Ramiz Zerrouki discusses high expectations at FC Twente

Ramiz Zerrouki says FC Twente must remain focused despite the high expectations surrounding the club as they prepare to face reigning Dutch champions PSV on Sunday.

The Algerian midfielder believes the level of expectation at Twente has also made supporters more likely to react when performances or results fail to meet those standards.

“You mustn’t let yourself get destabilized in difficult times. And now that everything is going well, you mustn’t either,” Zerrouki explained to Tubantia.

Twente have not always produced convincing performances, with some of their displays and results leading to frustration among supporters. Zerrouki, however, believes the expectations surrounding the team were created by the players themselves.

“We created these expectations ourselves. Everyone had an opinion on the matter, and that rubbed off on the public.”

Despite the criticism at certain points, the 28-year-old says the overall support from the fans has remained positive.

“In 90% of cases, he always receives excellent support. You can whistle after a bad match, in my opinion, but it’s not constructive if it happens after only fifteen minutes because the goalkeeper takes too long to clear the ball.”

Zerrouki also rejected the suggestion that the players viewed the difficult period as a crisis.

“We, the players, never heard the word ‘crisis’. I kept repeating that all the criticism was a bit exaggerated. It wasn’t enough, certainly, but we weren’t fighting relegation either ,” Zerrouki continued.

The midfielder believes Twente have responded to the criticism by improving both their performances and results.

“The results are good and our game is improving day by day. But nothing is won yet ,” continued the 28-year-old midfielder.

Zerrouki says the squad are also determined not to become complacent because of their recent progress. Instead, the focus is on maintaining the momentum they have built.

“We won’t let success go to our heads. We simply have to keep this momentum going. Starting this Sunday, if we don’t want to let the best team in the Netherlands leave with all three points…”

The next test comes on Sunday when Twente welcome PSV, the reigning champions, to Enschede.

The match provides Twente with an opportunity to measure their progress against the champions while attempting to maintain the momentum Zerrouki says has been built in recent games.

For Zerrouki, the challenge is to ensure that both the players and supporters keep their expectations under control while the team continues to improve.

With PSV arriving as the reigning champions, Twente face another demanding fixture, and Zerrouki’s message is clear: the recent progress must be matched by continued consistency on the pitch.