Paulo Bento
-On the elements our side must display in order to earn its 2nd group win in 2 matches: “I believe it is very difficult to foresee what will happen. We cannot compare tomorrow’s fixture with Sunday’s. We are talking about 2 distinct tournaments. APOEL’s display and setup will be completely different of that of Larissa. What matters is not to alter our own display and level of performance, regardless of how the match will develop. APOEL are a great team both defensively and offensively, so we have to stay focused and keep our performance at high levels.”
-On whether he will change the side’s formation with respect to the last match played: “I believe we have to be completely different in comparison with that second half. We did have problems in our build-up and the level of aggressiveness we displayed. I don’t think this had to do with the system, we go for. I believe that our squad should be ready and aggressive. We have proven that we are able to win matches with a 4-4-2 formation. We must not behave that differently than with a 4-2-3-1 formation. Our display has to be confident and our concept of gameplay must remain the same no matter what formation we opt for. Our performance must have a certain character”.
-On whether he feels under pressure: “In my career, I never did, nor will now manage to efficiently work unless under pressure. There isn’t a single coach who feels no pressure. In my 12 years of professional career, there has not been a moment without feeling the pressure. We find ourselves after a streak of 5 consecutive wins and your question sounds reasonable. We lost a match on the very last minute although we deserves neither to lose nor win the match. So, pressure never goes away. It goes with the profession”.
-On the way he deals with the fact that APOEL features players who have played in the Greek championship and Olympiacos: “I don’t believe this is the case. The most important thing is for us to stay true to our game concept and the things we are going to deal with tomorrow. Sometimes, you know more things about the opponent and sometimes you know less. I don’t think these may affect a match. He have to stay true to our approach and concept of the game. We have to show respect to our opponent. We have to use our advantages and balance them against APOEL’s; and they do have quite a few”.
-On whether Romao is at good shape and whether he is thinking of using him as a central defender: “All players in the squad are ready to help the team. We are happy with Romao and his display in training; he is ready to help us. We have a very good team featuring payers who can help in many positions. Romao is a very good player, his defensive skills enable him to play in various positions depending on how the match evolves. The same applies to other players of ours as well. However, this will greatly depend on the strategy we will implement during the game”.
Brown Ideye
-Whether he and his teammates have faith that they can resume winning matches: “Players do understand the importance of both fixtures for our side. So, we will put our poor display and defeat aside, and concentrate on the fixtures that follow”.
-On whether he has identified a team problem in producing opportunities: “I don’t believe we have an issue with producing goal-scoring chances. We have proven we can deliver.”
-On his first impressions about his collaboration with Oscar Cardozo: “Our collaboration is really good. I am doing fine and he is a great lad. It was the first time we did something of the kind and it will definitely need to work on it. Personally, I am very happy and ready to do whatever my coach asks me to”.
