Marco Silva spots problem at Benfica and orders squad | OneFootball

has already drawn several conclusions from the first official matches of the season and identified one area in which he believes Benfica need to take a step forward. In addition to the defensive problems that still require attention, the coach wants a team with greater authority, communication and competitive aggression, capable of taking control of the different phases of matches.

The manager believes the players need to play a more active role on the pitch, especially in the way they communicate with each other. The idea is to increase their ability to correct, guide and demand more from their teammates, with the players taking on greater responsibility when the team goes through difficult moments. Above all, Marco Silva wants players to speak up more on the field and for the team to have a greater collective ability to react.

This concern is particularly relevant in defence, which underwent major changes during the summer with the departures of Nicolás Otamendi and António Silva. Tomás Araújo and Clément Lenglet now take responsibility for the heart of the defence, and it is necessary to build solid routines between the two centre-backs. In the hierarchy defined by the coach, Fredrik Aursnes is the new captain, while Tomás Araújo is the second captain. The Norwegian, however, was unavailable against Académico de Viseu and was not even included in the squad, so the armband ended up being handed to another player.

The draw against Académico de Viseu naturally left the group disappointed and reinforced some of the concerns identified by the coach. Marco Silva intends to use the upcoming training sessions to correct the defensive lapses and, at the same time, instil a stronger mentality in the team. "We have to 'kill' (certain moves)... We cannot concede one goal from a corner and another from a back pass after a throw-in, we have to have the ability to stop that. And that is what we have to work on, analyse, and then efficiency... We had more than enough chances to score more, but I am far more concerned about the way we conceded," the coach explained after the match.

The work in the coming days will therefore be focused not only on defensive organisation, but also on building a more proactive and competitive team. Marco Silva wants a Benfica with a firmer grip on the pitch, capable of anticipating problems, communicating better and stopping opposition moves before they turn into dangerous chances. The response will have to start in the next training sessions.

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