Dick Schreuder draws a very painful conclusion after NEC humiliation

Tjaronn Chery has sounded the alarm after NEC's painful 3-0 defeat to SC Cambuur. The veteran's verdict is clear: they must improve quickly before Thursday's crunch Europa League league phase clash with Juventus.

Following the debacle in Friesland, Chery needed to "catch his breath for a moment". The 38-year-old midfielder seemed to be involved in a discussion with NEC's travelling fans in the away end afterwards, although that did not come up during his conversation with ESPN.

"What we showed last year is no longer there this year. We all have to look in the mirror, put our heads together and focus on Thursday. A lot of important players have left, and a lot of new players have come in. They still have to adapt. What all of us are showing is simply below par. It really was not good enough," Chery lamented afterwards in Leeuwarden.

For Chery, Dick Schreuder was especially shaken at half-time. "Was he angry? Yes, rightly so. I got angry too. A few players got angry. That is normal when you play professional football. What we showed today is absolutely not acceptable. We can do much better."

"I think this was by far the worst match I have ever coached and seen as well. I think this is the worst match ever for me as a coach," Schreuder drew the harsh conclusion after his side's slip-up.

He did not hold back. "The very worst thing is that you see zero intensity, zero desire to win. I think intensity is the most important thing in the way we want to play. But if that is not there, then it becomes difficult and it does not look good. We really have to do that better," the shocked coach told his team.

"In the end, I am the coach. I have to make sure we do better and do not show up like this. But as I said, I think this was by far the worst match I have ever coached," said Schreuder.