Slot not afraid, but vigilant after international break: ‘Always start up again’
NOS Football–
Slot happy with Orange debut Wieffer: ‘But he hasn’t suddenly changed’
Arne Slot is not worried that the international period will break Feyenoord’s good run of results. The leaders will be hoping to win their seventh consecutive Eredivisie game on Sunday in the derby against Sparta Rotterdam.
“I think we have had before that a good phase of ours was broken by an international period,” Slot said ahead of the match at Het Kasteel.
“After that you always have to start up again, but that way every match has its own story. But Sparta is a difficult away game anyway to have to play again after the international period.”
Good news about Geertruida
Slot saw Lutsharel Geertruida out injured with the Dutch national team last week. It was then suggested in the media that the footballer might be out for just under two months.
“If he doesn’t suffer a setback, he will be out for several weeks. Six weeks? No, I don’t think so,” Slot said.
Slot: ‘Never had a player come to Feyenoord that I only want’
Slot enjoyed the Orange debut of Feyenoord midfielder Mats Wieffer, who was immediately given a starting place against Gibraltar. “I don’t think we will get to see a completely different Wieffer on Sunday, but I especially liked to see that he was completely himself. That’s very clever that he managed that.”
Gain Van den Belt
The press conference also talked about Thomas van den Belt, the PEC Zwolle midfielder who will be a Feyenoord player starting next season. “A player who, apart from his good goals and assists, is also very much looking around to see what is happening before he himself receives the ball. He has the feeling for space,” Slot explained.
“Apart from his good statistics, almost all the clubs around us were also after him. So that says something.”
Van den Belt on transfer to ‘dream club’ Feyenoord: ‘From KKD to Champions League’
A salient detail is that Van den Belt’s father Gerard is a good friend of Slot. The coach, however, wants to know nothing of an alleged favoritism. “No player has ever come to this club that only I want,” Slot said, then did leave room for speculation. “Well, maybe one player, but that does not concern Thomas.”
So who is that player? Lock smiles, “There is plenty of leaking at this club, so there are some journalists here who know who it concerns.”
