AZ did themselves a disservice on Wednesday evening by losing 2-0 to Celtic in the first leg of the last qualifying round of the Europa League in Scotland. The Dutch morning papers come to the conclusion that there is still a lot of work to be done with the Alkmaarders. The team of trainer Pascal Jansen also left the necessary opportunities at Celtic Park to get on the scoreboard.
The Telegraph thought it wise that Jansen, in contrast to the 1-0 lost away match against RKC Waalwijk, cleared a base place for Teun Koopmeiners. “It benefited the game, although Midtsjö was visibly lacking in game rhythm and, as they say on the other side of the North Sea, acted ‘sloppy’,” the newspaper says. Hobie Verhulst’s performance can count on a more positive commentary, because in the words of The Telegraph distinguished with ‘a few fine saves’.
“The 28-year-old Amsterdammer does not seem to have resigned himself to a reserve role after Bizot’s departure, now that AZ presented the successor to Bizot in the Dane Peter Vindahl Jensen last Monday,” it reads. The newspaper saw that ‘an old football law’ presented itself in the second half. “Anyone who forgets to reward themselves in ‘Europe’ will sooner or later be screwed. In this case: very early, and with the necessary misfortune moreover. (…) Two world saves by the goalie further limited the Scottish damage.”
“Group stage is far away for AZ, which just doesn’t score,” it headlines General Newspaper. “The new AZ still has to be formed and molded by trainer Pascal Jansen, who saw so many players leave. In August, the team has already taken two painful defeats, which it must be hoped that they will not continue for very long. However, it can also form a blueprint for what awaits the club: a difficult, disappointing year.”
The newspaper writes that AZ can hope that Koopmeiners will not be hijacked from Alkmaar. “Without Koopmeiners, there will be little left of AZ after the exodus of five basic players this summer. Koopmeiners also fell far back in the second half and did not look good with Celtic’s second goal”, the conclusion reads. “Forming a new AZ can sometimes take a lot of time and points, as it turned out yesterday. Although defeat does not necessarily mean elimination.”
“The mediocre impression that AZ left in the first league match last Saturday was not an incident,” it also concludes Noordhollands Dagblad. “With his choice for the duo of Koopmeiners and Midtsjö, Jansen got the ‘engine’ of his team back. The two have been a guarantee for work, gogme, coaching, duel power and – certainly in the case of Koopmeiners – goals for seasons. And not unimportant: they bring routine with them. Because Celtic-out is not a competition for ‘newbies’.”
“The defeat against RKC and the early thump in Glasgow visibly made AZ falter. The Celtic fans smelled blood, the Celtic players got wings,” is the reference to Kyogo Furuhashi’s early opening goal. Shortly after the break, James Forrest doubled the margin via Timo Letschert’s leg. “The return of Koopmeiners and Midtsjö could not disguise the fact that AZ is struggling with start-up problems. Just like against RKC, AZ did not score and there was too little line in the game. Perhaps the home crowd can inspire AZ next week as the Scottish fans did for Celtic. AZ could use a little push.”