Christophe Galtier: "Matches help you get your bearings"

christophe galtier

“Even though we had a long journey, we’ve had great conditions to work in, and the team has been professional throughout this tour of Japan. Some things have been put in place gradually, particularly in attack. There was some great stuff in these three games. In the first one, we needed to make some adjustments in attack, especially when we were in a mid-block. I saw some more interesting things in the second game and some very interesting things in the third game, even though we dropped our intensity level in the last half-an-hour and weren’t up to speed as much. Maybe that was because we were four goals up, we were a bit less motivated and we wanted to go back home. It was hot and humid, too, but overall, this tour was very well-organised; we were given a great welcome, and we’ve been able to get some work done. Matches are always important moments, as they help you get your bearings. We need to fix what isn’t working and improve a lot of little things so that we can perform even better and concede fewer chances but still have that desire to score a lot of goals and to attack.”

neymar jr

"I feel that it’s been a good preparation generally. We were able to prepare physically and get our rhythm up to match level. We were happy with some things we did, although obviously, we need to improve as a team, play together more and get to know each other more, but I think we’re on the right track. It’s good to get everyone together before the season starts. It strengthens us to be together on a daily basis. It’s a shame to be away from our families, but that’s part of the preparation process. We’ve been preparing ourselves well; we have a final to play next week, and I think we’re well-prepared for it."