Wesley Sneijder offers a tactical critique of Joey Veerman and PSV Eindhoven, warning of the repercussions they might face in their Champions League match against Arsenal.

Wesley Sneijder, the former Dutch international footballer, has voiced concerns about PSV midfielder Joey Veerman‘s tactical decisions ahead of the team’s Champions League match against Arsenal.

In an interview with RTL 7, Sneijder criticised Veerman for recognising but not addressing certain issues during their game against Lens which ended in a 1-1 draw, stating, “This is not possible, certainly not at this level. This will be punished mercilessly against Arsenal.

“I think this is special. Veerman is a member of the Dutch national team and has been around for several years. Then you make sure you keep your team together again. There are always moments when you can restore that balance,”

“He does see it! He notes it and explains it right after the match,” Sneijder adds.

Sneijder’s cautionary statements seem to echo sentiments that Veerman and PSV should have perhaps been more adaptable in their approach against a team of Arsenal‘s calibre.

“If you see it, you have to do something with it. If you see that you are ‘swimming together’, you should say something about it. Those are the little details. Because he does nothing about this, you run into the equaliser and it can even get much worse,” Sneijder continued.

PSV‘s tactical approach during their initial defeat to Arsenal was also called into question by Weerman himself.

He commented on the team’s strategy after the 4-0 defeat at The Emirates, saying, “We just like to have the ball. That is a little more difficult against Arsenal than in the Eredivisie.

“We knew that Arsenal would be the better team. We should not pretend that this (defeat) just came out of the blue.”

However, PSV‘s open play may have contributed to their downfall, giving Arsenal‘s wingers time and space to exploit their defensive lines.

Veerman also reflected on the financial gulf between the two teams. “(The defeat) is not very strange,” Veerman said.

“I think this is the second most expensive team in the world. As a footballer, you prefer not to say it, but you know this can happen. They signed a midfielder for €120 million. He is more expensive than our entire squad! This is no excuse, but it is the way it is.”

While PSV may not have the financial firepower to match Arsenal, the latter’s 4-0 victory in their first group game demonstrates the importance of tactical flexibility, something Sneijder insists Veerman and his team need to consider for the return fixture.

Despite PSV‘s current standing at the bottom of their Champions League group, Sneijder’s warning serves as an urgent reminder that the Dutch side will need to display greater tactical acumen to survive in a competition that includes financially stronger and tactically sharper teams like Arsenal.