Despite winning their season opener on Sunday, the new boss felt his players weren’t following instructions
Miguel Herrera has blasted his players after their 2-1 win over Club Tijuana to open the Liga MX season, saying they “did not have a good game” and need to correct their approach to match his instructions.
It was Herrera’s first league match in charge, and several key senior players including French duo Andre-Pierre Gignac and Florian Thauvin were away from the team on international duty, but he nonetheless expected better.
Tigres took a two-goal advantage through Carlos Gonzalez and Juan Pablo Vigon before conceding a bizarre deflected goal in the 74th minute to force a tense final stretch.
What has been said?
“We did not have a good game, but I like the dedication and determination, suddenly when we remembered what we want to play,” Herrera told reporters.
“This group has roots of [a long time] playing in the same way, we are trying and working to change it. Instead of pushing forwards they maintain possession, delay the game and even play with the goalkeeper. We want to eradicate that, we are really going to change it, but it is not overnight.
“We did not have a great game, but we got the result. We have to correct things, the tournament is very long and we have absences, but the team surrendered … and it’s clear that there is still a long way to go before the team becomes what we want it to be.
“Not only the French [at the Olympics], there are two Mexicans missing from our squad. … The team will be more solid.”
Praise for Vigon
Herrera did acknowledge the workrate of Vigon, who provided Tigres’ second goal with a header.
“Vigon did well what we are asking him, that he has that dedication and recovery that he has shown so much,” Hererra said.
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