Netherlands manager Ronald Koeman has advised his players to take the criticism they have received for their Euro 2024 performances as motivation.
Koeman and his squad have faced criticism in the Dutch media for finishing third in their group, trailing Austria and France.
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They now face Romania for a place in the quarter-finals, and Koeman is confident his side will recover from their 3-2 setback to Austria last time out.
“It was a long week, I would have preferred it to be a bit shorter,” replied Koeman. “about the other hand, we had plenty of time to reflect about the previous match.
“We were able to see where things went wrong, where we failed, and where there was insufficient energy. We did this, and both the players and the staff were honest about it.
“Everyone demonstrated how things could and should be different, but you will only see confirmation on the pitch on Tuesday.
“We’ve performed worse than against Austria. We want to present wonderful football, but this does not always work. Then you take the criticism seriously and strive to change things around.”
Romania, in contrast to Holland, had a dream group stage, finishing first ahead of Belgium and Slovakia.
Their manager, Edward Iordanescu, feels the Dutch will win the game, but his club is capable of surprising them.
“Don’t be fooled by how the Netherlands played against Austria,” the coach stated. “They have incredible players but we have our own strengths.”
“Reaching the quarterfinals would be fantastic. It’s difficult to put into words.
“It’s important that we’re strong, disciplined, organised and decisive, then there could be things that go in our favour.”
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