Louis van Gaal assured Tuesday during his presentation as national coach of the Dutch national team that the players prefer a 1-4-3-3 system, as he called the playing style. The the Dutch coach did not want to reveal which players he had spoken to about this, among other things, but he assured that he had “talked extensively” with five players and that they were “all very enthusiastic”. He did mention that it was four of the six internationals who were seen on a large image behind him. At the program Football Talk on ESPN there was speculation about it Tuesday evening.
Virgil van Dijk, Georginio Wijnaldum, Frenkie de Jong, Matthijs de Ligt, Memphis Depay and Donyell Malen were visible in the image. “I think he hasn’t spoken to Depay and De Ligt,” commentator Christiaan Willaert said. “With Depay, the story went that the love between the two was over when he left Manchester United. But that’s speculation. And maybe he didn’t call De Ligt because he didn’t think it was that important at the time.” Hans Kraay. Jr.: “But if Louis is indeed the great personality Louis, then he has to get over that ‘conflict’ and call Depay first.”
Van Gaal: “I would also have come to myself if I were the KNVB”
Marciano Vink found it striking that Van Gaal emphasized that those five players were ‘more than enthusiastic’ that he would become national coach. “The first player to go against Van Gaal when he calls and says he doesn’t like it, he has yet to be born. Everyone is excited. He’s the new coach. You’re not going to tell a different story. Those words were really unnecessary.” Van Gaal indicated that the lack of goalkeepers and left and right strikers could be a reason not to play 1-4-3-3 anymore. Kraay Jr. thought that was a separate conclusion. “Cody Gakpo is not a cookie baker. He is doing very well at the moment and certainly as he can now play on the wing at PSV. And not like half a ten.”
“Steven Berghuis is a good winger, without being in shape now. Donyell Malen can do it on the outside”, summed up the analyst, after which Marciano Vink joined in. “I wonder what Anwar El Ghazi has done. He has been playing for Aston Villa in the Premier League for many years. He is super fit and Van Gaal is looking for fit players. You say you have spoken with five players who prefer to play 4-3-3. Well, then you start looking for wingers. Then you first look in the Netherlands to see what can be found at the top. Then you go and look at Jong Oranje, which players have shown themselves there”, Vink substantiated his story.
“You also look at the top players abroad, in the major competitions. I think El Ghazi is still just Dutch? I don’t understand why he isn’t called up and other players are. If there is one person who is able to teach you in a short time what he expects from you, it is Van Gaal. So if you’re El Ghazi, I’ll say something, or Berghuis, then Van Gaal is so good that he can make clear to you what he expects from you within a day and a half, what he has in the run-up to Norway-out. I really think you can play with wingers”, emphasized Vink.
Bad news for Anwar El Ghazi. ?? Frank Evenblij was visiting today, when the attacker received an app from national coach Frank de Boer… Swapping shirt: The European Championship Stories can be seen from 11 June at @Videoland pic.twitter.com/RfFVBhMOdc
— VTBL ? (@vtbl) May 26, 2021
El Ghazi dropped out for EC
El Ghazi was one of the last eight drop-outs of the Dutch towards the European Championship. Then national coach Frank de Boer hinted at his press conference just after the announcement of the European Championship selection that the choice not to select the Aston Villa attacker was very difficult. When asked whether El Ghazi would have been active at the European Championship if the elector had been allowed to select 27, but not 26 players, De Boer responded: “I think so, yes.”
De Boer also said that he had personally called all dropouts with the bad news, but not much later, remarkable images surfaced. El Ghazi could be seen on it during the recording of the TV program Shirtje Ruilen, apparently on the day of judgment. Presenter Frank Evenblij asked El Ghazi about the fact that he has yet to hear whether he is with the Dutch, and whether his phone is on. The attacker then picked up his phone to jokingly check whether he had a message from the national coach. That turned out to be the case.
“I wouldn’t select you for the final roster at this point,” El Ghazi read. not yet, I am reading it now.”