Maccabi Tel Aviv head coach Paulo Sousa was full of praise for his players after last night's 0-2 victory over Bnei Sakhnin: "I'm happy to see my players progress tactically"
Last night, Maccabi Tel Aviv put another tick next to an important away fixture, beating Bnei Sakhnin 0-2 at the brand new stadium in Netanya. Maccabi settled the match in the first half and kept not only a clean sheet for the third consecutive time in the league but also a three point advantage at the top of the Israeli Premier League, ahead of their nearest rivals Hapoel Beer Sheva. Just moments before the match Carlos Garcia was declared unfit and midfielder Nikola Mitrovic took his place in central defence. Paulo Sousa commented: "It was a difficult position for him. I've already played as central back but with a different sort of four but during this game I understood he could be one solution and it was a good solution because he performed really well".
"I've said many times already how happy I am to see my players progress tactically, they are more rich tactically than ever where they can handle situations like what happened with Mitro (Nikola Mitrovic). We know what needs to be done and then it's a question of performing. Of course we always need to help our players express themselves the best way they know how and sometimes it's really clear, it's more than a 100% performance and sometimes it's not the best, but we need to help them perform game by game in order to get the result Maccabi are looking for in every game, to win".
"Criticism is a part of the game", Sousa said in response to the question how difficult it was to win after the criticism the team were subjected to as a result of the changes made to the line-up for the State Cup tie Maccabi lost to Ashdod FC. "It also helps for myself to concentrate and be focused and to analyse the things that need to be done and what was done, to prepare the best I know how and the best the players know how and to transfer that for the games and get the results like the one today. I don't think the line-up is the problem. The line-up is static, it's what we're saying about the systems, they're static, it's the players that give the dynamism to the games".
Ahead of the "Match of the season" next week against Hapoel Beer Sheva Sousa stressed that he's not of the opinion that his team have to prove that they're the best: "Maccabi don't have to prove anything. Maccabi want to be Maccabi. They're looking to win every game, to fight for winning the league every season. We never said to ourselves and outside that we are the best because we know we have weaknesses, I've already spoken many times about that. It's a team in progression, in development, we have ups and downs like all the teams everywhere, but everything we've done so far is fantastic".
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NqriHovzD_g
Midfielder Mahran Radi, who was included in the side at the last minute in the wake of Garcia's injury and went on to provide both assists for Maccabi's goals, was quick to give credit to the goalscorers: "I'm out there to do my job and tonight that included setting up the two goals, but it was the moves of both goalscorers that inspired my actions". Radi also reacted to having had a week playing in the best part of three matches, including his last minute inclusion against Bnei Sakhnin: "You wouldn't necessarily take this for granted here, but a real professional must always be prepared and focused and even when you're on the bench you have to know that at any minute you might be needed on the pitch. I've experienced quite a lot in my career and what's going on with me this season is a little new for me but so long it doesn't break me altogether it can only make me stronger and thank goodness so far it's been very good for me". As for the match tonight he said: "Every win is important, especially after having lost in the Cup, a competition we were very keen on progressing in but like I said, we're professionals. What's beautiful about the game is that you get the chance, week after week, to make things right and get good results".
One of the beneficiaries from Radi's build-up work was the team's Swedish striker, Rade Prica, who summed up the match from his prospective: "This was very important, we knew it would be a very hard game even before the match and it was hard but we won pretty comfortably. It's always nice to score goals, and I missed one that was a 100% opportunity. I always prepare 100%. You don't know if you're going to play or not but you still have to prepare and be ready and today I was ready". When asked if he agreed with the criticism of Maccabi in the last few days because of the way they played against Ashdod, he responded: "I don't have much to say about that. We have a very good squad and it's important to let people play".
