ESPN analyst on surprising PSV player as an option up front for the Netherlands: “Weak options”

A very good remarkable statement by ESPN analyst Hans Kraay Jr., who rarely knows how to beat around the bush.

Kraay often mentions man and horse and he also did not do so on Sunday evening after the dull and colorless international match between the Netherlands and Serbia. But, oddly enough, this time Kraay pointed to a PSV player who could potentially be called up in the future for Oranje. At least, provided he is fit, because it’s not exactly going well with the fitness of Sam Lammers.

Heading into Deadline Day, PSV decided to pay millions—two million euros, to be precise—to FC Twente for the signature of Sam Lammers, who, in turn, still hasn’t made a single minute for PSV by the end of September. That’s disappointing; that’s just how it is. But still, Kraay names his name. What exactly is going on?

National coach Xavi Hernández chose Joshua Zirkzee as a replacement for Brian Brobbey in the Netherlands squad due to staff shortages, and thus not for, for example, Wout Weghorst, Memphis Depay, Thijs Dallinga or Zian Flemming. Even though Zirkzee had only played twenty minutes for Manchester United in this Premier League season, Xavi had no doubts.

Hans Kraay certainly has an opinion about that and seems to see Lammers as a future Oranje striker. realistic? Yes and no, because technically speaking, Lammers can be called a top striker. It’s just that it rarely comes through, at least up to now. ‘In terms of build, Zirkzee and Lammers don’t look anything alike, but they are somewhat comparable players’

Zirkzee fell down the order easily and briefly against Manchester City and Fulham FC in the Premier League in succession, but Xavi still expects him to be able to play a role in the Netherlands. Hans Kraaij jr.: “I found it very surprising. It’s not that he’s playing out of the roof in England", Kraay said.

In all competitions, Zirkzee plays seventy minutes in the 2026/2027 season. “That’s actually terribly little,” says Kraaij. “But this choice says something about Xavi: he likes football that’s under control, and Zirkzee is a player you can play very well with, just to throw in a coach’s quote. Zirkzee has a good first touch, plays incisive through balls, and keeps hold of the ball. He just doesn’t score a whole lot of goals.”

Kraaij does not think that the choice for Zirkzee comes from the mind of assistant Ruud van Nistelrooij, who has been interim coach of Zirkzee in Manchester. “In Spain they’re still sometimes taken with a ‘9.5’, a player who sits between a striker and an attacking midfielder. You can also mention Sam Lammers as such a player. In terms of physique, Zirkzee and Lammers don’t look anything alike, but they are a bit comparable players. So I do think this comes from Xavi’s playbook.”

In England there is quite a bit of disbelief, because Manchester United watcher Mark Ogden finds it incomprehensible that Zirkzee has been called up by Xavi. “He’s not strong, he has no courage, he’s not good in the air, he’s too slow. He actually adds nothing to the team. That the Netherlands calls him up shows how weak the options are for Oranje up front. In that respect, I’m not surprised that they go for Zirkzee", sounds the voice from England. And so Kraay points to Sam Lammers, why not...?