Netherlands’ midfield – The Netherlands kept Ronald Koeman after a strong Euro 2024 run to the semifinals, but their midfield choices—and the injuries around their passing—leave questions hanging. In a Nations League stretch that included matches versus Spain and Germany, the Dutch c
When the Netherlands held on to Ronald Koeman after Euro 2024, it looked like a reward for getting to the semifinals. The result itself mattered. But the route to it also revealed the shape of the moment: the Dutch still had to beat Romania, Poland, and Turkey to earn that late-stage finish.
That’s where the comfort ends. The Netherlands have long been associated with total football from the Johan Cruyff days. and the expectation around them has always carried a certain logic—control the ball. move it through the game. make opponents chase. This current squad, and the projected lineup on the field, points in another direction.
In the expected midfield—Frenkie de Jong. Tijjani Reijnders. and Ryan Gravenberch—the common thread is carrying the ball rather than building passing combinations. Starting all three together would force a direct question for Koeman’s squad building: how does a midfield built to advance with the ball consistently break through teams that sit compact and press with discipline?.
Japan is one of the examples that looms in the conversation. Teams capable of executing a quality defensive press—Japan is the one named here—can exploit the Netherlands’ inability to pass through and over them. And that challenge becomes steeper with another blow: Xavi Simons’ injury. His absence is described as a limiter on their passing, narrowing the routes the Dutch can realistically use.
The concern isn’t only about who plays. It’s also about who gets the chance to finish. Cody Gakpo’s finishing has run hot across multiple international tournaments. and that’s precisely why his role becomes so central. In the current setup being projected, the Netherlands don’t have anyone positioned to consistently get him the ball.
Defensive numbers add weight to the unease. The Netherlands have “great defenders on paper,” but under Koeman, their stats haven’t matched their potential. In their four games against Spain and Germany in the 2024-25 Nations League, the Netherlands conceded eight total goals.
So where does that leave them—good enough to contend, or already showing cracks?. The framing here is that the Netherlands are probably the “best of the rest” after the big seven. Even so. the floor is lower than many people might assume. and the injuries and form around them make the group feel more fragile than it appears on the surface.
Kaoru Mitoma’s injury for Japan is one factor mentioned, and the Swedish team’s struggles are another. Those issues matter because they shift the competitive landscape. If the Netherlands’ midfield struggles are a problem against structured pressure. weakening around potential opponents changes the odds—but it doesn’t remove the underlying tension.
What remains clear is the key player being singled out: Cody Gakpo (Liverpool). The entire question for the Netherlands. in this framing. comes back to whether the team can create for him reliably—and whether Koeman’s approach can survive the kind of press that has a way of turning midfield decisions into outcomes fast.
Netherlands Ronald Koeman Euro 2024 Nations League Frenkie de Jong Tijjani Reijnders Ryan Gravenberch Xavi Simons Cody Gakpo Kaoru Mitoma Sweden Japan total football Liverpool