Head coach Pako Ayestaran is preparing for tomorrow's encounter in Beer Sheva: "We'll try to take the initiative"
This morning Maccabi Tel Aviv held a final pre-match practice ahead of Monday night's encounter with last year's runners-up Hapoel Beer Sheva at their "Wassermill" Stadium. Beforehand head coach Pako Ayestaran arrived at a press conference and began by describing his expectations of the squad: "As I've mentioned at every press conference, I expect the team to do better than the game before because we are training to get this improvement. And from Beer Sheva of course a difficult game. We need to approach being mentally really strong and really focused on this game like every game". Asked if the team plan to play differently against different opponents, Pako replied: "No, no. Normally Maccabi's style is not going to change against any opposition. The style. The shape can change, the style is going to be the same. We'll try to take the initiative, we'll try to combine the game, we'll try as you know to arrive to the opposition half, with the lines close together, we'll try to play in the field, this is going to be the approach of Maccabi all season". Eyestaran also had a word to say about Beer Sheva's relative advantage from set pieces: "I hope they won't be as successful in this game against us. We know they are very strong and we are strong in defending as well. We hope we will be strong and focused enough not to allow them to score from set pieces". After two matches against sides that focused primarily on defending, Beer Sheva are expected to go on the attack. Would that change his approach to the game? "We'll see. I take decisions depending on my squad, depending on the opposition and depending on how I see the players during the training sessions. In this case, putting everything in a jar, I will take the decision on the eleven and how we approach the game".
The coach was also asked about the progress of striker Barak Itzhaki, still recovering from an injury sustained toward the end of last season: "He's still recovering. He's approaching the end of the tunnel but I think the tunnel is still long enough to think that Barak is an option for the team. He has to prepare himself to be an option in the near future".
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s_z7fT2e7Ho&feature=youtu.be
But the main questions concerning specific players centred around the seeming discontent of summer signing Eden Ben Basat and others who've seen little action since the start of the season. Pako: "Probably Ben Bassat was not pleased. (Striker) Barak Badash probably was not pleased, (Goalkeeper) Barak Levy probably was not pleased. Probably there were so many players that were not pleased about not being in the eleven or not being in the squad that you cannot think about everybody. And as I mentioned before, I know the chances are going to arrive for everybody because the season is long. And Ben Basat will have his chance as well". It was pointed out that after the game against Hapoel Ra'anana, which Ben Basat had sat out on the bench, the coach had gone over to give him a hug. Was that unusual? "No, no. For me it's to analyse the situation of each player. At that moment I thought that Ben Basat needed a hug and to mention that he's going to be important. I hope that he will be important in this team. But it always depends on them of course". Asked if Ben Basat's reaction after two games on the bench was acceptable, the coach replied: "At the end the mental strength of each one is different. In this case it is not a question of acceptable or not. This is his reaction and we have to sort it out. It's not what I would prefer the interaction to be but the players are different, at the end they are human beings and you have to accept the way they react and try to get the best and try to make them change their mind".
Also present at the press conference was Serbian defender Nikola Mitrovic, who until the arrival of Pako Eyesteran was not even included in the squad and since then has started every one of the team's matches. Pako was asked what had made the difference: "That's easy, what you saw last year. I think he showed last year that he is a player that has the level to play at Maccabi and I don't know for what reasons he was not a part of the plans this year. But a player who was able to play so many games last year, you know that the quality is there. Not only him. Many players I would want in the squad, and in this case it is not a surprise for me and I suppose it's not a surprise for any of you either".
Mitrovic himself had a word to say on the matter of a possible move to another club: "Yes, they speak about me but the club decided like this. I had a contract and I have to respect this. Very simple, I was training alone, the coaches changed and he (Pako) brought me back. My job is to work and to show everybody what I can do and this is a simple thing. They took a decision like this, I don't know who, but it was like this and I respect that. I do my job and that's it. It wasn't easy but this is the life. Yes I was talking with Beer Sheva , it's true, but I never was too close. The media here are different. They always print some of the things that haven't happened but in the end I'm still a player of Maccabi. I was doing my job, every day coming to training and in the end the coaches changed and Pako brought me back and I do my work. All I can say is thank you to him (Pako) and thank you to (sports director) Jordi (Cruyff) and the club for giving me the chance to play again at this club".
Pako added: "Just answering to that. I am sure it was not a club decision because if the manager or coach is the right one he will never accept if a player is good enough that the club will take the decision from you. If my decision had been that Mitrovic should be in the squad, there wouldn't be anyone in the club that will tell me that he shouldn't be. And if not, I wouldn't be in the squad. I would leave the club. When I said most of the time I don't worry about the opposition it's because to know your players is not so difficult. In a couple of weeks, or even in a week, you know. After sometimes a player can surprise you but not too often. Normally you have been in the game many years, in one week you see if the player is good enough or not. And I didn't need too long to see that Mitrovic had the quality to be a player of Maccabi".
Finally, Eyestaran was asked why another summer signing, Nigerian midfielder Nosa Igiebor, has seen little action since his arrival: "Because I don't think he's deserved it through today and I want to be honest with the team and the squad. And for me there are no names. There are players that come to train every day and I have to be honest with them. And for now I try to look. Sometimes I will make mistakes, like everybody, but I think the first thing the coach has to be is honest with his squad".
