The coach reviews the win over Vitória SC

In the aftermath of the triumph against Vitória SC (1-0), on Matchday 10 of the Liga Portugal season, coach Rúben Amorim put into perspective a run of six consecutive victories.

“Those games have passed. I look at this series of games and will say that there is usually an interruption. Both the team and I just want to win the next game. Everything is open on several fronts, and there is still a long way to go. Of course, it gives us confidence and helps the team, but it's worth what it's worth”, said the coach, before being asked about the move in which Sebastián Coates headed in from a corner, something that also happened in the last game, against Moreirense FC, and twice in Turkey, against Beşiktaş JK.

“It is to the credit of Coates and Adélio Cândido, Carlos Fernandes and Emanuel Ferro, who work a lot on set pieces. We are a team who are strong in these situations and have a lot of players in different areas. Coates has this ability off headers. He knows how to see if the ball is coming through or not, and that's something certain players have. We want to improve and for Coates to continue to score," he said, before praising the Uruguayan as “a great player who thinks like a striker when he is in the opposing area, but when he is in his own area he thinks like a central defender.”

"He is an increasingly complete player and we are very happy to have such an athlete amongst us."

As for the final stretch of the match, in which Sporting CP had to suffer, Amorim stated that this is a situation that the team “must know how to live with."

“It's not the first time we've suffered in the final minutes. Once we lost some of the pressure up front, the midfielders suffered and the defenders didn't go between the lines as much. Nevertheless, we are a team that knows how to defend. We also formed a line of five when necessary and we were able to adapt to each moment of the game. We didn't defend deep as a strategy, but rather because our opponents forced us to. The others team play too, and as soon as we started to get tired, even when we changed players, keeping up high pressing is difficult if you don't get it right,” he explained.

The importance of defence for a team which has the best record in the Portuguese league, with only four goals conceded, was another of the issues addressed by the coach.
“It's one of the strengths of the team, just like it was last season. But I will say again: It's not just the defence. It is often the forwards not only attacking, but also defending and putting pressure on the midfielders. We are a very united team, and that helps when you have to defend, build in a 5-4-1 or press high up. Without conceding goals, our team always finds a way to score, even if it is through set pieces to Coates," he said.

For the coach, overtaking SL Benfica moving joint leaders with FC Porto is insignificant whilst their rivals are technically top.

“We have the same number of points, but if the season ended today we wouldn't be in first place. There's a lot to play for and it only takes a draw to change the leader. We have to look at this naturally, as it will happen during the season. We must always be alert,” he warned, before guaranteeing that this Sporting CP side “are much more of a team than last season."

“I'm lucky that the players understand the moments within a game better and better. Today we suffered a lot at the end and we showed that we still have the same ability to stick together that we did last season. We are much better, especially considering the same period last season,” he assured.

To close, Amorim shared the credit for the fact that Sporting CP have not lost at home in Liga Portugal since he arrived in Alvalade, in March 2020, going an impressive 33 home games unbeaten.

“It is a credit to everyone who is here, from the kitman to the president. Everyone has responsibility in the good times, and everyone does their part. Now we have to keep going. This sequence of games doesn't give us anything yet, and if we don't win the next match then we will be out of the Champions League. We have to win every day, and of course we want to keep this run going, but what matters is the points in the standings," he concluded.