Ajax booked a hard-fought 1-2 victory on a visit to PSV. “I think we can be very satisfied, especially with the way reactions”, Ten Hag said afterwards ESPN. “We were calm on the ball, PSV leaned back and waited for the switch.”

In the first half Brobbey made the opening goal, even injured before. “That says something about his winning mentality,” says Ten Hag. “He is very focused, it was a great goal.” However, Jurriën Timber did not look good at the equalizer. “I don’t have to tell him that,” Ten Hag says about the mistake. “He just made the choice. The first assumption was not good, although I have to look at it again. I think he can play it out quite simply there.”

Then the 1-2 comes up. There is much debate whether the ball went over the sideline or not in the run-up to the goal. “It is of course doubtful whether or not the ball was over the line. That is just very difficult to say,” notes Ten Hag. “I had the same feeling as at Real Madrid, when I was standing in the same place. That ball comes up. From my point of view, it was just not quite over the sideline. The linesman is in the best condition.” Then Ten Hag sees the moment again. “You could say that the ball has optically just crossed the line. The linesman only stands exactly on the line and has the best view.”

Just before PSV-Ajax it came out that FC Barcelona wants to rent Tagliafico from Ajax. Ten Hag knows nothing about that. “You are sitting at the boardroom table in Amsterdam?” the Ajax coach asks ESPN reporter Vincent Schildkamp. “No, I don’t know. If it were, I would know. I am not aware of it. If things happen at Ajax, Marc Overmars informs me immediately.” What happens if Barça does report to Amsterdam? “Let’s stop with this, with if and if”, Ten Hag is clear, later he turns to Schildkamp again. “Don’t you have anything else to do? I have other topics to deal with.”