Ramiz Zerrouki says FC Twente must remain composed under the weight of high expectations as they prepare to host reigning champions PSV on Sunday.
The Algeria international believes the club’s recent performances have sometimes been judged harshly because supporters have come to expect a great deal from the Enschede side.
“When things are difficult, you must not allow yourself to be destabilised. And now that everything is going well, you must not do that either,” Zerrouki told Tubantia.
FC Twente have not always produced performances to match those expectations, with disappointing displays and results occasionally leading to frustration among the crowd.
“We created those expectations ourselves,” said Zerrouki. “Everyone had an opinion on the matter, and that influenced the public.”
Despite the criticism, the 28-year-old midfielder said he had mostly experienced strong backing from the club’s supporters.
“In 90% of cases, we are still given tremendous support,” he said. “In my opinion, people can boo after a poor match, but it is not constructive when it happens after only 15 minutes because the goalkeeper takes a little too long to clear the ball.”
Zerrouki also rejected the suggestion that the players had viewed the situation as a crisis, despite the discontent that followed some of their earlier displays.
“We, the players, never heard the word ‘crisis’,” he said. “I kept repeating that all the criticism was somewhat exaggerated. It was not good enough, of course, but we were not fighting relegation either.”
The Algeria international believes FC Twente are now moving in the right direction, with both their results and performances improving.
“The results are good and our play is improving every day,” Zerrouki said. “But not everything has been won yet.”
He also warned his team-mates against becoming complacent after their improved form. FC Twente, he said, must maintain their focus and build on their progress rather than allow recent success to affect their approach.
“We will not be carried away by success,” he added. “We simply have to continue in the same way. Starting on Sunday, if we do not want to let the best team in the Netherlands leave with the three points...”
FC Twente face PSV on Sunday, when the reigning champions travel to Enschede.