André Krul (33) surprises after adventures with a return to Young AZ

‘It’s doubly painful’

Monday, October 26, 2020 at

A corona-ravaged AZ also gave away a certain-looking victory in the Eredivisie at ADO Den Haag on Sunday. In the absence of fifteen infected players, the Alkmaarders lost a lead twice: 2-2. It is the fourth time in a row that AZ has relinquished its lead in the Eredivisie. Earlier, Fortuna Sittard (3-3), Sparta Rotterdam (4-4) and VVV-Venlo (2-2) came back from beaten position against the team of trainer Arne Slot.

AZ’s half misstep was also discussed on Sunday evening at ‘This was the weekend’ of FOX Sports. Jan Joost Van Gangelen wondered whether it is only a matter of mentality and not quality. Kenneth Perez: “But mentality is also a quality.” Kees Kwakman then joined in: “Giving away a lead five times in a row is also a quality and certainly the way in which. Marco Bizot, for example, and not only the defenders, but also the entire team that runs to the back. If the defenders have to defend, they are not doing it well. ”

Teun Koopmeiners was furious after AZ’s fifth draw in a row. “We are scandalous with our own chances,” grumbled the captain of the North Hollanders after losing another lead. “We really have to look in the mirror to see how we deal with this,” said Koopmeiners, who knows this in terms of professionalism and maturity. “We miss opportunities for an open goal and make strange actions when it is not appropriate. That is not possible.”

“Are the words of Koopmeiners not very cheap”, Perez wondered. “He more or less blames the attackers because AZ does not handle the opportunities in a mature way. Koopmeiners is a seasoned player, just like Bruno Martins Indi and Fredrik Midtsjö. They can also say: ‘Boys, we have to keep pressure on the ball’. And don’t walk backwards, keep walking backwards. You just saw it in the last ten minutes. Yes, then it can fall like that ”, he pointed to the late equalizer.

Calvin Stengs thought that AZ is certainly capable of a match killing. “If you are leading 0-4 at Sparta, I think so killing”, The attacker emphasized after the final whistle. “And a 1-3 lead in the seventieth minute at Fortuna Sittard should be over. Today you just have to walk out and you don’t. We’re a bunch of floppy sacks the way we defend. And we are also not ruthless in the conclusion. ”

Slot got the feeling that he was repeating himself when he was asked to identify a cause. “Then I will do the same story again that I have been doing for weeks. It is very simple: if you get so many opportunities and you shoot in so few, you can still get into trouble in the end. Gave away three chances: two from corners, a fumbling ball on the back line and two goals against it. ”

The trainer tried to intervene. “They brought in extra strikers, then we brought in extra head power. That didn’t work today either. Also from the side I have already tried another to see how we can get that lead over the line, but it is just one thing and that is really almost ridiculous today. Maybe I’m making it too rosy, but I’ve seen opportunities … I’m starting to laugh about it, but this is not normal. But it is happening to us right now. ”

“An attacking player will always say ‘how we defend’”, Perez laughed. “And a defender will always say, ‘we have to finish our chances’. Of course it is somewhere in between. All this around AZ is incomprehensible. ” Perez showed on the basis of a few situations that AZ trains very much on certain attack elements. Van Gangelen: “So that makes things even worse?” Perez: “You should actually see it separately. The idea of ​​how they put pressure, how they want to be on the ball. The players just know: that’s how we want to play. And then it is doubly painful that they do not win such a match. ”