PSV tied 1-1 against Feyenoord on Sunday afternoon. Both Peter Bosz and Guus Til draw the same conclusion in hindsight: if anyone deserved three points, it was PSV.
Peter Bosz
You always want to win; that didn’t happen. A missed opportunity today?
“Yes, of course. We played very well in the first half. I thought the 1-0 score was a poor reflection of how the game was going. Feyenoord was better in the first quarter of an hour after halftime, but looking at the match as a whole, we should have won. Against Porto, the first half was also very good. Now we’re going to work on that second half.”
Why did you substitute Sano?
“Because the score was tied and we wanted to win. Sano was dropping back to mark Targhalline. That’s why I brought in an attacking midfielder.”
You haven’t really proven yourself to be top-tier while sitting on the bench.
“Maybe not proven yet, because they’re still young. But you can count on it: if you’re on the bench, you can come in as a substitute.”
How would you sum up this week?
“That we played well and won in Porto. Also, that we played well today but are disappointed with the result. If anyone deserved to win today, it was us. So, two games with our heads held high. Just as you’d want it.”
That goal by Hadj-Moussa—individual brilliance or poor defense?
“It’s a great goal, that’s for sure. Filip was in the right position—he had to cover the advancing Read—and Mauro also closed in well, but he should have run just a little farther.”
What did you think of the moment Esmir took a shot from a distance?
“Those are decisions you make in a split second. He chooses to shoot. It’s hard for us to judge, because the question is: what did he see? What did he take in? Only then can you assess his decisions.”
Did you speak with Lutsharel before this match?
“No, I would have done that with a younger player. He has a lot of experience. You could tell right from the start—the booing, but also how our fans drowned it out with cheers. I thought that was really beautiful.”
Conclusion on the title race?
“Feyenoord is in the running. We’re in the running. AZ is close, and so is [FC] Twente, and you might have expected a bit more from Ajax going in. The most important thing is that the most consistent team always wins the championship. But can you really say anything about that after ten games? Right now, I think that’s Feyenoord, but we were better today. So you tell me.”
Guus Til
You had chances to win, but you didn’t. How does that feel?
“Yeah, a lot of missed opportunities today. All things considered, I think we deserved it more. We’ll take that with us into the next game.”
You guys haven’t been scoring very much lately. Why is that?
“We got a red card against ADO, and against Porto, of course, you’re playing in the [UEFA] Champions League. Scoring isn’t that easy there. But we need to be less erratic. Against Twente and ADO, our play wasn’t bad, but there were sloppy moments. We just have to eliminate those.”
Would you have signed up for these two results earlier this week?
“Well, I’d prefer to win both. I’m not satisfied with this.”
What was it like playing alongside Ruben van Bommel this time?
“Van Bommel and I are, of course, very different. Ruben goes much deeper into the field. Sven is more of a playmaker. It demands something different from me.”
A few young players came onto the field. What do you say then?
“Well, first of all, they need to bring energy. You need that in games like this; otherwise, you’ll get run over. And second: no fooling around.”