“Put a smile on your face and enjoy the process.” That is what Mark Parsons answered to the question of journalists, just before the European Championship, which assignment the KNVB had given him as national coach. It was unclear whether he was serious. Parsons sometimes speaks in riddles.
“We are going to dot the ‘i’”, was his mantra in recent months, when the European Championship title holder disappointed the Orange. Like after the 3-1 defeat to France, in February, at the Tournoi de France. Or after the 5-1 defeat in a friendly against England last month. “A great learning moment,” Parsons called that last game. He should have “be smarter” and protect his players “better by making the field more compact”.
That open hand in his own bosom came to be criticized by the national coach. Why did he let his players swim? Why didn’t he intervene? He saw what he had to do, but did nothing.
Of course the game could have been better, Parsons admitted. But the team was evolving. He went full throttle in the time that remained until the European Championship. Where defender Stefanie van der Gragt complained after the defeat against England about the ‘Netherlands-unworthy level’, Parsons ‘had seen many positive things in the first sixty minutes’.
After the mediocre European Championship group match against Switzerland, the strong Ajax striker Romée Leuchter said that she realized that things had to be better in the quarterfinals against France. Parsons wasn’t worried: “It’s all about details.”
Saturday evening it turned out that it takes more than dots on the ‘i’ to revive old times at Orange, which came second at the World Cup three years ago. In Rotherham, the team lost 0-1 in extra time against France, which will compete against Germany on Wednesday for a place in the final.
Contrary to what the results suggest, the difference in power between the Netherlands and France was large. At no time did the Orange claim the victory. France missed many opportunities, partly thanks to good goalkeeping by Daphne van Domselaar, who excelled in the Netherlands together with defender Stefanie van der Gragt. But a foul by Dominique Janssen on Kadidiatou Diani, ten minutes into extra time, was fatal to Parsons’ team. Ève Périsset’s penalty went into the corner.
Also read:Miedema: ‘Injury at Van Veenendaal was already a bloodletting’
character assassination
The extenuating circumstances for the mediocre game of the Netherlands have been invoked more often in recent weeks: Sari van Veenendaal left the selection with a shoulder injury, Aniek Nouwen went through her ankle, Lieke Martens returned home with a foot injury. Jackie Groenen and Vivianne Miedema contracted a corona infection. „What doesn’t kill you makes you strongerParsons replied.
The interview that Jill Roord gave was also unfortunate de Volkskrant gave, two days before the group match against Sweden. All the fuss about it was perhaps a bit exaggerated, and according to Roord her statements about the national coach were meant to be sarcastic, but it was foreseeable that they would not remain unspoken. “He likes to go into depth and then 50 percent will drop out with us,” Roord said. And, about his long discussions: “The first time he was there, we immediately indicated that: this is taking too long. Now they are shorter, but sometimes I think: did this require a meeting and how long? But he’s learning, it’s getting better.”
Character assassination, a TV analyst judged. You shouldn’t have done that under Parsons’ predecessor Sarina Wiegman. But Parsons didn’t want to waste words – at least outwardly – on the critical notes of his midfielder, who started against France on the bench. He didn’t want ‘that kind of questions’ from journalists. “It is made bigger than it is.”
Parsons is not a man of picket posts, an insider told us at the end of last year. He is nice and has a great eye for the emotional life of his players. But what exactly does he want? What is his vision? Does he have a vision? In the United States, the Briton had worked as a club coach at the highest level, but can you compare that with the work of a national coach in Europe? The fact that he combined his new position with a job at Portland Thorns in the US for the first few months, testifies to self-confidence, was whispered here and there. And also: the KNVB should never have allowed that double function.
Growing closer together
The ‘hand of Parsons’ has never been clearly visible at the European Championship. Many of his tactical experiments led to resentment among players, although somehow it was also a matter of getting used to in a team that had to be selected. The qualities of football players who excelled in previous final tournaments did not come into their own in England. It is also significant that Parsons striker Miedema had asked her ‘thoughts’ during the half-time of the tough group match against Sweden. She came up with the idea to put Roord on 10 and move Daniëlle van de Donk to the right.
“If we go out in the quarterfinals, we have failed,” Roord told Football International. Many teammates will agree with her. “But because of all the setbacks, the players have grown closer to each other,” said Van der Gragt after the match against France. That, and the strong performances by a number of debutants, such as Esmee Brugts, Kerstin Casparij, Romée Leuchter and the inevitable Van Domselaar, offer hope for the future.