His club manager Ronald Koeman revealed the news on Thursday: “The only injury from the worldwide break is Shane Long with an ankle ligaments problem”.
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With the Dutch failing to qualify for the Euros after a 3-2 home defeat by the Czech Republic on Tuesday, Koeman could be the man to revitalise the side if current boss Danny Blind is sacked or quits. “It is hard and we have to change but it is not up to me”, he said.
“I like to stay after this season, there’s one more year on my contract”.
“The Dutch have to take the disappointment, and we have to learn and we have to give a reaction”. We don’t have a football name on the board of the (KNVB) federation, it’s insane.
He qualified Southampton for Europe last season, although they were knocked out in the qualifying stages, and is hoping to repeat that feat this term – or even fight for a potential Champions League spot.
Koeman’s disappointment in Holland’s fortunes, which have dramatically declined since reaching the final four of the 2014 World Cup, will be shared by his compatriots Jordy Clasie, Virgil van Dijk and Maarten Stekelenburg.
Ronald Koeman has once more moved to distance himself from the Netherlands managerial job by insisting that he is happy at Southampton.
“It’s important for him to be 100 per cent physically”.
“In our ball possession, and also to know and to do when we need to press, because he’s very fast in short spaces”.
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“That means that other qualities you have to improve, on this level, on this intensity of the game, but he needs time for that after his injury”.
