Vojvoda urges unity at Santos amid protests: "We will bounce back" | OneFootball

After the 1-1 draw with São Paulo in the second round of the Brazilian Championship, coach Juan Pablo Vojvoda opened up about Santos' poor form. This Wednesday, the Torcida Jovem organized a series of protests against Marcelo Teixeira's management.

The coach, who gathered the team and club staff on the eve of the derby, stated that he understands the criticisms from Santos fans but emphasized that this should remain outside.

“These are internal matters (meeting). I feel the need to unite the club, players, and those who work daily. The club must be united. When I arrived here, the president and Mattos showed me the seriousness they wanted. They wanted a Santos that positioned itself in a stable manner. In recent years, Santos hasn't fought at the top of the table. They also talked to me about this, that we need results and to organize the club. I gave them these commitments. Then come the results. You don't gain credibility overnight. Let's be honest and sincere. Everyone makes mistakes,” he said.

“We have to be together. There's no need to divide. We need to add. Things are improving. Little by little. There are noises and protests outside, but it doesn't help to bring that inside. I spoke with the players, president, and Mattos. Think with awareness. Results come with work and credibility. That's my way of seeing it. I understand the fans, the passion, and protests. I want a Vila with more fireworks. We will recover and call the fans back,” he concluded.

Game Analysis

Regarding the 1-1 draw with São Paulo, Vojvoda highlighted that he liked the first half from the hosts.

“A hard-fought game, Série A level. It was a balanced match on our part. The stats were equalized as well. We opened the scoring. They changed, and I was thinking about a defensive change, but we conceded the equalizer. In summary, a very contested game, where I think we had a good first half and a balanced second half. I liked the first half more,” he analyzed.

The coach also spoke about the need to find balance in finishing. In the San-São, there were 10 shots, with three on target.

“Today we improved compared to the last game. In the other game with São Paulo, I said we need to regain consistency in finishing. Last year I talked about effectiveness. Against Chape, we had many shots, then we dropped a lot against São Paulo. Today we had more, but we didn't reach that average. We can't play a 10 and then a 5. We need to maintain that consistency. We improved compared to the last game, but we are below what we intend or showed before,” he said.

Standings Situation

With the result, Santos reached the seventh consecutive game without a win this season. Five in the Paulistão and two in Série A, a tournament in which the club currently occupies the 15th position, with one point.

Now, the Alvinegro Praiano turns its attention to the State Championship. The club visits Noroeste on Sunday, for the seventh round of the tournament, and needs to win to move away from the relegation zone.

“Important game, it's an important championship. We had four derbies, plus Bragantino. That's the reality. We have to prepare well for Sunday's game. It's a competition with history in the State,” Vojvoda concluded.

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