Garcia: Skelina needs continuity, I would like to have Selahi
Hajduk's coach spoke ahead of the match against Istra 1961 about squad plans, travel issues, and the young talents who have stepped up.
Hajduk's coach spoke ahead of the match against Istra 1961 about squad plans, travel issues, and the young talents who have stepped up.
Ahead of Sunday's HNL Round 2 match against Istra 1961, which kicks off at 9:00 PM at Poljud, Hajduk coach Gonzalo Garcia reflected on the current state of the team. He touched on a range of topics, from tactical changes and player fatigue to the fate of young prospects and potential reinforcements.
Garcia explained why he made changes to the formation against Žalgiris. "We always have several ways during the match and we play what we think is best at that moment. I think we played quite well with three in the build-up against Pafos, but in the return leg it wasn't as good. The players also have to feel on the pitch what is best for them," said Garcia.
When asked if he misses last season's players like Hugo and Krovinović, who provided defensive balance, he answered decisively. "I don't regret letting them go; that was our decision. The market is still open, Niko Sigur can play in that way. We have to play with energy. Sigur can play that role when he's fully ready, Pajaziti is doing well, even though he's not exactly that type of player," the coach clarified.
He also addressed the condition of injured Alec van Hoorenbeeck. "We took Alec off as a precaution. He complained about his groin, a muscle, even though he wanted to stay on the pitch, but I didn't want to take any risks," Garcia revealed.
He devoted much more time to Marin Skelina, whom he did not take to the away match in Lithuania. "Skelina has a good future at Hajduk, but my feeling is that he's constantly going up and down, and he needs continuity. He hasn't gotten that here, partly due to injuries. The reality, I don't know if he'll agree, is that he should temporarily leave, get away from here. He's an excellent player, I'm sure he'll come back as a better player and he'll still be young," Garcia emphasized. He compared it to the situation of Noa Skoko, loaned to Rudeš: "Similar, but not the same. Noa needs to find his own way; he's been here for two or three years, and it's time for him to show what he can do. Last year he had opportunities, and now he has the chance to show what he's made of."
Commenting on the atmosphere in the dressing room after the convincing win in Vilnius, Garcia highlighted the objective difficulties the team faced. "I think the dressing room is always good. We don't need excuses, but we had problems returning from Cyprus; we were late to Varaždin due to a flight delay. Even I was tired on Sunday, so you can imagine how the players felt. We lost more than 20 hours on travel; it's hard to prepare and play well like that. In Vilnius, we were fresher; after the match, we slept at the hotel, and we spent less energy on traveling. I don't want to be misunderstood; I'm not complaining, just stating that we had some objective problems," he said.
The Hajduk coach praised the young players, especially Šotiček, saying: "From day one, you can see that Šotiček is a true winger; in Vilnius, you could see what he can give us. Something we didn't have before. We're happy with him, and we'll try to improve him in every aspect." About Šutalo, who replaced Bambu, he added: "Šutalo was late to preparations; he played for the U19 national team, I didn't know him, but now he's adapted well. He has qualities I like; he has excellent character and personality. He didn't play on the wing before, but he has the ability to play there too."
Finally, he addressed the rumors about the arrival of Lindon Selahi. "We need a player who will hold the position and be defensively strong. I've known Lindon for a long time; I would like to have him, but I can't say he will come to Hajduk," Garcia concluded.
He had only words of praise for the upcoming opponent. "I like what Istra is doing; they are compact with and without the ball. They have a clear idea of how they want to play. I enjoyed what I saw from them in the friendlies and against Lokomotiva. I think they will have a good season," he said.
