The match against RKC felt like the last chance for the Waalwijk club to make something of this season. The team started the match at the bottom, but thanks to the victory over Willem II, they are back in sixteenth place. “We must also focus on that,” said RKC coach Henk Fraser realistically. The coach of Willem II saw his team disappoint. “You’re not going to win a game like that.”
Join or drop out was the motto for RKC in advance. It was time for the Waalwijkers to join in. To the relief of Henk Fraser, who finally saw his team rewarded for the good play. “We have made a lot of progress in recent weeks. We see that in everything. But if the points do not come, time will run out.”
Also read: RKC leaves last place after victory over weak Willem II
Partly because the competition did not score many points, there is still hope in Waalwijk. After the victory over Willem II, the people from Brabant leave last place and sixteenth place is again in sight. “We must also focus on that. And even that will be a challenge. We are not going to win games easily. We also had to fight today. But I think we have given the supporters hope again.”
Hope that was not there for a long time in the stands in the Mandemakers Stadium. “I too have been desperate,” Fraser was candid. “It sometimes takes too much time to get somewhere. The more desperate I become, the harder I fight. As a player that sometimes got me into trouble, but now it helps us.”
Disappointed Willem II coach
There was no fighting on the other side. Trainer Peter Maes was very disappointed in his team. “We have been beaten on everything. They played a derby and we did not. We lost all the matches. Then you are not going to win a match,” says Maes.
“After the draw against Feyenoord, some people started flying. I also gave some players an Oscar, so to speak, in the press. But they did not respond today. So we are not going to do that anymore.”
By the way, there is no man left over for Willem II. The team is still in a safe place in the rankings. “But this is one wake-up call. After a good result we often play a bad match again. Today the cups drooped very quickly. We have to work on that.”