The objective is to recover quickly
Friday, February 15, 2019
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Shakhtar manager Paulo Fonseca on being tied with Eintracht, sending off Stepanenko, substitutions and pitch condition in Kharkiv
- Are you satisfied with the score of 2-2, given the early sending-off of Stepanenko?
- Of course, I’m never fully satisfied with a draw. But if you take into account every circumstance of the game, this is probably the lesser of two evils, the best of what you can choose.
- Please evaluate Kovalenko’s performance as the defensive midfielder.
- Indeed, after the sending-off of Taras, we had to bring Kovalenko a bit deeper, into the holding area. Viktor managed to adapt and did his job very well, although he doesn’t play in this role that often - we almost never deployed him there.
- You argued with the ref a lot. Having reviewed the replay, do you agree with Stepanenko being sent off?
- No, I remain unconvinced. I don’t agree. The second card is too much far-fetched. That kind of decision early in such a serious game, in my opinion, is wrong. With all due respect, even after the game, I approached the referee and expressed my disagreement.
- Just like five years ago, the scoreline is 2-2. God grant that everything ends up for you the same way. How much will Shakhtar be able to improve functionally this week?
- It’s always very difficult, especially after such a long winter break, to begin the competitive campaign with a game of this level. To remain with just ten men in the 11th minute ... Of course, this completely upsets the game plan. We lost one of the key players, the guys had to run more and work harder, but they succeeded. Our objective for the week is to restore the players as quickly as possible and to prepare the strategy so that, as you said, we could do the same thing that we managed against the other team five years ago.
- What’s the likelihood of us seeing Malyshev in the starting XI in Frankfurt?
- At the moment, I can’t answer this question. The next week will reveal those to appear in the starting line-up.
- For what reason did Malyshev appear in midfield, and not Maycon?
- Because at that moment the play required the maximum defensive safety, and Malyshev’s got the appropriate skills.
- Did you originally plan Solomon’s appearance in this very segment of the game and in this very role, instead of Marlos?
- Nope, the decision was taken in the course of the game. Marlos is currently experiencing some physical issues, he had to run a lot, to get involved in defending, he was tired, so we fielded Solomon.
- How do you like the OSK Metalist pitch?
- The field is in excellent condition, despite the fact that, I guess, it’s very difficult to maintain it like that after such a cold winter. Sometimes we forget those whose work is not so visible, but they work really hard to make our matters fine. On behalf of the team, I want to thank everyone who maintains the pitch turf, who looks after the stadium.
- What happened to Moraes? Will he be able to help in the next match?
- It's just fatigue. Moraes gave literally his all for the team. He ran so much, he worked so hard and fought so much ... Now he needs time to recover, and without a doubt, Junior will be ready for the second leg. In conclusion, I want to thank our fans. Ten o'clock in the evening, winter, frost, but they were present at the stadium and supported us throughout the game. Thank you so much!
- Of course, I’m never fully satisfied with a draw. But if you take into account every circumstance of the game, this is probably the lesser of two evils, the best of what you can choose.
- Please evaluate Kovalenko’s performance as the defensive midfielder.
- Indeed, after the sending-off of Taras, we had to bring Kovalenko a bit deeper, into the holding area. Viktor managed to adapt and did his job very well, although he doesn’t play in this role that often - we almost never deployed him there.
- You argued with the ref a lot. Having reviewed the replay, do you agree with Stepanenko being sent off?
- No, I remain unconvinced. I don’t agree. The second card is too much far-fetched. That kind of decision early in such a serious game, in my opinion, is wrong. With all due respect, even after the game, I approached the referee and expressed my disagreement.
- Just like five years ago, the scoreline is 2-2. God grant that everything ends up for you the same way. How much will Shakhtar be able to improve functionally this week?
- It’s always very difficult, especially after such a long winter break, to begin the competitive campaign with a game of this level. To remain with just ten men in the 11th minute ... Of course, this completely upsets the game plan. We lost one of the key players, the guys had to run more and work harder, but they succeeded. Our objective for the week is to restore the players as quickly as possible and to prepare the strategy so that, as you said, we could do the same thing that we managed against the other team five years ago.
- What’s the likelihood of us seeing Malyshev in the starting XI in Frankfurt?
- At the moment, I can’t answer this question. The next week will reveal those to appear in the starting line-up.
- For what reason did Malyshev appear in midfield, and not Maycon?
- Because at that moment the play required the maximum defensive safety, and Malyshev’s got the appropriate skills.
- Did you originally plan Solomon’s appearance in this very segment of the game and in this very role, instead of Marlos?
- Nope, the decision was taken in the course of the game. Marlos is currently experiencing some physical issues, he had to run a lot, to get involved in defending, he was tired, so we fielded Solomon.
- How do you like the OSK Metalist pitch?
- The field is in excellent condition, despite the fact that, I guess, it’s very difficult to maintain it like that after such a cold winter. Sometimes we forget those whose work is not so visible, but they work really hard to make our matters fine. On behalf of the team, I want to thank everyone who maintains the pitch turf, who looks after the stadium.
- What happened to Moraes? Will he be able to help in the next match?
- It's just fatigue. Moraes gave literally his all for the team. He ran so much, he worked so hard and fought so much ... Now he needs time to recover, and without a doubt, Junior will be ready for the second leg. In conclusion, I want to thank our fans. Ten o'clock in the evening, winter, frost, but they were present at the stadium and supported us throughout the game. Thank you so much!