Despite three easily given penalties, Feyenoord did not blame referee Srdan Jovanovic for the heavy 1-4 defeat against Wolfsberger AC. The team from Rotterdam felt that they themselves had played too badly in the Europa League game.
“You can blame the referee, but if you start the match so weak, then you lose through your own fault”, trainer Dick Advocaat said. FOX Sports.
Feyenoord did not score a single goal attempt in the first half and was 0-2 behind at half time. In the first fifteen minutes after the break, the team from Rotterdam came back strongly and Steven Berghuis made 1-2.
“We had four hundred percent opportunities, which have to be achieved at this level,” said Advocaat. “That has to do with quality.”
One of those great opportunities was killed by Bryan Linssen. The originally left winger has left quite a few opportunities as a center forward all season long.
“You don’t have to be a clairvoyant to see that Linssen has trouble playing in the striker. We just don’t have a replacement at level,” said Advocaat at the press conference. Feyenoord missed the injured Nicolai Jørgensen and Róbert Bozeník in De Kuip.
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Referee Jovanovic gave no fewer than three penalties to Wolfsberger AC in De Kuip. (Photo: Pro Shots)
Berghuis: ‘We only trained once on 4-4-2’
Captain Berghuis also did not want to blame the Serbian arbiter for the defeat. “I think one or two penalties were given too easily. But that’s not the reason we lose, we start the game too badly.”
According to the attacker, this was due to the 4-4-2 line-up with which Feyenoord started. “We have never played like this before and only trained on it once. Of course it is uncomfortable, we were a bit searching.”
Lawyer, who intervened at half-time and brought attacker Luciano Narsingh in front of defender Bart Nieuwkoop, admitted that his line-up did not work well. “I had faith in Lutsharel Geertruida as a defensive midfielder, but he was not ready for that yet. After the break, Jens Toornstra played there and you saw that he can make a decision faster. That is not a blame to Lutsharel, but to myself.”
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Steven Berghuis is disappointed after the big home defeat. (Photo: Pro Shots)
“We’re not going to talk to the media, right?”
After three draws in a row, Feyenoord suffered its first defeat of the season against the Austrians. “This is not where we want to be. Losing at home with 1-4 is not possible”, Berghuis gloated.
Lawyer did not want to be too negative. “It was very bad today, but we are not going to have a say with the media, are we? In Europe it will be difficult, but in the competition we are still doing well.”
On Sunday there is an away match against FC Emmen for Feyenoord.
Group K Europa League standings
- 1. Wolfsberger AC 2-4 (+3)
- 2. CSKA Moskou 2-2 (0)
- 3. Dinamo Zagreb 2-2 (0)
- 4. Feyenoord 2-1 (-3)
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View the standings, results and the program in the Europa League.
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