Luis Enrique shrugs off Messi sub snub controversy The Argentina star appeared to ignore calls to be withdrawn against Eibar but the former midfielder insists he will often consult players before deciding on substitutions Luis Enrique refused to be drawn into an argument over Lionel Messi s apparent refusal to be substituted in Barcelona s victory over Eibar. Messi scored Barcas third goal in the 3-0 win at Camp Nou on Saturday and head coach Luis Enrique appeared to signal to the striker his intention to bring him off. However, the Argentina international - who needs just two goals to become the all-time leading goalscorer in La Liga - seemed to ignore those calls and Neymar was withdrawn instead. Luis Enrique was reluctant to discuss the issue ahead of Barcas Champions League clash with Ajax on Tuesday and insisted it was normal to consult a player before making a decision over a possible change. I dont want to really get into this kind of discussion, he said. We have to worry about so many different things when we talk about substitutions, whos on a yellow card, whos injured. Sometimes I make mistakes. I dont want to get into the kind of argument about how youve interpreted this substitution. Before we make substitutions we like to ask the players how theyre feeling, whether theyve take a knock, whether theyre in trouble, we make decisions depending on what they tell us. Particularly when its the last change as its the last one youve got. I think people have interpreted things the way they wanted to about what happened the other day. But for me its all about the confidence I have in the players, what I see on the pitch and what the players have told me is happening. I wont change that, thats how I will act during my tenure as Barca coach. Having lost their last Champions League match at Paris Saint-Germain, Barca need to get their Group F campaign back on track against the Eredivisie champions. Luis Enrique is keen for his men not to take the Dutch side lightly and pointed to Barcas 2-1 loss to Ajax in Amsterdam in last seasons group stage as proof of their quality. Were going to have to play a very good game, he added. We dont want Ajax to let their virtues to flourish and they have many virtues. They are a side that like to take risks, bring the ball out of defence; they play the ball well and put opposition under pressure. We saw last year they can cause difficulties for Barca, in fact they did beat Barca. So its a game where we need to be at our best. The former midfielder also confirmed Sergio Busquets will undergo tests prior to Tuesdays game to determine if he is fit enough to start. We will conduct medical tests on Busquets tomorrow [Tuesday] morning to see if he will be able to play. We are used to playing every three or four days, and the most important match for us at the moment is one against Ajax, not the Clasico.
Posted on: Mon, 20 Oct 2014 16:24:27 +0000
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