Dutch newspapers praise Roger Schmidt after ‘oohs’ and ‘aahs’ at PSV

Wednesday, August 4, 2021 at 06:53• Daniel Cabot Kerkdijk • Last update: 07:07

PSV is almost certain of a place in the play-offs of the Champions League. Roger Schmidt’s team was 3-0 too strong for FC Midtjylland in the first game of the third preliminary round of the million-dollar ball on Tuesday, thanks to three goals in thirteen minutes. The daily newspapers reflect on Schmidt’s choices and the role of Noni Madueke the day after the spectacle in the Philips Stadium.

“Danes like to be compared to dynamite when it comes to football. But it was PSV that completely blew FC Midtjylland down in the third qualifying round of the Champions League: 3-0. The Telegraph. “Last season there was a lot of criticism of PSV, which with its German staff finished at sixteen points from Ajax. But since the start of the preparation for the current season, the joy of playing has been splashing with the Eindhoven team, who gave a sparkling sequel to the diptych against Galatasaray in-house.”

The newspaper emphasizes that PSV seems to have been released from ‘the tight straitjacket in which it regularly operated last season’ and that Schmidt makes ‘striking choices on all fronts’, referring to Mario Götze in the ashes of the field as the most important pawn and the departure of the rigid 4-2-2-2 system. “The new field occupation makes PSV a swinging whole.” In addition, Schmidt did not place Nick Viergever as a replacement for the suspended Olivier Boscagli in the center, but rewarded the training work of Armando Obispo, who only appeared in the PSV base for the ninth time on Tuesday evening.

“Noni Madueke and Cody Gakpo are two more important exponents of the PSV new style. They get a lot of confidence from their trainer”, concludes The Telegraph off. It General Newspaper has ‘Dynamite from PSV pops fifteen minutes’ as the headline, referring to the three hits in just fifteen minutes. “In fifteen minutes in which just about everything worked, the guns of Roger Schmidt’s team almost all surfaced. The extra constructive power that central defender André Ramalho brings, the blistering swipe of Noni Madueke and the brilliance of Mario Götze.”

The newspaper foresees ‘a wonderful marriage’ between Madueke and PSV if ‘all parties continue to invest in it in a healthy way’. Journalist Rik Elfrink referred to his management’s flirtations with some foreign clubs, “common sense prevailed”, and the fact that Schmidt wanted the attacker to develop more as a team player. “He had no intention of killing his spontaneity, but he did see significant improvements in other facets of the game. For example, Schmidt always and everywhere insists on reliability. The coach seems to have succeeded in taking Madueke to that desired higher level, without losing any danger.”

Elfrink also reflects on ‘the brave choice’ of Schmidt not to have Viergever but Obispo appear at the starting signal. “He made his European debut for PSV, while Viergever is of course the established name. Where it is often thought that Schmidt mainly goes for experience and does not see young players, it turned out yesterday that he simply goes for the best option in his eyes. Obispo showed himself during the entire preparation in training and practice matches with a good constructive and strong defensive game and that was rewarded yesterday.”

the head of Fidelity above the match report, ‘Schmidt seems to be bending PSV more and more to his will’, is also telling. Last season, the Eindhoven team sometimes showed two faces in a match. “But that is not the case for the time being this season. A never-ending energy, coupled with an exemplary team spirit, currently colors Schmidt’s team. Let it be a pointer to the talents of PSV. ( . . . ) Schmidt puts all his energy into forging a united team, no mean feat at this early stage of the season with players coming and going.”

“PSV’s ambition, to reach the group stage of the Champions League for the first time since 2018, also requires footballers you can rely on. Mario Götze, Cody Gakpo and Noni Madueke are more stable in that regard, as they proved again against Midtjylland. In addition, they think more in terms of the collective, a requirement according to Schmidt.” De Volkskrant points to the current situation of Madueke and the exiled Mohamed Ihattaren. “They were both heavily criticized by Schmidt last season. But where one, the exiled Ihattaren, completed a training session on the Herdgang in complete anonymity earlier in the day, the other, the celebrated Madueke, shone a few hours later in an atmospheric Philips Stadium.”

“On a night when Madueke put himself in the spotlight, Ihattaren’s name almost sounded like an echo from a distant past, even though he is still just a PSV football player. Madueke seems to have understood his trainer’s message. Against Midtjylland, the ‘oohs’ and ‘aahs’ rolled off the stands as soon as he pushed back for some action. But he also didn’t hesitate to help Philipp Mwene at right back, if necessary. Just the way Schmidt likes it. ( . . . ) A minute before the end, Madueke got his deserved change from the crowd; a telling and public compliment from the discerning Schmidt.”