Louis Van Gaal Claims Inherit A Solid Squad, But Still An Important Inflection In Field

The former coach of the Dutch national team, Louis van Gaal (right). (Photo: Twitter/@OnsOranje)

JAKARTA - Louis van Gaal left the Dutch squad which had closely joined each other. However, he admits there are still shortcomings.

Van Gaal resigned after the Dutch steps stopped in the 2022 World Cup quarter-finals. Oranje was eliminated for losing on penalties against Argentina in the quarter-finals on Friday, December 9.

Despite failing, Oranje appeared proud of his impressive defensive and offensive play.

Menjadi bintang gakpo menjadi bintang yang berjelas dengan tiga gol atas namanya. Namun, Wout Weghorst melagan muncul berkat dua gol dramatis melawan La Albikleste.

Van Gaal feels he has left a team that can rely on each other. However, he admits there is a shortage of important player figures to exploit the entire field.

"What did I leave behind with Oranje?" he told the AD. "I left a good and solid team with a lot of skills in playing football."

"But I left without leaving the winger who could pass the opponent at the highest level. You need a winger who can get past those people."

He then added, "Dutch football doesn't have that at the moment, not when it comes to talking about the World Cup's highest level. That's why I started playing in different styles."

The 71-year-old man will now be replaced by former Oranje boss Ronald Koeman. He returned to lead the national team, after leaving Barcelona in August 2020.