The Dutch defied expectations to reach the final in South Africa but came up short when it mattered most, conceding a 1-0 extra-time loss in what was the only competitive defeat of van Marwijk's reign to date. Holland return to competitive action on Friday, eight weeks on from the final in Johannesburg, with a Euro 2012 qualifier against San Marino, and van Marwijk admits he has needed every moment of the past two months to recover from the Oranje's South African adventure. "After the World Cup, I was completely empty," said van Marwijk. "Remember that it was something unique, not only in perception but also in duration. We are talking about a period of 10 weeks. "Think of the previous tournaments where the Oranje went a long way, in 1974, 1978, 1988. These were much smaller tournaments, with fewer participants, shorter preparation, and also far less media attention." Van Marwijk was forced to ring the changes in his first competitive squad announcement since the World Cup, with Ryan Babel, Stijn Schaars and Edson Braafheid dropped and Giovanni van Bronckhorst, Andre Ooijer and Sander Boschker out of the picture due to retirement. Injuries to Bayern Munich winger Arjen Robben and Arsenal striker Robin van Persie have also depleted van Marwijk's stocks, meaning the likes of Ruud van Nistelrooy, Ron Vlaar, Erik Pieters, Vurnon Anita, Jeremain Lens, Theo Janssen and Hedwiges Maduro have all been drafted in. Despite the changes in personnel, van Marwijk insists he will not be altering his tactical approach to fit the new faces, and will expect his new charges to adapt to his methods if selected. "I've never made any secret of my methods. These are my opinions - they are not the truth or anything. There are so many other visions that lead to success. But if you look around you, it is true that you can see that many top countries and top teams operate in that way," he said. "I think stability and clarity is the strength of the team. Players must know what is asked of them when a job is entrusted to them." Friday's qualifier in San Marino is followed four days later by their second Group E outing against Finland in Rotterdam.
