Ronald Koeman spoke to the press ahead of the match against Elche tomorrow. He spoke about different players, missed penalties, and more.
ON TIGHT SCHEDULE:
“We know we have a tight schedule with many games, plus we have played three matches going to extra time in a row. We had to travel a lot, but thankfully we played in the evenings. We have to play with a spark, mentally determined and try to win the game tomorrow.”
ON PHYSICAL FATIGUE OF THE TEAM:
“It will be important for the team once the injured players recover. The team needs freshness. As it seems, Sergi Roberto will join us again shortly, as he has trained with the group today. If a player is too tired, changes need to be made. You have to wait and be lucky that nobody gets injured again.”
ON DEST:
“Sergiño has played many games and it is only his first season with us. He is a very young player and his situation is complicated. He was injured, but he seems to have recovered, so we have to decide whether he can start tomorrow. I hope he can fall back into the rhythm of the matches.”
ON PENALTIES:
“We have taken 12 of them and missed 7 of those. It is a lot, it is too much. We all know Leo is the first in line to take them, but if he is not available, we need the other players to step up. In the last few days we have spent some time training them, as this is something which can be trained and improved. The most important thing is to be adamant.”
ON SUAREZ:
“I would not like to talk about him. The questions come only when he scores. He is a great player, but we at the club made a decision and that is it.”
ON CRITICISM:
“I am not going to lie. I think about what I see and I analyze the matches. The attitude of the team was a perfect ten the other day. I hope they put in the same performance tomorrow. To be a Barca player, it is necessary that the coach demands a lot from you. If I criticize, I criticize with respect.”
ON THE STREAK OF AWAY MATCHES:
“I have never seen it before. It is a brutal number. Eight consecutive away matches is crazy. But we have been on a high note in January. Excluding the result in the final of the Spanish Super Cup, we have won all the rest. The team has delivered and proven to be strong.”
ON THE PERFORMANCES OF THE SUBSTITUTES:
“In some matches the team has substantially improved with substitutes. But it is hard to perform with only a few opportunities being given to you. In some positions, we need more competition.”
ON WHO TAKES THE PENALTY TOMORROW:
“We will decide tomorrow. The final decision is always up to our captain.”
ON JUNIOR FIRPO:
“He is our player and he has proven himself when he got his chances. Each young player needs to know what he wants. But we cannot lose all the players, we still need a big squad to face the remaining matches.”
ON KONRAD:
“He is a player who suits our style. His quality in 1v1 situations is unquestionable, but he still has to improve other aspects of his game. He had a bit of a setback a couple of weeks ago, but he is gradually improving. We are lacking forwards, so we need him on the bench. I, too, would rather see him play for the B team if I cannot give him minutes with the first team. As is the situation with Ilaix and Collado. The youngsters need minutes.”
ON MEETING WITH THE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES AND SIGNINGS:
“You know where I stand on the issue. We are lacking personnel, but it all depends on the economic situation of the club. I am not the decision-maker. I spoke to them, but as I said, it all depends on the economic situation. “
ON ARAUJO:
“He contributes a lot. He has played many matches and has been very good in an important position for the team. He has a lot of character and intensity. Like any young player, he has things to improve, especially on the ball. He has been very good considering his age and the fact that he has played many matches at this level now.”
ON GRIEZMANN:
“There is no need to pressure him, he will always be fighting for the team. In the last few games, he has been playing well and helping the team. He also scored twice in the Super Cup final. But we need goals from the other players too. We cannot rely on Griezmann only. We have Dembélé, Trincao, Braithwaite, etc. They all need to step up.”
