Tolu Arokodare scored against PSV on Saturday, but he did not last the full 90 minutes at the Johan Cruijff ArenA. Ajax coach Míchel explained to ESPN why he replaced the towering striker with Kasper Dolberg after an hour.
"Because of a lack of energy," the Spanish coach said afterwards, explaining Tolu's withdrawal with Ajax 2-1 down in the Eredivisie summit meeting.
"Tolu is a player we all stand behind. Maybe he did not reach his best level. We needed fresh legs to apply pressure and to try to look for runs in behind. I tried that later with Leonardo and Dolberg. I think those are two great footballers," Míchel added in his analysis of Ajax - PSV.
Against PSV's centre-backs, Míchel tried to make the difference by asking his players to look for runs in behind. "Today (Saturday, ed.) that did not work out. But the substitutions are intended to ensure the team can keep competing at one hundred per cent. That is why we made them."
From the start, the Ajax coach wanted Tolu to properly act as a target man. "He had to enable us to keep hold of the ball, so that we could play as a team. But I did not like his first actions."
"I am always very passionate, and so is he. From the touchline we can see everything much more clearly. I asked Tolu to put more determination and energy into his actions," said the beaten coach.
Even so, Dolberg could not make the difference in the closing stages either. PSV scored again in stoppage time and left Amsterdam with a 3-1 victory.