Mohamed Ihattaren will have to tap into a different tune to be able to fight back at PSV, Wim Kieft writes in his column on Friday The Telegraph. The attacking midfielder lost his starting place under trainer Roger Schmidt and had to tolerate Bruma in the pecking order on Thursday in the Europa League duel with NS Mura (1-5 win). A sign on the wall, according to Kieft.

“In the meantime, PSV’s concerns about neo-international Ihattaren are growing”, Kiet writes in his column. “If Bruma, like Thursday, is preferred in the Europa League, hopefully a quarter will fall to him or to the people around him. Of course you should not forget that Ihattaren is only eighteen years old and traveled all over the world last season. spoke to him. Such a comet-like start does something to a young player. “

“The selection for the Dutch national team was added to that, although that was also prompted by pressure and circumstances”, says Kieft. Ihattaren was in the selection of the Orange squad in early September for the Nations League-games against Poland (1-0 win) and Italy (0-1 loss), but was not allowed to make his debut. “If the national coach would not pick him up for the Orange, then he could perhaps choose Morocco. In such a phase you, as Ihattaren, might start to think that things are going well and everything is normal.” Because Ihattaren has not played, he can still transfer to the Moroccan team.

Ihattaren played almost everything at PSV under interim trainer Ernest Faber, but has been struggling since Schmidt’s arrival this summer. “To really keep his promise, he will have to flip a button”, says Kieft. “PSV’s new trainer Roger Schmidt is asking more of him than last year. And the expectations of the outside world are higher. It is not just playing football on the ball, but also without the ball. Players like Memphis Depay and Leroy Sané are always on, are busy for ninety minutes and constantly ready to take their moment. That must be the level that Ihattaren should strive for and that he should reach within five years. “

According to Kieft, Ihattaren may be at a crossroads in his career. “If he can make that circuit both physically and mentally, can he adapt, then Ihattaren is well on the right track of further development. However, if he wonders whether we have all gone mad to demand much more from him, then it is possible. he sometimes find it very difficult to break through permanently. Despite his undeniable talent and class. “