again did not make an indelible impression in the Dutch national team on Friday evening. The attacking midfielder of RB Leipzig is criticized by national coach Ronald Koeman after the practice match against Scotland (4-0 win).
Simons did not make it happen tonight, despite Koeman’s confidence in the starting line-up. He ended up staying for 77 minutes. “I thought he took too much risk with his actions in this match,” the national coach said in front of the camera afterwards NOS critical of Simons. “There are times when it is not possible, because there are a lot of players together. Then you have to be more steady on the ball. Xavi was one of the players who simply lost the ball far too much.”
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Koeman is more pleased with Memphis Depay’s performance. “You can see from Memphis that he is a great player, despite the fact that he also had a number of moments in the first half where he lost the ball. But he is one of the players who is creative and dangerous. You see that with him you have added value up front,” says the coach about the Atlético Madrid attacker.
Koeman rates the performance of Georginio Wijnaldum, who crowned his return to the Dutch team with a goal, with ‘a pass’. “At times you can see that he has a nose for depth, even once or twice in the first half. He was also sloppy at a number of times, but he didn’t disappoint me at all. Have I seen any wear? Maybe in the last phase of the match, that’s why I changed him, but for an hour to seventy minutes I didn’t feel like he couldn’t bring what he has always brought.”
Analyst Rafael van der Vaart thinks that Simons is too eager to prove himself in the Dutch team. “It is so difficult to do what you do at your club, to also do it in the Dutch national team. Of course he has to rely on his action. He needs a goal, he needs an assist, that’s a whole different pressure. Yes, then it becomes a mental thing. He may be the best player, but he does not prove it with the Dutch national team,” said the former international.
2024-03-22 22:17:48
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