Maccabi Tel Aviv midfielder Avi Rikan spoke to reporters ahead of next Sunday’s TASE Premier League clash with Hapoel Kiryat Shmona at Bloomfield (kickoff 20:15) and said the team was looking forward and trying to put the disappointment of the late equaliser last week by Hapoel Haifa behind them.
“We have got over the last game. I don’t think there is going to be any relation to what happened in Haifa when we take the field on Sunday. Once a game is over, we look forward to the next challenge,” Rikan said.
Asked whether Maccabi’s less emphatic results of late were a seasonal thing, Rikan responded: “I don’t think there is a connection to the time of year, and us dropping more points. Each game has to be viewed in context.”
He said that it was not easy to explain why despite dominating so many games and situations, there were relatively few goals, which cost points in some cases.
“It’s hard to explain why this is the case. We always say that we were in control and we would never lose if we were able to score. We are obviously doing things correctly but when we are in control we do need to score more. We are in control in the games, although it may not only be in attacking situations, but our opponents have few chances to score, which is good, although let’s not forget that there are some good teams in the league.”
He said Eran Zahavi’s addition to training with the club was a welcome addition.
“It’s good to see Eran Zahavi training with us, he gives us a push and it’s to our advantage.”
