Jan Wouters sat in the dimly lit press room of Stadion Galgenwaard, running a hand over his face as he rewatched clips of FC Utrecht's recent humiliation. Just days ago, his team had been thrashed 3-0 by lowly De Graafschap.
The loss left morale in tatters – players trudged off in Doetinchem to a chorus of jeers from traveling fans. Injuries had ravaged the squad's spine: star striker Jacob Mulenga was out, having torn his ACL back in November and sidelined for eight months good thing is he is still recovering at a good pace, but still not match fit, and other veterans nursed pulled hamstrings and sprained ankles. The club's form had nose-dived with those absences; a relegation fight loomed if nothing changed.