There has long been an affinity between the Netherlands and Scotland in terms of football. Whether it is mutual admiration for that Archie Gemmill goal, the debt Celtic owe Wim Jansen, Aberdeen’s fond memories of Snelders, Gillhaus et al, or Rangers’ own Little General, Dutch football has long been admired in Scotland.

Certainly, there will be many armchair fans who have claimed Oranje as a surrogate, in place of our own absent national team. The Dutch are an easy team to admire, with a style of play that is pleasing to the eye, a patent on their exclusive formation, and an edginess to their personalities which makes them even more endearing. There has always been something a little bit rock and roll about them.

Stories abound about the legendary tensions between Johan Cruyff and his team-mates at the 1974 World Cup, when he refused to wear the same shirt as the rest of the squad because he had a separate sponsorship deal. The Dutch number nine caused problems again in 1976, when goalkeeper Jan van Beveren and his PSV team-mate Willy van der Kuylen left the European Championship squad in protest at Cruyff’s influence.

In 1990, Leo Beenhakker and Rinus Michels went head to head with Gullit, van Basten and Rijkaard over tactics and supposed “superstar attitudes”. 1994 saw Ruud Gullit refuse to play for Dick Advocaat. Edgar Davids had a very public fall-out with Guus Hiddink at Euro '96 along racial grounds, while Clarence Seedorf, Mark van Bommel and Ruud Van Nistelrooy shared an entirely mutual hatred with Marco van Basten.

Rather than appearing temperamental or childish, in the way the current England or France side has been portrayed, the Dutch always manage to appear as flawed geniuses. To extend the rock and roll theme, the divisions are always due to “creative differences” rather than personality clashes; all of which makes their start to the 2010 tournament that much more intriguing. Bert van Marwijk’s side have been ruthless, competent and business-like, and there have been no signs of the histrionics or personality clashes of previous years.

Obviously, we are only at the halfway stage in the tournament but there does seem to be a balance and resilience to the Dutch side that has been lacking in recent tournaments. As Scotland knows only too well, the Netherlands cantered through qualification, winning all their games and only conceding two goals. Their recent form has continued to impress, with only five goals conceded in their last 11 games and an undefeated run that stretches back two years and includes matches against eight fellow finalists.

Part of the reason for this new found stability rests with the coach. Bert van Marwijk’s style has always been a little more cautious than that of his predecessors and he showed in a successful stint with Feyenoord, as well as a slightly less fruitful term with Borussia Dortmund, that making his teams hard to beat is his main priority. While this sounds like a far cry from the days of Total Football, it has so far proved to be a progressive step. If he can sort out the defence, the abundance of attacking talent will look after itself.

The manager was also very canny in selecting his backroom staff. While previous Dutch campaigns have ended prematurely due to clashes between players and coaches, van Marwijk has a backroom team that act as intermediaries between rather than superiors to coach and players. Frank de Boer and Philip Cocu are veterans of four World Cup tournaments between them and are popular with the players, while Dick Voorn has long been the manager’s tactical sounding board.

The more experienced players are onside as well, with Giovanni van Bronckhorst having enjoyed a successful spell under the coach at club level. Mark van Bommel, long seen as one of the more volatile members of the squad, will also have to be more diplomatic, as the manager is his father-in-law.

Experience of big tournaments may also be a factor behind recent Dutch performances. 13 of the 23 players selected for South Africa have played in at least one previous World Cup tournament. It is also a considerably more mature squad than any Holland side since 1978, with only four players under the age of 25. In recent tournaments the Netherlands have started with gusto but have quickly run out of steam. The 2008 European Championships were a perfect example, as Oranje put seven past the two World Cup finalists, only to be undone by a tireless Russian side managed by Guus Hiddink. With roughly the same personnel as two years ago, perhaps lessons have been learned?

So far, so pragmatic but that is not to say that this Dutch side is any shorter on quality than they have been in previous tournaments. Four of the current squad play for the sides which contested the Champions League final, while the remaining players represent a who’s who of European club football – Real Madrid, Ajax, Milan, Liverpool, Arsenal, PSV and Hamburg. In Robin Van Persie, Wesley Sneijder, Rafael Van der Vaart and the returning Arjen Robben, there is flair in abundance, while Eljero Elia and Ibrahim Afellay are more than able deputies. There also appears to be a new found resilience in the centre of the pitch, with Van Bommel and de Jong commanding presences.

In David Winner’s excellent book Brilliant Orange, he refers to the regularity of Dutch implosion as a “death wish” that comes from an over reliance on the individual rather than the collective. This remains a part of the players’ psyche as much as Total Football, or the spirit of ’74, but early indications are that they may just have found a middle ground between the cavalier and the utilitarian. Slovakia and then either Brazil or Chile lie in wait. On their current showings, this should hold no fear for the Netherlands, especially with a fully fit squad to pick from. Avoiding disaster is always a fine balancing act for the Dutch but this squad seems to have a little more symmetry than they have had for some time.

Do the Dutch have what it takes to progress further this time? Can they actually go on and win it? Who should they be wary of? Let us know by leaving your comments.

Thom Watt will be contributing regular blogs throughout the FIFA 2010 World Cup. You can keep up with all his thoughts via his Twitter account @RedThom. While you are there, don't forget to follow @STVFootball as well.