<!--Article Start--> <p style="text-align: justify">Netherlands coach Guus Hiddink said that he was wearing his bullet-proof vest against the criticism levelled against him and his team.</p> <p style="text-align: justify">Holland have not had the greatest Euro 2016 qualifying campaign, sitting in 3<sup>rd</sup> place in their group . They had to depend on a 90<sup>th</sup> minute strike from Klaas Jan Huntelaar to grab a point in the home game against Turkey, and after a very encouraging World Cup campaign, this sort of form has understandably brought out the knives from the media.</p> <p style="text-align: justify">When asked how he was coping with all the negative criticism in the media, Hiddink joked: "I've put my bullet-proof vest on.</p> <p style="text-align: justify">"To tell the truth, I haven't really read the papers. I had training to prepare ahead of tomorrow's (Tuesday's) match (against Spain).</p> <p style="text-align: justify">"I have paid attention to the shots directed at me. The media are very good at manipulating public opinion."</p> <p style="text-align: justify">Hiddink also talked about his opponents on Tuesday, a team that Holland had comprehensively beaten 5-1 in the World Cup, and said that it would give him a chance to experiment with the team.</p> <p style="text-align: justify">"The Spanish will want revenge and will want to erase the memory of that World Cup defeat in Brazil," said Hiddink. "It will therefore be a difficult match but one that will allow me to experiment.</p> <p style="text-align: justify">"Because the crucial match will be the one against Latvia in June."</p> <p style="text-align: justify">Hiddink felt that the reason Netherlands are struggling in their qualification campaign was because they had a bad start when they lost the first game to Czech Republic.</p> <p style="text-align: justify">He added: "I was very disappointed with our defeat in the first match against the Czech Republic because I know from experience that the first match affects the rest. When you start well, on the whole good results follow. Here that wasn't the case and we're paying for that."</p> <p style="text-align: justify">After 5 games, Holland are only in 3<sup>rd</sup> place, and more worryingly 5 points away from 2<sup>nd</sup> placed Iceland who are having a wonderful campaign so far, having won 4 games and lost only one. The Dutch, on the other hand, have managed only 2 wins, while losing 2 others and drawing one. It, therefore, did not help their cause that they almost lost to Turkey as well, before Huntelaar rescued a point for them.</p> <p style="text-align: justify">While there are still 5 games left in the qualification campaign, they cannot have any more slipups and anything less than 5 wins would bring Hiddinka s men to the very real possibility that they may not qualify for Euro 2016.</p> <!--Article End-->