Reds' New Defence Impresses in Pre-Season Debut
The Reds’ rebuilt defence took its first real steps together on Sunday – and both new faces wasted no time making an impression.
Jeremy Jacquet and Ronaldo Araujo, summer additions to the backline with the Uruguayan arriving on loan, were each handed a debut in the pre-season win over Como. One started, the other followed, and between them they offered an early glimpse of what this new-look defence might become.
Jacquet got the nod from kick-off and played with the urgency of a man who has waited a long time for this. He threw himself into duels, front-footed and aggressive, and finished his 45 minutes with more tackles than anyone else on the pitch – three – and the joint-most duels contested, seven. Then came the other side of pre-season: fatigue. He was withdrawn at half-time, understandably tired after his first serious outing in months.
On came Araujo, and the intensity barely dipped. The Uruguayan, making his home debut, immediately snapped into challenges and read danger well. He won five of his seven duels and recorded the second-most tackles with two, numbers that underlined how quickly he adjusted to the rhythm of the game.
“It’s a start, a good start so hopefully he can crack on,” came the verdict from within the camp. The message was clear: this is only the beginning.
The coaching staff know the real work lies not just in individual performances, but in building a partnership. Training helps, but the real chemistry comes under pressure, with the crowd watching and opponents testing every decision.
“You build relationships by playing games. I won’t say it’s the only way, but games are totally different than training,” the assessment continued. Out on the pitch, language can be a barrier, but not an excuse.
“Jeremy’s English is, I would say, a bit better than Ronald’s but at the end of the day we are all pretty good footballers. We can see and smell some moments on how to defend certain situations.”
Instinct, positioning, timing – those things translate quickly. The understanding between defenders, though, is a different challenge.
“It’s pretty clear that you need to form a connection together and that takes a bit of time. In my opinion that’s absolutely normal but hopefully we can get that going as quickly as possible.”
For Jacquet, the first step is now in the bank. The verdict on his debut was positive.
“Like I said, I think [Jacquet] did well. I think he came out of it a bit tired, but it’s absolutely normal when you’re playing your first 45 minutes after such a long time. Now it’s down to him to recover.”
One half for Jacquet, one half for Araujo, and a clean tick in the box for both. The next question is not whether they can defend – Sunday suggested they can – but how quickly they can turn promise into a reliable partnership when the real season starts.
