Maccabi head coach Pako Ayestaran is familiar with the strengths of Sunday night's rivals: "They're a team that like to start organised and play on the break"
After having just faced them a week and a half ago in the finals of the "Toto" (League) Cup, Maccabi Tel Aviv will be travelling north on Sunday for an 8.55pm league kick-off against Maccabi Haifa at "Sammy Ofer" Stadium. Three days ahead of the match the traditional pre-match press conference was held, attended by head coach Pako Ayestaran and veteran midfielder Gal Alberman. As for his assessment of Sunday night's rivals, the coach was unequivocal: "I think the style is quite clear. They're a team that like to start organised and play on the break with three or four players really dangerous on the break. The transition is their main strength".
Asked about his reactions to Monday's goalless draw against Hapoel Beer Sheva, the Spaniard responded: "We have the conclusions for ourselves that we talk about and we're going to try to work on it". And will he be trying something new in the upcoming encounter? "I don't know. I didn't say I'd try something new. For now still the line-up is open, the squad is open and there are still three days to train. I am one who always takes decisions not related to the last game but after looking and training for a week. In this case it's still at least half a week before the game". Pako was also asked if he thought the absence through injury of Maccabi Haifa veteran and ex-Liverpool and Chelsea star Yossi Benayoun might make it easier for his side on Sunday: "As soon as a quality player is not in the eleven it's good news for us but for sure they have a deep squad. Someone will try to make us forget the absence of Yossi Benayoun and it's not going to be easy just because he's not playing".
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Many of the questions asked concerned the team's ability to deal with the increasing number of clubs whose tactics are to sit back and defend throughout the match: "When you don't score enough and you are not able to win, it's clear that in the last third you are not doing enough. When you don't score it's clear. One of the things we have to work on is that not only Eran Zahavi but more players have to step up in the last third and be able to break the lines. This is something we knew we are going to work on. We know that in the last third we have to create more and we need more players with the aggressiveness to break the lines and get behind the defenders. And this is where we have to get to".
He continued: "Against a team that play so deep you have two solutions. One is like in basketball when they are defending strong you need players who are able to shoot from outside the box or players who are able to break these lines. In this case maybe you need more players who are comfortable playing between the lines and it's something that we have to find. It's like when Barcelona played Inter with eleven players behind. It was really difficult for them but you need players who are capable of playing between the lines because when you don't have space between the lines you need players that are skillful in these areas. And we know that from now on these teams are going to come to play us in this way. In this case we need to find solutions against these teams. It's really difficult to play against teams that play so deep with eleven players behind the halfway line". And did the coach anticipate that because they're at home, Maccabi Haifa might be playing a more open style: "You never know if it's going to be easier because you have to play the games. But teams like Maccabi Haifa try to open up the pitch more, to be more open in their lines, that's always easier, so I imagine we'll have more space in Haifa".
Finally, the Maccabi head coach had a word to say about his approach to squad selection and the general style of play: "If we think that one way is the right way we shouldn't change the way after one or two games. If this continues and we are not able to beat players at the top of the league or we are not able to play teams that are playing too deep, we have to change something of course. But not at the first difficulty, and not after the first time that Gal doesn't play well I have to say 'Gal, you are not good enough'. Gal is a player whose qualities I know and I have to stick with him like I stick with everybody. And not because one player who misses a great game has to be in the line-up the day after. I think you need stability in your criteria. We all agree that we have not been good enough but it's not a discussion about that".
Gal Alberman, who has already racked up 30 appearances against Maccabi Haifa in his fourteen-year career, also talked about Sunday night's encounter and addressed the problem of opponents playing matches in their own half: "We have no complaints, it's something we've been seeing since the beginning of the season and it's nothing new. Obviously the matches become more complicated and a lot depends on how the game develops. Sometimes we create chances and score and that makes it easier, sometimes we don't. But we're prepared for games like that. As for Sunday, we don't know how Haifa are planning to play but we'll just try to do our job, getting ready for the match and concentrating first and foremost on ourselves. I hope we'll be able to find the right solutions for Sunday's tie".
The veteran midfielder was also asked to deal with comparisons between the team's performances this year and those of the past two championship seasons: "I don't remember all the stats off by heart, but I don't believe there's much difference in how many points we're taking or goals we're scoring. We're very aware of our situation at the moment, we know we have to do better at taking points regardless of the stats over the past two years because one look at the table tells you we're not on top, which is where we want to be. We'll be doing everything possible to improve the situation as we get into the critical stages of the season. As for the midfield, maybe we are a bit less effective statistically but we've scored more goals than last season and the season before so it's really just a question how you look at it". Alberman also spoke about the team's results against the two main rivals in the league: "I agree, we should have taken more than one point of the first nine against Kiryat Shmona and Beer Sheva, but there are plenty of games left to play at the top. But if we want to hold onto the title of course we'll have to get more points out of these match-ups".
Alberman has been in the starting eleven fifteen times this season and is grateful for every minute out there on the pitch, even when he's substituted: "You can see that there are plenty of players on the squad that haven't seen much time on the pitch and I think we're all grateful for whatever time we get and try to make the best use of that time for the good of the team. So far I'm concerned, there's no reason to complain".
