Dutch told to cut out sloppy play ahead of France clash
ROTTERDAM (Reuters) - Netherlands coach Danny Blind has warned his players there will be dire consequences in their next qualifier against France if they repeat some of the sloppy play they exhibited in Friday's 4-1 win over Belarus.
Blind said his side could ill afford any mistakes when they host the Euro 2016 finalists in their Group A showdown in Amsterdam on Monday.
"I saw a lot of good things (against Belarus) but we also played very sloppily for a full quarter of the game," Blind said of the performance in Rotterdam.
"We can ill afford that against a strong team like France. We'll have to do a lot more preparation over the next two days."
Blind added that he was delighted to see Quincy Promes score twice, his first goals for the country in 15 international appearances, after the player had been subjected to negative reviews by the Dutch media.
"He has received lot of criticism from you," Blind said. "But I see him play every week and that's why I played him. I'm not only pleased I made the choice but for him too."
The Dutch coach also handed a starting spot to Vincent Janssen despite a lack of playing time since his recent move to Tottenham Hotspur and the striker repaid Blind with a stunning goal in the second half.
Blind also defended his decision to make 34-year-old Maarten Stekelenburg his first choice goalkeeper after four years in the international wilderness.
"I might as well tell you the chances are good that he will play again on Monday against France," Blind added.
(Reporting by Mark Gleeson; Editing by John O'Brien)