Feyenoord star comes under heavy fire over ‘Joey Veerman-like traits’
Bert Konterman has praised Feyenoord's development, but the former international tells De Telegraaf he still has doubts about one big name.
Feyenoord lost 1-0 to Real Betis on Wednesday evening, their second defeat in the Champions League league phase. Konterman isn't too worried about the consequences of that loss and expects the Rotterdam side to show a different side against PSV on Sunday.
"No, if you look at where Feyenoord are now, it's not a blow," Konterman tells De Telegraaf. He believes Feyenoord will know they let an opportunity slip against Real Betis after failing to show their usual boldness and courage. But he backs them to bounce back against PSV on Sunday.
Feyenoord's development has Konterman particularly excited. "I think things are going so damn well. The formula they've come up with is so good," says the former defender, who also praises the partnership between Sipke Hulshoff and Giovanni van Bronckhorst.
At right-back, Givairo Read earns particular praise from Konterman, who even compares him to Denzel Dumfries. "Read is a potential Denzel Dumfries. A class act," he says. Konterman believes Read may have even more potential than Dumfries because he is more technically complete. "And his partnership with Hadj Moussa on the right is unbelievably good; those two link up so well on that side," he says.
Valente leaves Konterman less convinced, despite the qualities he sees in the midfielder. "With Valente, I still ask myself a little: is he really that good? I don't know if he's really top, top level, so to speak." Konterman believes Valente could reach the level just below Europe's elite if he takes the next step, but sees clear areas for improvement.
"Valente could be a bit tougher on himself; for me, he's still somewhat in the 'Joey Veerman bracket'," he says critically. "Both are very good in possession, often pass the ball to the right colour, but in the difficult matches I miss a bit of an ability to play pragmatically too. A little more mature, a bit more of a man."
