After the friendly match of the Dutch national team against Scotland (2-2) it was hardly about the disappointing draw. Football-loving Netherlands was more concerned about the 5-3-2 system with which national coach Frank de Boer sent his team onto the field. A number of players looked unhappy and even indicated that they did not feel comfortable with the system after the game. Memphis Depay called it ‘just switching over’, while Matthijs de Ligt as left central defender also barely showed up in the build-up.
According to Aad de Mos, De Boer has copied the system from Atalanta, where Hans Hateboer as right wing defender has an important role within the game system. “But the players in those teams have been trained or scouted for this system and are therefore trained in it,” says the former trainer in conversation with Football International. “In the Netherlands, we did 4-3-3 at Ajax and PSV through secondary school and then university. It is the task of a coach to get as much return as possible from your team and that is not possible with this system at the Dutch. The guys have to think on the pitch and then you’re actually too late, because you have to act in a split second these days.”
De Mos is therefore of the opinion that the system could be fatal for De Boer, if the national coach decides to stick to the formation. “It makes no sense to continue with this, you will only fall further behind,” says the former coach of Ajax and PSV, among others. “If De Boer continues with 5-3-2, he will create his own demise. You can only use 5-3-2 in an emergency, if you are facing a very good team. But even then I don’t believe in it. There are so many things with these players that are missing from this system; you just don’t have the time to grind it in.”
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Kees Kist is not exactly happy with the 5-3-2 formation that De Boer Oranje sent into the field against Scotland.
Theo Janssen only sees salvation in the 5-3-2 system if De Boer can have a fit Daley Blind. Blind was not yet there against Scotland, as he is in the last phase of his recovery period after an ankle injury sustained by the the Dutch. “The role of Daley Blind is crucial if this the Dutch wants to fulfill it in a good way,” said Janssen. “He has the game insight and the depth in his passing to provide footballing ability from the center of the defense. With Stefan de Vrij and Matthijs de Ligt as the other central defenders. If the the Dutch can only play 4-3-3, then Apparently we don’t have such a good group of players.”
According to Andries Jonker, there is no man overboard and the 5-3-2 system can offer a solution for the the Dutch. “How in God’s name can you seriously say after that game against Scotland that this is nothing and that it does not work?”, the Telstar coach wonders aloud. “Frenkie de Jong is your best player, I think Georginio Wijnaldum will also play for a nice club. Those are the best two players and they only played for half an hour. Then the experts can’t judge it, can they? What do we think then all in all, that this works right away? I’m much calmer about that.”
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