Ronald Koeman admitted that the Netherlands need to improve their level after they barely won 3-0 against Gibraltar in the Euro 2024 qualifiers.
Nathan Ake scored twice and Memphis Depay also scored, helping Koeman secure his first win in his second stint as the coach. The victory followed a humiliating 4-0 loss against France just three days prior, with Frenkie de Jong was left out of squad after his recent injury.
The Oranje managed to score three goals despite taking 50 shots and making 101 touches in the opposition box, which is the highest number recorded by Opta since they started collecting this data in August 2013.
The heavy defeat of the Netherlands against France increased the pressure on Koeman
They had a remarkable 5.04 expected goals (xG), but Koeman was disappointed with his team’s overall lack of a clinical edge.
He told reporters: “I didn’t see enough goals tonight. The opponent obviously didn’t co-operate, but we were way too sloppy at times.
“From the beginning, we were inaccurate, and we didn’t have the form to create big, good chances. Okay, there was a lot of blocking, but with more sharpness, we score much more often.
“The game and result against France was not good. Now we win, but that makes sense. But overall, it was far too little.
“Aspects such as positional play, ball circulation, taking the right positions – as a winger or defender – really needs to be improved. The football and level has to go up.”
