Despite the missed opportunities, Luis Enrique was very happy with the victory against Lens (1-0) who presented himself at the press conference. He was delighted with the match and his choice to field Safonov, defended Fabian Ruiz and even praised Pacho. Here are his full remarks, translated by us.
What do you remember from the victory? A few days before the Champions League, does the lack of efficiency worry you?
“What I will remember from this match is that it was very complete on our part, against an aggressive, daring opponent who complicated our task by preventing us from playing at our usual pace. But we managed to create many scoring chances from the start of the match and we deserved to score more goals. It is a fair victory, difficult and laborious but fair. Three more points in the pocket. »
Why did you want to see Safonov today?
“Safonov gave us numerical superiority and I found him very good”
“Because I knew the difficulty we were going to encounter against the Lens pressure: very high pressure, one-on-one, with the goalkeeper as the only free player. And because I'm completely obsessed with the idea that all players can help the team. I want Safonov, Arnau (Tenas), Gigio (Donnarumma) to be ready to play at any time and I want that as much for the goalkeepers as for the outfield players. It's my obsession and I work on it every day. Sometimes I succeed, sometimes I don't, but that's what I like. I like my players to always be ready. Today, Safonov gave us numerical superiority and I found him very good. However, it wasn't easy for him and I'm very happy with his performance. »
What did you think this evening of the very prominent performance of Fabian Ruiz, particularly in the first half then replaced in the second?
“Fabian Ruiz has a great ability to play and do things that fans and journalists don’t necessarily see”
“I consider that the five midfielders I have at my disposal are of a very high level. Fabian is a very recognized player, international, European champion, who has a great ability to play and do things that supporters and journalists do not necessarily see while he is very intelligent and manages to position himself in a position of the position of his teammates. For us, this is essential. Today he had a difficult match, like the rest of his teammates, because there was no time to think. But I am very satisfied with the performance of my midfielders: Fabián João, Viti, and then Warren. Today Senny did not come into play. But I repeat, I am very happy with the performance of everyone who participated this evening. »
In Spain, we were very surprised by the departure of your deputy, Aitor Unzué. What happened? Why a departure at this stage of the season? What does his departure mean?
” Nothing. Everyone's path evolves in football, whether for the players or, in the same way, for the players. Nothing. These are decisions that I make as ultimately responsible for the staff. I would like to thank Aitor for these four years with us and I wish him the best. »
You have once again renewed the central hinge Marquinhos (a historic player) – Pacho (recently arrived at the club and little known). What lessons do you learn from this?
“It is certain that Pacho’s adaptation is much faster than expected”
“We found in Pacho a central defender, as we already knew, of a very high level, very young but perfect for our philosophy of play and our desire to press high and leave a lot of space behind us. He is a very powerful player in duels, he doesn't make mistakes, he doesn't take cards, he also finds space with the ball. Of course, he has room for improvement in certain aspects but it confirms what we have already seen a little. It is certain that his adaptation is much faster than expected. »
Safonov missed 12 passes tonight. Does this correspond to what you said earlier about Lens' very strong pressing which led to a player who was in high demand and therefore likely to make more mistakes?
“You can create a numerical superiority when the opponent is pressing in the opposite camp, and the goalkeeper is the only free player. But he is free for a given time, because the opponent can release a central defender or a full-back to press the goalkeeper or a pivot. Which means that this statistic has no value. The important thing is that every time we needed our goalkeeper, there was a player who came out of his position and left a player free on the field. Most of the time we found ourselves in favorable situations. And when we are in favorable situations, they turn into scoring opportunities. He made no mistake: whether the ball was a little more precise or whether the attacker received it or not, this stat has no importance. I think that Safonov delivered a very complete match and that we played a very good match in this difficult context. »
From your previous answers, we can assume that you trust Safonov's kicking game more than Donnarumma?
« Non. »
Randal Kolo Muani has not played any minutes since the match against Nice. Are you counting on him for the second part of the season?
“I count on all my players, it’s my obligation as a coach. I count on them all. I have around twenty players, I count on all of them. And I am a coach willing to change my mind at any time if I see what I want where I want it. But I count on all my players, it's my job as a coach. I have no complaints about any player. »
A perfect victory at the Vélodrome, this evening you beat Lens who were 6th, you are already 6 points ahead of Monaco. We have the impression that stars can leave but that you are still rolling in Ligue 1. Do you think that the first 10 days are perfect for Paris Saint-Germain?
“It’s very good that the stats or comments made at the start of the season do not come true”
“I never read the press, but since the start of the season, we heard rumors that we were not the strongest team, or that the team was not “je ne sais quoi”. But ultimately these predictions have still not come true. We still have to confirm and achieve a season in line with what we have done so far: 10 days, leader with 6 points ahead of the second and always the same intention to deliver performances of the highest level and progress, because we still have a lot of room for improvement. That's my mentality. And it's very good that the stats or comments made at the start of the season do not come true because they are generally to the disadvantage of PSG and we are here to make them lie. »
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