Flávio's loose passes and Suárez moment; Rui Borges after Sporting win | OneFootball

Rui Borges analysed Sporting’s 4-0 win over Rio Ave in Vila do Conde on matchday 4 of the League, highlighting the way the Lions controlled the match and built a comfortable lead in the first half. The coach also spoke about Luis Suárez’s performance and some misplaced passes byFlávio Gonçalves.

Analysis

"It was a straightforward game. We started strongly so Rio Ave wouldn’t start believing. We controlled possession and the goals came naturally and with quality. In the second half, we kept control and didn’t let them get close to goal. Credit to the team, who didn’t drop their energy. Keeping a clean sheet gives the group extra confidence."

You said not everything was done well in a game won 4-0. What could have been better?

"A lot of things... Individually, above all. Geny and Flávio misplaced some passes in important moments when we were accelerating into the final third. On the defensive line, we also lost our shape a couple of times. Not everything was wrong before, and not everything is right today. It’s three points from a balanced and consistent performance, and it’s the response the players have been giving in training.

Was there a chance to experiment? Was it Sporting’s most complete game in the League?

"Yes, at 4-0 we could manage things. Luís [Suárez] was giving the centre-backs good support, almost like a number 10, so it made sense at a certain point to play with the two forwards together. Without a doubt, it was our most balanced game in every phase — attack, defence and transitions. The team showed huge commitment in reacting after losing possession and in defensive balance."

Is Suárez starting a confirmation that he is staying?

"That’s your interpretation. Luís belongs to Sporting, he always has. He has a contract. Like everyone else, he has been an option. He has been getting back into shape, improved in the last game, and today he is much better than he was in the previous one. So he is returning to his normal level, which is that of a great player, a great striker, and fortunately we have him with us."

You’ve mentioned several times that Sporting are going through growing pains...

"Just because I won 4-0 doesn’t mean I’m going to say we don’t have growing pains — we still do. That’s why I said not everything is right, not everything was beautiful. It was a good game, the lads, the boys are working well. Above all, I’m happy because the group is very focused on that growth and every week, every day in training, they give a huge response. There will be games when those pains come back again. I’m not going to cling to them, nor do I want to cling to those growing pains, they are part of it."

How do you assess Flávio Gonçalves’s performance?

"He’s growing. Unlike you, I didn’t like it: he misplaced a lot of passes. He can’t be missing them. It annoys me, because he has the quality not to. I was telling him, ‘you’re going to pay 100 euros for every misplaced pass,’ because he’s a gifted kid, with above-average quality. He has been giving good responses. I’m joking, of course I liked his game, but he can improve. And he has to look at the game that way, not get carried away already because he scored a goal and got an assist. He will be part of our plans this season, because he’s a kid with a lot of room for improvement, he’s different."

"Rio Ave pressed man-to-man, so I wanted two above-average centre-backs making decisions and carrying the ball to create imbalances. Debast and Inácio have that technical passing ability to unlock the build-up in the first phase and find space between the lines."

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