Roma need to play Cagliari in the early hours of tomorrow morning against Cagliari pre-match coach Mourinho held a routine pre-match press conference, at which Mourinho answered nine questions from reporters and frankly said that he was satisfied with the winter window transfer, without saying much to read the content directly:
Considering your ranking in the standings, is this game a test for you?
Mourinho said: "Yes, Cagliari's current ranking is temporary (third from the bottom) and they will not be in their current position after the end of the season. They have a good coach, a lot of experienced players, and they have a way to get points, they got 6 points in the first two games and they definitely want to get points again when they come here. They've beaten Lazio here before, and they have a way to deal with strong teams. It's also an important game for us, we've lost two straight before and we've only scored four points in the last four games, which is clearly not what we want. Now we need to forget about the last few games and focus on this game, this week we are all training against our problems. We lost the game that way (reversed by Juve) and not only did we need to train for tactical issues, we also coached the players. We want to rekindle the morale of the players and make sure we have the courage to face this game. Only 5,000 fans of this game can watch the game, which is unfortunate. But we will turn that regret into motivation to play a good game for the fans. 】
Will Oliveira play in the midfield? (Oliveira previously said at the press conference that he wanted to play in this position.) In addition to that, you have made 4 free throws this season but only scored 1 goal, in which case would you consider making Oliveira a penalty shooter?
Mourinho said: "I don't think about it now, we have a lot of things to do, we don't think about the penalty. We're trying to get Oliveira and Niles to integrate better into the team, and of course the players who have worked with us for six months but haven't integrated themselves perfectly. I never thought we could get a player of Oliveira's caliber in January because I knew his value and at the moment Porto were fighting for the Europa League and the Portuguese Premier League title, I thought we couldn't sign Oliveira, and when Pinto told me I could sign him, I immediately agreed to the deal. Because he can change the team from all aspects of the organization, he is a player with character and skills, a player we need. At the same time, he is also very versatile, he can get into the box from the back and he can also shoot from a distance, he has a lot of experience, he can improve our squad and also increase our options. I think this transfer window was positive for us, considering that the transfer window was only closed on the 31st, we signed two players very early, Pinto is commendable, we picked two players who deserve our praise. We've had just one right-back for seven months and when Kasdorp can't play, it's a big problem for us. Now, we have Niles and if Kasdorp can't play, then it's not a problem for us, Niles can also play full-back. At the same time, Oliveira can play anywhere in midfield and he can do anything. The two of them have brought us a lot of improvements, and in the next six months, we will go as far as possible, and their joining is very important to us. 】
Can you tell us about Sharavi?
Mourinho said: "Shaarawi did not train with us this week, we have to see if he can train later tonight, if he can, then tomorrow he will sit on the bench. I'll look at the specifics because we don't have much choice. We'll probably bring 3 or 4 players from the youth team, and if Shaarawi can play, I'll definitely bring him, which will need to be known later. 】
4. Who in your team can't play at the moment?
Mourinho said: "I can't say, I can only say a few players who didn't train, except for Sharavi, Smalling and Kasdorp who didn't train with us, so later today I'll see how they are.] 】
V. The recent state of Welletu is average, what do you think is the reason?
Mourinho said: "If you look at our squad and the playing time of the players, you will find that we actually have 14 or 15 players who have been involved in almost all of our games this season, and there are some players who are on the pitch almost every minute, and these players are very important to us. Normally, there wouldn't be players that mattered, but that's how we were. When your team has a lot of choices, the need for each player to be on the team as a whole is reduced. And now we have more options in midfield that can properly give some players a break. Veletto has always been an important player in our squad, he's very good and I have to agree with you, he's not been that good in the last few weeks, but he's very important to us. 】
You have already signed two players, how many reinforcements will you have in the winter window?
Mourinho said: "I am very happy because I am aware of the dedication of the club and I thank Pinto for the work he has done to improve the team. Considering our choice and where we are located, we did a great job. The transfer market is difficult in the winter, and given that what we need is a way to operate sustainably, you can imagine our situation. Oliveira can play all positions in midfield, Niles can play in midfield and full-back, they are good reinforcements. Am I looking forward to the arrival of another player? No, I think we've done what's within our power, Pinto's work is fast, and I'm very happy. 】
Can Spinazzola return to the game soon? There's also a tactical question: when your team doesn't have the ball, two midfielders will drag them out, is that your arrangement?
Mourinho said: "My request is just the opposite, when you have two delayed midfielders, I hope they can put pressure from both sides, and I want them and another midfielder to block the cross in the diagonal position, just like we did against Juve. As for Spinazzolla, first of all I want to know which genius said in August that he could return in November? It was a very serious injury, he couldn't have played in November and from the day it happened I thought Spinazzola wouldn't be able to play this season. Of course, I would be very happy if he could join the team early and it would be a bonus for us. All I can tell you now is that he's getting closer to returning every day. 】
How do you think players look at your comments after the game against Juve? How would you improve their mindset?
Mourinho said: "I think they all accept very well, for those players who want to get better and who believe in me and my experience, they are always positive and open-minded. Because of everything I say to the media, I will say to them privately. I feel like they want to improve, they don't resist criticism, that's why I love coaching Roma. My players are willing to learn and mindset is very important for everyone. Of course, this takes time and patience. 】
The result of the match against Juve wiped out your 70 minutes of hard work, how did you train this week?
Mourinho said: "It is true, after the game, we spent about 45 minutes analyzing the game, we performed well in 70 minutes, we did a lot of things: pressing, possession and attitude. Whenever there's a problem with the team, we check it out. Conceding 3 goals in 7 minutes, we all made mistakes. As far as this game is concerned, I know their manager very well and I know that Cagliari is a good team and it is not easy to get three points on them. But we will try to win, whether there are fans or not, we will try to win the game! 】
Well, that's all there is to it, see you tomorrow!