Vítor Bruno's father says João Palhinha won't save Benfica | OneFootball

Vítor Manuel, father of Vítor Bruno, analyzed the possible impact of João Palhinha’s arrival at Benfica and issued a warning about the expectations being created around the Portugal international. For the coach, the Eagles already have enough solutions in the squad to control their opponents and prevent them from creating major danger, even without signing the midfielder.

The 74-year-old coach also believes that the current squad is perfectly suited to a 4-2-3-1 system: “Given the profile of the players in this squad, the 4-2-3-1 makes perfect sense. I’d put Prestianni on the right, Schjelderup on the left and Rafa behind Pavlidis. Behind them, Barrenechea and Aursnes,” he explained to the newspaper 'A Bola'.

With Palhinha, Vítor Manuel admits he would change the team’s structure, opting for a midfield made up of the Portugal international and Aursnes: “With Palhinha, I’d play Palhinha and Aursnes in the middle and perhaps go for a classic 4-4-2 — like the great Benfica used in the 60s, 70s and 80s —, with Rafa and Prestianni (or Schjelderup) on the wings and, up front, Durán and Pavlidis,” he added.

Despite acknowledging the midfielder’s quality, the coach fears that the media hype surrounding the signing could end up placing excessive pressure on Palhinha: “The excessive media attention around Palhinha’s signing could turn into too much responsibility for the player, while the other midfielders may think they will count for very little. Palhinha is not going to be the savior and, if Benfica do not become champions, he could end up becoming a scapegoat,” he warned.

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