Christian Lattanzio talks to the media after a big home win against LAFC and is looking forward to a mid-week home match against Orlando City SC. With a plethora of talent to choose from, Lattanzio speaks on his decision making process in roster choices and overall team style.
All right we'll flash it start with you And then we'll go from there Thank You Will Morton hello Christian how are you Good thank you you will I'm well Um is there anybody that you had Saturday that will not be available Wednesday No no I think uh we actually get back And so for this game So Now all the players that they were Available Uh on Saturday we will be available for This game That's that's good to hear um in terms Of Enzo is it a situation where he works Back in right away or starts off the Bench I know that you probably want to Keep a little bit of that close to the Vest but I guess what kind of uh shape Is he in terms of being able to get what What can he give I guess I think he's coming back into the team And he's coming back in the squad And so like everybody I think that there Is a Reason Uh you know he needs to have time Because he didn't play a few weeks And so he needs to ease up into the team Like it happened already with uh with Vast majority of the players when they Come back from longer from longer term Injuries or medium it wasn't very very
Long but it was still a few weeks away So he he's trained with the first team Now Regularly string with the squad but he Still needs a bit of time to get back to Sharpness of Where what you have when you play on a Weekly basis What tactically went into putting brick As a Winger and it seemed also that he Was playing a lot more inverted than You've had your Wingers play uh in the Past what what kind of went into that Decision and almost kind of the Tactical Shift that you guys went towards uh in The game on Saturday Yeah my thoughts is that I want our Attacking players to be More or less The same in the same everybody with Their own characteristics but they all Have to be Playmakers and they all have To be dynamic So I don't think the way football is Going that Uh European all play is that it can only Be a wingest then obviously there are Specialists in certain positions like For example the goalkeeper but but uh I think that brecht is a player like Ben For example that can play inside and Play outside And can do a good job In in those positions that uh and they
Have Some different uh duties when we are Attacking but what I like in that Position is to have technical players That they are Dynamic and can make the Play or can run or can you know play Combination football and I think that Brecht can adapt to play inside and Outside one of the characteristics I Liked about him when we were scouting Him it was this ability to be playing in A couple of positions Uh lastly for me it does seem like that Your midfielders have gained uh quite a Lot of freedom in terms of the way that They are operating uh you got a lot of Different guys who will either go Forward or set back and things of that Nature how much have you kind of worked On uh giving them the trust that they Understand you know who needs to press Hi who needs to to sit back and and make It almost kind of like a uh it looked Very much kind of like total football a Little bit from uh from pressing and Sitting perspective I think that uh will that what I said on Many occasions in the past and I know That uh people want things happen then And then it takes a little bit of time And it takes for the boys to understand Exactly the principle That we want to play as the ball is Moving and there's the opposition is
Denying certain spaces and conceding Others so I think that the boys are Understanding more and more with the Work that I do with the coaching staff In a week and we do a lot of videos we Do a lot of work on the pitch And I think that they will become more and More familiar with this concept as the Game goes on hopefully with the ball and Without the ball so I was very pleased With the way they played because I Thought the lafc has had many times is One of the best team if not the best Team in this league not only because at The Champions but because when I saw Them playing and scouting them I was Very impressed with the way they played And when they did what quality that they Have Thank you to Christian good luck on Set Uh on Wednesday I should say look on Wednesday and Saturday both thank you Okay Carol Walton hey Christian how are You hey Carl thank you I'm fine you I am Good Um I saw uh Guzman Cruz was not on the Roster Saturday and I don't think he's Hurt is he I just wonder what's going on There A nothing it's just uh it's technical Choice with a tactical choice that I Have to make when you have the full Roster and uh
Everybody for me is important I know That this sounds as a cliche and if you Are one player that is out of the squad You don't think That the coach means that but I do I Think that the every player is important But I need to look at how everybody's Training and I have to make certain Considerations And I felt that the 20th that I selected For the game against lafc where the one In my opinion that at that time for that Game gave us the best chance to win the Game then obviously I can be wrong of Course and The time you know will tell and uh Likely for us it was a good game and but Also bill was out of the squad Um for the same reason and I don't have Obviously Anything against them on the contrary I Think that they are guys that they train Well they are conscientious they but They're also the guys that are selected They do the same and there is real Competition in this quote and uh And so I have to make choices these are The worst part of the job by far When you have to tell a player that has Been training hard that has been working Uh well that is now part of the 20 and If there is one moment of my job that I Would like to change is that but is part Of the job and I need to make those
Decisions and I have to make them before So then after everybody's wise after the Event but I have to make the decision Before but Uh I know is it's an unwelcome part of The job but it is still part of the job And the job of the players that they Don't get selected is to give the best To make the job difficult for me when This occasion will rise again not that They are doing anything wrong but there Are also other places that they are Working hard and well Speaking of those players working hard And well to see Andrew privett stay in The lineup six seven games now I know You're not gonna say you're surprised by His talent but to see what he's done in This setting Um how you know what's what's working For him Well I think Andrew is justifying his Selection he's playing with Carl my is a Good pastor of the ball he can he's Improving as a Defender even though There are still moments in the game that He needs to improve but again you just Said it is the seventh Uh start in the Pro So he's quite young in that respect But I like the way he is on the pitch His calm is composed He's uh he give us something when we are In possession and
I think that there are margin of growth In him as well Okay and um I know you kind of Referenced this the last press Conference about the international Window you know Uncertainty there are you on the phone With Lauren this week begging him not to Do anything you know The beauty of being in the new training Ground that I don't need to be on the Phone I can see him every day It feels great for for either one of us But uh no he's jogging apart I don't get Too much into that I'm happy with the Squad as it is So if there are Uh Great possibilities for us Or for the boys we will need as a club You always need to listen If there are great offers but I told him That I'm happy with the squad as it is And you know I don't need Uh To do anything at the moment I believe That you know they know what I am Looking for they know what I want Ultimately to get our team to improve But the transfer market is closed here Apart from for us to bring plays in Apart from free agents and the place can Only go out so uh Uh I am not seeking anything I am happy
To stay with the boys that I have here They work well there is a good Atmosphere and for me I'm happy to stay As we are Thank you Christian thank you okay uh Last hand up is Caleb Adams so we'll Finish the press conference there Hey Christian good to see you again good To see you Uh just one question for me Um one of the hardest things in football To do is to maintain a high level of Play consistently week in and week out What's the key for for Charlotte is your Team to continue that high level of play We saw against lafc throughout these Last 10 games Yeah this is uh it is the ultimate Challenge is that is to be able to To be able to first of all to create a Standard that is high And then after that test to become the Reference so You don't want to be far away from that To try to be as consistent as possible Uh in order to do that we have to be Very clear about the way we want to play So to have certain certainty On uh or in references when we play with The ball and without the ball to have Intensity in training and I think we are Working towards that Uh all the players seems engaged they Hopefully they understand the role
And the position that I designed for all Of them because even the players that do Not start they still have a role to play For the squad A very important one as well as we saw When Scott came he became he was the one That scored the winner so I said to them Many times that the player that didn't Start they could even be the most Important as the game goes on because They are the one that they have to Change to gain so I will never accept Players that they don't give The maximum or they put their head down Because they don't start they can have That kind of disappointment I understand That but they have to channel it in Performance otherwise they pull Themselves out because those plays they Don't start become vital as the game Goes on they become the the ones that They need to change the game uh to to Finish the game off so to speak so they Are wide also that's why Everybody is important also You know following what Carol was asking Also Guzman also Bill also the place That they were out of the squad you know Footballing things in football can Change very very rapidly very quickly And so in a moment where you were and Not starting or not in the squad you can Become a vital part so it's very very Important how they keep working on a
Daily basis I understand that it might Be difficult psychologically but this is Part of our work There are Those moments that they actually make The character make you Relentless make You having uh you know that kind of Resilience that is key in life not just In football Thank you so much appreciate it thanks All right thanks everyone for your time We'll see you guys on Wednesday Thank you thank you thank you guys