Guus Til's return to the Netherlands squad has sparked a debate among Dutch football analysts, with Rafael van der Vaart and Wim Kieft questioning Xavi Hernandez's admission that he made a mistake by initially leaving the PSV midfielder out.

Til was handed a starting place against Greece last Thursday but was replaced by Tijani Reijnders at half-time with the Netherlands trailing 2-0. Xavi's side eventually fought back to draw 2-2 after goals from Virgil van Dijk and Reijnders.

Earlier in the week, Xavi told NOS that Til had deserved his place in the squad after initially being overlooked.

“Guus Til is doing great. He deserved to play. I also told him: ‘I was wrong, you belong in the squad’. You have to be honest,” Xavi said.

Those comments surprised Van der Vaart, who felt the national coach's assessment went too far.

Speaking in the NOS studio before the Greece match, the former Netherlands midfielder acknowledged Til's qualities but questioned whether his performances justified such a strong statement from Xavi.

“I think that’s a bit exaggerated, because that would mean that from now on he should actually always be sitting there. Good player, fine, but I would have understood it if he hadn’t been there either,” Van der Vaart said.

Kieft was similarly taken aback by Xavi's remarks.

“Well, what are you supposed to do with a remark like that from the national coach? You know what's out there,” the former PSV player said, as quoted by PSV Inside.

Kieft also suggested Til's selection was linked to concerns over Tijani Reijnders' performances for Oranje.

“He also has to do with Tijjani Reijnders falling short of expectations. Actually, for longer already, I think. You know what you’ve got with that kid. He will always do his job,” Kieft added.

The debate continued on ESPN's Voetbalpraat, where Kenneth Perez questioned whether Til can ultimately become a regular starter for the Netherlands at the highest level.

Perez argued that the midfield failed to provide enough protection for the defence or service for the attack during the first half against Greece.

“The midfield really determines how good your attackers and defenders are. They need to ensure that the defenders are relieved and that the attackers are put to work. In the first half, with these three, that wasn't enough,” Perez said.

“This is a midfield from the middle of the pack. If the Netherlands wants to measure itself against the bigger teams, this is simply too mediocre.”

Kees Kwakman disagreed with the idea that the midfield alone was responsible. He also pointed to the performances of Ruben van Bommel and Mexx Meerdink in attack, while suggesting the spaces in midfield became too large.

“I do think that with Timber it goes in all directions in midfield. Then stay a little closer to Veerman. He forces things in a certain way. The spaces became too big, which meant Veerman couldn’t come into his own,” Kwakman explained.

Perez asserted, ''But for a national team coach, it’s good to see that this part is part of the growth process. In advance you know it isn’t enough,''

Danny Koevermans pushed back against Perez's assessment, arguing that Til has shown enough to deserve greater consideration.

“I think that’s nonsense. He’s[Timber] a Premier League player and can surely just play there. Til has done well, why wouldn’t that be possible? I really mean that. I think you’re doing them a disservice with that. Now it turns out it’s not working,” Koevermans said.

Perez, however, maintained his position when the discussion returned to Til and the Netherlands' long-term midfield options.

“You can clearly see that Gravenberch is on a different level. You’re not going to tell me that Til can become a regular starter in the Netherlands national team if the Netherlands wants to be a top country. Timber can’t either,” he concluded.

The contrasting assessments underline the uncertainty surrounding Til's role under Xavi. While the PSV midfielder has earned recognition from the new national coach, the debate over whether he can establish himself as a regular starter remains firmly open.