Jordi Cruyff, the Yellow & Blue Head Coach addressed the assembled media at the prematch press conference ahead of his squad’s Matchday 31 Israel Premier League Ligat Ha’Al contest:
“It’s an important game for many reasons and to stop the negative sequences and turn it around tomorrow.”
What needs to be done:
“The players see how we are standing now and they saw how we were two points off the top before the playoffs. We can see where we are now. We are very conscience of where we are in the standings and what we have to do.
Putting an end to the losing streak:
“We changed the lineup last week to try to find different ways to stop it. It’s not about tactics or the players but the run we are on. We’ve given up 10 goals over the last few games. We are conceding to much. The main problem is there and once we concede we have a difficult time reacting.”
Focusing on ourselves:
“I don’t look at others and just focus on ourselves. Change it and give 200%. We have to do what we need to and not look at others. We are in trouble for Europe but we shouldn’t think about other teams that should help us, we need to do it ourself.
Fighting for Europe:
“We need to look at what we have to fight for and there’s a lot to fight for. The club wants to play European competition. We have two players like Vidar who wants to get onto the list to experience the World Cup. The bigger the failure the bigger the changes.”
Many loaned players at Bnei Yehuda:
“They will come with super motivation. The loaned players in general have had good steps to where they are now, from Beitar Tel Aviv/Ramle and they are closing the gap. I sure some will be back at Maccabi next year.”
A game of unanswered questions:
“Football is a game with a lot of unanswered questions just like the first and second halves against Beitar. You don’t know why things go from down up or up down. I believe it’s in the head, mentality and mental strength. We have to wake up before it’s too late.”
Refocus and regroup:
“There’s no one with a holiday mentality and everyone is clearly concerned and see where we have fallen. There is professional pride. It’s not a normal situation after seeing the four games how we could have taken points and it’s in the head. We have to refocus and regroup and putting fighters and players that have a point to prove on the pitch.”
The effect of the announcement that Jordi is leaving:
“With that announcement speculation had ended. When you leave it for later and to the end of May then you have less managers to choose from. Maybe a potential coach is watching these games and it could push a player to give more and secure themselves a position with the club next season.”
Final thoughts:
“We could have won and drawn the last number of matches but we ended up losing even though we had more shots and more possession. We didn’t lose the league over the last three games. We have been irregular and lost points against teams that we should normally defeat.”
Icelandic striker Vidar Kjartansson also spoke ahead of the Bnei Yehuda match:
“The last four games have been very bad and we have I turn it around. We can say that we should have won but we didn’t. In the interview I did I said it might have effected some but we are professionals. We have been playing quite bad in the last third and making mistakes defensively.”
Status at Maccabi and looking ahead to the World Cup in Russia:
“I don’t want to leave and I’m at a good club. One day I’d like to play in a better league. But that’s something to deal with at the end of the season. I want to go to Russia but you have to play well in every game and that’s what I’m thinking now. We have a lot of good strikers and I have to play well in every game and show the coach that I can do something to be on the Iceland team and go to Russia.”
Helping the team:
“I wasn’t getting a lot of chances at the start of the season and I want to score as much as I can. But I’d rather score less and be in first and not vice versa. The most important thing right now is to help the team.”
Content with scoring 20 goals across all competitions:
“It’s quite a good number but I want a higher number at the end. My goal was to win the league.”
