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

Rui Borges previewed Sporting’s match next Saturday against Alverca, for 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 have kept a core structure of players who carried over from last season. They know each other reasonably well, and that understanding is already there. Of course, there are always different nuances with a change of coach, different ways of thinking, but they are a very competitive team. The men up front are very strong, 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’ve 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, they’re quick, intense, competitive... It’s a team that, despite everything, was among those that shot most at the opposition goal in the first two games. They shoot a lot and we have to be very prepared in terms of balance in moments of losing the ball, when we’re in attacking organization and with the block higher up. Even in the offensive process, Alverca don’t look for many passes to hurt the final third. But within those aspects, I believe we’ll be prepared"

Pote and Daniel Bragança

"The only thing I’m going to say is that they’ve been training with the team. They’re with the group, they’re Sporting players, and I’ve already answered the rest"

Sunderland’s interest in Geny Catamo

"I spoke with Geny as I did with everyone else. That’s the Sporting standard. You already asked me 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. In the last week alone, 10 players had already come in and another four or five had gone out... That’s your work doing its job too. But I’m focused on my day-to-day work, on Geny’s response. And Geny has been doing a fantastic job. He’s been working very well, playing well, and he’s 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’s the most I can say. Then I’ll make that decision"

Transfer market

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

Who strengthened best and João Palhinha

"I’m not worried about the neighbor’s house, for the love of God... I’m worried about what we were able to do in the market and what we wanted. And we went after it. Some in advance, others by reading the market. We’re happy with the squad and we believe we’re going to 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’re super confident in the players we have. Rivals? I’m not going to comment..."

Luis Suárez controversy

"I’m happy with Altimira, I don’t comment on players from other clubs. Suárez has been training well and is waiting for the coach to pick him. He has to respond because he has worked for that. Is he upset? There was no melon in the dressing room and he got sad, he gave the nutritionist a hard time. Come on now. He’s training well and looking for his best form"

What it takes to win the fans’ trust

"Above all, winning. Growing and winning. More than suffering in the second half or in the final stretch of the game, it’s about us, as coaches, the coaching staff and the team, understanding how we concede goals. And if we analyze it, it’s simple. We have to improve a lot in our balance, in our approaches—even individually—and grow. But growing means winning. The fans are part of Sporting’s demands. It’s not enough to win, we have to play well. But that goes for the fans and for us too. Let it be a beautiful match, a good game of collective and individual football. We really want that and the fans want that too, but it’s important to grow while winning. The rest comes with time"

What went wrong against Vitória SC

"Above all, and I’ll say it again, the team changed a lot. The players are different and there need 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 analyze the second half, control of the game is a bit subjective because Vitória had three shots on target. Other than that, they didn’t really create as much as it may seem. What we have to do is manage [the game] with the ball and, above all, be able to make the opponent uncomfortable, something we weren’t able to do. Understand why that was, in this case in the second half. But I’ll say it again: it’s part of the team’s growth. As coaches, we try to understand how we can grow collectively as a team. To show that, even though we’re a young team, we’re at Sporting and we have the obligation and the demand to do more over the 90 minutes. To be more consistent. And we haven’t been able to do that. But I have no doubt that we will be able to.

Kochorashvili’s official departure

"Kochorashvili? I wish him all the luck in the world. What went wrong? That’s football. He arrived in a year when we created expectations. He worked immensely hard, had one or two physical issues that held him back. But despite everything, he was a player who always respected our decisions and gave his maximum. I wish him all the luck in the world"

Ibrahima Ba and Zekri

"I’ve seen so many left-backs, I’m 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 offer. On one hand sometimes we want a young player, then we may end up wanting another [profile]. It’s about understanding, within what the market offers, what the best option will be. Whether it’s a younger or more mature player... Ba? He and Zeno have trained well and are at 100 percent, they can contribute to the team"

Patience from the fans

"May the fans keep supporting and filling Alvalade. It’s important for all of them [the players] to feel the fans’ affection throughout the 90 minutes. I believe that at times they want the team to suffocate opponents more, but we’re in a growth process. For me that’s natural and, as a coaching staff, we have to understand how we can be stronger. We’re at Sporting and the demand is to always win. May it continue to be like that, even within those difficulties and mistrust. We, the Sporting family, the fans, the coaching staff and everyone, have great demands and we are not satisfied just by winning, we want to win and play well. It’s part of it. It’s 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 wasn’t in the negative sense of the word. It’s natural that players who have been here for many years, at a certain point, want different challenges. They’ve already won everything in Portugal more than once. It doesn’t really have much to do with the coach not counting on the players. It’s 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, players’ choices, and that’s largely it. It’s not about settling in as in not wanting it and just being here doing favors. 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 want to 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 with the coach not counting on the player. It ended up being a year with many departures, but that would happen at some point. It’s part of the growth of clubs and of life itself. It’s natural and, as coach, I limit myself to doing my job and trying to do my best, showing those who arrived what Sporting’s demands are"

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