Beto blames Sporting and not just Rui Borges: “The blame must be shared” | OneFootball

Beto Pimparel refused to join the chorus of criticism aimed at Rui Borges after Sporting’s 2-2 draw with Arouca. The former Lions goalkeeper acknowledged the fans’ growing demands, but believes the current situation cannot be placed solely on the coach’s shoulders.

Speaking to Record, Beto explained that the dissatisfaction in the stands also stems from the competitive level Sporting have regained in recent years. “It is normal for people to be more demanding today and for dropping six points in seven matches to create some nervousness in the stands,” he said, recalling that “Sporting fans always want to win.”

The former Portugal international still believes that the club’s hierarchy will not make decisions based only on outside pressure. “I do not believe that outside noise has a direct impact on any decision related to the coach that may be taken,” he said, highlighting the philosophy of continuity he associates with the current board.

Beto also considers it unfair to make Rui Borges the only one responsible for Sporting’s poor start. “Looking at things more broadly, the blame has to be shared by several people and not just placed on Rui Borges. In these matches, there were aspects related to individual and collective mistakes that, naturally, Rui Borges does not control,” he explained.

For the former goalkeeper, the major squad overhaul also helps explain some of the difficulties. Beto particularly highlighted the departures of Ousmane Diomande, Morten Hjulmand and Francisco Trincão, believing that the Lions lost important on-field references.

“Sometimes, on the pitch, the team lacks someone to take charge and say: ‘now, we are going to manage the game our way!’ There is no player with that profile, with the profile to decide what the team needs. Hjulmand did it so well. And Diomande too,” he stressed.

Beto also extended that view to Rui Silva, arguing that the goalkeeper has been affected by the loss of collective consistency. “Rui ends up being a victim of this loss of defensive consistency and also of the leadership I am talking about. It is always very easy to look at the goalkeeper and say he could have done a little more in one situation or another."

The former Sporting player finally believes that the new signings need time to truly establish themselves. “These signings need to really become reinforcements. The players who arrived have quality, they just need time and new routines within the team. But... football does not give you time,” he concluded.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.