Portugal 1-0 Netherlands: 5 Talking Points and Tactical Analysis | UEFA Nations League Final

#1 A vital learning curve for the Netherlands amongst all the positives

The Netherlands still have a long way to go in their journey to the top

Ever since Ronald Koeman took over from Dick Advocaat in February 2018, the Oranje have undergone a renaissance of sorts. After all, the Dutch had missed out on Euro 2016 and the 2018 FIFA World Cup quite convincingly. Thus, after that nadir, the only way for them seemed upwards.

However, under Koeman, they seem to be well ahead of schedule in their pursuit to be back among the world’s elite.

The introduction of the new manager has coincided with the Oranje returning to their attacking roots and embracing the Total Football that captured the imagination of the world in the 1970s and 80s.

While they are well short of the dream teams the late great Johan Cruyff was a part of, there are signs clearly indicating that they are reverting to their old philosophy.

The likes of De Jong, De Ligt, Donny Van de Beek and Marten de Roon embody the said ideology to the tee. Unsurprisingly, the Oranje, backed by their young brigade, has cast itself as one of the more offensive sides in Europe.

However, despite all the promising signs, the Nations League final also brought to light the fact that the Dutch are still quite far away from where they want to be.

While they were able to weave pretty patterns in midfield throughout, their lack of an end product became quite alarming in the knock-out phases. England handed them their goals on a platter while they did nothing of note against Portugal.

Thus, highlighting that the final third tactics might be the area bringing them down a touch. Maybe a bit of decisiveness and cold-bloodedness in clutch situations is what they need moving forward.

In one and a half years at the helm, Koeman has done everything asked of him. In fact, one could even argue that he has achieved more than what was initially envisaged.

Yet, as the Nations League finals drew to a close, one couldn’t help but feel that they still have a lot of distance to traverse before becoming a world force.

The journey under Koeman has been smooth so far but if they fail to learn from their shortcomings now, it could turn into a bumpy ride in a trice.