Wout Weghorst walked off the pitch in Rotterdam wondering how on earth he’d failed to score in Netherlands’ 3-0 win over Gibraltar on Monday night.
Ronald Koeman’s side secured all three points from their latest Euro 2024 qualifier thanks to a first-half goal from Memphis Depay followed by a brace from defender Nathan Ake.
However, the Oranje could – and perhaps should – have won by an even bigger scoreline.
At the end of potentially the most one-sided games that we’ll see all season, the Netherlands had a staggering 51 shots on goal – 12 of which were on target. Gibraltar, on the other hand, failed to register a single attempt at goal.
The Netherlands also ended the match with a remarkable 87 per cent possession and completed 765 passes compared to their opponents tally of just 129.
Weghorst led the line for the Netherlands and played the full 90 minutes but couldn’t find the back of the net.
The 30-year-old has only managed to score two goals in 18 appearances for Manchester United since joining the Red Devils on loan from Besiktas in January.
A goal or two may have boosted his confidence ahead of Man Utd’s next fixture against Newcastle this weekend, but instead Weghorst was left ruing his profligacy.
What did the reporter say to Weghorst?
At the start of his post-match interview with ESPN NL, the reporter asked Weghorst an incredibly blunt question: “Wout, imagine we would have continued this game for another 48 hours. Would you have scored a goal?”
Ouch.
What did Weghorst say?
Some footballers in Weghorst’s shoes would have ended the interview there and then, but the 6ft 6in striker – to his credit – admitted that he hadn’t been good enough.
“There were a few situations where I was close, but always just not. It’s just… just s***,” Weghorst is quoted saying by the Manchester Evening News. “Bad luck? Whether it’s just bad luck. Ultimately, it’s also quality. You have to be honest about that too. You can call it bad luck.
“But that last ball of mine was allowed in. As a striker, you know that you can score in these kinds of matches. Then you can also remain standing for the entire match, then you would like to repay the trust. That sucks.”
Ruud Gullit expresses his doubts over Weghorst
To add insult to injury, Netherlands legend Ruud Gullit expressed his doubts on live TV over Weghorst being good enough to play for Man United and the Dutch national team.
“I always look at him in a weird way,” Gullit said. “I have a lot of admiration for him, but at the same time, I think: he is not good enough for Manchester United and the Oranje. Every now and then you see defects.”
