Verbruggen: We're a top team but we need to start games better

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Dutch keeper reflects on Saturday's Amex draw against Leeds United

Nick Szczepanik

2026-09-07T08:00+01:00

Bart Verbruggen says Albion need to start games quicker. 📸 by BHAFC.

Bart Verbruggen made some crucial saves to keep Albion’s in the game against Leeds United before Luka Vuskovic equalised with his first goal for the club.

But the Netherlands goalkeeper was frustrated by the team’s slow start.

“Of course, after we went behind, it's better one point than zero,” he said. “But it's frustrating because I think in the first half we didn't play our own football, we didn't play our own game, and I think we lost two points.

“We have to find the answer on why, but the positive is, of course, the reaction from the team to come back from losing.

“I think we've shown in the past that we are always good at coming back from behind, we had it last year so many times.

“We have great character when we are losing but we have to start the game better. This is our next step because every time we come back we show that we are a better team.

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“I think if you look at Villa, in terms of both games, the energy that we showed, it doesn't have anything to do with effort. We try, we try for sure, but we need to have that same conviction and that same energy every single game when we start.

“Why we don't always do it, I don't know, if I would have known we would have solved it. But we have to be honest with ourselves, look in the mirror and try to find a way.

“We have an unbelievable team. If we show that energy, if we show that intensity, we are so, so good that we’re very, very hard to beat.

"Nobody wants to play us, but that needs to be on a consistent level. We have to show that for 90 minutes and then we can give every team a very, very difficult afternoon.

“It's a big challenge, of course, going into Europe with a lot of games, but if we can give that in every single game then we can do some very, very nice things.”

Of his own performance, which featured three excellent saves early in the second half, he added: “The more the game goes on, the more you start chasing, we have to stay calm, we have to stay in control, but you can always come against a set-piece or a counter.

“Then it's my job to keep the guys’ momentum and I could do it.”