Dutch manager Ronald Koeman said every great team needs both ‘Dutch and English qualities’ after old-school goalkeeper Wout Weghorst, rejected by Manchester United after a six-month loan spell, scored a crucial late win over Poland.
Koeman revealed that the 31-year-old, who failed to score once in the Premier League for half a season at Old Trafford last year, was unhappy when he was told he was not a guaranteed European Championship starter.
“I tried to explain to each individual player what the options are to get on the field in the second half or to come if we need a different game,” Koeman said.
‘He was a bit upset and I think that’s a good reaction. Wout is angry and does a lot to get the chance to start.’
But Weghorst’s immediate impact leaves Koeman in a dilemma after a game in which Memphis Depay, another ex-United player, showed off and delivered very little to take advantage of the work Cody Gakpo and Denzel Dumfries put in down the flanks.
Substitute Wout Weghorst scored the winning goal as the Netherlands defeated Poland 2-1
Dutch manager Ronald Koeman replaced Weghorst two minutes before his late goal
Weghorst was disappointed that he did not start the match in Hamburg’s Volksparkstadion
Koeman suggested that the introduction of goalkeeper Weghorst made his team play more ‘English’
Weghorst has now scored twelve goals in 34 senior international matches for the Netherlands
‘We were not able to run much in the first half, but Wout is aggressive, he always takes the initiative and can also head well. He gets one chance and finds the net,” said Koeman.
Weghorst claimed after scoring the winner that he was so confident of scoring that he told his girlfriend she had to be in the stadium.
“You almost have a feeling,” he said. ‘I said [my partner] early this morning, because she was unsure whether she would come. I said twenty minutes before the end that it would be a draw, then I would come on and score. Sometimes you just feel it.’
Koeman said his team should have scored four goals, a result he insisted would have complimented them. ‘If we had [scored those goals] You would have said we are at the same level as Germany,” he said.