Driessen (Kick-off): the Oranje must not be satisfied atop Nations

In the Kick‑off podcast, journalist Valentijn Driessen warns that the Netherlands may not be satisfied, despite having taken the top spot after four Nations League matches. He says that a lot of work still awaits national team coach Xavi Hernández and his staff.

Driessen is directly critical. “I am not wholly positive yet,” he says, adding that he had expected much more, both in terms of play and result. “It could have been completely different, but it is much of the same.”

Mike Verweij evaluates the first period of the Dutch national team with eight points from four matches. “It’s not great yet, but they have all been in a box,” he says, pointing out that the squad is not yet performing optimally.

Germany as a group opponent

Driessen wants to hear nothing of the argument that Germany is a group opponent. He recalls Germany's World Cup performance, where a B‑squad played: Jamal Musiala dropped out and Kai Havertz, the second-best, left the field after half an hour.

According to Driessen, there is still a lot of work to be done for Xavi Hernández and his assistants. The new national coach must still sharpen the playing style and raise the quality of the game to defend the top position.

The recent 2‑1 victory over Serbia, Driessen calls ‘a butt‑squeeze’. He points to Dusan Tadić as the best man in that match and concludes that such a performance does not reflect the level of the Netherlands.

The contrast between the achieved top spot in the Nations League and Driessen’s critical view underscores the high expectations surrounding the team. As long as the performances do not improve consistently, the call for more than just points remains loud.