Southgate warns of gutsy Dutch
DUBLIN: England manager Gareth Southgate lauded Ronald Koeman for his transformation of the Netherlands’ fortunes after the two nations were paired together in the semi-finals of the inaugural Nations League on Monday.
The draw in Dublin also produced a meeting of host nation Portugal and Switzerland in the last four for the right to reach the final on June 9.
As England were reaching the semifinals of the World Cup in July, the Dutch had to watch from afar after failing to qualify for a second major tournament in a row.
England won a friendly 1-0 in Koeman’s first match in charge in Amsterdam in March, but in his first competitive campaign, the Netherlands beat both world champions France and Germany to a place in the last four of the Nations League.
“We play a team in Holland at a similar stage to us, developing, exciting young players and I can see the impact Ronald has already made with that team,” said Southgate, whose side will face the Dutch in the northern Portuguese city of Guimaraes on June 6.
Koeman believes his side’s return to form in recent months has restored the pride of Dutch fans in their national team after a lean few years.
“It was difficult the time when we started with the players. We had two big tournaments we didn’t qualify for. The best compliment for the players is again the people in Holland are proud of the national team.”
The former Everton manager was just as complimentary about Southgate’s impact on the Three Lions and in particular his willingness to field young players, something which has traditionally characterised Dutch football.
“We know it’s always a battle between England and Holland. We have a lot of respect for the English team and we have a lot of players in the Premier League,” said Koeman. “The way Gareth is managing the English team is how we like [in the Netherlands]. He’s giving opportunities to young players.”