Solskjaer: There's an outbreak of diarrhoea in the squad

Beşiktaş defeated Irish team St. Patrick's 3-2 in the second leg of the UEFA Europa Conference League third qualifying round, advancing to the next round.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, the manager of the black and white team, said in the press conference after the match that they won the match by making tactical changes.

"WE MADE THE MATCH DIFFICULT OURSELVES"

Speaking at the post-match press conference, Solskjaer said:

We made the game difficult ourselves. We gave away a penalty early in the match. We knew our opponents would defend deep. We conceded a goal from a free kick. We scored just before halftime. We made tactical changes during the break and scored two goals. Today's match showed how well we played against our opponents last week. Teams like that are difficult to play against, and our opponent is a tough team to play against.

"WE SHOULD START MATCHES BY SCORED THE FIRST GOAL, NOT BEHIND 2-0"

Solskjaer stated that he was not happy with the performance in the first half and used the following statements:

I wasn't happy with their performance, and I said it shouldn't have happened this way. I said we needed to be more passionate, more upbeat. I'd say we started the second half better. We need to start matches by scoring the first goal, not trailing 2-0.

"OUR TEAM WANTS TO PRESSURE FROM THE FRONT"

The Norwegian coach noted that they should not give the opponent a chance while putting pressure up front and made the following assessment:

Our tactical pressing principle is determined by our player group. We're a team that wants to press up front. We conceded a goal from a ball that was played in behind. We need to press better. We need to defend the backline effectively when everyone's forward. Every coach wants Van Dijk. Our players shouldn't allow scoring opportunities when pressing. I know we're giving the opponent too many chances. We need to change the way we give them chances. We want to press up front every match, but we can't press up front for 34 matches.

"I HOPE WE WILL MAKE OUR FANS EVEN MORE HAPPY ON SUNDAY"

Solskjaer said that Beşiktaş players are working well and said:

I hope we'll make our fans even happier on Sunday. We've scored 9 goals and conceded 9 in 4 matches. If we want to win the championship, we need to concede fewer goals. We've had an intense training camp. We're laying the groundwork for the season. We've been working hard and diligently throughout the week. We were confident we'd win. We won this match, and this intense training will help us throughout the season. Last year, Beşiktaş started well, then went downhill. We want the opposite this year. We'll see we're ready by Sunday. I see the players' passion on the pitch. They're working very hard. Our conditioning coach is training our players very hard. This will help us throughout the season.

"WE HAVE BANNED SHAKENING HANDS IN THE FACILITY"

When our reporter Hazal Palavar asked why Al Musrati was not in the squad, the experienced coach gave the following answer:

I had Kartal, Salih, and Amir on the bench today. I've made the decision to bench players from other positions. Al Musrati was also ill. That's why he didn't come to Ireland last week. I can say there was a diarrhea outbreak at the facility. Rashica also missed the match. I hope that's over now. We've banned handshakes in the facility. Everyone shakes their fists.

"I DON'T THINK MY BOND WITH THE FANS HAS WEAKENED"

Solskjaer said he enjoys the pressure and the high expectations, and emphasized that he is confident in his work, saying:

I don't think my bond with the fans has weakened. Expectations are very high. When we arrived in January, the team was in 6th or 7th place. We want to build a team everyone will support. I'm sure the fans will see better. We're not perfect right now, but I know we'll get better. We want to win every match 4-0, but that's not always possible. Sometimes your opponents can make things difficult for you. We go out to win every match. Everyone wants to attack constantly, create opportunities, and score goals, but we have to be a team that deserves those opportunities. Pressure is important to becoming a better team. I love pressure. I like the high expectations. Players also need to handle criticism well. Young players need to learn this. Players like Rafa, Joao, Mert, and Tammy know this. Our goal here is to build a great team. There may be tough times, but I'm confident in what I'm doing. Expectation is something that keeps us alive. We need players who can handle the pressure; that's the kind of team we're building. There will always be criticism. We have to constantly improve. We need a group of players who can handle the pressure.

Source: News Center