Jan Hoeksema19 Oct 2024, 13:52
Last updated: Oct 19, 2024, 2:43 PM
Henk Spaan is firmly convinced that Xavi Simons would do better in the number 10 position in the Dutch national team than as a right winger, as he notes in his regular column Spaan gives points on behalf of Het Parool. The writer is therefore of the opinion that Simons rightly appeared in the center of the field a lot in the first half against Germany (1-0 loss), despite Ronald Koeman trying to shout his pupil to the right flank.
In the Nations League away match with the eastern neighbors, Simons started as a right attacker. Things didn’t go well for the Dutch team for 45 minutes and the national coach intervened during half-time.
Reijnders left the field and was replaced by Donyell Malen. The latter took over the right front spot from Simons, while the RB Leipzig trendsetter moved to the 10 position.
Spaan is convinced that Simons will come into his own in that position. “He is of course a 10, and a better one than Reijnders, as it turned out after the break.”
The journalist then lists Simons’ impressive statistics in the Bundesliga and points to his market value of eighty million euros, determined by Transfer market.
“But yes, the old white men who rule the analyst kingdom simply do not understand Simons,” writes Spaan. “We won’t speculate about the reasons.”
“Against Germany, Koeman shouted hoarse at Xavi, who did not want to stick to the right chalk line. The press overwhelmingly chose the national coach: it was a shame that Xavi did not listen.”
Spaan has a different view. “I think Xavi is used to a higher tactical level than what the national coach shouted at him. If he didn’t want to listen, he must have had his reasons for it. Players have to take the initiative themselves, right? You don’t hear anything different.”
Xavi Simons: The Case for the Number 10 Position
By: Your Comedic Commentator
Date: October 19, 2024
Ah, the Dutch national team. A squad that’s as consistent as a cup of instant coffee—sometimes a little bitter, often a bit weak, and occasionally it just explodes everywhere! And speaking of explosions, let’s dive into Henk Spaan’s argument regarding young maestro Xavi Simons, who some believe should be playing his trade as a number 10 rather than getting lost on the right wing like a lost tourist in Amsterdam.
In his latest column for Het Parool, Spaan passionately argues that Xavi Simons has the talent to shine more brightly in the center of the field than on the flanks, which certainly has a ring to it—like a church bell announcing Sunday brunch! He points out that during the first half against Germany, our Dutch lads floundered like fish out of water, while Simons attempted to navigate the chaos from the right like a confused duck trying to swim in tomato soup.
For the uninitiated, let me fill you in: in that fateful Nations League match, Simons started as a right winger, but things got so bleak that Ronald Koeman had to play the tactical equivalent of “Let’s just throw everyone at the wall and see what sticks.” Half-time saw the introduction of Donyell Malen, a substitution that sent Simons into the coveted number 10 position, where he was surely living his best life. Spaan argues that this was not just a lucky break; it was a revelation, a return to his natural habitat. After all, why would you take a shark and try to make it a catfish? Oh, the horror!
And let’s talk about Simons’ impressive stats in the Bundesliga. Just take a peek at his marketing value—eighty million euros. Yes, you heard that right. Eighty million! That’s enough to buy a small country or at least a really large house in the countryside. But alas, Spaan points out, the “old white men” who dominate the sporting analysis realm simply don’t seem to grasp the intricacies of Simons’ play. It’s as if they’re trying to tune a piano with a potato!
Now, as Koeman passionately misguided Xavi from the sidelines, barking orders like an overzealous drill sergeant, the media seemed to side with him, lamenting Simons’s disobedience. But Spaan bravely stands up for our young star, suggesting perhaps Xavi is operating at a higher tactical level than what his coach could muster through a fog of frustration. “Players have to take the initiative themselves,” he rightly points out, and let’s be honest—with the amount of shouting happening from the dugout, who wouldn’t want to stick to their own plan?
In conclusion, let’s not dismiss the brilliance of Xavi Simons. He needs to play where he can conjure his magic without being tethered to a chalk line like some outdated footballing relic. So here’s hoping Koeman gets a wake-up call and realizes that sometimes, the future of football doesn’t follow the old maps. After all, if we wanted to watch players confined to their positions, we’d just put the game on mute and play a game of chess instead!
