Al-Ittihad coach opens fire on the Diaby crisis and defends En-Nesyri
Germany's Jens Wissing, the technical director of Al-Ittihad, expressed his satisfaction with his side's 3-2 victory over Al-Hazm in the Saudi Roshn League, noting that the congestion of fixtures had affected the players' performance, particularly during the second half.
The Al-Ittihad coach revealed the reason behind the repeated absence of France's Moussa Diaby, despite his participation in training, and also mounted a strong defence of his Moroccan striker Youssef En-Nesyri, affirming that he has his complete trust despite the criticism he faces over his declining goalscoring rate.
Speaking during the press conference after the match, Wissing said: "We are happy with the win, and there is no easy encounter given the fixture congestion. We played five matches in two weeks, produced a brilliant first half and scored, but we lost our sharpness in the second half and allowed the opponent to attack. The most important thing in the end is securing the victory."
He added: "We are certainly happy with our start, it is a good one for the season, but we still have a lot ahead of us. The transfer window is also still open, and we are studying our options."
Al-Ittihad have played five matches in under two weeks, winning four and losing none.
The reason behind Moussa Diaby's absence
Wissing addressed the continued absence of France's Moussa Diaby, who trained but was left out of the match: "The answer is simple. When a player comes and says he is not mentally ready, he cannot be involved."
The Al-Ittihad coach explained: "I want players who are ready, and in the coming period we have a lot of fixture congestion, so if a player is not 100% ready, I am not prepared to rely on him."
His side still need more work to reach the level he wants, he added: "Since the start of the camp we have been working on developing ourselves, because we want to produce football that relies on high intensity, but we have not reached that yet."
He continued: "The demands I ask of the players are being carried out well, but they are not yet at the best possible level."
Fatigue explained part of the drop-off against Al-Hazm, in Wissing's view: "We played three days ago against Al-Qadsiah, and we exerted a great deal of physical effort, and that certainly affected us."
He added: "We faced a side that wore us down with long balls, and we were forced to exert a great effort. Every team has its own weapons, and in the end the result is the most important thing."
Wissing defends En-Nesyri
The technical director of Al-Ittihad defended Morocco's Youssef En-Nesyri, amid the criticism he faces over his lack of success in front of goal, affirming his complete trust in his striker.
Wissing said: "Youssef En-Nesyri is one of my best players. Since my arrival he has been one of the best players, and I do not care what the media or the fans say about him."
He concluded: "He may be unsuccessful in scoring, but he puts in a high and excellent effort, and that matters to me."
