Arjen Robben prefers to play on the right

Friday 28 May 2010

Arjen Robben prefers to play on the right wing with the Dutch national team as well, he said yesterday, after his first training with the squad.

"It seems obvious that I feel fine on the right. But in the end it's the bondscoach who decides who plays where. Of course it isn't so that I only want to play on the right. But I do believe I am most effective there. From there I can cut inside and shoot with my left foot. I have shown that a number of times this season."

With his 16 goals Robben played an important role for Bayern Munich this season, both domestically and in the Champions League. But he doesn't want to get into a discussion about who should play up front, as some of his colleagues did. "I might degrade other players, and I don't want to do that."

Van Persie previously advanced the idea of a forward line with Wesley Sneijder, Rafael van der Vaart, Arjen Robben and himself. Bondscoach Van Marwijk said last week that he feels Robben can play on both wings. Yet the Holland boss emphasized he has to consider the interests of the entire team. In the past Van Marwijk often played with Robben on the left and Kuyt on the right, and with Van Persie seemingly the undisputed center forward the manager will have to choose between either Rafael van der Vaart or Wesley Sneijder.