Patrik Hrošovský: “Losing your captain always has an impact”
“It is a fair result, because it was an even match,” the midfielder responded. “We both tried to play football. In some parts we dominated, in others they dominated, so we can live with that. After the break we lost control – then Club started to put more pressure forward and they are simply very strong at home. But we should have done better on the counter-attack. Heynen’s injury? Losing your captain always has an impact. Hopefully he will be back soon.”
Hans Vanaken: “If you play in the first half like in the second, you just win”
Vanaken, who scored the 1-1, also thought the draw was justified. “It might be a fair result. They were better in the first half. Our pressing wasn’t good enough, it made it a little too easy for them to play football. The second half was all ours. If you look at it that way, it is a fair result. But if you push the second half like that, it seems like you can still win that match. But looking at the whole match it might be the right result.”
“What did the trainer say at halftime? To put more pressure, bring more intensity and believe in it more. You see in the second half that if you put pressure on them, they have to play long balls and that is not their favorite game either. Then you can constantly put pressure on their half and if you can recover the ball that high, you will quickly be at their goal. At the end there were a few more chances. Igor (Thiago, ed.) who just can’t put the ball in. If you play in the first half like in the second half, you just win.”
Vanaken also came back on his goal, heading the ball in very cleverly. “It is one of my qualities to get into the box. It wasn’t the easiest ball to head in. But sometimes that’s more fun, because you just put your head against it and hope the ball goes well. That was the case now. It’s just a shame that despite the dominance you can’t score that second goal. On the PlayStation you will have to press a serious combination of buttons to head that ball. Did I enjoy the match? Yes. If the two teams want to play football, that also creates space. Then you automatically get a nice batch.”
(Read more below the photo)
Vanaken spoiled the Bruges crowd with a clever header goal. — © Isosport
Wouter Vrancken: “After our good first half we hoped for more”
“I think we can be very satisfied with our first half, both defensively and in terms of initiative. We combined well, created chances and scored a very nice goal. Only we should have made more. Especially if you play at Club Brugge. In the second half you know they are coming and it becomes a real battle. It’s just a shame that after their change of system we didn’t use the spaces that were created in the corners. We should have taken much more advantage of that. Bryan’s (Heynen, ed.) ankle injury also had an impact. He was very good in the match and was decisive in losing the ball and in possession of the ball. After his replacement we were less dominant. But okay. Even without him we should have done better. The boys who came on could have shown more. 1-1 is still a good result, but after our first half we had hoped for more.”
Ronny Deila: “I certainly didn’t enjoy the first half”
“Maybe we should have won, but we could just as well have lost it in the first half. In the first half we were one meter away from our man all the time. We were always late. It was boys against men in the beginning. On the ball we had a few opportunities to play the ball wide and kick a cross, but we lost the ball. It became a transition match and that doesn’t suit us. The second half was the opposite. We were dominant and were in their half all the time. But we didn’t have enough clear chances. That’s the only thing we could do better. It’s good that we’re coming back, but we also have to learn from it, because it has happened a few times now that we started too slowly. We have to do something about that,” the Bruges coach analyzed.
“We were much more aggressive in the second half. Also because of the switches. Casper (Nielsen, ed.) and Dennis (Odoi, ed.) did very well. Ferran (Jutglà, ed.) too. What was going on with Kyriani Sabbe? He had a minor injury during the week, but felt good. But after the warm-up, he said he felt something in his ankle and ultimately couldn’t continue playing. Did I enjoy the match? “Not in the first half (laughs). In the second half, yes. They are two good teams that want to play football, but I certainly didn’t enjoy it in the first half. But I can understand that people enjoyed it.”
Wouter Vrancken and Ronny Deila before the match. — © Isosport
