Dutch manager Marco van Basten will look to rebound from a disappointing World Cup as he bloods some new faces in place of the older brigade who failed to deliver when he faces Ireland in a friendly here on Wednesday.
With Phillip Cocu having retired and two more of the established stars Ruud van Nistelrooy and Mark van Bommel being axed by van Basten it gives a chance to young tyros striker Jan Huntelaar and midfielder Stijn Schaars to prove their worth in their places.
While van Basten has had the luxury of dropping players his Ireland counterpart Steve Staunton has been hit by a raft of injuries, particularly to mercurial skipper Robbie Keane, and has laid waste to the squad.
Staunton hardly had the ideal preparation for the clash either when he was held up outside the team hotel on Monday - though fortunately he escaped unscathed.
Van Bommel's exclusion despite Phillip Cocu's retirement indicates Schaars is being groomed to take on the playmaker role, while van Nistlerooy's absence clears the way for Huntelaar who scored 33 goals in 34 league games last season.
The 22-year-old, who joined Ajax for a Dutch record fee of 6.5 million pounds in the middle of last season, has continued his hot streak this season scoring two in the Champions League qualifier against FC Copenhagen last week.
Van Basten's reason for preferring younger talent to their more illustrious counterparts was blunt.
"At the moment we think these players are better," said the former Dutch footballing great, whose side crashed out of the World Cup in the second round to Portugal.
His attacking options also include in-demand Dirk Kuyt, Jan Venegoor of Hesselink and Premiership wide men Robin van Persie and Arjen Robben.
Coping with such firepower will be all the more daunting for the Irish because of the absence through injury of defensive lynchpin Richard Dunne and the retirement of Gary Breen.
Adding to Irish woes are injuries to left back Ian Harte and Newcastle United goalkeeper Shay Given.
But the Newcastle connection may provide a ray of light for Staunton.
Right back Steve Carr has come out of retirement while Damien Duff's close season move from Chelsea to the Geordie club could restore the natural ebullience that dimmed under the muscular approach of Jose Mourinho.
One of Ireland's brightest prospects Stephen Ireland is also out and Staunton has not concealed his concern at the damage done to his preparations for the daunting task of travelling to World Cup semi-finalists Germany next month for his first competitive match in charge in the Euro 2008 qualifier.
"It's far from ideal to lose so many of the squad through injury," said Staunton.
"We are without some of our leading players, and with this being the final opportunity to test ourselves prior to the start of Euro 2008 qualifying campaign, that's very disappointing."
So van Basten holds all the aces going into Wednesday's match but with that comes added pressure. Despite his good record since succeeding Dick Advocaat two years ago, his tenure has been the subject of public criticism domestically.
His team's modest performance in the World Cup gave credence to the concerns and this game will be the first test of his plans to restore the Netherlands status as one of the aristocrats of European football.
The expectation level for Staunton is lower but he too must restore the hallmark qualities that make for a successful Irish team: passion and stubbornness.
After a spectacular start to his stewardship - a 3-0 win against Sweden - his team fell to ground with a bump second time out, in a torpid 1-0 defeat to Chile.
While van Basten is looking to mould a team around two new players, he has plenty of young established players to provide a platform to greater things.
Staunton, on the other hand is on a hiding to nothing. And avoiding a hiding may be the best he can hope for.