Alfred Schreuder admits that he needed ‘a real number 9’ against Fortuna Sittard. Ajax’s trainer posted Dusan Tadic in the striker against Fortuna Sittard (2-3 win), but changed that after an extremely disappointing first half by bringing in Brian Brobbey and letting Tadic play at 10. “A trainer should also look in the mirror”, says Schreuder full of self-reflection to ESPN.
Ajax barely managed to create a chance before half-time and fell behind via a counter used by Paul Gladon. “We were sloppy on the ball, had too little movement around the ball,” Schreuder analyzes. “They were well organized and very low. If you then suffer some clumsy loss of the ball … the first goal against, that should not happen. It was not good on our side in the first half, the second half on the other hand a lot better.”
Alfred Schreuder is critical of himself after the match against Fortuna. “I learn from this too”#FORAJA pic.twitter.com/pCSFlYvF3a
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That had everything to do with the introduction of Brobbey and Davy Klaassen in the break. Ajax turned the deficit into a 1-2 lead within six minutes. “That characterizes that you are a large club and that you have a lot of substitution options,” said Schreuder. “I think the game called for a substitution. With a double substitution we got more power up front and running ability from the second line.”
In particular, the introduction of Brobbey, who signed for 1-3 after an hour, was important according to Schreuder. “Of course there was little space and Fortuna defended well. Then you want to be there with a real striker and then you also see that in these kinds of matches it is nice if you have a real number 9 on the field.” As said, the trainer puts his hand in his own bosom.
“I also learn from this. The trainer also has to look in the mirror. I also said that to the boys. I thought it could be like in the first half, but it turned out not to go so well, so you have to intervene and change. That’s what you are a trainer for, and you also know that you have good players on the bench. I thought it was possible without a real 9, that didn’t work, so I intervened.”