Lucescu: “We still haven’t shown last year’s figures – Let it go

THE Lucescu certainly and he was satisfied with the way PAOK fought against Panserraikos, with the 4-1 final and the way the Despodov with great inspiration he ended the match early with one of the top goals of the season.

However, he also stood in the goal conceded by “bicep of the north» from the Serres team, saying: “we couldn’t keep running. Last year we had some elements as a team that we haven’t shown yet.”.

Details of what he commented at the press conference:

“If you want to get down to the nitty-gritty, we had a lot of chances and conceded a goal we shouldn’t have conceded. We had to stop the action of the opponent from the beginning of the phase. A foul should be called there. On the other hand, however, we had complete control of the match, especially after the dismissal of the Panserraikos player. And it was very difficult for our opponent to play against us. The match was simpler after the expulsion of Staikos. Tyson challenged PAOK’s numerical superiority.

I still want to say that we had better pressure up front. All 4 goals gave us the confidence to claim the victory. As the coach of the team, I insist a lot on the pressure my players must put on the opposition team. After the break of the first break of the national teams, we intensified our efforts. This is a positive element, but not to the extent we would like. The big teams in Europe present this element and stand out. Little by little this item is coming back. There were times when we managed to do it.”

On the phase of the goal conceded by PAOK and whether Ozdoev tried to protect himself:

“Yes, maybe it happened that way. We could have had better concentration. How could we not keep running. Last year we had some elements as a team that we haven’t shown yet. I’m thinking about this particular moment in this particular match. The runs we didn’t go after in transition. With the experience we have, they shouldn’t happen. Last year we were at 110% of the reaction we had to get. We have scored a lot. But we also received a lot. This is not normal for the way we operate and we need to improve it.”

In question about Despodov’s goal:

“For me, the moment was important. It became 0-2 after 0-1. These moments in football are very important. We have a lot of experience from this type of match. And we are confident. Every detail is important. If you ask me, Vieirinia’s goal in Agrinio but also in Tripoli, Constantelia’s goal against Atromitos. A goal by Zizvkovic against Aris.

And Kurtic’s in the semi-final of the Cup against AEK. We are a scoring team. And when we score, the beautiful goals come. But the best goals for me were Brandon’s on May 19th and Tyson’s on the same date for their importance and winning the title.

As for Despodov, I want the players to understand the aggression and the pressing that the team has to do. To create opportunities. In order to have a chance against each opponent, each player must understand the combativeness they must show. And also to put their “I” aside, for the benefit of the team. In the end, when the team wins, the players themselves are winners.

Like Tyson, Brandon, Tisundali and so on. And especially the messages they send to their teammates. Players have to be fighters.”