Volatile Orange loses consolation final to Italy and goes into the summer full of question marks | Dutch football

The dry facts are painful enough after this Sunday afternoon in Enschede. In four games under the new national coach Ronald Koeman, the Dutch national team has already lost three times, conceded eleven goals – and only won 2-0 against Gibraltar with great difficulty.

These are statistics that say almost everything. Especially when compared to Koeman’s predecessor Louis van Gaal, who did not lose a single international match in twenty consecutive games in regular playing time, including a disappointing World Cup in Qatar in terms of level of play.

Van Gaal played with the Orange more often against average countries, also twice against Belgium (win), Germany (draw) and Argentina (loss after penalties). But never under his leadership did the Orange look as naive, vulnerable and powerless as it does now. Even against a sometimes lounging Italy, which mainly took office with substitutes in Twente.

Because that is perhaps the most worrying: the way in which the Orange currently presents itself in all facets of the game. Especially with a view to the next two crucial European Championship qualifying matches against Greece and Ireland in September, in which the Netherlands can hardly afford a misstep.

The past few months under Koeman offer no guidance whatsoever. Orange was completely played off the mat in Paris (4-0), was the lesser on Wednesday against Croatia on almost all fronts (4-2) and certainly looked like a team against Italy before the break. light-footed, fragile youth team.

And what became crystal clear again and again: against the strongest countries, this Dutch simply has too little quality to play ‘old-fashioned’ with three strikers on the attack. Top quality is lacking in every line. A better, energetic second half could not disguise that in Enschede either.

For Van Gaal, that was reason to adjust his team in Qatar, in an attempt to have some chance of winning the world title. Koeman said immediately afterwards that he thought ‘that things could be done differently’, but has been denied time and again so far. Soon against Ireland and Greece it should of course be possible with this way of playing, but oh irony: the Netherlands has hardly enforced confidence in the past four international matches.

Halfway through the first half, the game has already been decided so well in Enschede. Almost carelessly, Italy plays freely over the wings after seven minutes, leading to three chances in a row. The last one is for left back Federico Dimarco, who effortlessly shoots the ball into the long corner: 0-1.

Less than fifteen minutes later it is already 2-0. Again Dimarco gets way too much space on the left side, when Italy quickly switches and half the field is open to the Orange. Via a carom, the ball eventually ends up with midfielder Davide Frettesi, who scores from close range: 2-0.

It is a painful display in almost every way. The Italian national coach Roberto Mancini has not even lined up his strongest team for the game, having changed no less than seven positions compared to the semi-final against Spain. The Orange is playing with all its available key players, in an attempt to gain some confidence from the new path under Koeman.

The opposite happens. Shortly before the break, the Dutch national team gets another great chance through Cody Gakpo, but Italy remains upright quite effortlessly, waiting quietly until there is some room for an outbreak.

In the second half, the Dutch take a little more risk, playing with only three defenders and two ‘numbers 10’ behind substitute Wout Weghorst. It quickly leads to good opportunities for Gakpo and substitute Steven Bergwijn, while Italy tries to play the match almost whistling.

After 68 minutes it is still 1-2, when Bergwijn is released and makes a great goal with his left. But a few minutes later the game was finally decided, when substitute Federico Chiesa broke out on the left and captain Virgil van Dijk intervened much too late: 1-3.

Ten minutes before it seems to be just as exciting when local hero Wout Weghorst scores, but the goal is rejected due to offside after a VAR intervention. The 2-3 finally only falls a minute before the end, when substitute Georginio Wijnaldum scores from close by.

It cannot disguise the concerns of this Orange: a summer full of homework and uncertainty awaits Koeman & co.