Louis van Gaal hopes to qualify with the Dutch national team for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar and does so, at the request of the internationals, with a 4-3-3 system. The national coach assured several times that he does not have to convince the players of the intended transformation to a 5-3-2 system during the global final tournament in the Arab emirate, although in the view of Valentijn Driessen this is mainly ‘a self-fulfilling prophecy’, because he ‘selects and arranges the players who fit his insight (5-3-2) and leave no room for others’.
“Every time Van Gaal comes up with the argument that the Netherlands only has one right winger and that the the Dutch cannot play 4-3-3 at the World Cup due to the lack of an alternative to Steven Berghuis,” says the football chief of the team. The Telegraph Friday in his column. He points out that the right winger position of the Dutch national team can be filled in various ways, partly because Noa Lang and Donyell Malen, potential left wingers with a right leg, can play there.
Driessen also points to the advance of Jeremie Frimpong, who made his debut with the Dutch Juniors last month. “At Bayer Leverkusen under Peter Bosz he played right winger. According to the current trainer of Olympique Lyon, Frimpong has a good individual passing action and a ditto cross from a standstill. He would dare to place Frimpong as a right winger at the Dutch without hesitation.” The journalist also questions the position of left-back, á la Denzel Dumfries, in a 5-3-2 system. “Tyrell Malacia, Owen Wijndal, Mitchel Bakker, Devyne Rensch or good-old Daley Blind, at the World Cup 32 years?”
Driessen expects that the choice for 4-3-3 or 5-3-2 will provide a lot of material for discussion and points out that Van Gaal is ambassador of Dutch football as national coach. “The KNVB should not allow it to structurally deny and compromise the identity of our football. But what can be expected from director of top football Nico-Jan Hoogma? Little to nothing. He was sent away during the European Championship by then national coach Frank de Boer with whom he wanted to philosophize about the Dutch. Hoogma was not welcome because he was not in the the Dutch bubble.”
“This Hoogma begged Van Gaal on his bare knees to accept the national coaching position. And he allowed Erwin van de Looi as coach of the Dutch Juniors to experiment with our greatest talents with a 4-2-2-2 system.” Driessen expects a repeat of the 2014 World Cup, when Van Gaal saved the 4-3-3 to save the half-drowned calf. “Oranje plays with Van Gaal at the World Cup so 5-3-2 to escape elimination with 4-3-3.”