead of him.
Kluivert insisted to BBC Sport that he had been misquoted but said: "I agree that the chemistry between me and Ruud was not very good.
"But I am pretty confident that I can play with him."
Advocaat had said before the match that he did not think Kluivert could partner Van Nistelrooy but then started with the Barcelona man behind his fellow striker.
It was a system that once more appeared not to work and Kluivert revealed that the Dutch squad met on Sunday to discuss what went wrong in Glasgow and had come to some firm conclusions.
"I am not going to tell you what they were, but we did not play as good as we normally do and we have to make sure we don't make the same mistakes on Wednesday," he said.
Barcelona team-mate Marc Overmars believes that the performance was not reminiscent of the defeat by Ireland that prevented the Dutch going to last year's World Cup finals.
"We did not play very well against the Irish, but we did not create as many chances against them than we did against the Scots," he said.
"Maybe a few players are not happy with their own performance, but the will to win was there.
"For six or seven of the players, it is their last chance to go to a tournament and they don't want their international careers to end after these two matches."
Another of those who will retire should the Netherlands lose on Wednesday is Pierre van Hooijdonk, who is still hopeful of replacing Kluivert or Van Nistelrooy.
"I think my chances are certainly much greater after Saturday," he said.
"We are confident because of the number of chances we created and hopefully this time we can take them.
"But it is going to be difficult as Scotland did not concede a goal and, if they score one, we will have to score three to beat them."
Scotland earned an epic 1-0 victory over the Netherlands in the first-leg of their Euro 2004 play-off.
Everton's former Motherwell forward James McFadden scored the decisive goal in the first half, and though the Scots rode their luck.
Holland probably should have had a first-half penalty, and Andy van der Meyde hit the crossbar with a second-half shot - victory was no less than Scotland deserved.
It was a tremendous result for manager Berti Vogts, whose delight at the final whistle was obvious. His team built their win on an outstandingly disciplined defensive performance.
Centre-backs Steven Pressley and Lee Wilkie were immense throughout, and together with Christian Dailly, they kept Ruud Van Nistelrooy and Patrick Kluivert, as well as substitutes Rafael van der Vaart and Roy Makaay firmly under control throughout.
They were ably supported by magnificent full-back displays from Jackie McNamara and Gary Naysmith, and whenever the defenders were by-passed or breached, Rab Douglas was equal to the task in goal, pulling off a number of morale-boosting saves.
Had the Scots shown as much composure in attack as they did in defence, they would be taking a bigger lead to the Amsterdam Arena on Wednesday. But on a day of Scottish heroes, it would be churlish to dwell on the often hurried final ball.
For the Dutch, who were never allowed to settle and play, Jaap Stam was inspirational from defence, driving the team forward when he could. So his late booking for a foul, which rules him out of Wednesday's clash, could be significant for both Vogts and Dick Advocaat. However, a yellow card for Dailly also rules him out of the return.
Second half substitute Clarence Seedorf, who replaced Giovanni Van Bronckhorst, was Holland's most influential playmaker in the second period but could not spark a decisive response from his forwards, while his own efforts on goal were wayward.
Scotland survived a number of scares, but the composure of their defence - the clean tackling, resolute blocking and alert positional play - ensured that all Dutch enterprise was smothered.
DICK Advocaat has added new intrigue to the Ruud van Nistelrooy debate by fielding the Manchester United striker the first team for a training match.
With speculation about Holland’s front pairing already at fever pitch, Van Nistelrooy played alongside Ajax teenager Rafael van der Vaart in a training session before the squad flew to Prestwick last night.
After the training session, Advocaat went out of his way to praise the Manchester United striker’s qualities and even went as far as saying he sympathised with Van Nistelrooy’s much-publicised doubts over the coach’s attitude towards him.
"I see Ruud as a top-class player, otherwise I wouldn’t select him," said Advocaat.
"I can understand why he thinks I don’t have confidence in him. I substituted him in Prague (Holland lost 3-1) and said I was planning to start Saturday’s match with Kluivert and Van der Vaart up front. That puts a player under pressure.
"He’ll only feel he’s got my confidence back when I play him again."
The debate over whether Van Nistelrooy or Kluivert, who is Holland’s top scorer with 40 goals in 73 internationals, will start has gripped both nations.
Van Nistelrooy has been substituted eight times in nine international starts under Advocaat, most recently in the 3-1 defeat to the Czech Republic which consigned the Dutch to the play-offs.
Advocaat left the Manchester United striker out of the squad for Holland’s final qualifier against Moldova as punishment for kicking a water bottle in frustration as he left the field in Prague.
But the coach was keeping his cards close to his chest on the question of who will get the final nod.
"I’ve always maintained that the strongest team will play. Wait until Saturday afternoon, you’ll see then."
DENNIS Bergkamp has criticised fellow Dutch striker Ruud van Nistelrooy, threatening to reignite the war of words between Arsenal and Manchester United.
Bergkamp believes Holland coach Dick Advocaat was right to drop Van Nistelrooy for last month's Euro 2004 qualifier against Moldova.
Manchester United star Van Nistelrooy reacted angrily to being replaced during Holland's qualifier against the Czech Republic and was axed for the next match.
Arsenal striker Bergkamp said: "Ruud is a strong personality but he reacted too much at his substitution during Holland's crucial game against the Czech Republic.
'Dick had to drop him'
"No player likes being taken off but on that occasion Ruud went too far.
"You can't react like that and that was why Dick Advocaat had to drop him for the next match."
It is not the first time that an Arsenal player has fallen out with Van Nistelrooy.
Earlier this season, Van Nistelrooy was at the centre of the infamous Battle of Old Trafford when he was jostled and abused by angry Gunners players after missing a last-minute penalty.
It lead to a string of fines and suspensions for the Highbury club.
Van Nistelrooy has now been recalled to the Dutch squad for Saturday's Euro 2004 play-off against Scotland.
But the Dutch are spoilt for choice when it comes to strikers and Bergkamp said: "There is much debate as to who should be Holland's first-choice strikers and it is difficult to say who are the best at the moment.
"Dick Advocaat must pick a team which most suits his tactics - and that doesn't necessarily correspond with picking the so-called best strikers."
Manchester United won 2-1 at Anfield to claim a third successive Premiership success over a Liverpool side now floundering in mid-table.
Two goals from Ryan Giggs did the job in a 12-minute second-half spell, and although Harry Kewell pulled one back, the champions had shown Liverpool what the winning business is all about.
United's fans taunted their bitter rivals with "14 years and still no title" and "Champions League, you're having a laugh."
But nobody at Anfield is laughing after losing at home now to all three of the top clubs - Arsenal, Chelsea and now their bitterest rivals.
The first half proved to be a game of tense cat and mouse. The hosts tried to take the game to the champions, but apart from a Kewell long-range drive over the bar, neither side created a real scoring chance.
Early in the second half, Reds keeper Jerzy Dudek cleared poorly on the left of his box. The ball found Giggs, some 40 yards out, and the Welshman's instant drive back was goalbound had not Dudek managed to hurl himself back across goal to get a glove to it.
The breakthrough, when it came, was somewhat fortunate. On 57 minutes, Giggs swung over an angled cross which Ruud van Nistelrooy attacked with a run across Dudek, but he did not get a touch and the ball sailed straight into the far corner.
On 69 minutes, it looked all over. Diego Forlan crossed from the left, van Nistelrooy missed it and Giggs, unmarked on the right of the box, had time to control the ball and lash it past an unprotected Dudek.
Gerard Houllier brought on Florent Sinama-Pongolle and then Anthony Le Tallec and with both French teenagers on the pitch, Liverpool found some fight.
They pulled a goal back in the 75th minute when Pongolle's clever chipped overhead kick from the byline was neatly sidefooted home by Kewell.
Then Pongolle got through the middle and was baulked by Mikael Silvestre, but referee Graham Poll waved away appeals for a penalty.
Le Tallec and Danny Murphy were also denied with clear chances, and in injury time, Emile Heskey swung at a Murphy pass, missed and fell over, leaving Liverpool holding their heads in disbelief.
KLUIVERT DEFENDS RUUD PARTNERSHIP
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