Peter Bosz did not enjoy PSV on Friday evening. Despite a 5-2 victory over Fortuna Sittard, he is not happy with the two goals conceded. Captain Jerdy Schouten also thought that PSV was sloppy in the second half. Nowadays Schouten is deployed as a central defender, something he never thought he would do before.
“I didn’t think the first half was good, because they were also able to make it 1-1. Quite good because we scored three times,” Bosz begins his press conference after the match. “I said in advance that we are not at the top due to goal difference, and that is why I am disappointed by those two goals.” PSV is currently three points and a goal difference of +1 more above competitor Feyenoord, but the Rotterdam team still has to play against FC Volendam on Saturday evening.
In the second half, Peter Bosz made many substitutions. Anass Salah-Eddine stayed behind in the dressing room at half-time. He seemed to get injured in the first half, but that wasn’t the case. “He had to throw up at halftime, that’s why we substituted him.” Fortunately, it is not serious: “If there had been a third half, he would have been able to play again,” his trainer jokes.
The transformation of Jerdy Schouten
Jerdy Schouten is disappointed with the goals PSV conceded in the second half. “If you are 3-0 ahead at half time, you do not sign for 5-2. And conceding two goals at home, that should not happen.” He also immediately puts his finger on the sore spot. “With such a lead you have to keep possession of the ball, but we didn’t do that. The substitutions didn’t really help, but we didn’t get out of the changing room well for that either.”
The 28-year-old midfielder has been positioned in the heart of the defense by his coach in recent weeks. And he does very well there. But he himself did not expect that he would ever end up in that position. “I was even a striker for a while at Jong ADO Den Haag and I had bluffed a bit when I joined Telstar by saying that I would score fifteen goals as an attacking midfielder, but you no longer have to put me in striker.”
Ricardo Pepi scores again
Ricardo Pepi was one of the substitutes on the PSV side and accounted for the 1-4. The striker himself hopes for a starting place and Bosz understands that: “It has been true in recent weeks. You see in the second half when it is no longer true, how far we sink. It is true now. The boys are fit and can both play 90 minutes. I also talk to Pepi about that, because he is my first striker. But it is so good now.”
Peter Bosz currently plays with Guus Til at striker and Ismael Saibari starts at ‘number ten’. Something the coach likes: “We want to win games. And if I think that is best done with that couple, then I will use it.”
The 61-year-old also looks ahead to the clash with Olympiacos in the Champions League:
Normally you would say that this match is very crucial. Because when you see Olympiacos and look at the other opponents, this should be the easiest one. But that is certainly not the case in Athens.”