Reds' New Defence Shows Promise in Pre-Season Win
The Reds’ new-look defence took its first real steps together on Sunday – and did not waste the chance to impress.
Summer arrivals Jeremy Jacquet and Ronaldo Araujo both featured in the pre-season win over Como, each staking an early claim for a regular role in the backline. Araujo, brought in on loan, had to wait until half-time for his introduction, but by then Jacquet had already left a clear mark on the contest.
Jacquet started and set the tone. He snapped into challenges, read danger early and finished his 45 minutes with more tackles than anyone else on the pitch – three in total – and a joint-high seven duels contested. It was an assertive, front-foot display from a defender still feeling his way back after a long spell without competitive minutes.
He emptied the tank. Then Araujo took over.
The Uruguayan stepped on for his home debut and quickly showed why the club moved for him. He won five of his seven duels, added the second-most tackles in the game with two, and brought a combative edge that kept Como at arm’s length as the match wore on. Different style, same outcome: the backline stayed firm.
“It’s a start, a good start so hopefully he can crack on,” came the assessment from inside the camp. The message was clear – this is only the beginning, but the foundations look promising.
The work now is about chemistry as much as numbers. Training helps, but the verdict from the dressing room is blunt: you truly build relationships under match pressure, not on the training pitch. Games move quicker, decisions bite harder, and defenders learn each other’s instincts in real time.
Language is a factor, but not a barrier. “Jeremy’s English is, I would say, a bit better than Ronald’s,” the same voice admitted, before brushing it aside with a defender’s pragmatism. Out on the pitch, the game speaks for itself. Good players read pictures, not paragraphs. They “see and smell” the moments that matter – when to step up, when to drop, when to double up in a one-v-one.
What does take time is that unspoken connection at the back – the half-glance that triggers a covering run, the trust to hold the line instead of retreating. No one inside the club is pretending that can be fast-tracked. “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,” came the realistic verdict, paired with a clear demand: get there as quickly as possible.
As for Jacquet, the staff saw exactly what they needed. He faded late in the half, but only because he emptied himself in those first 45 minutes after such a long lay-off. “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 game, two debuts, plenty of raw material. The numbers show promise. The performances back them up. Now the question is simple: how fast can this new defensive partnership harden into the kind of unit that shapes a season?
