Rafael van der Vaart has questioned Matej Kovář’s reliability in goal for PSV after the Czech goalkeeper’s costly mistake against Sparta Rotterdam, although Marcel Brands highlighted his response later in the match.

Kovář has attracted scrutiny since arriving at PSV, with his performances dividing opinion among supporters while the club’s technical staff continue to back him.

The latest debate followed Sunday’s 4-1 victory over Sparta Rotterdam, when Kovář made an early error that allowed the visitors to take a 1-0 lead. PSV eventually recovered to secure a comfortable victory, but the goalkeeper’s mistake remained a talking point.

Speaking on Rondo on Ziggo Sport, where PSV general manager Marcel Brands was a guest, Van der Vaart made his assessment of the goalkeeper clear.

Brands initially reflected on the difficult circumstances PSV faced after conceding so early in the match.

“It didn’t start well with a blunder by the goalkeeper. It was the first serious ball and that one goes in. Then it gets difficult against Sparta, which plays with five people behind. Try getting through that.”

Van der Vaart then offered a more direct assessment of Kovář’s performances.

“I do think Kovář is a weak goalkeeper, to be honest. He’s made quite a few of these kinds of mistakes. I’m not yet convinced.”

The former Netherlands international did, however, acknowledge that his personal assessment was not ultimately decisive for PSV.

“But then again, that isn’t really so important.”

Brands accepted that Kovář had made an error but pointed towards what happened afterwards as an important part of the goalkeeper’s performance.

The PSV general manager noted that the Czech goalkeeper recovered mentally and subsequently made two important saves while the hosts were ahead.

“He makes a mistake, but you see that he doesn’t have any trouble with it afterward. He saves two more balls, so that’s also good again.”

That response proved significant as PSV recovered from the early setback. Sven Mijnans equalised before Kodai Sano put the hosts ahead, while Mijnans completed his hat-trick later in the match to seal the 4-1 victory.

The contrasting assessments underline the different perspectives surrounding Kovář. As relayed by PSV Inside, Van der Vaart remains unconvinced by the goalkeeper’s consistency, while Brands pointed to his ability to recover within matches and contribute after making mistakes.

For Peter Bosz, Kovář remains the established option between the posts. Despite the early error against Sparta, the goalkeeper was not removed from the side and subsequently played a part in PSV maintaining their winning run.

With PSV competing domestically and in the Champions League, Kovář’s performances will continue to be closely monitored. The debate over his consistency, however, remains open, with Van der Vaart’s latest assessment adding another layer to the discussion around the Czech goalkeeper.