Ukrainian midfielder Ruslan Malinovskyafter spending half a season with Marseille, gave an interview to AFP:
– You risk missing direct qualification for the Champions League. Is it a disappointment?
– We know that we could play better, and, of course, there is disappointment. We lost a few points that we shouldn’t have lost. But last year, 72 points were enough to finish second. We already have 73 points with two games to go. We want the Champions League.
– How do you evaluate your first months in Marseille?
– It was necessary to integrate tactical elements, and I played little for six months at Atalanta in Bergamo. I lacked a bit of rhythm, I needed more connections with partners. Big club, it’s not easy to win right away. I can do better, that’s obvious. But I only performed for four months. Next season, with full preparation and more confidence, I think I will play better.
– Fans expected more goals and assists.
– I think that in Marseille I was better in the defensive phase than in the offensive phase. I spend a lot of energy to keep the defense compact, to watch my player, to defend. In attack, this is a little worse. I must find a balance. The Tiffosi want goals, assists. But there is a coach who asks you for something else, and he starts with defense. If you do not do this, then the next day he shows you a video with your mistakes, what needs to be improved. But yes, I think I can do more offensively, a lot more.
– There was another strong moment, this magnificent decisive goal against PSG.
– This is a beautiful, important goal, very emotional. I knew that Marseille had not won against PSG for a very long time. But I don’t just want to score. Quality players have consistency. This is what I’m looking for. When I came to Italy, I didn’t score in the first 20 games. I ended up playing 130 matches for Atalanta, scoring 30 goals and 25 assists.
#Tiffosi #goals #coach #starts #defense
2023-05-26 20:40:00