Remarkable Conclusion About Denzel Dumfries and Oranje: 'With Arjen Robben...'

Over recent years, he's played behind no fewer than ten different right-wingers for Oranje. However, according to Sportnieuws.nl analysts Robert Maaskant and Ralf Seuntjens, this isn't due to the wing-back himself. "That's purely down to the quality of the wingers," Maaskant stated resolutely in the Sportnieuws.nl World Cup football podcast.

The former coach of clubs including FC Groningen, NAC Breda, and Wisla Krakow, cites Oranje icon Arjen Robben as an example. "What do you think would happen if we still had Robben on the right flank? He would undoubtedly have played every single game," Maaskant said, before making a bold claim. "A combination of Robben and Dumfries would truly make you world champions; you'd be unstoppable. Those two players in their prime..."

Seuntjens acknowledges football pundit Aron Kattenpoel Oude Heerink's suggestion that it's not always easy for wingers to play ahead of Dumfries. "They naturally have to play a lot on the inside, while they aren't typically wingers who like to cut in from the right," the 37-year-old striker explained. That's where the main difference lies compared to a player like Robben. "But that, of course, has absolutely nothing to do with Dumfries."

However, Seuntjens does see significant progress in how Koeman is trying to fill that position. "You really see genuine progress. It's a collaboration between the right-back and the winger, and you can see they're training for it. Against Japan, you saw it beautifully: Summerville cut inside nicely, while Dumfries effectively played as a right-winger. I wouldn't rule out seeing a header from Dumfries off a cross from Gakpo or Van de Ven against Tunisia."

Beyond his on-field performances, Dumfries also sparked conversation off the pitch on Monday evening. Rumours of a transfer to Real Madrid have been circulating for weeks, but in recent days, there's been a noticeable silence surrounding the potential move. During the press conference, he remained tight-lipped. "Then he certainly hasn't signed anything yet, which is very peculiar."

Maaskant was also surprised by the events surrounding the press conference. "You know he's going to get those questions, so don't put him there. This way, you just create unrest in the Dutch national team's camp," the former coach stated emphatically.

In the new episode of the daily Sportnieuws.nl football podcast, Robert Maaskant, along with Ralf Seuntjens and football pundit Aron Kattenpoel Oude Heerink, discuss the latest World Cup updates. They delve extensively into Lionel Messi's disallowed goal, his bizarre performance, and the missed penalty.

Furthermore, they discuss the combination of Arjen Robben and Denzel Dumfries, reflect on the birth of Jeremy Doku's son, and touch upon the first female referee to officiate a Netherlands match. All this and much more in the new episode of the Sportnieuws.nl World Cup football podcast. Available from 7:30 AM in your favourite podcast app.