Ronald Koeman’s tactical gamble on the biggest stage backfired in the worst possible way. The Netherlands crashed out of the World Cup on Monday after a 3-2 penalty shootout defeat to Morocco after a 1-1 draw in the Round of 32. But it wasn’t just the result that has sparked an outrage.

What caught everyone’s attention was the fact that after guiding the Dutch through the group stage with an attack-minded setup, Koeman surprisingly switched to a far more defensive 3-4-2-1 formation for the knockout clash! The results were disastrous, as they managed just 30% possession and eventually paid the price. The manner of the defeat drew intense criticism from Zlatan Ibrahimovic who played under Koeman from 2001-2004 at Ajax.

“It’s always sad to see somebody lose. But I think this loss is on Koeman because I didn’t recognize this Dutch team,” Ibrahimović said. And he lost with an identity that is not the Dutch identity. And that makes me angry. Lose with your identity, and try always with that. That’s who you are. That’s who you represent.”

Recent reports are emerging that Koeman is set to step down as the head coach after the stinging defeat. However, this comes shortly after Koeman defended his tactics at the post-match press conference.

“If I had to do it again, I’d do it all the same way,” Koeman said. “As the Dutch coach, when the equalizer is scored, I am always going to be scolded for the fact that I chose five defenders. But you criticize, which is your right. You watch from the sidelines; I’m here with the team and, once again, I’d do it again,” he concluded.

The suprising element is that Koeman played a more offensive 4-3-3, a variation of the 4-2-3-1 in the group stages, which resulted in resounding success as they won the group unbeaten with seven points, scoring 10 goals.

The Dutch are credited with the invention of “Total Football”, with the iconic Rinus Michels and Johan Cruyff perfecting the art of attacking and possession-based soccer. A product of the famed Ajax school of thought that follows Total Football, Koeman’s negative attitude in the knockout stage surprised many.

“Morocco didn’t change their shape. They went about what they are, their identity,” Thierry Henry spoke on Fox. He added that “Morocco tried to win the game,” while the Netherlands “just [tried] not to lose it.”

Netherlands captain Virgil van Dijk faced flak from fans for claiming their game plan worked despite the defeat. “An intense match. I think we were well organized defensively. They basically couldn’t find the open man between the lines. So the game plan worked, of course,” he told as per Vi.nl.

Rafael van der Vaart, a former soccer player, felt that the exit would push Koeman to the brink of exit. “I think he will resign. He has had a fairly successful coaching career, and of course, his wife’s health is also a factor. He did a great job. It’s just that this loss is very disappointing. The performance in this game was really bad, but I feel they thought the performance was acceptable,” he revealed in an interview with NOS.

Ronald Koeman took over the Netherlands job for the second time in 2023 after Louis van Gaal retired. Koeman previously coached the Oranje from 2018 to 2020 and led them to the UEFA Nations League final. He led them to the UEFA Euro 2020 after they missed out on two major finals before he joined. However, he left them for Barcelona in 2020.

Having left on his own accord last time, he might be thinking of doing the same this time as the Netherlands head home after a disappointing World Cup campaign. They reached the semi-final of the UEFA Euro 2024, but they have an abysmal winless record in 14 games against top 25 sides since Koeman’s second stint began in 2023. The iconic manager might make way for an offensive coach who could take the team to the next level.