The national team's coach, Maran, analyzed the 0-1 friendly defeat against Luxembourg.
"You can't feel good after two losses, this is a step back. I'm sorry we didn't want it, I was hoping to play a different match. But most likely we also suffered the consequences of not being classified, maybe we brought them into these two matches. It shouldn't be an alibi, they serve me to understand what should and shouldn't be done. The commitment was maximum, but in terms of energy, the team has paid a little for not being qualified.
We took a step back, I looked for different things and in this period with little energy, we didn't manage to do them. In my opinion, we did better with Israel in the build-up, today we conceded a goal quickly and we tried to look for the result not with what we had tried, but with instinct. This shouldn't happen. It's a step back, but even by trying different things, it had to be seen if they could be done and I could only do them in these matches. This is a team that suffers when it's prolonged, I have to make sure that doesn't happen again. I was hoping to add something, but we took something away from the momentum, we have to be able to review things to return the distances in a balanced way.
I think the players are, but I also need to understand and I needed these matches for special experiments. We made the defenders suffer, because they have other needs to be covered. I need to metabolize it and help the team. I needed them because we had to do tests to understand the answers. But I knew that I was also facing something that was not working. Hierarchy? I know players that I knew from the outside, but I would see them in training. They made me reflect, as is right because otherwise they do not serve. Many players came who did not play and from the energy we suffered in these two matches. But if I did not benefit in this case too, then it became difficult for me, that way the test was more complete. We wanted to do well, the boys were committed, I have the responsibility that I did not transmit it, maybe I created the difficulties, to increase knowledge. But we could have done more, it cannot be denied.
Were Muçi and Manaj missing? In these matches I tried to create alternatives. In my opinion, I expected improvement and it didn't happen. In my opinion, we have the opportunities, today the attempts were a little more impure. This was the end of the season, after a period after failure, the energies... We have to calculate these too. It shouldn't be an alibi, but we have to be objective to understand the psychophysical energies of how many players have arrived after disappointment. I am convinced that this can give us maximum attention when we meet for the Nations League, we will have even more energy and attention than they weigh. It is not nice to lose matches in front of our fans.
The positive things? The willingness of the players, then they also tried to give something. They made themselves available, there was a lack of clarity to show the things we had tried. Most likely, conceding a goal made us lose a little clarity. Readiness is something that I hold dear. These days we have been together, I got to know a motivated group and I have a better knowledge of the material and the players that I have at my disposal. Every coach, maybe directly in other matches, could have had difficulties. But these served me, in others I could have behaved differently but I benefited by taking risks. But we have to come out well in the matches that matter, I am convinced of this", Maran told "SuperSport" after the match.
