Schreuder looks ahead to clash with PSV: ‘Playing along Berghuis more real than Wijndal’ Football

“It looks good in itself,” Schreuder started at the press conference about his personnel problems. Wijndal was unable to train on Friday, but we hope he can do more tomorrow. The same applies to Berghuis. Brian Brobbey was able to train with us, so that’s good. We’ll have to see how his reaction is tomorrow.”

Wijndal injured his ankle on Tuesday in the Champions League match with Rangers FC. He was on crutches after the game. Berghuis was taken to the side ten minutes after the break. Due to minor complaints, Brobbey did not have a base place against the club of Giovanni van Bronckhorst and ultimately did not come in.

“That Berghuis is playing is a bit more real than Wijndal, but Owen will do everything he can to play. He looked fine in terms of walking today, but you have to see how it develops when he goes for a run. He hasn’t been able to do that yet. He needs to be completely pain free to play, I don’t think we should take any chances.”

Bergwijn prefers to play on the left

Steven Bergwijn has to laugh at the comment that he is less noticeable in recent weeks than at the beginning of the season. “It is known that I prefer to play on the left in the attack,” he says. “Now on the right I have a different role. That takes some getting used to, but I do everything I can to be important for Ajax.”

Steven Bergwijn prefers to play on the left at Ajax.

Ⓒ ANP/HH

Playing in his favorite position on the left wing, Bergwijn successfully returned this football year to the club where he enjoyed the first part of his education. He scored against his former club PSV in the Johan Cruijff Scale match and even made three against FC Groningen. Often the international would dribble at speed to the center of the field and then lash out with his right foot. “That Bergwijn is too good for the Eredivisie after two years of Tottenham Hotspur”, you heard many people say.

But the most expensive purchase ever from a Dutch club – more than 31 million euros – no longer plays in its favorite position. Dusan Tadic also performs much better when he plays on the left. Trainer Alfred Schreuder thinks it is better that his captain plays on the left and Bergwijn attacks from the right flank.

Nouri

Paying more than 31 million euros for an attacker and then not letting him play in his favorite position. That sounds pretty weird. “When I signed this summer, I also had the idea that I would play on the left,” says Bergwijn. “But now I think it’s especially important that we get better as a team. Don’t forget that a lot of players have left. We have started again.”

This season Ajax could not compete with Napoli and Liverpool in the Champions League and had to leave the Johan Cruijff Scale to PSV. The duel with AZ was also lost. Yet the champion is again at the top of the Eredivisie and can put PSV behind by 7 loss points in a direct game on Sunday. “PSV switches quickly and has strong attackers,” Bergwijn says about his former employer. “But if we do what we have to do, then we have a strong team. We just have to win.”

For Bergwijn, the top match against PSV is a reunion with the club with which he became champion three times. The attacker was 13 years old when he left Amsterdam for Eindhoven. Before that he formed a strong couple in the youth of Ajax with Abdelhak Nouri, who was struck by a cardiac arrest more than five years ago. Bergwijn the finisher, Nouri the reporter. The attacker sometimes visits his friend at home. “He can’t talk then,” he says. “But he makes it clear that he likes me to play here again.”