‘As if they never played badly’

NOS Football•yesterday, 11:54 PM

Koeman ends ‘great year’ with disgrace in Bosnia: ‘Most difficult matches’

“These are the most difficult matches to play,” said national coach Ronald Koeman with resignation in his voice. “You have already been placed, so there is no real urgency. And the bad field played a leading role, boys were constantly slipping.”

Koeman had seen eleven players, who usually have to settle for a reserve role with the Dutch team, struggle especially after the break against Bosnia and Herzegovina. The final score (1-1) was logical.

“I cannot say that there are players who did not give the maximum. But in terms of execution it can be better,” the national coach continued. “I’m not going to talk about individual players. I do that individually. I’m not going to mention what went well or bad. I don’t feel like doing that.”

Yet the national coach was tempted. For example, he saw that Jeremie Frimpong was struggling after the break, when Bosnia started playing with four defenders. And after introducing Cody Gakpo and Donyell Malen, he thought the game was going too much in the middle.

Koeman was most curious about the experiment with Joshua Zirkzee, he said beforehand. The Manchester United striker played ‘at ten’ against Bosnia, as an attacking midfielder in the back of centre-forward Brian Brobbey.

That experiment didn’t really work. “If we build up with an extra man and Teun Koopmeiners or Mats Wieffer drops back into the defense, then you sometimes have to move to the left half position,” Koeman taught. “But he is more of a second striker. If choices have to be made, then you also take these types of matches into account.”

The national coach also took a swipe at the many football analysts in the Netherlands. “Not to be peeked at,” said Pierre van Hooijdonk in Hilversum. “An embarrassment.”

Rafael van der Vaart was also not amused: “The reserves should prove themselves. They have proven that they do not belong.”

Without being asked, Koeman replied to them – and the many other football analysts in our country. “I am one of the few analysts who realizes that he himself has sometimes played poorly. Especially in these types of matches. Those who appear on TV have always only played well.”

Koeman sneers at analysts: ‘As if they never played badly, well I do’

“Have you ever played badly?” Van Hooijdonk asked Van der Vaart afterwards. He jokingly replied, “Never.”

With the draw in the watery cold of Zenica, the Dutch team ends 2024 with eight wins, four draws, four losses. Moreover, in those sixteen international matches, no top country was beaten.

“It’s been a great year,” Koeman ripostes without hesitation. “We reached the semi-finals of the European Championship and will be in the quarter-finals of the Nations League in March. I couldn’t have asked for more.”