Roma beat Empoli 4-2, and after the game Roma coach Jose Mourinho held a regular post-match press conference, at which Mourinho answered four questions from reporters and said that the team scored important three points, while praising Oliveira's stability, without saying much and looking directly at the content:
Do you expect the team to have better control of the game after leading 4-0?
Mourinho said: "Yes, but 4-2 is still a good result, know that winning at Empoli is not easy, so it is a good result.] Before the game started, we knew that Atalanta and Lazio were tied, and so was Fiorentina, so it was important for us to get three points and we did. I think it was a great second half for you guys, and if we were 5-0 ahead, a lot of people would turn off the TV, so we at least kept the ratings. Congratulations to our players and congratulations to Empoli, because when you're 4-0 behind, you're still trying to keep the game going, they did, and they deserve more praise. 】
How did Mkhitaryan do tonight against Richie? That seemed to be the key to Roma winning the game, as Empoli didn't anticipate that
Mourinho said: "Yes, I think so too. When you're given freedom on the pitch, especially when they have players like Ritchie.... We analysed the opponents before the game, we prepared for the game and Mkhitaryan did a good job. In the second half, the intensity of our pressure decreased and I think Mkhitaryan realised that our striker was different from the way we played in the first half. Only with a slight retreat of our midfielders can we seal off the opponent's space and further control the game. But at the start of the second half, they scored 2 goals and we had trouble. But, in this case, I don't want to continue talking about this, I just want to give praise to our opponents, who play well. 】
What does Oliveira bring to your team?
Mourinho said: "He is different from others, although he is not the dominant person that everyone says, but we did not have a player like him before, I have always been very clear, he has Portuguese football blood. I've known Oliveira for a long time and I know that his physical qualities and decision-making skills can bring us a lot. He's not a midfield magician, but he rarely makes bad decisions, he's very stable and has personality, he knows how to manage the game, he knows how to control the rhythm, I think he's very experienced, he comes from a team that fights for the championship and he brings us the right attitude and mentality. 】
As a coach, do you expect more from Abraham?
Mourinho said: "Every game, he has to try to score goals, as a coach you need to have that expectation. But if you can't score, you've done a lot of things in other ways to help the team and as manager I'm just as happy. 】
All right. That's all there is to it for the post-match conference, see you tomorrow!