It’s not an international break if a Dutch player isn’t facing some form of criticism from Valentijn Driessen. This week it was Crystal Palace’s Quinten Timber.
He found himself in the journalist’s firing line for his performance in the 2-2 draw with Germany in the Nations League. Sport Witness reported his comments over the weekend.
Driessen criticism of Quinten Timber
“Timber was definitely the worst Dutchman,” he said. “He might bring energy, but it has to be the right kind of energy…” he said about the Crystal Palace midfielder.
Although, to be fair, he was pretty unimpressed by the Netherlands in general.
“It’s all so terribly slow. The build-up play, too – it’s so sluggish, and that’s simply a trait that clings to this team. They all play it safe,” he added.
Anyway, Timber was the man who got the most focus from the outspoken journalist. But it seems that not everybody agrees with him.
| Stat | 2025/26 | 2026/27 so far |
|---|---|---|
| Clubs | Feyenoord, Marseille | Marseille, Crystal Palace |
| Appearances | 40 | 6 |
| Minutes played | 2,982 | 421 |
| Goals | 4 | 0 |
| Assists | 4 | 0 |
| Goal contributions | 8 | 0 |
| Yellow cards | 7 | 0 |
Backing not criticism
Arno Vermeulen, the former head of football at NOS, is one of them. He was recently on ESPN’s Voetbalpraat when the conversation turned to the Crystal Palace man.
“You mention Timber now. He was dropped quite easily, too,” he said.
“I didn’t think Timber played badly against Germany at all. In fact, I thought he played well against Germany.
“With Timber, I see a player who occasionally does something unexpected – someone who easily breaks the midfield pattern of just playing the ball sideways. Whether with a pass, a dribble, or simply his dynamism.
“He also does his defensive work and possesses that bit of bite you sometimes look for in midfield. So, for me, he certainly shouldn’t be written off for that midfield role yet.”
Whether Timber is back in the picture moving forwards, remains to be seen. He was left on the bench for the Serbia clash, coming on to the pitch alongside his brother ten minutes before the end.
Is that a sign of Xavi listening to the critics? Or is he just assessing his squad fully before making any final decisions? Only time will tell.
