Ryan Flamingo criticised after PSV’s narrow win at Excelsior

Ryan Flamingo came under scrutiny after PSV laboured to a 2-1 Eredivisie victory away to Excelsior. The 23-year-old central defender lost an aerial challenge against Casper Widell in the build-up to the Rotterdam side’s second-half equaliser, prompting a heated discussion among ESPN’s analysts.

Mario Been argued that Flamingo should have dealt with the situation more forcefully. He viewed the incident as evidence that the PSV player lacks the ruthlessness required in central defence, while noting that Flamingo has previously produced strong performances in midfield. Been also suggested that the defender could have taken up a position farther from goal before contesting the ball.

Hugo Borst delivered the strongest criticism. As relayed by Voetbalzone, he said he could imagine PSV supporters being “completely fed up with that guy”. Borst also wondered whether a change of environment might help Flamingo, although Marciano Vink immediately challenged his assessment.

Vink pointed to Flamingo’s previous displays against high-level forwards in the Champions League and stressed that confidence is important to his game. He acknowledged that the defender can make avoidable errors and lacks some of the tactical and positional qualities that defined Frank de Boer, but suggested Flamingo does not fit neatly into one role. Vink’s conclusion was that the PSV player is caught somewhere between being a midfielder and a defender.