At the press conference after PSV - De Graafschap, Phillip Cocu spoke of an excellent first hour. "We played good football with many chances and a lot of pressure forward. We only failed to put the game away completely," the coach said at the press conference.
Cocu: 'Goal achieved, but too restless'
Needless to say, Cocu then addressed the fact that his side allowed De Graafschap to get back into the game. According to the coach, his team lacked too much organization in that phase. "When you feel as a team that the forces are draining a little, you have to play more compactly. I didn't think we did that well. We didn't have the strength to be well organized. In the final phase, the game became very unsettled, when it shouldn't have been. It is important that we win in the end, because that means the leading position. That was the goal beforehand."
Penalties and injury Guardado
Cocu then also discussed Locadia's missed penalty kick. Of the last 12 penalties PSV took, it missed eight. "Those are not numbers that suit PSV," Cocu thought after which he was asked if he would not be better off behind the ball himself. "Well, you better not let me take them either," Cocu responded with a wink, referring to the missed penalty kick in the semifinals of the '98 World Cup. "But this is not allowed. It's too difficult for us. At the moment it is not decisive yet, but there are always games in which it is decisive. I don't rule out looking at other players." Finally, the coach spoke about Guardado's failure. Little is yet known about the severity of the injury, but Cocu fears the reserve captain will be out of action for a while. "Monday's examination will reveal the condition of his hamstring, because that's where it is. I cannot say at this moment how big the damage is. Of course we hope it's not too bad, but I fear he will be sidelined for a while."
Jan Vreman: 'Hoping for a miracle'
De Graafschap coach Jan Vreman was secretly hoping for a point after Straalman's 3-2, but nevertheless called his team's defeat deserved. "If you see the whole match it's a deserved defeat, but I think we were close to a miracle," Vreman said. " When you go here, you know in advance that it's going to be a very difficult night. In the first half we were outplayed from all sides, 3-0 was not so bad. In the end we came back in the game. It's unfortunate that we got slaughtered in the transition after that."