Sneijder demands improved display from Netherlands

Wesley Sneijder is demanding a much-improved performance from Netherlands in their crunch Euro 2016 qualifier against Turkey on Sunday.

Oranje’s hopes of reaching the finals in France next summer via a top-two finish suffered a hammer blow on Thursday after a 1-0 home defeat to Group A leaders Iceland and a further setback in Konya would mean Danny Blind’s men would face an uphill task to even make the play-offs.

And Galatasaray star Sneijder is aware it is now time for his side to deliver, despite the absence of Arjen Robben, who picked up a groin injury against Iceland.

He told De Telegraaf: “We are now further away from the European Championship in France, that is clear and it is something we have created ourselves. We must now stop Turkey taking the first step towards the play-offs but it will be a hard match.

“The risks created by the kind of mistakes we made against Iceland will be much greater in Konya. The players and fans will do everything to make our lives difficult. We have to be a lot, lot sharper than we were on Thursday.”

Sneijder felt the game against Iceland turned on the 33rd-minute dismissal of central defender Bruno Martins Indi following a coming together with Kolbeinn Sigthorsson.

Replays showed Martins Indi may have been unfortunate to see red but Sneijder had little sympathy for the Porto man, who will sit out the Turkey game through suspension.

“Until the red card, nothing was happening,” he added. “That changed the whole game, and that cannot happen. I think we should be equally angry with Bruno Martins Indi, yes. The stakes are so high and such mistakes can be fatal. I think he knows that too.”