Pierre van Hooijdonk was the pinch hitter of the Dutch national team in his time as a top attacker at Feyenoord, among others. The former striker believes that the unique qualities of a supersub are underestimated, because it requires unprecedented sharpness for a very limited period of time. Cyriel Dessers fulfills the role of supersub with verve at Feyenoord.
“Of course, that goal in Berlin was preceded by a mistake by the keeper. Only: as a striker you also have to have the skill to walk on such a keeper, before he slips. Being a pinchhitter is really a profession in its own right,” says Van Hooijdonk in the General Newspaper. The pinchhitter was almost extinct in the Netherlands, but Dessers is breathing new life into the position, albeit reluctantly.
“Dessers undeniably proves that every club should have a pinch hitter. In recent years, it has been a trend in many clubs to exchange one doll for another when things are not going well. The system rarely changes due to a substitution. With his opportunism “Dessers clearly creates a different dynamic at Feyenoord. He has real added value. Although I argue that he can be important for Feyenoord purely as a substitute. He also makes his goals as a basic player. I’m sure.”
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