Stewart will have to realize that an impetus for defense is urgently needed.

PSV watcher Tim Reedijk from Voetbal International also sees that PSV needs a new force in the heart of the defense. PSV is still hoping to strengthen itself with former Feyenoord player Lutsharel Geertruida, but according to Sky Sports Deutschland it has meanwhile also been dealing with competition from Ajax in the race for the defender.

Reedijk can also see that since the appointment of Peter Bosz in the summer of 2023, PSV plays completely different football and is often the dominant side in league matches. Nevertheless, this style of play by Bosz, according to the journalist, also brings with it the necessary risks—especially at the back.

“How vulnerable PSV are at the back depends, to a large extent, on how well the team maintains possession. The risk element in Bosz-ball means that defenders play with enormous space behind them and, when possession is suddenly lost, have to cover huge spaces in the opponent’s transition. It is strongly questionable whether the current personnel in central defense is suitable for that; all options have already been making a varying impression for quite some time,” Reedijk writes in VI.

In addition, the PSV watcher points to the duo Flamingo - Gasiorowski. ''The intended center of last season with Flamingo and Yarek Gasiorowski turns out not to be complementary to each other. The defense has already been the problem area for longer, although that is repeatedly masked by Bosz’ attacking intentions and, as a result, high numbers of goals. Flamingo did, to be sure, have a fantastic debut year in the shirt of PSV, but last season he was passed over by Jerdy Schouten. After the captain suffered an ACL injury in early April, Flamingo regained his starting spot'', the journalist continues.

Reedijk also points to the fact that at the time of the injury to captain Schouten, PSV could already have started the search for a new defender, and the journalist once again points to the possible transfer of Geertruida to PSV, which increasingly seems to be a complicated story. ''From that moment on, PSV knew that reinforcements were needed for that position, but they still haven't arrived. Lutsharel Geertruida is the dream candidate, but a transfer of the defender from RB Leipzig to the Eredivisie is complex'', said the PSV watcher.

In the end, the journalist believes that it is necessary for Peter Bosz to get his team back into the winning mood quickly, and that it is Earnest Stewart’s job to sign a new defender as soon as possible. ''The bumpy preparations, the loss of the Johan Cruyff Shield and the false start to the league season show that both Bosz and Stewart are not ready yet. The coach must quickly – in whatever formation – work towards a winning whole, with World Cup players becoming increasingly fitter and, on Saturday against Excelsior, likely already having four additional options (Sergiño Dest, Veerman, Sano and Kostic) compared with last Saturday. And Stewart will have to realize that, besides his two signings from last week, an injection for the defense is urgently needed in order to be able to achieve this season’s ambitions'', concludes Reedijk.