The Dutch are due to play six Euro 2008 qualifying games between September and November which will decide their participation in the continental showpiece in Austria and Switzerland next summer.

Van Basten's team, who are third in Group G behind leaders Romania and Bulgaria, begin their run with a clash against the Bulgarians in Amsterdam on Saturday, before travelling to Tirana to play Albania four days later and the coach knows it is time for his team to deliver.

"We have to set records straight," he told www.knvb.nl. "Our goal is clear to us. We must qualify for Euro 2008, that is the main task.

"First we meet Bulgaria, and that is an immediate key game. Four days later it's Albania.

"If we make it without losing points in these two games we will have taken a big step towards qualification, because we will have put a gap between us and Bulgaria," added Van Basten, whose team trails Dimitar Penev's side by a point with a game in hand.

He continued: "We are not tense but we are curious. We have very interesting young players in the group and we are making steps together. Compared to three years ago this group has made many improvements and that is very positive. Looking at that we are curious to see if the developments continue like that."

After next Wednesday, the Dutch still need to travel to Romania in October to take on the group leaders - who head the pool by three points - before ending with games against Slovenia, Luxembourg and Belarus.

But according to Van Basten, the big task comes at the Amsterdam ArenA this week when they will look to improve upon their last home performance - a 0-0 draw with Romania in March.

"There was a lot of criticism after our last home game against Romania. That was justified. So we must try to set records straight. We need to do that for ourselves and also for our fans," he concluded.