Heavy criticism after the Netherlands v Serbia: 'Van Dijk - Koopmeiners was a one-off. This cannot happen in a serious international match'

Hans Kraay Jr has hit out at the Netherlands' centre-back pairing against Serbia, Teun Koopmeiners and Virgil van Dijk. According to the ESPN analyst, the duo are not defensively good enough for serious international level. In ESPN Vandaag he says he would rather see Micky van de Ven alongside Van Dijk, with Jorrel Hato at left-back.

"This is possible in hardly any serious international match," Kraay Jr begins critically. "In possession, yes, because Koopmeiners can step out brilliantly, he is a midfielder. What isn't he? He has played as a drifting right winger at Juventus, as a number 10, he is a left-sided midfielder…"

"Basically, you can't do that at international level, but he was important with the goal." After half an hour, Koopmeiners whipped a sharp free-kick across the face of the Serbian goal. The charging Van Dijk just failed to get a touch, so the former AZ man was credited with the goal. Four minutes later, at the equaliser, he lost the aerial duel to goalscorer Mihajlo Cvetkovic.

"I think you take a free-kick like that in the hope that someone gets a touch, not to shoot it straight in," Kraay Jr says, before returning to the defensive side of the pairing. "Van Dijk - Koopmeiners was a one-off. You really cannot do this against good teams."

"At one point Serbia were playing with Tadic as a second striker, then it is completely not done to have someone who runs off. Or someone who steps out, that sounds a bit more positive. He has also simply been on the opposition's byline. He does things and goes forward and has a lovely left foot, but Van Dijk - Koopmeiners is not going to be it."

Asked whether he sees it as a positive that Xavi is experimenting, Kraay Jr said: "At least it shows that he really wants to have an extra man in midfield, that he wants to play there with a stepping-out Koopmeiners. I do have to say: for a very long time, in the Koeman era and the previous Koeman era, we said that Van Dijk does not want to play on the right in central defence."

"It makes a difference of 7.5 metres," he says, referring to the distance between the right centre-back and the left centre-back. "It does not bother him either, he looks comfortable there," says the analyst, before turning to Van de Ven: "I have criticised him a lot, that opponents leave him free at left-back. These days, as a left-back, you also have to be able to play a bit. Hato can do that."

Because of that, Kraay Jr would like to see Van de Ven form a central partnership with Van Dijk. "I get the feeling that he (Van Dijk, ed.), and he will not admit it, likes having a jet fighter next to him. Maybe this is even something for the future: Van Dijk and Van de Ven."

"He is also more of a central defender, and should just leave the football to Van Dijk. I would like that too if I were Van Dijk, 35, he is no longer a sprinter, not quick over short distances... I get the impression he is really going to like this, Van Dijk," Kraay Jr said.