Dabrauskas: “We were lucky not to lose, I think I’m not the problem”

Declarations after his team’s 1-1 draw in the home match against PAS Ioannina, made the coach of OFI, Valdas Dabrauskas.

After stating that his side were lucky not to be beaten, he reflected on the absences he has had to manage, before stressing that he does not believe that is the problem after recent negative results.

What the OFI coach said in detail:



On whether OFI feels lucky: “We were lucky not to lose, with Panserraikos we were unlucky not to win and that’s football”.

For the picture of OFI in the game: “Both in the first half and in the second we were not good. We scored so early and maybe the energy we put out gave you the impression we were good. We had some chances but I don’t think we were good. Today we had a limited bench due to the absences. Riera asked for a half-time substitution due to some problems he had during the week. By putting other players on the pitch, we tried to find the answer to the game plan. In the second half the opponent had possession, we could have conceded two more goals and Bowman made important interventions. After 75; with 80? we had chances, we didn’t play well and we could have taken the result and ended the game there. We don’t have that instinct to finish games this year.

This month we played four games, had two draws and two defeats. Regarding the “small team” characterization I disagree because one half cannot define a team if it is small or big. Last season we played three games against PAS, we were ahead 1-0 and in the second half the opponent disappeared from the game. When we’re here and when we didn’t play well and didn’t win, I’m not happy with how we played. I really understand the feelings of all of you because I have been here for a year and day and night I live with the same for the team. What can we do, we were expecting this dark period to end today but it didn’t happen today. We have to get out of this situation. Even last year’s OFI, which was fighting for its stay, we cannot call it a small team”.

For his changes and match management: “When we are all together, I have no complaints but on the contrary we have more quality than many teams. But sometimes there are peculiarities like the cards where Caro, Abada were missing, Glazer had to leave for the national team, Bakic and Toral are injured and everyone is important for this team.

These conditions prevail in all teams, the problem is the cards and we unlike other teams, we do not declare them with the big teams because we want to be competitive in these games as well. You may disagree on this but we have to look at the ego of the team but if you want to have the mentality of a big team and not a small team and I believe that in the long run that’s how a team becomes big. I don’t want you to take this as an excuse but today we didn’t have the depth we needed to win the game. I believe that after the game against Panserraikos, but we were not fresh”.

On the reactions of the crowd after the game: “This happens in all the stadiums of the world, this is football. When you win, the fans applaud you, when you lose, the opposite happens, these are feelings. It’s not pleasant, I can’t control the fans, I can do it for my team. But it is clear that we have to show more personality, improve and present a better face”.

As to whether he is OFI’s problem: “I have to really think about whether I’m the problem, I don’t think it’s me. It’s a combination that’s the problem and I don’t think there’s any coach in the team who thinks that’s the problem. The motivation that exists is different”.