Scouting report: Russia v Holland

HIT: ANDREI ARSHAVIN

Verdict: Snap him up

The Zenit St Petersburg striker missed Russia’s first two matches through suspension and has made a real difference since his return, scoring the second in the 2-0 win over Sweden and exerting real influence against Holland. The 27-year-old’s movement was exceptional, dragging Andre Ooijer and Joris Mathijsen all over the pitch to create space for Roman Pavlyuchenko and creating the winner for Dmitri Torbinski. Newcastle United head a long list of suitors and would be advised to meet Zenit’s 11million asking price before someone else beats them to it.

MISS: RAFAEL VAN DER VAART

Verdict: Big move on hold

Saved his worst performance of the tournament for when it mattered most, overshadowed by the industrious Wesley Sneijder and unable to get into the game. The 25-year-old is likely to get is big-money move from Hamburg sooner rather than later, though he will have to develop greater consistency to convince a serious Champions League contender to take a risk on his undoubted potential.

Matt Hughes

Comments

[Tim]

Van Der Vaart was Holland's biggest threat from free kicks. Not entirely sure how that makes him a flop, perhaps you should take a closer look at the Dutch defence once again. Clearly the weakest part of the Dutch team, by quite some distance.

Van Persie also had an awful match.

[Bernard Y.S.Lai (Chelsea)]

Roman & Scholari,please get the genius Arshavin at all cost before anyone else. He is the most exciting & sensational play maker I ever seen throughout the Euro2008 tournament. He almost single handedly responsible of the thrashing on hot favorite's Dutch team. Furthermore, he is also your comrade from Russia, and I guarantee you won't be making the same mistake on recruiting your previous comrade's Shevchenko.

[Bernard Y.S.Lai (Chelsea)]

Roman & Scholari,please get the genius Arshavin at all cost before anyone else. He is the most exciting & sensational play maker I ever seen throughout the Euro2008 tournament. He almost single handedly responsible of the thrashing on hot favorite's Dutch team. Furthermore, he is also your comrade from Russia, and I guarantee you won't be making the same mistake on recruiting your previous comrade's Shevchenko.

[Bernard Y.S.Lai (Chelsea)]

Chelsea should get the genius Arshavin at all cost! He is no doubt the main play maker of the thrashing on Holland. He is the most sensational player I ever seen throughout the Euro 2008 by far.Roman,please get him! At least I guarantee you won't be making the same mistake on recruiting another of your underrated comrade's Shevchenko.

[Ali]

Having remembered Arshavin's performance against England at Wembley, I was very much impressed by his dribbling skills, his touch, quick feet and intelligent runs. I've been banging on about this player since the tournament started and I'm so happy that he had such a brilliant and influential game.

I think this guy is the real deal - he reminds me of Sneider and has the splitting passing array of Fabregas. His dribbling skills are Hleb-like with a tinge of Xavi and Iniesta. I'm not too sure about his defending and didn't see him run back that often nor surge into the box once he created a chance like someone such as Scholes would.

I would love to see him at Arsenal should Hleb go - a great player behind the main striker and I can see endless through balls to Adebayor. He would certainly create many chances and I'd like to see the assist figures at the end of this year and compare them to Fabregas - once he's signed for Arsenal of course!