Although the head coach, who confirmed Diogo Jota will once again be missing from Saturday’s line-up due to injury, understands that January is not the best time to be bringing in players, he has stressed the need for greater options to be available from within his squad.
On new players joining the club
“I’m confident there’s going to be something soon. I don’t mention names, but we need and are going to bring players, for sure. The idea is players that can bring new solutions. I’m aware of things, we think, we decide, and things take time, but no frustration at all.
“It’s a problem and this is not the best window to do things, it’s not the best time to operate in the market, but we need players. The way we work is not going to change.
“It doesn’t change. The model is clear what we do, when something happens to the squad, we look at our back-ups. If we don’t have these clear options, we must go to the transfer window.
“It’s difficult because sometimes the club doesn’t want [to sell], but we are working on it, and I’m positive that it’s going to happen. When I say we need, it’s not a message to anyone.”
On utilising the under-23s
“We as a club have a clear way of operating, since the beginning it was clear – this is a building process, we are building something. I think we already have a team, a good team of footballers, but we need to improve.
“This is not going to change, we’re not going to look at things that can change us, because our philosophy is clear. We are building and we trust the back-ups in the under-23s. I’ve already said that this season, and the season before, and the season before in the Championship, also.
“Oskar [Buur], for example, the season before, he scored in the Championship, do you remember? The header against Hull. A draw. A very important moment. He’s going to be in the squad tomorrow. He’s played Manchester United, Besiktas, so this is the way we do things. This is the way we work.”
On reviewing the handball law
“For sure it’s going to be reviewed, for sure. I have been encouraged by the reaction of everybody involved; the managers, the players, the fans, the press, everybody’s seen that it’s not ok. If it’s not ok they have to take different measures and change it.
“We are not talking about VAR, we are talking about the handball rule. But the rule is the rule, so let’s not be mistaken, but it has to change, it has to change, for sure.
“They [IFAB] meet, but I think the managers will meet also soon. Everybody’s worried about that. The message is so clear, isn’t it? It’s clear and loud. You see all over the stadiums people shouting and it’s not good.
“The fans are the most important things in football. The fans are what makes things have sense and if the fans are not happy, that’s a bad sign.
“I’ve spoken to other managers about it, of course, and their opinion is not only me, everybody speaks about it. But we, of course, suffer more because all the decisions were against us. It’s too much. Too much.”
