Feyenoord simply cannot do without Santiago Gimenez and . According to Mario Been, the duo is too decisive in success. One for the positions at the back, the other for the goals. The midfield of the reigning national champions is quite stable.
“Feyenoord does have a problem if the striker is not in shape,” says Martijn Krabbendam in the Dick Voormekaar Podcast of Voetbal International. Mario Been agrees with the journalist’s statement. “Then Ueda comes in and things don’t get better there. I also thought the sides at Feyenoord were very mediocre. But the midfield and the last line are good. If you see Trauner play again. How good he is; really fantastic. He takes balls away and returns them just as easily. Feyenoord is doing well, partly thanks to him. And if you can win 1-0, it is not convincing. But enough.”
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Coach Arne Slot also announced after the match against AZ on Sunday that Trauner stayed on for ninety minutes because he was so incredibly important, while he was actually not fit enough to play that many minutes. The Austrian is one of the few truly experienced players at Feyenoord, for whom, according to Been, it would be good if they survived a round in the Champions League. This way the young players can gain even more experience.
“In that respect, it would be very good if they continue in the Champions League. Then you cannot lose to Atlético and you have to win against a Celtic that is already ready. That is very important for the development of the players,” says the former trainer of the Rotterdam team in the podcast.
