Today we didn’t look sharp and weren’t aggressive enough. We made some big mistakes in defence, especially for the first and second goals we conceded.
We did enough going forward to get the win, but in the end, we lacked the final ball and we needed to create more chances. We had most of the possession. It’s a pity we didn’t win and we really wanted to get the win. The game was divided into parts and we needed more intensity.
You returned to playing with four defenders, why was that? And why did Erokhin and Chistyakov start and not Azmoun, Lovren or Barrios?
Chistyakov will miss the next match and we needed to keep some defenders fresh, we try to everyone a fair amount of playing time and rest. Against CSKA we didn't pressure them enough in attack or control the ball enough, we mainly played on the back foot. With Erokhin, we were able to challenge their attacks more and be more in control.
Chistyakov came off as he was on a yellow card and any incident could have affected the game if he’d have been sent off. Barrios has been playing a lot and it was clear he needed a rest. Wendel and Kuzyaev are more attacking players so we needed them more in a game where we were attacking. Sardar needs to get back to his best in training, he played a little against CSKA, and I hope we’ll see him at his best in the remaining two games of the year.
Why did Claudinho take the penalty?
Rakitskiy rarely takes penalties and Artem didn't score his last penalty, Sardar also missed one for his country, so that's why Claudinho took it.
The fans left the stadium in protest at recent events involving CSKA fans and the authorities. How much did this fact affect the team?
Strongly influenced. The supporters are our 12th man and it's hard for us to play away without their support. I’m with their campaign and I think to keep people in the stadium is wrong and unacceptable. If the public see this they will not want to come to the stadium and football is for the fans. There are certain rules, but such situations have to be dealt with differently. As far as I know, there were no fights in the stands during our match with CSKA, only some flares were used so what happened was very odd. Fans see what happened and have united in this issue. I support them and I support those fans who support their teams at the stadium without breaking the rules.
What did you say to the referee at full time?
I did not mention the refereeing. There are competent authorities who look at the performance of the refs. I say only nice things about the referee or nothing at all.
Rostov’s second goal came after Wendel went down, it seems Wendel goes down too easily when he’s touched.
When the referee sets a certain level for challenges, then the players understand that and respond to it.
