Reds' New Defence Shines in Pre-Season Win
The new-look Reds backline is already throwing out early signals.
Summer arrivals Jeremy Jacquet and Ronaldo Araujo both pulled on the shirt for the first time in Sunday’s pre-season win over Como, and each used 45 minutes to make a sharp first impression.
Jacquet started and immediately set the tone. He snapped into challenges, read danger early and finished the half with more tackles than any of his team-mates – three in total – and a joint-high seven duels contested. For a defender easing back after a long spell without competitive minutes, he played like someone determined to fast‑track his way into the manager’s plans.
By the interval he had emptied the tank. His work was done; Araujo took over.
The Uruguayan, on loan for the season and under his own spotlight, stepped in for the second half and kept the standard high. He won five of his seven duels and recorded the second-most tackles in the side with two, a busy and combative cameo that underlined why the club moved for him.
On the touchline, there was satisfaction, but no one is getting carried away.
“It’s a start, a good start so hopefully he can crack on,” came the assessment.
The message was clear: pre-season minutes are useful, but the real test is how quickly this rebuilt defence can grow together once the games start to matter.
That growth will depend on chemistry as much as numbers.
“[You build relationships] by playing games. I won’t say it’s the only way, but games are totally different than training,” the coach stressed, underlining that no amount of drills can fully replicate the chaos and rhythm of match situations.
Communication is still a work in progress. “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 and quality can carry them only so far, though.
“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.”
Jacquet’s display, in particular, ticked the right boxes.
“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 each, two solid auditions, and a manager already talking about partnerships rather than individuals. Pre-season can flatter, but for Jacquet and Araujo, this felt like the first real step in a battle to anchor the Reds’ defence when the season kicks off.
