Support for beleaguered Frenkie de Jong from former World Cup finalist: 'Outsiders don't know anything'

Following the Netherlands' resounding 5-1 victory over Sweden, not all was harmonious among the players. Frenkie de Jong, for instance, hit back on SBS 6 after being questioned about earlier criticism following the draw against Japan. "I feel... A lot of people actually understand nothing about football. They watch, but they don't see it. It's not a big deal, anyone can talk about it. I think my role is very clear. It might be difficult to explain to some people. I think I'll have to sit down with them sometime," he said, clearly irritated.

In the Sportnieuws.nl segment Effe Elia, Elia agrees with De Jong's sentiments. "These words are certainly justified," begins the former winger, who played for Feyenoord, FC Utrecht, and Southampton, among others. "People forget he's a defensive midfielder, you know. He has to dictate play, and he did that against Japan. He did it against Sweden too."

The 39-year-old Elia believes people expect too much from De Jong. "You can't expect him to start scoring goals and all that. That's not Frenkie's game. I think he just did his job, and he did it well." The player, who even featured in the 2010 World Cup final, also noted a significant improvement in De Jong's game. "Against Sweden, you also saw that he was more aggressive in duels than usual." He also praised the midfielder's interceptions and passes.

Elia certainly agrees that you need an 'eye for the game' to truly understand Frenkie's performances. In particular, he highlights the fact that De Jong wasn't fully fit against Sweden. "Especially when you're injured. Outsiders, of course, don't know anything about that. Yet you still get judged, and that's tough for a player. I've played with an injection before too. Only your coach knows about it then."

• The latest news about the World Cup in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

• Check the match schedule here, with fixtures, results, and standings.

• Find everything about Oranje here, from news and remarkable stories to statistics.

• Watch and listen to our daily World Cup podcast.

• If you don't want to miss anything, download our Sportnieuws.nl App.