Ajax crawled against FC Volendam (2-4) after a 0-3 lead through the eye of the needle in the final phase. In it, the heavily criticized Dusan Tadic acted as a disguised assistant coach by pressure coaching on the sidelines. Head coach Alfred Schreuder had no problem with that. “What would people have said if he was grumpy on the couch?”
Schreuder was not the only one who tried to save Ajax from losing points while screaming during Volendam’s curious final offensive. The head coach was flanked and assisted by Tadic. Shouldn’t Schreuder have told his captain to sit quietly on the bench?
,,No, I don’t have to say that to Dusan. He is the captain of Ajax. If you look at what he has accomplished for the club so far, it’s also because of his emotion. It’s also his character that made him so good. If people want to translate that into the negative, that’s their problem, not mine,” said Schreuder.
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If people want to translate that to the negative, that’s their problem, not mine
That negative is that during Tadic’s struggle in recent months and Ajax’s dramatic series in recent weeks, the impression has arisen among the outside world that Schreuder is keeping his leader’s hand above his head. The dissonance was sporadically taken to the side by the head coach, who also has the same agent. Against Volendam, that happened after an hour, also because Tadic will be suspended in Naples on Wednesday.
“I look at it very differently. I see someone who is very committed and passionate about the team. Dusan does everything to win with Ajax. I see someone who is positive even after being substituted. What would people have said if he had sat down on the couch grumpy?” asked Schreuder, who did not care about the image.
Schreuder, who already worked with Tadic at Twente ten years ago, did not want to know anything about the risk that his captain would give different instructions than himself. “Dusan and I have known each other for so long. I know he really does say the same thing I say. I am not interested in the image that arises. I can’t do anything with it. If you know me, you know I’m not like that. I can’t do much with the opinions of others. If they think he has everything to say, that’s fine. It doesn’t matter to me that other people think that.”
,,There are fifteen analysts working with Ajax. The club has ten million fans. All those opinions are part of it,” continued Schreuder. ,,For me it is important to stay true to myself and to analyze what we can do best with the staff and to keep in touch with the players. I can shut myself off from what others think. For real.”
Before Tadic was busy coaching on the sidelines, Schreuder saw the attacker, who had fallen far back on the right flank, recover. The most valuable Eredivisie player of recent seasons, among other things, converted a penalty and gave Mohammed Kudus a few good opportunities.
,,I think it’s a bit too easy to say that Dusan should no longer play on the right. I also saw him play good matches there. But hey, I also know that’s not his best position. Steven Berghuis also did well on the right today. But I don’t think anyone can deny that Steven Bergwijn has done well on the right”, concluded Schreuder, who made the necessary position changes against the well-known relegation and saw Ajax – after a 0-3 lead – end with pain and effort. the series of four duels without a win.
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