Lars Capiau
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Valentijn Driessen would let Wout Weghorst start from the beginning. According to the journalist of The Telegraph national coach Ronald Koeman would do well to start with Weghorst at the top and have Memphis Depay operate from behind him.
“The difficult way in which the Dutch team qualified for the last four and escaped elimination by Turkey in particular created unprecedented euphoria,” Driessen said in The morning paper to the hard-fought 2-1 victory.
The morning newspaper's football editor sees an annoying pattern in the Dutch matches. “It is to be hoped that Koeman and his internationals will finally get things in order from the starting signal against England.”
“Because against Turkey, the national coach had to make repairs for the third time in this tournament, after Poland (1-2 win, ed.) and Austria (3-2 loss, ed.), because the Netherlands fell behind for the third time. Something like that cannot continue to go well,” the journalist fears.
Driessen saw the Dutch team put a lousy first half on the pitch. “Apart from a fluid attack in the first minute, which (Memphis, ed.) Depay forgot to finish, the Dutch team played as dramatically and sloppily as Joey Veerman started against Austria,” he refers to the very unfortunate Veerman playing in the last group match.
Weghorst proved crucial. He came on after 45 minutes of play and, partly due to his drive, Oranje turned the 1-0 deficit into a 1-2 victory. Driessen therefore urges Koeman to consider a starting spot for Weghorst.
“The confidence that the national coach has in almost all of his starting players is to be appreciated to a certain extent. Until it leads to playing with fire and that happens too often at this European Championship. Continuing to stick with Depay as striker, while it has not worked once in five European Championship matches, is an example of that.”
“Despite all the limitations of Weghorst at the top level, the national coach of the English team should seriously consider a starting position for the striker. With Depay behind him. Because the entire team performs better in such a situation, as has been shown time and again at this European Championship,” the journalist concludes.
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