Peter Bosz said after the 3-1 victory over FC Groningen that his team played well. In addition, the coach praised Malik Tillman, who was back in the starting lineup for the first time after three months of injury.
Relief or good play—which prevails?
“That we played well. Relief, not so much. I always assume we’ll win, every single game. Of course, that doesn’t always work out, but we played well today. The goal we conceded was a blemish, because it put the victory in jeopardy. Still, the attitude, the play, and the resurgence after that goal were good.”
Tillman playing a full ninety minutes right away?
“You don’t know if he’ll last the full 90, but when you see him play, you realize what you’ve been missing for the past three months. I really enjoyed watching him. He’s a great player. I never talk about injuries, because you have to make do with the squad you have. But it makes sense that the absence of Dest, Pepi, Tillman, and Mauro Júnior has an impact on our play.”
Is there a lot of tension today?
“There’s definitely tension surrounding this match, absolutely. But I always approach it substantively. I don’t say, ‘Feyenoord won, so we have to win.’ We have a strategy, and that’s where the focus lies. Emphasizing the pressure often just has a paralyzing effect.”
Pressure from last week’s defeat?
“I view that match against Ajax as an isolated incident. We were fighting for the championship, so the frustration afterward was immense. But if you try to look past that, you’ll see that we were already turning things around—with wins against sc Heerenveen, RKC, and a great game in London. I pointed that out to the guys, too.”
Do you dare to talk about guarantees again?
“Zero, because there are no guarantees. How much of a guarantee did we have when we were leading by eight points? In hindsight: zero. We played consistently today, but things could have gone wrong today as well. Sometimes it comes down to details, to moments that stand completely on their own.”
Relief for Johan?
“Well, I certainly am. I was very happy for him. He wants to work for the team and is coming off a difficult period, so I’m really happy for him. I truly mean that.”
Joel Drommel
A tough away game, and suddenly you have to step up.
“Yeah, the reason for my substitution isn’t exactly pleasant, of course, but you have to be there for the team. Coming off the bench is different from starting, but luckily we were already ahead—that gives you confidence.”
How did you approach this match as a team?
“Last week was, of course, a huge disappointment. But you have to move on right away and play with confidence, boldness, and guts again. An away game against FC Groningen isn’t exactly the easiest, but the fact that we won it actually gives us a little extra peace of mind.”
They came close a few more times. What was that like for you?
“Sure, that free kick went just wide. Still, I was in a good position, and I think if it had been on goal, I would’ve saved it.”
And how did you approach the final stretch? Especially after Luuk de Jong ’s goal was disallowed.
“Yeah, it wasn’t easy. To be honest, you do think for a moment, ‘Not again, huh.’ But we won, so we’re just going to hop on the bus and enjoy this victory.”