Van de Ven did not pull any punches in his assessment of Netherlands' performance in Warsaw. The Oranje fell behind to a Jakub Kaminski goal in the 43rd minute, however, they quickly replied in the opening moments of the second half when Memphis Depay tucked home the rebound after Donyell Malen's header was saved. While the visitors enjoyed 58% of the ball, they struggled to create many meaningful chances, with Poland taking 14 shots compared to their six. Van de Ven said he and his teammates were too slow in their buildup.
"I think we played with too little tempo," he said. "There were few deep runs and few moments where we created anything."
Despite playing most of his club football in the centre of defence, the speedster has typically operated as a left back in Koeman's side. Arsenal's Jurrien Timber got the nod alongside Virgil van Dijk in the heart of the backline against Poland, while Nathan Ake, Mathis de Ligt and Jan Paul van Hecke all started from the bench, demonstrating the quality and depth Netherlands boast at the position. With so many options, Van de Ven is content to start from the left.
"As far as I know, I'm simply considered a left-back," he said.