NEWS
"We are Urawa Reds. We want to show that we are going to win," said manager Maciej Skorza (regular press conference, 11/28)
On the 28th, manager Maciej Skorza held an online press conference, where he spoke about his enthusiasm for the Meiji Yasuda J1 League Round 37 match against Avispa Fukuoka, which will be held at Best Denki Stadium on (Sat), November 30th.
(I think there are several elements to the final two games, not just the Fukuoka match, and what the Reds need to achieve, such as football and mental aspects. Could you please explain them in order?)
"First of all, we are going to try to win these two games. No matter who the starters are, we are going to go for the win. I want to finish this season aiming for at least a top 10 finish. At the same time, it is a chance to give some of the players who have often started on the bench a chance to play. And I think we can try out new ways of fighting and new setups for next season. I want to make these games a success for the team in every sense."
(I have the impression that since Maciej took over as manager in September, he has used many players with a proven track record. Was it difficult to use them at the end of the season, even though you thought they were good when watching them in training? Or was it that you felt that there were many players who were not good enough to use in matches?)
"When I came to Japan, my first goal was to avoid relegation. I tried to prepare as strong a starting eleven as possible without making too many changes to the members, and to maintain that. The first match after that pressure was over was against Kawasaki (Frontale), but there was a rule that we had to play with the members from the first match (before the suspension). It was only after that pressure was over that we could be a little more courageous in selecting our members. We have a number of players who are performing well in training. I want to give those players the opportunity to play in the J1 League. So I think we will see some new faces on the pitch in the next two matches."
(There is Hidetoshi Takeda, a player whom Coach Maciej did not see last year, but who is still young and played a few games in the first half of the season, but he did not have many opportunities. He has interesting talent, but having watched him in training, how do you think he will fare within the team and what do you feel you would like to help him develop in the future?)
"Hide is always one of the best players in training. He is in a position where there is a lot of competition, and then Genki (Haraguchi) joined the team. I wanted to see Genki play as a defensive midfielder, but it was a little difficult for him to play. So this is a good opportunity to see Hide. At the same time, I want to use this as an opportunity to see the players for next season."
(How is Hiroki Abe doing? I think he is becoming much more competitive, but what does the coach think?)
"Compared to last season, my condition has improved significantly, so I think I'm getting closer to being in fighting shape."
(Will we be able to see Abe in the two remaining games?)
"I can't say no."
(You had a bitter experience in the YBC Levain Cup final last season, but what are your impressions of Fukuoka and what are the key points for victory?)
"When I think back to past games, I don't have many good memories. I think it will be important to manage negative transitions and the switch from offense to defense. Konno (Kazuya) was always a nuisance there, so I think it will be a matter of how well we can control that."
(Last season, you would have asked interesting questions at the beginning of the season, such as "If you had two people to take to a deserted island, who would they be?" But now that you've taken over in the middle of the season, have you made any efforts to get to know the characteristics of the players in such a short time?)
"We came to Japan in nervous conditions that were not very comfortable. Even during meetings with the players, I felt that they were a little uncomfortable. As we faced such difficult matches every time, we tried to limit meetings with the players as a whole as possible. We kept it to a bare minimum, but I think we will be able to build deeper relationships during next season's preseason."
(Since you took over as manager again, you've been noticeably conceding goals in the first 20 minutes of the game, but is there a big reason for that?)
"Looking at the types of goals we have conceded, I think we have some very difficult points. For example, the first goal we conceded when I came to Japan was an own goal. After that, I think we conceded many goals from set pieces in several consecutive games. In the match against Kawasaki, we also conceded a goal from a free kick. I think defensive set pieces are an issue for us going into next season, and I also think it is necessary for each individual player in Zone 1 to play with more responsibility."
You took over in the middle of the season and I imagine the most difficult part was restructuring the defensive rules. How satisfied are you with the results after nine games?
"I think they're doing a good job in terms of the team's defensive rules. And for the players who have never played under my rules before, there were some things they had to change their habits on the pitch, but I think everyone worked hard on that. To a certain extent, I'm satisfied with the way they're implementing the defensive rules."
(Like Shinzo Koroki, Tomoya UGAJIN has also announced his retirement at the end of this season. Will we be able to see them in the two remaining games?)
"There's a chance they'll play in the remaining games. I think it's a good opportunity."
(There was talk of this being a match for next season, but I think it's also to see whether the Reds need these players for next season and beyond. What kind of play does manager Maciej want from each position, or regardless of position?)
"Some players will be playing in new positions in the match against Fukuoka. We will also be trying out new setups with next season in mind, but this is a league match and we are Urawa Reds. I want to see us go for the win with the right attitude. This is an away game against a tough opponent for us. There are some matchups that will be new to us this season, so it will be a very difficult match. I think it will be a big challenge. That's why I think we need to raise our motivation even before the match."
[Urawa Reds Official Media (URD:OM)]
(I think there are several elements to the final two games, not just the Fukuoka match, and what the Reds need to achieve, such as football and mental aspects. Could you please explain them in order?)
"First of all, we are going to try to win these two games. No matter who the starters are, we are going to go for the win. I want to finish this season aiming for at least a top 10 finish. At the same time, it is a chance to give some of the players who have often started on the bench a chance to play. And I think we can try out new ways of fighting and new setups for next season. I want to make these games a success for the team in every sense."
(I have the impression that since Maciej took over as manager in September, he has used many players with a proven track record. Was it difficult to use them at the end of the season, even though you thought they were good when watching them in training? Or was it that you felt that there were many players who were not good enough to use in matches?)
"When I came to Japan, my first goal was to avoid relegation. I tried to prepare as strong a starting eleven as possible without making too many changes to the members, and to maintain that. The first match after that pressure was over was against Kawasaki (Frontale), but there was a rule that we had to play with the members from the first match (before the suspension). It was only after that pressure was over that we could be a little more courageous in selecting our members. We have a number of players who are performing well in training. I want to give those players the opportunity to play in the J1 League. So I think we will see some new faces on the pitch in the next two matches."
(There is Hidetoshi Takeda, a player whom Coach Maciej did not see last year, but who is still young and played a few games in the first half of the season, but he did not have many opportunities. He has interesting talent, but having watched him in training, how do you think he will fare within the team and what do you feel you would like to help him develop in the future?)
"Hide is always one of the best players in training. He is in a position where there is a lot of competition, and then Genki (Haraguchi) joined the team. I wanted to see Genki play as a defensive midfielder, but it was a little difficult for him to play. So this is a good opportunity to see Hide. At the same time, I want to use this as an opportunity to see the players for next season."
(How is Hiroki Abe doing? I think he is becoming much more competitive, but what does the coach think?)
"Compared to last season, my condition has improved significantly, so I think I'm getting closer to being in fighting shape."
(Will we be able to see Abe in the two remaining games?)
"I can't say no."
(You had a bitter experience in the YBC Levain Cup final last season, but what are your impressions of Fukuoka and what are the key points for victory?)
"When I think back to past games, I don't have many good memories. I think it will be important to manage negative transitions and the switch from offense to defense. Konno (Kazuya) was always a nuisance there, so I think it will be a matter of how well we can control that."
(Last season, you would have asked interesting questions at the beginning of the season, such as "If you had two people to take to a deserted island, who would they be?" But now that you've taken over in the middle of the season, have you made any efforts to get to know the characteristics of the players in such a short time?)
"We came to Japan in nervous conditions that were not very comfortable. Even during meetings with the players, I felt that they were a little uncomfortable. As we faced such difficult matches every time, we tried to limit meetings with the players as a whole as possible. We kept it to a bare minimum, but I think we will be able to build deeper relationships during next season's preseason."
(Since you took over as manager again, you've been noticeably conceding goals in the first 20 minutes of the game, but is there a big reason for that?)
"Looking at the types of goals we have conceded, I think we have some very difficult points. For example, the first goal we conceded when I came to Japan was an own goal. After that, I think we conceded many goals from set pieces in several consecutive games. In the match against Kawasaki, we also conceded a goal from a free kick. I think defensive set pieces are an issue for us going into next season, and I also think it is necessary for each individual player in Zone 1 to play with more responsibility."
You took over in the middle of the season and I imagine the most difficult part was restructuring the defensive rules. How satisfied are you with the results after nine games?
"I think they're doing a good job in terms of the team's defensive rules. And for the players who have never played under my rules before, there were some things they had to change their habits on the pitch, but I think everyone worked hard on that. To a certain extent, I'm satisfied with the way they're implementing the defensive rules."
(Like Shinzo Koroki, Tomoya UGAJIN has also announced his retirement at the end of this season. Will we be able to see them in the two remaining games?)
"There's a chance they'll play in the remaining games. I think it's a good opportunity."
(There was talk of this being a match for next season, but I think it's also to see whether the Reds need these players for next season and beyond. What kind of play does manager Maciej want from each position, or regardless of position?)
"Some players will be playing in new positions in the match against Fukuoka. We will also be trying out new setups with next season in mind, but this is a league match and we are Urawa Reds. I want to see us go for the win with the right attitude. This is an away game against a tough opponent for us. There are some matchups that will be new to us this season, so it will be a very difficult match. I think it will be a big challenge. That's why I think we need to raise our motivation even before the match."
[Urawa Reds Official Media (URD:OM)]
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