Division among ESPN analysts over PSV player: "You're not going to tell me that he can become a starter for the Netherlands national team."

Last Thursday, Guus Til started in the lineup for Greece - Netherlands (2-2). Halfway through, Til was left behind in the dressing room.

The PSV player was replaced by Tijani Reijnders and Quinten Timber also did not come back onto the pitch after halftime. Timber was in turn replaced by Ryan Gravenberch.

Afterwards, ESPN analyst Kenneth Perez concludes that the Netherlands midfield against the Greeks was not good enough. ''The midfield really determines how good your attackers and defenders are. They need to ensure that the defenders are relieved and that the attackers are put to work. In the first half, with these three, that wasn't enough. This is a midfield from the middle of the pack. If the Netherlands wants to measure itself against the bigger teams, this is simply too mediocre'', says Perez on the program Voetbalpraat on ESPN.

Then colleague Kees Kwakman steps in. ''It’s too easy to say that it was only down to the midfield. That isn’t true, because up front the Netherlands team also didn’t have anything to bring to the table. Van Bommel and Meerdink weren’t doing well there. I do think that with Timber it goes in all directions in midfield. Then stay a little closer to Veerman. He forces things in a certain way. The spaces became too big, which meant Veerman couldn’t come into his own'', according to Kwakman.

Then Perez takes the floor again. ''But for a national team coach, it’s good to see that this part is part of the growth process. In advance you know it isn’t enough,'' says the Dane, after which Danny Koevermans responds: ''I think that’s nonsense. He’s a Premier League player and can surely just play there. Til has done well—why wouldn’t that be possible? I really mean that. I think you’re doing them a disservice with that. Now it turns out it’s not working,'' says De Koef.

In closing, Perez also points to Til. ''You can clearly see that Gravenberch is on a different level. You’re not going to tell me that Til can become a regular starter in the Netherlands national team if the Netherlands wants to be a top country. Timber can’t either'', concludes the former midfielder.