The Yellow & Blue Head Coach Jordi Cruyff looked back at his side’s 0:0 draw at the Netanya Stadium on Matchday 5 of the Israel Premier League Ligat Ha’Al. The boss spoke about his teams’s performance, his sending off and how the Maccabi players coped going a man down:
“We were dominant with 11 and held great possession. The red card was a kind of a test for how the players would react playing behind with 10 men and we had to drop back a bit. All in all it was a very good game for Maccabi to build on. I am very satisfied from the effort and the character of the team as well as the attitude and will to win.”
His sending off after the red card to Ben Haim:
“I wanted to know who made the decision and it’s not such a strange question to ask who made the call for the red card. I don’t think that this is important tonight. I said to the players I was happy and proud and we should be satisfied. The fans were amazing and pushed the team forward. I can live with the result.”
Did Ben Haim deserve the red card:
“It was probably correct but I have to see the replay.”
Villarreal match in Europa League action on Thursday:
“It’s a totally different competition and you can’t compare any team in Israel with a Spanish club. We have to reset and continue to improve on a weekly basis.”
Substituting Nick Blackman for Vidar late in the match:
“The 3 front players had a lot of importance today both on the attack and to support the midfield. Sometimes the players get tired and need to be refreshed.”
About Eliran Atar:
“He played a good game and he’s always dangerous when he has a chance to shoot but their keeper made a few good saves.”
Changes when playing with 10 men:
“I thought they were playing well and Yeini is a player that can play anywhere. He dropped back and so did Battocchio along with Rodriguez.”
Final thoughts on Maccabi’s play:
“The team in general played well. With 10 men you need players that will sacrifice instead of going forward but to also fall back.”
