Southgate Turns Out To Have Been A Fan Of Koeman And The Netherlands For A Long Time

JAKARTA - The Dutch vs England clash is just waiting for a matter of hours. The Euro 2024 semifinal match will kick off at 02.00 WIB at Westfalens Stadium, Dortmund.

Interestingly, before the game took place, England's manager Gareth Southgate revealed the secret that he had long admired Ronald Koeman and the Netherlands.

While actively playing, Southgate never met Koeman because of his different generations. However, the British architect witnessed Koeman's game when he was pursuing a pattern-packing career.

He idolizes a 61-year-old coach in a game, including the overall appearance of the Netherlands.

"They (Netherlands) played outstanding football in the 70s and 80s. They were in two World Cup finals (1974 and 1978) and won Euro (1988). I love watching the Netherlands."

"Ronald Koeman is a player I really admire. We really saw defenders step out with the ball and provide feedback around the pitch in that way."

"We see it more often happens in English football today. However, it became unique when I grew up."

"I really admire the Netherlands. They have a fairly small population, but their football culture has been very good for decades," Southgate said.

Southgate, who also plays as a defender and can become a midfielder, has given England the best performance against the Netherlands.

Three Lions won 4-1 over De Oranje at Euro 1996. The victory was considered Britain's best performance in the big tournament at that time.

Now, Southgate hopes that the sweet memory will repeat itself when Britain meets the Netherlands in the semifinals of Euro 2024.

He is very confident that his foster children are increasing rapidly from their appearance in the group stage.

"We look healthier now to look to the semifinals, more like we expected in British history."

"However, there are many countries that have won the Euros and we haven't. We want to improve and improve that balance," Southgate said.

The 53-year-old manager's confidence cannot be separated from his eight-year hard work in charge of the Three Lions. He had a positive impact on improving the mentality of his squad.

Before Southgate arrived in 2016, England had never had the mentality to pursue a title in a major tournament (World Cup and Euro).

However, this condition has been abandoned. Britain has a mentality to become champions.

Apart from that, the Dutch vs England duel is predicted to present an open game.

The Netherlands has shown this style since the group stage. No wonder, Virgil van Dijk and colleagues were able to score nine goals until the quarter-finals, but conceded five goals.

While England appeared closer. Due to strengthening in the defensive sector, their attack side seemed minimal in contribution. Noted, the Three Lions scored five goals to the top eight and conceded three goals.

Britain's more collective appearance in defense drew criticism, particularly for offensive lines.

However, it would backfire if the Netherlands underestimated the Three Lions attack line.

De Oranje's open game leaves flaws that they are not paying attention to the defensive side. England can give punishment because in fact their front lines are still sharp if the opponent's defense is not solid.