'Two steps too slow' - Star told to LEAVE Chelsea after shocking display
Imre Himmelbauer
- 21 Nov 2023 14:32 CST
- 3 min read
Ian Maatsen was torn apart by Dutch pundits Kees Kwakman and Marciano Vink who are shocked by the level of the 21-year-old.
The Chelsea full-back was in the starting line-up for the Dutch Juniors in the 4-2 win against their peers from Sweden. However, Maatsen did not leave a positive impression on ESPN's analysts.
"When I see Maatsen play, I do not think: 'well, he will soon join the Dutch national team.' But he has come close to it a few times," says Kwakman on the Voetbalpraat programme. Leon ten Voorde, also present in the studio, then says that he is "shocked" by the level of the 21-year-old left-back, in response to which Vink and Kwakman indicate that they feel the same.
"The funny thing is: he had a good season at Burnley under Vincent Kompany," says Vink. "Then he starts pre-season at Chelsea with a new coach, Mauricio Pochettino. He weighed him up and thought he was good enough to stay at Chelsea. I then expect something. I sit down [to watch him] and I then get a player who plays football at two steps too slow, as if it's all passing him by."
Maatsen should leave
Kwakman thinks it would be a good idea for Maatsen to temporarily leave Chelsea. "He occasionally comes in for a few minutes. That doesn't help for such a boy. I think that means that the chance for a place in the [senior] Dutch national team is becoming increasingly smaller."
"As such, he has to be loaned out in the winter." Vink adds: "And play three levels better." So far, Maatsen has played a total of 271 minutes for Chelsea this season, spread over 9 games. He only got starting berths in the League Cup matches with Wimbledon and Brighton.
The youngster actually had a chance to leave Chelsea when the Blues accepted a lucrative offer from Burnley in the summer but opted to stay. This decision has come back to bite him.
