On July 8, the British media outlet The Independent published an article analyzing that Dutch manager Ronald Koeman is the perfect choice for the national team, and that the team has shown significant progress.
Koeman has become a part of Dutch football history. In 1988, he won the European Championship as a player. 36 years later, he is only two games away from his first European Championship title as a manager.
Koeman is often criticized by fans for his tactical design and lineup choices, but his Dutch team has still been refreshing. As a manager, Koeman is flexible and adaptable. He is never a coach who is set in his ways.
The sudden injuries to Frenkie de Jong and Teun Koopmeiners left the Dutch team short-handed, and Koeman had to make changes less than a week before the match. However, the excellent performance of Noa Lang and Xavi Simons made fans forget about the injuries the team had suffered before the match, proving Koeman’s exceptional adaptability.
In attack, Koeman’s preferred substitute is Wout Weghorst, a striker who makes the attacking tactics more direct. When Koeman noticed that Turkey had excellent defensive depth, he immediately brought on Weghorst. He is a striker in the English style, with enough height advantage, accurate heading skills, and rich tactical value.
People are gradually realizing that this Dutch team is not the best on paper, even inferior to the lineup of the past few years, but Koeman still led them to the semi-finals, which is a feat.
As the history of Dutch football and Koeman’s past are constantly intertwined, this Oranje team has grown into a formidable opponent. As Koeman said: “We are a small country, and being able to reach the semi-finals with England, France, and Spain, I am really proud. The Dutch team has surpassed itself and made extraordinary progress!”
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