For FC Groningen, the race for direct promotion starts in The Hague. Dick Lukkien expects his young team not to suffer from pressure and relies on a special weapon for the final phase of matches.
After two weeks of mandatory rest due to the international matches of the Dutch national team, FC Groningen wants to get back into the good flow of the last few months as quickly as possible. An enemy that may lurk for the young group of players is the pressure that comes with the status of a promotion candidate. Yet Dick Lukkien is anything but afraid of the possibility that his team will be overcome by stress.
Fire from the slippers
“These are guys who were also there last year, when there was an incredible amount of pressure on this club,” the coach refers to the 2022-2023 relegation season. “So they have already been through a lot. And when it comes to pressure, the more experience you have, the better you can handle it. For these guys it is simply standard to work hard every day for FC Groningen, no matter which opponent is in front of them and no matter what the situation in the rankings is. That doesn’t change anything for them. The motto is always give the maximum. They just keep doing that.”
According to the Veendammer coach, it does not mean that the northerners will never have a bad day again. “But that is not due to unnecessary tension at the front, although that can of course change. That is impossible to predict. We have reached the decisive phase. That does something to your environment, but it is up to us to continue to do normal things. At the moment there is complete focus and I can sense that they are ready to give the maximum.”
Two crucial duels
That must first happen this weekend against ADO Den Haag and then the Hondsrugderby against FC Emmen awaits on Easter Monday. Two crucial duels in the battle for the top spots. According to Lukkien, this was preceded by ‘wonderful training sessions’ last week. “The passion, emotion and intensity shine through.”
Lukkien expects that the endurance of his selection could make the difference in the final phase of the competition. “Of course you won’t win by running alone. Football is also a game where the ball plays a role. But I remember Feyenoord from last season, who could always rely on the final phase of a match because they could make the difference based on fitness. I see that with us too. We can maintain it for a very long time, which means we can guarantee quality for longer.”
Yellow-green smoke bombs
In The Hague, ADO was put on even more alert on Thursday. Supporters sang to the players during training, hung banners and set off yellow-green smoke bombs. The people of The Hague have only won one of the last six matches. The match against FC Groningen is considered in the residence as the last straw towards direct promotion.
“ADO is a left-wing team. With players like Henk Veerman and Daryl van Mieghem, they can draw on real quality, especially at the front,” says Lukkien, who only misses Wouter Prins. The left full-back injured his hamstrings again. Goalkeeper Hidde Jurjus was missing from the last training due to flu, but will probably be present in The Hague.
Tags: Dick Lukkien Groningen suffer stress promotion candidate
