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‘Why on earth’: Some fans baffled over international coach’s decision on Liverpool ace

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Liverpool midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum was involved for the Netherlands on Monday, with some fans baffled as to his role in the team on the night.

Caretaker Oranje head coach Dwight Lodeweges deployed the Reds ace in an unfamiliar position on the right wing in the Nations League meeting with Italy.

Holland v Italy -UEFA Nations league
(Photo by Laurens Lindhout/Soccrates/Getty Images)

This turned out to be a poor decision as he struggled to make an impact, with Nicolo Barella putting the Azzurri a goal up in first-half injury time.

Although Wijnaldum improved after being moved to a central role in the second half, the Netherlands were chasing the game by this point.

Barella’s goal ended up being the winner for Italy as the Dutch were deservedly defeated 1-0 in Amsterdam.

And some fans on social media were confused with some of Lodeweges’ decisions, including putting Wijnaldum out on the wing:

Wijnaldum has been heavily linked with Barcelona in recent weeks, with Goal.com recently reporting that new Camp Nou boss Ronald Koeman is confident of landing his “top target”.

The 29-year-old has been with Liverpool since 2016 and has made 187 competitive appearances for the Reds, while at international level, he has 61 Netherlands caps.