Feyenoord star suddenly under fire: ‘Joey Veerman traits’

Bert Konterman is impressed by Feyenoord's development, but the former international questions one big name in an interview with De Telegraaf.

On Wednesday evening, Feyenoord lost 1-0 to Real Betis, their second defeat in the Champions League league phase. Konterman is not particularly worried about the consequences of the loss and expects the Rotterdam side to show a different side of themselves against PSV on Sunday.

"No, if you look at where Feyenoord are now, it's not a blow," Konterman tells De Telegraaf. He believes Feyenoord will know they let a chance slip against Real Betis and failed to show their usual boldness and courage, but can bounce back against PSV on Sunday.

Konterman is particularly enthusiastic about Feyenoord's development. "I think things are going so damn well. The formula they've come up with is so good," says the former defender, who also praises the partnership between Sipke Hulshoff and Giovanni van Bronckhorst.

At right-back, Givairo Read has caught Konterman's eye, with the former defender comparing him to Denzel Dumfries. "Read is a potential Denzel Dumfries. A class act," he says. Konterman believes Read may have even more potential than Dumfries because he is more technically complete. "And his combination with Hadj Moussa on the right is incredibly good; those two link up so well on that flank," he says.

Despite Valente's qualities, Konterman is less convinced by the midfielder. "With Valente, I still ask myself a little: is he really that good? I don't know whether he's truly top, top level, so to speak." Konterman believes Valente could reach the level just below Europe's elite if he takes the next step, though he sees clear areas for improvement.

"Valente could be a bit tougher on himself; for me, he's still somewhat in the 'Joey Veerman category'," he says. "Both are very good in positional play and often give the ball to the right colour, but in difficult matches I feel they lack the ability to play pragmatically too. A bit more mature, a bit more of a man."