- Our squad was good at getting the ball to the visiting side’s penalty area but then it looked like a player was missing. Why did our players perform so little short shots during the match?
- I can agree with you to a certain degree. The opposing side gets more active the further you proceed into their territory. And we did have a few opportunities which could have been better exploited.
- Our squad was not very successful in defensive performances. Do you view this as a result of individual or systemic mistakes?
- We made unnecessary mistakes in certain situations and we were sometimes forced to that by the visiting side.
- What is the reason for Denis Glushakov’s mistakes in rather simple situations?
- Matches are all different from one another. This was not his best match but he tried hard. We substituted him when he started growing tired.
- What happened to your team during the 13 minutes when Brazil scored three goals in a row?
- We had a substitution ready 30 seconds before each goal. I had a feeling that Brazil was seizing the initiative and we needed a fresh player. You cannot lose concentration even for two minutes, save thirteen, at a level like this. You can give up territory but never the initiative in matches with offense-oriented. We did not have a detailed conversation right after the match. We will analyse the match and then talk to our players.
- What can you say about Brazil national compared to Spain, Argentina and Belgium?
- Brazil has brilliant players. I cannot even remember the last time they lost. We had a desire to win today but the visiting side was stronger in certain components. If you are to compare Brazil to teams you have mentioned, they are more or less of the same level although with a different tactical performance.
- Did it affect the result that Vasin, Dzhikia and Kokorin were sitting out due to injuries?
- Some of our important players suffered injuries and we will follow up on their rehabilitation. But we need not complain about that as this may be insulting to players who are healthy. We did have an experiment with central defenders and we need to be patient about such things. It appears that we have to build the team from ground zero again.
- A full house was anticipated at Luzhniki but there were many empty seats. What is the reason for that?
- I am not the best person to address this question to. And we could feel our fans’ support irrespective of their numbers. We are thankful to our fans for pushing us forward.
- What did you like about Russian national team’s performance today?
- I liked certain moments and episodes. The match today was quite similar to our match against Argentina?
- What did you tell the team in the dressing room?
- I won’t tell you all the secrets but we did not have any pep-up talks. Misfortune is different fault and that was a misfortune today. It is difficult jumping too many steps at once. We had to adapt to the visiting side as the match progressed. Brazil enjoyed possession at first but then we started getting a feel of the game. We had new defenders today and Samedov rejoined us after a break.
- You have a match against France ahead. Any chance to see Denis Cheryshev in the lineup?
- I cannot answer this question. We invited him to the camp to get to know him better and get an understanding of how we can use him. Having him on the pitch just after two workouts would be light-headedly. We will take time to think.
- Did not you have a feeling that our squad was missing a pure centre half back? May it have been beneficial to have Neustedter in the lineup?
- Let us take decisions based on how we view it. Neustedter performed as a centre half back at Euro 2016 and what happened? It was you who wrote petitions asking to dissolve the national team. He performs as a central defender for a long time and you need to gradually prepare him to a midfielder position.
- When will we finally stop torturing players with winter football?
- We used to play on the snow in severe weather conditions before and things are much better now. I am thankful to Luzhniki staff for preparing this ideal pitch. It allowed both squads to show their best today.
