Mark Fleken did not make the best impression on Sunday during the won match against Ireland (1-2). A very clumsy pass from the goalkeeper led to a corner kick, from which the Irish were awarded a penalty and used it after a handball from Virgil van Dijk. Brentford’s goalie also did not make a very confident impression in the remainder of the match in Dublin. What Valentijn Driessen from The Telegraph As far as he is concerned, he has lost his starting place. “This is simply not possible. He is a source of unrest in the defense.”
Fleken was also in the starting line-up against Greece (3-0) on Thursday, but he was hardly tested. Things were different at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin on Sunday. His errant pass in the second minute resulted in a very early deficit. “You shouldn’t try that in the first two or three minutes, but just give a long ball,” Driessen says in the podcast Kick Off. “Now Ireland smelled its chance. Then you get that corner, that unfortunate handball… But Flokken will not be the first goalkeeper of the Dutch national team anyway.”
Presenter Pim Sedee states that Flokken has ‘simply lost his starting place again’. “Yes, of course,” Driessen replies. “This is simply not possible. He is a source of unrest in the defense. You can make a mistake, even in the second or third minute, but after that you just have to be yourself and give your defense some rest. He didn’t do that at all. If you also saw in the final phase, that punching… To the edge of the sixteen! Someone with a good shot puts his hoof under it and drives the ball into the intersection.” Sedee concludes that Flokken ‘was under high tension’. “That was because of those first minutes,” Mike Verweij agrees. “After that he was really upset for ninety minutes. I think that got into his head, because he played really dramatically.”
Driessen would put Andries Noppert under the bar for the Dutch team. “Mike always says that he is not physically in good condition, but this man also played at the World Cup and that actually went well. He was not the penalty killer that we like to see, but he is someone who radiates calm. Also to the defenders. You feel that the defenders like to play with him and they dare to play to him well. Fleken has a good kick, but that was also disappointing yesterday. The most important thing is to be able to do something well with your hands and in the organization.” In addition to Noppert, Fleks also competes with Bart Verbruggen and the currently injured Justin Bijlow.
Flecks
Flek himself agreed on Sunday evening after the match that he did not play a lucky game. “My pass is not allowed to be played there,” he said NOS. “Then the situation is still defended, but that is the reason for the corner kick. From that corner kick comes that unfortunate handball, then you are 1-0 behind very early in the match, which is very important. But you have to live with it. Unfortunately I play that ball instead of hitting it into the stands.” National coach Ronald Koeman was also critical of his closing post. “You know that they are pressing, so you shouldn’t try to build up in your own box. But the goalkeeper, Mark, can of course take that ball. never never play.”