Tadic urges NEC to raise standards after back-to-back wins

Dusan Tadic has challenged NEC to keep raising their standards after the Nijmegen side followed their European victory over Omonia with a league win in Utrecht. NEC had gone without an Eredivisie victory for some time, making the result a welcome boost, but the experienced forward does not want relief to become complacency.

“We have to keep winning,” Tadic told Voetbal International. He said NEC had placed particular emphasis on starting strongly after being unhappy with their first-half performance against Omonia. Dick Schreuder’s team responded with a better opening in Utrecht and were able to build the result from there.

Tadic scored his first two goals of the season, having already supplied four assists. The Serbian stressed that the outcome for the team mattered more than his personal numbers, arguing that players can still make an important contribution even when they are not directly involved in goals.

The attacker also accepted the criticism he received from NEC supporters before an injury briefly kept him out. Tadic said senior players and established names should carry that pressure rather than younger team-mates. He believes NEC’s recent improvement is closely connected to the return of defenders, highlighting the team’s mentality and resilience during difficult periods of the second half in Utrecht.