On Friday, in particular, there is disbelief on social media about the lack of Wout Weghorst in the final selection for the World Cup qualifying matches of the Dutch with Turkey (March 24), Latvia (March 27) and Gibraltar (March 30). The tall striker is in great shape at VfL Wolfsburg, but nevertheless national coach Frank de Boer prefers competitor Luuk de Jong over Weghorst in the final selection of the Dutch national team.
Weghorst has 16 goals in 25 Bundesliga games, with 6 assists as well. De Jong can absolutely not match that in terms of statistics: 4 goals and 0 assists in 24 appearances in LaLiga in this year. However, no reason for De Boer to give priority to Weghorst. “What else do you have to do to get to Oranje? And then call Ryan Babel,” sighs a surprised Twitter user. “Weghorst just has to start with Memphis Depay and Steven Bergwijn / Donyell Malen next to it. Really idiot that he is not there again”, writes another football fan on Twitter.
Yet another Twitterer is of the opinion that Weghorst should immediately thank for the Dutch, as De Boer does not seem to have an eye for his performance. Many the Dutch supporters think that the European Championship for the top scorer of Wolfsburg is seriously in danger, because De Jong is clearly higher in the pecking order of the Dutch national team. Given the statistics for 2021, the choice is also striking. Opta reports shortly after the announcement of the the Dutch selection that only Lionel Messi, Robert Lewandowski, Romelu Lukaku, Luis Muriel, Cristiano Ronaldo and Jadon Sancho (all eleven times) in this calendar year were more often directly or indirectly involved in goals than Weghorst. The Dutch striker has seven hits and four assists in 2021.
Weghorst just has to start with Depay and Bergwijn / Malen next to it. Really idiot that he is not there again.
– northernn7 (@ northernn71) March 19, 2021
Valentijn Driessen discusses De Boer’s selection in an analysis on Friday afternoon Clubhouse: “Babel, those are certain choices that Frank de Boer has made much earlier”, says the football chief of The Telegraph in memory. “And he has also made the choice about Weghorst before. I think he also thinks that he has a better pinchhitter with Luuk de Jong. Normally, Weghorst would of course just deserve to be in the selection, if you see what he achieves. Ronald Koeman then had him in the selection. He also experienced him then. “
“Look: Weghorst is a very special one, also for a group of players. He is someone who really goes to the hole. He does not fall into the trap everywhere, in player groups”, Driessen continues his account of the career of the now 28- year old Weghorst. “Perhaps that is also one of the reasons why he is not there. I don’t know if that is the reason, but of course you sometimes hear it. It is someone who is so passionate and sometimes loses sight of the group process. . ” Driessen is afraid that the striker’s European chances in German service have diminished considerably. “I don’t think the European Championship will be in place for him either. De Boer has previously indicated that he will stick to eighty, ninety percent of the selection he called up at the end of last year. And to bring both Luuk de Jong and Weghorst with him. , that is also going too far for me. “
11 – Only six players – Messi, Lewandowski, Lukaku, Muriel, Ronaldo and Sancho – scored or assisted more goals in Europe’s top-5 leagues in 2021 than Wout Weghorst (7 goals, 4 assists). Ignored. pic.twitter.com/8nR9YcdkeR
– OptaJohan (@OptaJohan) March 19, 2021
Colleague Mike Verweij sympathizes with Weghorst, who once again passed away, with Wolfsburg in preparation for the away game against Werder Bremen on Saturday afternoon: “You wonder what someone should do to join the Dutch national team. I think that Luuk Jong is a much better leader, and that if you need a crowbar, you choose the leader “, the Ajax watcher of the morning newspaper tries to find a reason for De Boer’s choice for the Sevilla attacker.
Weghorst made his debut in the Dutch national team in 2018 as a substitute, in the 0-1 lost practice match against England. Ronald Koeman was still the national coach of the Dutch at the time. Shortly thereafter, raids against Slovakia and Italy followed. Weghorst was then not in the selection for a year and a half, to return in the fall of 2019 due to an injury at Memphis Depay. During the home game with Estonia (5-0), the last international match under Koeman, he acted as a substitute. De Boer ignored him during the international matches in October and November 2020 and now there is also a line through the name of Weghorst.