ESPN analyst reveals striking anecdote about former PSV player: “He shows the problem with Italian football”
1 min readDonyell Malen had an excellent half season with AS Roma in Serie A, and the former PSV striker managed to score fourteen goals in eighteen league matches. Partly because of this, the discussion in the Netherlands has been heating up in recent months about whether Malen should become Oranje’s first-choice striker at the World Cup.
In the past two friendly matches against Algeria (0-1) and Uzbekistan (2-1), the former PSV striker started from the beginning and made no good impression on ESPN analyst Kenneth Perez. Perez tells this on the sports channel ESPN.
Also regarding Malen's performances at AS Roma, a Danish analyst says that in Italy opinions are not entirely praising. ''I was at a golf tournament with many Italians present, and they said: ‘Malen shows the problem of Italian football. How mediocre it has become, that he can stand out in it'. They think they have a worthless league,'' says the current analyst.
Therefore, Perez expects Malen to end up 'simply' on the bench during the tournament. ''I think Memphis will just become the first striker at this World Cup. Coaches will wonder because Malen misses those chances. Those chances of his—that really annoys a coach,'' continues the former PSV player.
Nevertheless, the analyst was full of praise for the front line of the Netherlands in the match against Uzbekistan. ''Cody Gakpo was the most dangerous man for the Netherlands. Crysencio Summerville and Donyell Malen were dangerous with their runs in behind. Without the ball, the Netherlands were only fairly mediocre'', Perez said.
Comments5
Oezbekistan wedstrijd was imo gewoon duidelijk: Gakpo gevaarlijk, en dieptespel van Summerville en Malen is wél een wapen. Als ze tegen Algerije al achteruit leunden en nu wél vanaf voren staan, dan kan Malen ook gewoon starten. 👀
Man, die Perez kletst wel op een rare manier over Malen. 14 goals in 18 is toch niet ineens "het probleem van Italiaans voetbal" lol. Kan Memphis dan eerste spits worden, maar die kansen missen is volgens mij meer systeem dan kwaliteit.
"trainers gaan toch twijfelen omdat Malen die kansen mist" lol oké maar Summerville + Malen met dieptespel zijn juist dreiging. Als je de ballen niet goed doorspeelt, dan is het ook logisch dat je soms minder afmaakt. 🔥
Die quote van Kenneth Perez over Italianen die "Malen laat het probleem zien" is echt jaloers makend. Maar goed, als Roma hem gebruikt zoals PSV dat deed, dan kan hij Oranje wel degelijk dragen.
Malen 14 goals in 18 in Serie A en toch meteen "op de bank" voorspellen... tbh dat klinkt als classic pundit stuff. Als hij kansen krijgt dan gaat hij ze vaak ook pakken.