Ole Gunnar Solskjaer: "We need to constantly improve ourselves"

Beşiktaş defeated St. Patrick's 3-2 in the second leg of the UEFA Conference League third qualifying round to advance to the play-off round. The Black and Whites' Norwegian manager, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, spoke at a post-match press conference.

Solskjaer said, "We actually made the game difficult ourselves. We gave away an easy penalty early in the match and fell behind. The goal we conceded afterwards was also simple. We knew our opponents would defend hard. We made substitutions at half-time and changed the balance of play. We controlled possession. We could have created many more opportunities. It's always difficult to play against teams like that."

"WE HAVE A DIFFICULT FIXTURE"

Solskjaer, explaining that they don't yet have the players to constantly press forward, said, "Tactically, our ability to press forward varies depending on the group of players. Today, we started by pressing forward, and we conceded goals in those minutes. We needed to play with more pressure and pressure. And while we're doing that, we need to keep our guard down. Every manager wants a Virgil van Dijk in their defense. We have to improve on that. We need to give our opponents fewer chances. On the other hand, we have a long and difficult fixture list. We'll play 34 league matches alone. We can't play every match by constantly pressing forward."

"WE NEED TO concede LESS GOALS"

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, stating that they have designed a style of play that will last the entire season, said, "I hope we can show our fans a better game on Sunday. We've scored nine goals and conceded nine in the four matches we've played. If we want to be champions, we need to concede fewer goals. It's still early in the season. We're preparing our team for the season as a whole. We know my players look tired today. This is due to the heavy training we've been doing during this period. But I think it's more important to start the season slowly and maintain our desire to play throughout the season, rather than start the season quickly and then fall behind. Our team will have two days of rest, and then we'll continue our preparations. Our pre-season camp wasn't very long. The important thing is to put good pressure on our players."

AL MUSRATI WORDS

Speaking about Al Musrati, the Norwegian manager said, "We used other midfield options today, and that's why Al Musrati wasn't in the squad. As far as I know, he was ill and couldn't even come to Ireland with us last week. Furthermore, because we're worried about an outbreak at the facility, even shaking hands is prohibited to protect our players. We greet them with fist bumps in the facilities."

"BEŞİKTAŞ IS A GREAT COMMUNITY"

Solskjaer, commenting on the Black and Whites fans' reaction to the game in the first half, said, "I don't think my bond with the fans has weakened. I'm in constant contact with many of them. I get positive energy. Beşiktaş is a big club. When we arrived, they were below where they should have been. We inherited a team that had struggled and lacked success in recent years. We want to take this team to the top. We're trying to build the foundation for that. I know it's hard to attack and press constantly, but we have to succeed."

"WE NEED TO IMPROVE OURSELVES"

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer stated that players who can remain mentally strong are needed in addition to talented players during difficult times. He concluded by saying, "Pressure is important to become a better team. Our players must also be more receptive to criticism. Our experienced players need to overcome this. Yes, we may be going through difficult times. Expectation is something that makes us feel alive. We need to constantly improve ourselves until praise replaces criticism. Talent is important in football, but we also need to improve mentally."