Khalid Boulahrouz is very critical of the Dutch national team after the draw against Poland. ‘De Kannibaal’ saw a lot go wrong with the Polish opening goal and is specifically aimed at some Dutch players. Lutsharel Geertruida from RB Leipzig in particular has to suffer. The Netherlands and Poland drew 1-1.
Boulahrouz believes that Virgil van Dijk should have put his finger on the sore spot a little more. “In these kinds of situations you also have to be a bit strict with yourself. You just have to say it concretely: I don’t look good, Geertruida doesn’t look good, Gravenberch doesn’t look good. We’re all doing it wrong,” he adds. Ziggo Sports about Poland’s 1-0.
The former defender already saw things go wrong with Memphis Depay, who suffered unnecessary loss of ball. “He just takes too much time.” Geertruida then failed to cover the zone, according to Boulahrouz. “He has to position himself better. And Van Dijk must also see that the danger arises there, because that running man always has to be arrested.”
Despite the goal, things almost went wrong again shortly before half-time when Gravenberch lost the ball. “Then you see one player against four Dutch men, but no one can win the ball. Then the ball goes to the other side and the entire field is open. Then you are lucky that it is offside. But again it is a situation in which nothing is actually wrong. You play in the opponent’s half, you have the ball. And within four or five seconds the opponent is in your box.”
“Two minutes before you conceded a goal. Then you would think: We have learned from this, we need to keep each other on our toes“, Boulahrouz continues. “But that doesn’t happen.”
Geertruida gets another swipe at her. “With that first goal, Geertruida switches in a way that makes me think: you see the man in front of you making a run at high speed, then your urgency and priority is to play the zone. And position yourself in such a way that that situation does not arise afterwards. Now he was looking like: wow…“
In episode 17 of the second season of Tijd voor Voetbal, they discuss the victory of RSC Anderlecht against Club Brugge, Daan Heymans continues to convince at KRC Genk and is STVV a team for the Champions’ Play-Offs? That and much more in Time for Football.
