Luis Enrique: Vitinha Is Different from Busquets, and I Feel Tired After Matches
Paris Saint-Germain coach Luis Enrique appeared at a press conference to discuss tomorrow's match against Monaco in the 14th round of the French league, to be held at the Louis II Stadium.
The coach said: "Lucas Hernandez's red card against Tottenham? That's the beauty of football—you can have experience, but there are moments you have to react to in less than a second. I spoke with Lucas Hernandez; he is an important player for the team, experienced, and all the players like him within the group. He needs to change that (such mistakes), but he is aware of it."
He added regarding the lack of goals from the strikers: "We are one of the highest-scoring teams in Europe and France. As a coach, it doesn't matter to me who scores. What matters is scoring a lot of goals and providing assists. For me, as a coach, knowing who scores is just secondary information."
He continued about Vitinha: "You all love to categorize players. If we have to evaluate Vitinha's level, we must look at his previous seasons, how he has changed, how we attack, and how we manage the matches. It's good to have a player like him; he loves playing football. We have learned how to manage Vitinha's style of play to change many things in the past for this position. He is very different from Busquets, who was among the global elite. Vitinha is undoubtedly a world-class player. As a coaching staff, we managed things well to find a version of Vitinha at the highest level with a significant positive impact on the team, while at the same time being a player who serves the group."
He added: "Nuno Mendes will not be available tomorrow. It's concerning when a player says during the match that he feels a minor issue. He talked about it during halftime in the Tottenham game, and we wanted to stay calm and reassured. If it were a final tomorrow, he would want to play, but in this case, he needs to recover, and we'll see after a week, before the Monaco match, whether he will be ready."
Regarding set pieces: "I think we have improved some things. But this is no different from what other teams do. We succeeded in scoring from direct set pieces as well as indirect ones. It's a good statistic, but we must continue to improve because the details will be important in the crucial part of the season. I'm happy, but we have to keep working because you can earn points through them. I like playing at 5 p.m. and 9 p.m. In Paris, we know we will play every three days."
On the victory over Tottenham: "This win against Tottenham strengthens our identity and level. The unity between the team and the fans helped us overcome difficulties. We played a good match, attacking in the same way whether we win or not. Our opponents, in turn, change their style to try to preserve the result. But it is important that we remain confident in our way of playing."
And regarding Ndjanto instead of Mayuolo: "This is my job, to look for the possible lineup. Ndjanto has a lot of quality and can play anywhere. Every time a player steps onto the field, those minutes are valuable and appreciated. It's important for the team to know that we have multiple options. I also like Mayuolo, and he has improved again this year. Ndjanto performed well, and I am sure he will get more opportunities."
He concluded: "I feel tired after the matches. For the players, it's different, as the training sessions between matches are mainly focused on recovery. Playing every three days means you are part of a top-level team."
The coach said: "Lucas Hernandez's red card against Tottenham? That's the beauty of football—you can have experience, but there are moments you have to react to in less than a second. I spoke with Lucas Hernandez; he is an important player for the team, experienced, and all the players like him within the group. He needs to change that (such mistakes), but he is aware of it."
He added regarding the lack of goals from the strikers: "We are one of the highest-scoring teams in Europe and France. As a coach, it doesn't matter to me who scores. What matters is scoring a lot of goals and providing assists. For me, as a coach, knowing who scores is just secondary information."
He continued about Vitinha: "You all love to categorize players. If we have to evaluate Vitinha's level, we must look at his previous seasons, how he has changed, how we attack, and how we manage the matches. It's good to have a player like him; he loves playing football. We have learned how to manage Vitinha's style of play to change many things in the past for this position. He is very different from Busquets, who was among the global elite. Vitinha is undoubtedly a world-class player. As a coaching staff, we managed things well to find a version of Vitinha at the highest level with a significant positive impact on the team, while at the same time being a player who serves the group."
He added: "Nuno Mendes will not be available tomorrow. It's concerning when a player says during the match that he feels a minor issue. He talked about it during halftime in the Tottenham game, and we wanted to stay calm and reassured. If it were a final tomorrow, he would want to play, but in this case, he needs to recover, and we'll see after a week, before the Monaco match, whether he will be ready."
Regarding set pieces: "I think we have improved some things. But this is no different from what other teams do. We succeeded in scoring from direct set pieces as well as indirect ones. It's a good statistic, but we must continue to improve because the details will be important in the crucial part of the season. I'm happy, but we have to keep working because you can earn points through them. I like playing at 5 p.m. and 9 p.m. In Paris, we know we will play every three days."
On the victory over Tottenham: "This win against Tottenham strengthens our identity and level. The unity between the team and the fans helped us overcome difficulties. We played a good match, attacking in the same way whether we win or not. Our opponents, in turn, change their style to try to preserve the result. But it is important that we remain confident in our way of playing."
And regarding Ndjanto instead of Mayuolo: "This is my job, to look for the possible lineup. Ndjanto has a lot of quality and can play anywhere. Every time a player steps onto the field, those minutes are valuable and appreciated. It's important for the team to know that we have multiple options. I also like Mayuolo, and he has improved again this year. Ndjanto performed well, and I am sure he will get more opportunities."
He concluded: "I feel tired after the matches. For the players, it's different, as the training sessions between matches are mainly focused on recovery. Playing every three days means you are part of a top-level team."