The coach speaks before the game against GD Estoril Praia

Leaders Sporting CP host GD Estoril Praia on Monday in Liga Portugal, playing a side who have gone eight games unbeaten and lie seventh in the table.
Ahead of the match, coach Rui Borges talked about the difficulties that Sporting CP will face, but highlighted that they will be focused at a time when several of the regular starters remain unavailable.

“The strategic plan is to look much more at ourselves than at our opponents, who are really on a positive run, with very good dynamics, well organised, confident and have not lost since December. GD Estoril Praia are a team that will create difficulties for us, but they also have to be aware that they will face the side in first place and that they will also have a lot of difficulties at Alvalade," he began by saying.

“Viktor Gyökeres has recovered and can play 90 minutes, Morten Hjulmand and Jeremiah St. Juste are still out, Geny Catamo is still looking to get back to full fitness and Alexandre Brito is a doubt."

Borges will have to continue making adaptations, in a season in which 37 different players have already been used.

“We always say that one person's bad luck is another person's good luck. The young players have had the opportunity to work with us, to make their debuts and to make a dream come true," he commented.

“I always have to make adaptations: The line of four or five at the back, or the formation is very subjective. Therefore, more than the structure itself, it's about trying to adapt to the comfort of the players we have available and to individual behaviours and qualities."

Zeno Debast is one of the players who has adapted and has played further forward, receiving praise from Borges.

“He has adaptable characteristics. He realises that the team need this and that's why he tries to play a new position, helps and listens. He has had a huge capacity to learn and doesn't complain about not playing in his favoured position. He is always available and happy in his day-to-day life. He will easily be a leader and a good captain in the future.”
The coach also spoke about the phrase he said when he first arrived, addressing the team's inspiration and attitude.

“With inspiration, you've already seen it at times because, up until now, it hasn't been all bad. There was inspiration in several games and there was also attitude. It was only missing in the first half of the game against Gil Vicente FC. So I said it was the worst first half we've had since I arrived. I want to win and I know that sometimes we will win with attitude, which is what happened there. Because of all this, we don't have time to make beautiful music, but we have to have attitude and be effective, competent, and over time we will have better quality and for longer periods. This takes time, I won’t regret it, but in the future it will appear for longer.”

“We have not been able to implement our game idea and this can be seen if you look at the trajectory of this coaching staff. We haven't had time to train much, but, more than that, we haven't had the players available. Adding to this, the team was not created according to Rui Borges' model, it was created according to Ruben Amorim's style, and there had to be some adaptations. It's been a different challenge for us as a technical committee."

"We tried to adapt, but we are clearly far from Rui Borges' complete idea. Still, there's no point in me sitting here lamenting that. The coach has to find solutions and has to be able to adapt to the context, the moment and everything that involves coaching a team. It's all a challenge, but it makes me grow as a coach so that I can be more capable and better in the future."