Olympiacos coach José Luis Mendilibar spoke at the press conference about how his team performed against Panserraikos.
Here follow in detail words from the Basque coach after the 1-0 victory at “G. Karaiskakis”:
We saw you frustrated during and after the game. What frustrated you despite the win?
Because it’s not just about the result. Sometimes we might not win, but I’d still be satisfied. Now, even with the victory, you wonder why we work on certain things throughout the week if we don’t properly implement them. We did nothing right of the things we practiced; we weren’t good collectively as a team – and I include myself in that. Despite winning, I didn’t like how we played.
What is missing from Olympiacos, and why is this happening? Is it a matter of player behavior on the field?
I wish I could explain it. First of all, I want to explain it to the players. When you look at the stats and see you had four times more possession, many chances, plenty of shots, and still make so many mistakes, giving the ball away to the opponent – and by that, I don’t mean to discredit them – and you don’t win convincingly despite all these stats in your favor, it’s inexplicable.
League matches feel like derbies, but European games are easier. Is it a mentality issue? You said you’re the first to blame; do you have a solution in mind?
The responsibility is mine, and it’s my problem because I can’t convince the players to have the same commitment and attitude in every game. You can’t consider some matches as “easy”; it’s my responsibility because I haven’t managed to convince them of this.
Have you encountered something similar in your career before? Also, are you satisfied with Velde’s recent performances, having scored in his last two matches?
Scoring is an important aspect of the game; if you don’t score, you don’t win. But I consider it less significant compared to the overall play a team must execute, and I don’t say this just for Velde. I know every player wants to score, but our overall gameplay isn’t good. I’m not satisfied with what I see on the field, and it’s my fault because I pick the lineup and tactics, and I haven’t convinced the players about the way they should be playing.
