AZ can make a big impact on the rankings tomorrow evening if the make-up match against Fortuna Sittard is won. The Alkmaarders now occupy an extremely disappointing twelfth place, but with a win they are in a somewhat more reasonable eighth place and therefore at least in the left row.
In the last unsightly duel with Vitesse last Sunday, the poor performance of striker Vangelis Pavlidis was particularly striking. The Greek, who was taken over from Willem II this summer, is still very unhappy and it is to be expected that AZ will be looking for a striker in the coming winter period to at least compete with Pavlidis.
,,I do miss punching power in the front,’ says trainer Pascal Jansen. ,,If you look soberly at the number of chances we get and the goals we score, the difference is significant. Even if you look, for example, at the statistics of expected goals (a statistical measure for a team’s expected number of goals, ed.) We are even second in the Eredivisie. That may be a statistic to hold on to, but as a trainer I don’t do that. Because the reality is that you are twelfth.”
According to Jansen, several AZ players have the ability to score many goals. ,,And Pavlidis as well as Jesper Karlsson and Dani de Wit have had a period when they found the net more often. But they were unable to continue in that form. In that respect it is not stable enough and it is up to me to get the team into a more stable way.”
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The coming winter transfer market could therefore offer a solution to AZ’s problems. ,,I am always in discussion with Max (Huiberts, technical director, ed.) about this. Although I find it too easy to push everything on top, Pavlidis is the only real number 9 in the roster. Behind him is Jelle Duin who still needs time to prove himself. The new striker should then be a striker with depth and speed.”
Against Fortuna Sittard, AZ normally returns in a familiar 4-3-3 formation, where against Vitesse they opted for 5-3-2. The acclaimed defender Sam Beukema therefore starts again on the bench. ,,Sam is hot on Hatzidiakos and Martins Indi’, said Jansen. “But he’s not over yet. Martins Indi and Hatzidiakos are the trusted duo. I think the cohesion they have is important.”
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