Ioannidis doubts, market and Palhinha: Rui Borges before Sporting v Alverca | OneFootball

Rui Borges previewed Sporting's match next Saturday against Alverca, in the third round of the Liga Portugal Betclic, at the José Alvalade Stadium. The Lions' coach said that Fotis Ioannidis is doubtful until kickoff, and also spoke about Luis Suárez, transfer rumours, and João Palhinha's move to Benfica.

"Alverca kept a core group of players from last season. They know each other reasonably well, the understanding is already there. Of course there are always different nuances with a change of coach, different ways of thinking, but it is a very competitive team. The men up front are very strong, and the defensive line is also strong and very high. They play in a 4x4x2, sometimes in a 5x4x1 or a hybrid 3x5x2... We know that and we have identified the best ways to exploit the spaces, as well as the best way to be prepared for transitions. They have strong one-on-one players, quick, intense, competitive... It is a team that, despite everything, was one of those that shot most at the opposition goal in the first two matches. They shoot a lot and we have to be very prepared in terms of balance when we lose the ball, when we are in attacking organisation and with a higher block. Even in the attacking phase, Alverca do not look for many passes to attack the final third. But within those aspects, I believe we will be prepared"

Pote and Daniel Bragança

Sunderland's interest in Geny Catamo

"I spoke to Geny just as I spoke to everyone else. This is Sporting's standard. I was asked that question three weeks ago, I'm not going to answer that [Chiquinho Conde]. Sporting players are wanted by several teams and they have to know how to deal with the market. As a coach, I try to help with that emotional balance. Just in the last week alone, 10 players had already come in and another four or five had left... That is your job working too. But I am focused on my day-to-day work, on Geny's response. And Geny has been doing a fantastic job. He has been working very well, playing well and is completely focused on Sporting"

Ioannidis' situation

"They [Fresneda and Luis Suárez] are available. Fotis is doubtful until game time. He has an issue between the rib cage and the lower back and that is all I can say. Then I will make that decision"

Transfer market

"I have always answered that. We talked about a left-back, but that was it"

Who strengthened best and João Palhinha

"I am not worried about the neighbour's house, for the love of God... I am worried about what we were able to do in the market and what we wanted. And we went after it. Some in advance, others we read as the market developed. We are happy with the squad and we believe we will grow. There were major changes in terms of players and important positions and that will require some time and patience, but we already knew that. We are super confident in the players we have. Rivals? I won't comment..."

Luis Suárez controversies

"I am happy with Altimira, I do not comment on players from other clubs. Suárez has been training well and is waiting for the coach to choose him. He has to respond because he has been working for that. Is he sad? There was no melon in the dressing room and he got sad, he gave the nutritionist a hard time. Come on. He is training well and looking for his best form"

What it takes to win the fans' trust

"Above all, win. Grow and win. More than suffering in the second half or in the final stretch of the game, it is about us, as coaches, coaching staff and team, understanding how we conceded the goals. And if we analyse it, it is simple. We have to improve a lot in our balance, in our approaches - even individually - and grow. But growing means winning. The fans end up being Sporting's standard. It is not enough to win, we have to play well. But that applies to the fans and to us too. Let it be a beautiful game, a good game of collective and individual football. We really want that and the fans want that too, but it is important to grow while winning. The rest will come with time"

What went wrong against Vitória SC

"Above all, and I will say it again, the team changed a lot. The players are different and there have to be individual and collective adaptations. My concern in the last game actually had more to do, more than conceding the goals, with our inability to create finishing situations. Because then, if we analyse the second half, control of the game is a bit subjective because Vitória had three shots on target. Apart from that, they did not manage to create as much as people make it seem. We have to be able to manage [the game] with the ball and, above all, be capable of causing some discomfort to the opponent, something we were not able to do. To understand why that happened, in this case in the second half. But I will say it again: it is part of the team's growth. While we, the coaches, try to understand how we can grow collectively as a team. To show that, despite being a young team, we are at Sporting and we have the duty and the demand to do more over the 90 minutes. To have more consistency. And we have not been able to do that. But I have no doubt that we will be able to.

Kochorashvili's official departure

"Kochorashvili? I wish him the best of luck in the world. What went wrong? Football is like that. He arrived in a year when we created expectations. He worked immensely hard, had one or two physical issues that limited him. But despite everything, he was a player who always respected our choices and gave his maximum. I wish him the best of luck in the world"

Ibrahima Ba and Zekri

"I have already seen so many left-backs, I am not going to comment on Moncef [Zekri]. So many have already been mentioned... It has to do with what the market may offer. We want a left-back and to understand what the market can provide. On the one hand sometimes we want a young player, then we may even want another [profile]. It is about understanding, within what the market offers, what the best option will be. Whether it is a younger or more experienced player... Ba? He and Zeno have been training well and are 100 per cent fit, they can contribute to the team"

Patience from the fans

"May the fans continue to support us and fill Alvalade. It is important that all of them [the players] feel the affection of the fans throughout the 90 minutes. I believe that in some moments they want the team to put the opponents under more pressure, but we are in a process of growth. For me that is natural and as a coaching staff we have to understand how we can be stronger. We are at Sporting and the demand is to always win. May it continue to be that way, even within those difficulties and mistrust. We, the Sporting family, fans, coaching staff and everyone, have a great level of demand and we are not satisfied just by winning, we want to win and play well. It is part of it. It is about knowing how to deal with that and the players who arrived, who are young, the faster they adapt to the pressure of a big team, the better"

What explains the clear-out in the dressing room

"When I spoke about settling in, it was not in the negative sense of the word. It is natural that players who have been here for many years, at a certain point, want different challenges. They have already won everything in Portugal more than once. It does not really have much to do with the coach not counting on the players. It is the moment itself. Everything the past years have been, the players' wishes... There is a lot of dialogue among everyone at the club. The departures have to do with that. Opportunities, the players' choices, and that is very much it. It is not about settling in in the sense of not wanting it and just being here doing favours. None of that. But rather understanding that, as time goes by, they need other challenges. Even to grow. And they are still at that age where they should challenge themselves and try to be better, to have different things. I think Sporting's market was very much about that, it had a lot to do with the dialogue that existed among everyone regarding the future of the club and the player. And that has always existed here. It has more to do with the player's challenge than the coach not counting on the player. It ended up being a year with many departures, but that would happen at some point. It is part of the growth of clubs and of life itself. It is natural and, as a coach, I just focus on doing my job and trying to do my best, showing those who arrived what Sporting's standard is"

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