In the first topper of the season, AZ wanted to show against leader PSV that it is still one of the champion candidates. Even without growth brilliance Myron Boadu, Calvin Stengs and Teun Koopmeiners, but it was 0-3 for the Eindhoven team in the match that should have been the Alkmaar resurrection. Kenneth Perez added afterwards ESPN knowing that he will not see AZ finish in at least third place again.
“AZ is fun, nice, attacking and energetic, but the real quality to break up an opponent like this, to be decisive, is not there,” said Perez, who also did not understand that the match had the predicate ‘topper’. got. “On what basis?” Arnold Bruggink called it ‘a made topper’. “The question is what AZ’s next steps are. If AZ wants to show that they are a top club, then you do not immediately have youth players in place of players who have left,” said the former footballer from the TV studio. “Then all purchases have to be hit immediately and AZ needs time for that now. Then you will be judged that way and that is not the case at AZ.”
?? Olivier Boscagli, everyone. ?? ?? ESPN #?? #azpsv pic.twitter.com/nVR9qcxtCK
— ESPN NL (@ESPNnl) September 11, 2021
“It just wasn’t enough today,” Perez added. “You played against a team that didn’t play very well. And it became 0-3, which is quite a lot.” Owen Wijndal was in the field against PSV for more than seventy minutes, as captain. “What was the difference? PSV was more efficient. They score three brilliant goals, especially the first and the third. You need a bit of luck with that. And we fail to score a goal,” emphasized the defender, who according to Perez was clearly disappointed that AZ lost a lot of quality during the transfer period.
“I think it’s extra sour for him because he was nominated to make a transfer. I think he also sees that AZ has not bought back the quality to ensure that AZ will be among the top three. I think that AZ now belongs to the Vitesse and FC Utrecht category. With this selection.” Bruggink: “AZ also has a double programme. I think they will lose a lot of points in the Eredivisie because of that. Feyenoord and Vitesse too. The players can manage to play two or three games a week, but the level is going down a lot. If a player gets injured and has to be replaced by a player who is not as good, the difference becomes too big.”
Jansen had mixed feelings after the defeat against PSV. “The reality is that you lose 0-3,” said the AZ trainer. “If you look through it, you see a distorted image. We play well until the 0-2. But looking through it doesn’t make much sense now. We lost 0-3. We played a decent game and got the first chance through Vangelis Pavlidis. And then you get that Sunday shot from a counterattack in which we should have become very dangerous. And he shoots the ball mercilessly into the square.”
Jansen was referring to the beautiful goal of Olivier Boscagli from about thirty meters. “They have created few chances. We were better on the ball, we were careful and we played well for the chances. But then you have to print.” That was the deciding factor in the AFAS Stadium, where PSV did not play well, but eventually scored two more. “We have learned a lesson in effectiveness from a top team that needs less to leave the field as the winner. If you don’t finish it yourself, you’re not going to win a game.”