The Portuguese coach Sergio Conceicao of Al Ittihad defended his team's performance amid the criticism they have faced recently.
Al Ittihad beat Nasaf Qarshi 1-0, the bottom side in the AFC Champions League Elite, a result that has sparked concerns about what the team can deliver for the rest of the season after earlier stumbles.
Conceicao on performance, break and future steps
In a pre-match press conference before facing Al Shabab in Round 11 of the Roshen (Roshan) League, Conceicao addressed whether the side would perform better: "I am a coach with a burning hunger like the fans, but you must understand that the recent period has not been easy; we have worked on many aspects."
He added: "We worked during the break, and the first match after the break is always difficult; in the two weeks, players' minds were full of ideas, the implementation needs time. Do you want to see results in the first game?"
Conceicao continued: "If we manage to score, many will say this Al Ittihad is the one to watch, but due to misfortune many followers say it is not the expected team."
He also explained: "We have a tactic we've built not for one game but for many competitions and fixtures. After the Nasaf match we must take the positives. Football doesn't change overnight; we want to keep evolving every day. In the last match we had 31 crosses; next we aim for 40, along with chances and goals, we always strive to improve."
And: "If we had 10 chances last game, I want 20 next. But you must accept what comes; for instance, if you score a goal, you did your part, and in the next match we want two or three."
Benzema shines and the squad is ready
The Portuguese coach praised his French striker Karim Benzema, confirming he has scored 10 goals in 8 matches, a superb rate.
He added that all players are physically ready, noting a single injury to Faisal Al-Ghamdi, described as muscular, while the team can rely on Fabinho, Danilo, Mohannad Al-Shanqeeti and Karim Benzema.
Caption: Conceicao defends Al Ittihad's showing as Benzema continues to lead the attack.
Punchline time: If football were a dating app, Conceicao would say, “You may be good, but I’m here to coach you into someone who actually finishes the match.” And another: The only thing sharper than Benzema’s finishing is Conceicao’s to-do list—and he’s ticking it off, one cross at a time.
