Bruno Lage manager
What did you make of the game?
“We didn’t play with the same dynamic in the first half. The second half we played. This is the thing when we change some players and when we are playing against a line of four like today. They play four defenders and four midfielders. For our game it is very important to play in the lines and with wingers, but with Pedro still injured, Hwang also, Trincao with Covid, that’s why we play with one winger. It was hard to attack from the right, Leander tried to help with what we want from a winger, but it is hard for a midfielder. We then don’t have as many players in the lines, just Daniel. It was easy for Norwich to control our game. I think even though we had control of the game and more goal position, that’s why I was upset at half-time, especially in the way we conceded that goal. On 46 minutes, everyone must come inside, a foul for the player whose back was to goal and we concede a good chance. I think we gave them big chances to score goals.”
Did your team play better in the second half?
“Second half was different. I think we have had a different dynamic, different positions to try to put more men between the lines and even with the chances we made, we put Chiquinho and Raul in to play as second strikers and created some good chances. I think the first 15, 20 minutes, we created some good chances, especially the one with Daniel and I think if we scored, in the end we can win the game, we didn’t score, just created good chances. Now we watch the rest of the FA Cup on the TV.”
Will this damage your momentum?
“Winning and losing, we need to prepare for the next game in the best way so the most important thing for now is not to find excuses. We need to find the best solutions in our squad and today if I have a chance to play with two wingers then we’d play two wingers, we didn’t have a chance. We will continue to find the best solutions to win games.”
Did you lack tempo in your play?
“Look, if you build up from the defenders and midfielders, if everyone is in front of the block then you don’t have the guys to play into and to change the speed of the game. That’s why it’s so important that everyone understands their position and today was hard, especially in the first half because in the end the players do what is natural. The game becomes slow when you are just playing in front of Norwich midfielders. Second half was different with Leander more high, more there and after that it changes it. That’s why his different position changes the game.”
What did you make of Chiquinho’s debut?
“He did well. Look, he comes from Estoril so everything is new and he had a chance to play. He did well, he played between the lines like we asked, good dynamic with Nelson, I think we have two or three good crosses from the right with him so it was okay.”
You must be proud of Conor Coady making his 300th appearance?
“We said it before the game, we need to have a good day for Conor because he deserves it. Every time he is there for us, he is training with a problem on his ankle so we need to do it. But second half it was different, played with a different tempo with different positions, we create chances so we need now to recover and Thursday we will be here again against Arsenal.”
Was Ki-Jana Hoever Hoever unlucky to miss out?
“Look, you can talk about him or Marcal, or Chem. When I look for this cup I look for the best players in the moment. Just change John and the rest comes from what we did in the last games, I trust him (Hoever), remember he did the mistake against Liverpool, but played well against Chelsea in the next game and Semedo was on the bench. So now it’s about me to find the best solutions every time, now we are playing games in the middle of the week and I must make my decisions on the best players playing in training, so I don’t do different for the cup and Premier League games, they are the same.”
Do you understand the frustration from supporters about the lack of cover for recently transferred Traore?
“Now it’s about me to find the best solutions. As you know, the question comes from that, the players give dynamic, I can’t ask Daniel, Hwang, Pedro to play like a midfielder like Ruben or Joao because every time they are in front of the game. I have explained why we don’t play with the same dynamic but I prefer to now look and find the best solutions in our squad, but as I tell you today I had just one winger available.”
