If it is up to Ronald Waterreus, Justin Bijlow will defend the the Dutch goal during the World Cup in Qatar. According to the former goalkeeper of the Dutch national team, it is high time that it is no longer about the goalkeepers. Water giant talks to Football International hard on national coach Louis van Gaal and goalkeeper coach Frans Hoek. “Glad that it will soon be over. Keeping is a profession and you have to take it seriously. That has not happened now.”
In the run-up to the World Cup, the goalkeeper issue is by far the most discussed theme around the the Dutch squad. Van Gaal decided to leave Jasper Cillessen and Mark Flek at home and took Bijlow, Remko Pasveer and Andries Noppert with him. In particular, leaving Cillessen at home led to much surprise. The NEC goalkeeper was informed of the bad news by Hoek. “It will be a real relief that after the World Cup the goalkeeper issue will be gone from Frans Hoek. He thinks his own show is far too important. When that circus is over, it will be about the goalkeepers again instead of the goalkeeper coach,” says water giant.
The former PSV goalkeeper does not understand the choices made by Van Gaal and Hoek. “Just bring your best keepers, Cillessen and Fleks are certainly among them. But Noppert has to come along as the penalty killer. I looked everywhere, he got one penalty kick and it went in. Tim Krul has proven in the past at the moment supreme. He has shown character by not participating in those tests. Krul has thought: They know what I can do, either you take me or you leave me at home. But then Van Gaal and Hoek are on kicked their cock and you can’t come with them anymore.”
According to Waterreus, people are also not happy with Hoek’s working method internally. “The keepers are crazy about Frans Hoek. But they don’t tell him because otherwise they won’t be called up anymore,” says Waterreus. “You don’t believe that Bijlow is happy with that man. A while ago he was completely ignored and he was still the sixth keeper. And Flek has actually only started to keep better and now he suddenly drops out. A good explanation has not been given. I wish Pasveer a World Cup in his old age, you know, and he did well in the Dutch, but after the last international matches he has hardly stopped a ball. In the last twelve matches at Ajax, he has kept a clean sheet once. “
Interesting stuff
Pasveer was assigned shirt number 1 by Van Gaal, but according to Waterreus, this does not mean that the Ajax goalkeeper actually defends the goal. “Of the three who are with us, you can only line up Bijlow,” he says. “In my opinion, it is not about the form he has, but I don’t really think the other two are good enough. That the keepers have been messed around like this and it is still not clear who the first goalkeeper is, is incomprehensible. Say just do it, then you’re rid of everything. It’s interesting stuff. Just like the term goal players. Glad it’s over soon. Keeping is a profession and you have to take it seriously. That has not happened now.”