Ronald Koeman is partly disappointed in Justin Kluivert. The Dutch international was allowed to play as number ten against Finland (4-0 win) and performed well, but the national coach was also critical afterwards.
Justin Kluivert gets his fingers slapped after the Netherlands – Finland
At the press conference, Koeman made it clear that he had expected more from Kluivert at certain times. “I saw that he went all the way to the left side a number of times in the first half. I was not really happy with that,” said the national coach in Amsterdam.
Why was Koeman so bothered by those actions? “It is precisely on that left side that Cody Gakpo is extremely dangerous.” Kluivert only gets in the way of the Liverpool attacker at such moments. “Justin has to play on the inside, as a kind of left ten. There was often space there.”
Koeman emphasizes that Kluivert may deviate from that plan. “It’s possible to help someone out once in a while, but you shouldn’t run to the outside left three or four times. That’s not how we play best.”
