Netherlands grow in confidence as they settle into De Boer’s new shape

The Dutch have found a rhythm in Frank de Boer’s 3-5-2 setup and are favourites to progress against the Czechs

Frank de Boer has a clear image of what success at Euro 2020 will entail for the Netherlands. “There is only one thing we want to achieve and that is to swim in the canals of Amsterdam having won the final,” the head coach said on Saturday, putting cruise boat companies on early notice. “You don’t become a European champion easily but I think we have the quality to do it if everything fits into place.”

High confidence, and party planning for July, does not mean De Boer and the Dutch are getting ahead of themselves before Sunday’s last-16 tie with the Czech Republic. He accepts there is work to do before the Netherlands’ re-emergence has title-winning substance, but belief is growing for good reason. “I look at how the team is working together and communicating together,” De Boer said. “It is great to see how the players are involved with me and my staff in talking about what could be better and how we can improve. In this way, we can say we’ve been making some big steps.”

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from Football | The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/football/2021/jun/26/netherlands-grow-in-confidence-as-they-settle-into-new-shape