Garcia on Poljud Message: That's Not My Area of Work
Hajduk's coach after the draw with Istra (2:2) refused to comment on fan chants, and the spokesperson completely dismissed the journalist's question.
Hajduk's coach after the draw with Istra (2:2) refused to comment on fan chants, and the spokesperson completely dismissed the journalist's question.
Hajduk could only manage a 2:2 draw against Istra at Poljud on Saturday in the second round of the SuperSport HNL, thus failing to secure a win for the second consecutive match. The Whites led 2:1 with goals from Rokas Pukštas and Marko Livaja, but the visitors fought back through Emil Frederiksen and Dukan Ahmeti, who set the final score in stoppage time.
The most attention after the match was drawn by the press conference where coach Gonzalo Garcia was asked about the fans chanting "Board, resign!". The question was cut short as the club's spokesperson intervened, saying: "That's not a question for the coach, he doesn't have to answer that now; let's stick to the match."
Garcia briefly added, "That's not my area of work," after which the conversation returned to the pitch.
The Spanish tactician did not hide his frustration with the way his team concedes goals. "Again we conceded in stoppage time. Again stupid goals. This is a recurring pattern," said Garcia. He highlighted that the key moment was the drop in concentration after Livaja scored to make it 2:1.
"We scored the second goal, suddenly we stopped pressing, we let them easily reach our 16-meter box, and then we got into trouble. We need to change that. If we lead 2:1, I want to win 3:1, I don't want us to drop back," he emphasized.
Hajduk's coach also admitted to problems in possession. "Today we played with a back four; sometimes we play with three, but I think the problem is that we weren't well organized today. We lost balls and allowed unnecessary transitions. We wanted too much, and sometimes you forget the basics," he analyzed.
Despite that, Garcia claims he is not disappointed with the start of the season in which Hajduk has already conceded 12 goals. "It's not an easy season; we started poorly, there are many changes and novelties. I think we're doing well in Europe. We're in a good position against Žalgiris, but the fact is we're struggling in the league. It's not easy for us to play in such short periods; many players lack that experience mentally and physically," he explained.
When directly asked about the defenders' performance, Garcia placed the defense in a broader context. "The goals we've conceded are often stupid goals. It all starts with pressing, but I think we're conceding more goals than we deserve. Last season we were a team that pressed the opponent very well as a whole, and we defended more easily; this season we have more problems with that."
He added that opponents don't create many chances: "In my opinion, opponents create fewer chances than the goals suggest. Pafos was the only one that created more than 3-4 good chances against us."
Regarding possible squad changes, he said he has players like Racio, Acapandie, and Melnjak on the bench, but that it's "a team matter, not an individual one."
