Tite praises youngsters’ maturity after Cruzeiro’s defeat in season opener | OneFootball

“The first important fact is to praise the affection of the fans, who showed up and brought confidence to the boys. I’m upset about the result, but also, considering the whole situation, the growth of the athletes comes from playing. Even with only 7 days of work. Development, maturity, comes this way.”

“I don’t know. It will depend on the responses from the players who are showing up. It would be inappropriate for me to say that players will return just because of results. I have to analyze the individual performance of the boys and not just say ‘played badly, take him out’, that’s not how you develop players. Give them confidence. Still taking it slow before deciding the starting lineup for the next game.”

“Maturity isn’t theoretical, it’s practical. In life and in football. It’s hearing the noise, the pressure, the high expectations, the heavy shirt. And there’s support from those in charge, to correct and praise. Murilo came on for Matheusinho with incredible poise. From adversity, opportunity is created.”

“The coordination of movement of the players who stay in the central axis of the field, to supply the number 9, or the fullback out wide, or the winger, getting there and these players having the possibility to be creative. It’s a general, broad situation. In the first half I tried to bring Lelis to the side and Japa inside, to have superiority in midfield. We lost all our central attackers. Neiser got injured yesterday, Fernando just came back and is still a question mark. We have to be careful about these things. Sometimes the ball is like this: the second goal, when it left the guy’s foot, I thought ‘goal’. Makes you want to close your eyes. Effectiveness also wins games. We deserved a better result with the youngsters because of the performance.”

“It’s challenging. We have to work almost with two shifts all the time. Then you do a technical and tactical training session with the group that’s going to play. And the other group is preparing. So that later on we have a united group. I think it’s planned for the two teams to connect. It will also depend on the use of players who have returned in good condition. I’m not going to risk the health of the players, also preventively so as not to overwork anyone.”

“For now, yes. But the greatness of Cruzeiro will always be open to the possibility of growth. Now the pitch will show, the pitch speaks, the opportunity for the boys. Give continuity, our possibilities, we do need results. The ‘Cria da Toca’ has to leave the Toca, which is the field. They have a coach to correct and develop them.”

“Maybe it’s opportunistic to say this after seven days. But the academy boys have quality players. Prattes is a very good player, he has vision for build-up, passing, carrying the ball, when he makes a cross further back. He managed to play until the end of the match. They are in full development.”

“Yesterday we talked and Lucas Silva talked with us. Everyone. They were anxious. It’s a new coaching staff and suddenly one of the players looked at me and said ‘I never imagined my coach would be you, wearing the Cruzeiro shirt, going to the game, I called my family and they’re coming by bus to watch the game’. My focus was to give them confidence, at some point things would flow. These pressures aren’t theoretical, they come from inside the pitch, it’s feeling the noise, the coach’s demands, that’s how you mature and with the bad feeling of defeat.”

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