The coach reacts to the 2-1 win over FC Famalicão

After the final whistle in the game against FC Famalicão, Sporting CP coach Rúben Amorim, analysed the victory in a press conference.

"We could and should have done several things differently. It was not our best game: We ran a lot, but often badly, because we wanted to press across the whole pitch and we suffered with their long balls," he began by telling journalists present at the Estádio José Alvalade.

“Above all, we weren't able to settle our play down like we usually do, and that can be seen in the possession statistic of 55%-45%. In the first half, when play opened up, we either had the ball behind us or we made the wrong decision. We had little inspiration and scored a goal without doing much for it. We were leading at half-time without allowing many opportunities to the opposition, besides the great save by Adán."

"In the second half we started better, we scored a goal and in a phase in which we really settled in, we lost a ball without pressure on us and everything got a bit more difficult. I think it was a fair victory for a team that have to be better playing at home," he assessed.

"You have games that are like that. We have been very consistent in our performance and sometimes not so much in terms of results, and today it was the opposite, because we won. There's a lot to improve."

Amorim related this to a wider point, stating: "As much as we are told that it was the lack of goals that hindered us this season, I think there were more important things that limited us. We also lost important players, there's no hiding that, but it doesn't explain it all. There were games in which we dominated and what was lacking was consistency, and that is what we have to take into the next season. This game does not sum up the season in general."

Afterwards, the coach explained his decision to replace Pedro Gonçalves on 55 minutes.

"He's such a consistent player and that even if he's not playing well he can still change games, but I thought that today's performance wasn't up to that and he also needed a rest. He seemed tired, without imagination, without explosion. I didn't take him off at half-time because I wanted to leave him on a little longer. For example, I felt that Trincão was growing into the game and Youssef [Chermiti] gave us depth."

Asked about the four players who are still sidelined through injury, Amorim said that "Daniel Bragança won't play again this season, as we're not taking any chances with him, but I think we'll have some time for him to get back into the group and that's great news. So many times I left him out when he had played and trained well, he suffered some bad luck and I was without him for almost a year -and I missed him a lot. Paulinho will be able to play this season, but as for St. Juste and Jovane I would say they won't."

Talking about Ricardo Esgaio, who scored his first ever goal for the Sporting CP first team and was named Man of the Match, the coach expressed his pleasure with the showing.

"He did his job. I defend him because I think he has the quality to play for Sporting CP. He has different characteristics and, to see what football is like, he kept up with a player who is a phenomenon in his position. Now, every time we hear news about [Pedro] Porro, it seems that they are talking about Esgaio in England. That's how football is. Today he played a normal game for him and we are trying to find his position in the rotation with Marcus, with him playing lower. He helped the team, he deserves it and only those who work like he does are able to recover the way he did."

Finally, Rúben Amorim also addressed the progress made by Hidemasa Morita, scorer of the other goal against FC Famalicão.

"Morita is perhaps the best at playing with both feet in the buildup. He is very good between the lines, appearing in the spaces and holding the ball. Matheus [Nunes] came off and he adapted very well to the position. If we look, everyone around the strikers are scoring many more goals than usual, and we'll see if that helps the strikers, because I also think we will improve in that respect," he concluded.