Luis Enrique defends Ansu Fati, praises young forward’s understanding of the game

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The press questioned Fati’s ability to read defenses

Spain manager Luis Enrique was quick to defend Ansu Fati after the press questioned the forward’s understanding of the game, as they claimed the youngster perhaps was put off by different defensive schemes.

In the pre-match presser for Spain vs. Ukraine, a journalist asked Luis Enrique if Fati had struggled to match his heights in a 1-0 win over Switzerland because he was not used to being man-marked.

“The problem the forwards have is that they’re always being man-marked, not that they face different schemes. Whether it’s man-marking or zonal marking, once the forwards - not just Ansu - get into their zone, they are marked,” Luis Enrique fired back.

A different journalist asked a follow up question: “What advice would you give Fati to solve situations that, I believe that up until now, are unknown to him?”

“I’m sorry, but I disagree, a lot,” Luis Enrique replied.

“Ansu Fati is 17 and he already knows perfectly well all the defensive situations he will face.

“Whether we face a team playing with four or five defenders, there will be possibilities he will have to resolve. As a team, we have our way of playing. From there, the players have to recognize situations in the game, and then it depends a lot on the degree of accuracy the team has to generate clear chances for the forwards,” the boss said.

Source: barcablaugranes.com