Huge motivation
Monday, November 25, 2019
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Shakhtar manager Luis Castro spoke about his tactic for the match vs City, the attacking philosophy, and the team character at a press conference in Manchester
- Why didn't Taison fly to Manchester?
- We’re facing a very demanding game. It’s important to count on absolutely all the guys who are currently available. Taison did not arrive due to injury. But it’s worth focussing not on those who stayed in Kyiv, but on those who are with us and ready to take part in the match.
- In connection with the absence of Taison and Marlos, have you thought about switching to a formation with three central defenders and trying to play against City differently?
- Three, four, or five defenders - you can change them constantly. But we always try to remain ourselves. Until today, the team have played in the same way, and due to the absence of three players - Taison, Marlos, and Dentinho - we are not going to change the formation. It’s very important to go your own way. We believe that only in this way, through our own play, we can achieve good results.
- If you were a reporter and could ask one of the best coaches of our time, Pep Guardiola, a question, what would it be about?
- I didn’t prepare for this ... I’ve never felt like a reporter, I don’t know what I would ask him about. Every professional is doing his job.
- Shakhtar like to play offensively, but against Manchester City this is likely to be fraught with consequences. Are you going to deviate from your philosophy and possibly play defensively?
- Often, on the field there are teams with different components, therefore any coach tries to adhere to his own style. It’s true that against the likes of Manchester City, it’s always very and very difficult. If you look at the statistics, their possession reaches 65 to 70% of the time in nearly every game. Nevertheless, we analyzed the matchday 1 game in Kharkiv, where the percentage ratio was 55 to 45. And at practically the same possession percentage, City created much more danger than we did. When you have the ball – you attack, when you don’t have it – you defend, you know. Nevertheless, we will try to show our own game. We haven’t come here to drop deep, park the bus and expect constant attacks by the City. Knowing that it will be tough, we will try to rip open the zones properly and find the right ways to Manchester City’s goal.
- Taison was suspended to miss one league match because of his response to racist yells from the stand. Do you think this decision is right?
- Racism is a very difficult and sensitive topic, raising it is unpleasant. A person has the right for a mistake in his life. We all carry this burden. Someone causes some terrible misconduct, someone else’s behaviour is not that bad. But racism does exist in our world. Along with domestic violence and many other things to be avoided. This should be present neither in football nor in life in principle. In Ukrainian football, this is not the norm; we don’t see it that often. As far as I know, this is the first case. You’ve just asked me if I agree with Taison’s punishment, whether it’s fair. In fact, it’s interesting when someone is insulted or offended, and then he is punished as well. In any case, there are rules, and we must agree with them, follow them, no matter how strange it may sound. The decision has been made, while we need to continue working with the team. We can handle it.
- In this Champions League edition, Shakhtar have already delivered a few thriller performances. Which of the four was the most stressful for you in emotional terms? Was there one after which you lost your sleep?
- Perhaps not just straight horror thrillers, but more like mystic things? In this Champions League campaign, we really had some pretty interesting moments. A difficult match in Zagreb: we played well, then we slowed down, Dinamo gained the upper hand, then we were better again, and the ending was great. Exactly the same thing happened against Atalanta. The home game against Dinamo was also quite intense. The Champions League is unique due to that - it seems that the play is in your hands, but you can lose it and regain it. I suppose Shakhtar have been just fantastic during the season. The guys really showed their character and proved that they want to continue participating in this competition, for which I really appreciate my team. Hopefully, we will go on and on. It’s always important to believe in it.
- You are kindly requested that tomorrow, after the match, none of the players should refuse to give an interview. And the question is: how do you motivate your footballers before such an important game against this kind of opponents besides the table standings? For example, Guardiola once told his men that they had the opportunity to go down in history and so on ...
- One of the most important components in our team is respect. I use this word very often. Respect for your profession, for life, for other people, for occupations, opponents, and referees. And our guys really have it. Returning to your request, please don’t take offence if we avoid certain questions before or after the match, because this is part of a certain strategy, and we can’t just show everything and tell you everything. Now regarding motivation. Being in the Champions League is a huge motivation for players, coaches, fans, and management. That is, for the whole football world. If you participate in this kind of competition, you are among the best and you don’t need to be motivated, it comes by itself. It’s important that we always have a compromise, and we often tell the team about that. We must try hard and try again, show our worth. And what matches, besides the Champions League, are the most visible in the world? Actually, just they are. Every player and coach want to do their best. I also want to say that it’s rather difficult to prepare for those encounters. Before them you have a league game, and between those games you have just a couple of days to recover the guys, to work out a certain strategy. For absolutely every game we need to fly. It’s very strange if you have doubts that we’ve got enough motivation for those matches. I understand when it concerns the league and meeting with the opponents who are not that strong, they might be lacking it then, and you might need to psych up the players for it. But in the Champions League everyone has motivation. If we try hard and don’t give up to the very last second, even if something goes wrong, as we did in previous matches, then everything will work out.
- We’re facing a very demanding game. It’s important to count on absolutely all the guys who are currently available. Taison did not arrive due to injury. But it’s worth focussing not on those who stayed in Kyiv, but on those who are with us and ready to take part in the match.
- In connection with the absence of Taison and Marlos, have you thought about switching to a formation with three central defenders and trying to play against City differently?
- Three, four, or five defenders - you can change them constantly. But we always try to remain ourselves. Until today, the team have played in the same way, and due to the absence of three players - Taison, Marlos, and Dentinho - we are not going to change the formation. It’s very important to go your own way. We believe that only in this way, through our own play, we can achieve good results.
- If you were a reporter and could ask one of the best coaches of our time, Pep Guardiola, a question, what would it be about?
- I didn’t prepare for this ... I’ve never felt like a reporter, I don’t know what I would ask him about. Every professional is doing his job.
- Shakhtar like to play offensively, but against Manchester City this is likely to be fraught with consequences. Are you going to deviate from your philosophy and possibly play defensively?
- Often, on the field there are teams with different components, therefore any coach tries to adhere to his own style. It’s true that against the likes of Manchester City, it’s always very and very difficult. If you look at the statistics, their possession reaches 65 to 70% of the time in nearly every game. Nevertheless, we analyzed the matchday 1 game in Kharkiv, where the percentage ratio was 55 to 45. And at practically the same possession percentage, City created much more danger than we did. When you have the ball – you attack, when you don’t have it – you defend, you know. Nevertheless, we will try to show our own game. We haven’t come here to drop deep, park the bus and expect constant attacks by the City. Knowing that it will be tough, we will try to rip open the zones properly and find the right ways to Manchester City’s goal.
- Taison was suspended to miss one league match because of his response to racist yells from the stand. Do you think this decision is right?
- Racism is a very difficult and sensitive topic, raising it is unpleasant. A person has the right for a mistake in his life. We all carry this burden. Someone causes some terrible misconduct, someone else’s behaviour is not that bad. But racism does exist in our world. Along with domestic violence and many other things to be avoided. This should be present neither in football nor in life in principle. In Ukrainian football, this is not the norm; we don’t see it that often. As far as I know, this is the first case. You’ve just asked me if I agree with Taison’s punishment, whether it’s fair. In fact, it’s interesting when someone is insulted or offended, and then he is punished as well. In any case, there are rules, and we must agree with them, follow them, no matter how strange it may sound. The decision has been made, while we need to continue working with the team. We can handle it.
- In this Champions League edition, Shakhtar have already delivered a few thriller performances. Which of the four was the most stressful for you in emotional terms? Was there one after which you lost your sleep?
- Perhaps not just straight horror thrillers, but more like mystic things? In this Champions League campaign, we really had some pretty interesting moments. A difficult match in Zagreb: we played well, then we slowed down, Dinamo gained the upper hand, then we were better again, and the ending was great. Exactly the same thing happened against Atalanta. The home game against Dinamo was also quite intense. The Champions League is unique due to that - it seems that the play is in your hands, but you can lose it and regain it. I suppose Shakhtar have been just fantastic during the season. The guys really showed their character and proved that they want to continue participating in this competition, for which I really appreciate my team. Hopefully, we will go on and on. It’s always important to believe in it.
- You are kindly requested that tomorrow, after the match, none of the players should refuse to give an interview. And the question is: how do you motivate your footballers before such an important game against this kind of opponents besides the table standings? For example, Guardiola once told his men that they had the opportunity to go down in history and so on ...
- One of the most important components in our team is respect. I use this word very often. Respect for your profession, for life, for other people, for occupations, opponents, and referees. And our guys really have it. Returning to your request, please don’t take offence if we avoid certain questions before or after the match, because this is part of a certain strategy, and we can’t just show everything and tell you everything. Now regarding motivation. Being in the Champions League is a huge motivation for players, coaches, fans, and management. That is, for the whole football world. If you participate in this kind of competition, you are among the best and you don’t need to be motivated, it comes by itself. It’s important that we always have a compromise, and we often tell the team about that. We must try hard and try again, show our worth. And what matches, besides the Champions League, are the most visible in the world? Actually, just they are. Every player and coach want to do their best. I also want to say that it’s rather difficult to prepare for those encounters. Before them you have a league game, and between those games you have just a couple of days to recover the guys, to work out a certain strategy. For absolutely every game we need to fly. It’s very strange if you have doubts that we’ve got enough motivation for those matches. I understand when it concerns the league and meeting with the opponents who are not that strong, they might be lacking it then, and you might need to psych up the players for it. But in the Champions League everyone has motivation. If we try hard and don’t give up to the very last second, even if something goes wrong, as we did in previous matches, then everything will work out.
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