A disappointed Diego Simeone spoke to the media as the Atlético de Madrid coach rued the drop-off in the team’s performance in a 2-1 defeat against Liverpool at Anfield in the first game of their Champions League campaign.
“I think it’s normal not to perform at the same level in the second half, that would mean we’re not physically up to scratch,” Simeone explained. “In the first half we played well. In the second half, we didn’t, and then you start making mistakes or errors in the second half, and all the effort
you put in simply becomes a footnote.
“It happened in Bilbao. It’s happened here, at Anfield,” Simeone said, recalling Saturday’s 3-0 defeat at Athletic Club. But, to be honest, what matters, what counts, are the results. The details are important too. We’re conceding a lot of goals, of course. Three in Bilbao, one in Seville, two tonight, and that’s down to the team.
“We have to work on it. We have to work very hard,” Simeone continued. “I’ve said we’re in a building phase. People don’t like to hear that, but we’re building and we still have several things to sort out.”
Diego Simeone on Cristian Romero and Julián Alvarez
“Cuti Romero joined us two weeks ago. He looked in good form tonight. I really liked Cuti’s performance tonight. He was strong today. He showed responsibility. He showed the ability to sort out individual situations.
“I think Julián was fantastic. He wanted the ball all the time, from the first minute to the 90th, and that makes me very happy.”
Simeone on the change of system in the second half
“I think that, when the substitutions came on, while we were losing, we looked for different solutions that would allow us to get back into the game, because we hadn’t had many chances. In the first half, we perhaps had one. I can’t remember exactly right now. I don’t know if we had many chances in the second half, but I have no doubt that the little details in football are what determine whether you’re at the top, in the middle of the table or down there, and we needed, or need, to adjust certain things, because many of the goals we conceded are our own fault. They’re our responsibility.”
Simeone on Julián Alvarez’s place in the starting line-up
“I spoke to him this morning. He spoke very well to me and, fortunately, I decided he had to play, and I’m glad I did, because that’s the sort of match I want to see, the sort of performance I want to see from him.”
Simeone on keeping possession
“I think the team played the sort of match they needed to play. We need to start understanding and interpreting certain moments in the match where we need to keep playing in a certain way or change it slightly. We didn’t do that today. I think that’s why we ended up conceding the goals we did, but I think the team gave it their all. It’s a really important match.
“I think the team wants to improve, and I think we have to accept those small details that are making everything we’ve done seem pointless, because a defeat completely erases any positive aspects you might take from the match.”
