‘It hasn’t been easy for me’

Ronald Koeman is very dissatisfied with the past international week. “We will definitely have to improve. I am quite shocked by moments in matches,” the national coach said after the difficult 3-0 victory over Gibraltar.

The victory over the dwarf state did not take away the chagrin of the coach who experienced golden times in his first period as national coach. “I am very dissatisfied with the previous one and also not satisfied with this match,” he said.

The mediocre performance is irrevocably going to lead to changes, the Orange’s selector indicated. “If everyone is fit, there will be changes,” Koeman said.

Who thereby pointed out that there were also an awful lot of absentees. Even the players who were there did not appear to be armpit fresh. Koeman: “De Ligt, Wieffer and Gakpo were not fit for a whole match and Depay is also still out.”

Koeman indicated that the level of play “did not disappoint” him and that he has not experienced such a week as national coach before. He also hopes never to experience it again. Injured dropouts, sick players; it was a restless week, according to the coach.

Beforehand, Koeman had said that it can never be enough against a team like Gibraltar. “I want us to have got the maximum out of it afterwards,” he indicated. In his review of the match, he agreed that this had not been achieved. “Winning today is logical, but it was too little.”