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AMSTERDAM — Netherlands coach Frank de Boer and his key striker Memphis Depay both insisted there was no alarm over the lack of goals from the Dutch team ahead of Sunday’s key Nations League tie against Bosnia in Amsterdam.
The Netherlands have netted only three goals in six internationals this year but Depay said the goals were certain to return.
“They will return, I have full confidence in that,” he told a news conference on Saturday.
Depay is expected to be given a free role on the left hand side of the attack, playing alongside central striker Luuk de Jong in the middle as the Dutch look to keep alive their hopes in their League A Group 1 game.
They are on five points with two games left to play, two points behind Poland and one behind Italy.
Depay, 26, will reprise his old PSV Eindhoven partnership with De Jong, along with Georginio Wijnaldum behind them. “We had good and successful times at PSV together and we know how best to use each other’s qualities,” Depay added.
De Boer, who took over as coach last month, said he was confident about the quality of his strikers. “They know how to score, so I’m not worried about it.”
Dutch goals this year have come against Poland at the start of the Nations League in September and their last two games -against Italy away last month and on Wednesday in a 1-1 draw with Spain in a friendly in Amsterdam.
De Boer left Atlanta United after an unsuccessful stint that didn't last two seasons. Prior to that, he was fired from his jobs at Crystal Palace and Inter Milan. His last major trophy was the 2014 Eredivisie title with Ajax.
(Writing by Mark Gleeson in Cape Town; Editing by Mark Potter)
