Luis Enrique encouraged by great all-round performance
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“We need to be consistent and compact both in attack and defence" he observed
Luis Enrique had already confessed before the game to how much of an admirer he is of Athletic Bilbao, and he felt that today’s 2-0 win at the Camp Nou was especially impressive given the quality of the opposition. “I’d stress how few chances Athletic got, even though they’re a team that likes to have the ball” he told his post-match conference. “They hardly generated any danger and you have to play well as a team to achieve that … If we want to do well, we are going to have to be consistent and compact both in attack and defence. It makes me proud that we created so many chances against a team like Athletic.”
Athletic hardly generated any danger and you have to play well as a team to achieve that
The manager admits that his players didn’t get everything right today, but did highlight how they had managed to keep another clean sheet. “To win titles you need to be strong in attack, but also in defence” he pointed out. “There is nothing more encouraging than having a great all-round team”.
He didn’t want to single out Neymar for too much praise. “I expect the best from every player” he said. “From Neymar, from Sandro, from Munir. I look at a lot more than who scores goals and there is still a lot to improve. We need the players to do a lot more than just score goals”.
Messi is the best in the world in every facet of attack, and if you’ve noticed, he’s also a brilliant defender
“Messi is the best player in the world. Not just because he scores goals but also because of his assists” continued the Asturian. “He’s the best in the world in every facet of attack, and if you’ve noticed, he’s also a brilliant defender … He does things in training that I’ve never seen before. Not even by Captain Tsubasa or on the PlayStation. It is a pleasure and a privilege to have him in the team.”
Luis Enrique did not wish to divulge why he chose to leave Piqué out of the side, or why he picked Munir ahead of Neymar. “I have a bit of everything in my squad and have to make choices. I’m sure I’ll get it wrong sometimes, but those are my decisions” he said. And with nine points out of nine so far in the league, he's clearly getting a lot of things very right indeed.