Robert Moreno : "See an identity reveal itself"
Robert Moreno participated in his first pre-match press conference this Friday, on the eve of facing Stade de Reims in the Round of 64 of the Coupe de France. The coach spoke in French and was satisfied with his first week of work with the team.
It was a good week, I could see good attitudes, the players are receptive. Now I'm waiting to see how the players will express the information that we gave them on the field. A match is always a review of the work done in training.
I want a team with players who work together; everyone defends, everyone attacks ... It is difficult to change everything in a week because I am a coach who gives a lot of information ... We will see the beginnings of the team, and analyze the collective performance, but the idea is to have a long-term vision, to work to see the team progress.
We need to improve defense, but it's not just a question of the back line. The whole team must defend better. Football is a collective sport. We focus on defenders because they are concerned with stopping opponents' actions. But we must always reflect on the situations which caused these actions to come about.
Stade de Reims are an example, they are a team where all the players work together, a team in which you can see the work of the coach. I admire what David Guion does at Reims.
Football is very complex. I want to have the ball, but if I don't have it I have to know how to defend well. Having control is not a matter of life and death. I am not fixed on the tactical system. The idea is always to set up in a style that best suits the players we have. For example if we say we want to recover a high ball, that starts with the way in which we attack. If we are not in place to push the opponent into their half of the pitch and disrupt them as soon as the ball is lost, we must be able to offer a compact, low block. There is what we want to do and the reality; the difference between the two is sometimes upsetting. And we always have to adapt.
I'm not going to change captain. If I ever change captains, I will do so after the season.
Tomorrow’s game will be a little bit special. It will be our first with my staff and of course we want to start with a victory. It would be good for us, good for the team.
The idea is to work well every day without extending onself too far. Work well in training, work well in matches. It will be difficult, we will not always win, but I want to see an identity reveal itself, to see the team progress. This is how we will achieve our goals.
