After a successful afternoon that saw free scoring Celtic FC Women come out victorious at Paradise, Elena Sadiku spoke to the media. Here is everything that the head coach said after her team’s 9-0 win over Dundee United on Flag Day…
Q: Starting the season as you mean to go on?
Elena Sadiku: “We had a good start today and that’s something that makes me happy that even if we win 9-0, I still think there are things we could have done better and stuff like that. It just shows the potential of this team. We scored nine goals, we had some different goalscorers and that makes me happy because I feel like I have the squad that I want to have. It was nice to see, especially the second half.”
Q: Is this starting to feel like your team?
Elena Sadiku: “Last season, I came in and it wasn’t particularly the players I chose or however you want to say but I feel that I became close to everyone very fast and I’d call that my team as much as this one. The people that I got to know last season were incredible people, incredible players. We always need to look at how we can get better and you have to put that business face on and if I feel like we can take in better players, then it’s my job to make sure we get those players in.”
Q: A 9-0 win on the opening day of the season. Is that a bit of statement victory?
Elena Sadiku: “Like we said in the press conference yesterday, the main focus of today was to go out and enjoy. We made history by being the champions and I think we showed today that we have a great squad. There’s more to give, I think. This is only the start.”
Q: Do you think this performance showed the squad depth that you have?
Elena Sadiku: “That was the whole idea of the recruitment this summer. And that’s something I’m really happy with because the players know that there’s going to be great competition in every position. That’s something that I can’t wait to see from the start until the end because we’re only going to get better. This is only the start of our journey.”
Q: Were you pleased with all of your new signing’s performances?
Elena Sadiku: “Yes, 100%.”
Q: What did you make of Saoirse Noonan’s performance?
Elena Sadiku: “She’s a different player than we had before when it comes to the 9. She’s a proper box player. She’s a great finisher, she can score with her feet, with her head. She could have probably scored one or two more. All the players that we have are different in a way but they all have their own factors that they can bring into the team. So yeah, Saoirse did a great job today but there were also many other players who did.”
Q: How important is it that the team clicks?
Elena Sadiku: “Like I say, this is only the start. We’ve been playing a lot of games this pre-season just to make sure that they get to know each other and that they can connect. Even if it looks good today, hopefully we just get better. This is a performance that I’m happy with but like I said, I think there are some things we could have done even better and that’s something that I can’t wait to work towards.”
Q: What are the things you think you could do better?
Elena Sadiku: “I feel that first half, we didn’t have the best decision making, not attacking the spaces that we had to attack. I think we made it a bit easier for them to defend against us. In the second half, I think we did exactly what we wanted to change. We were closer to each other, we played through the pressure closer, we had a good link between centre backs, 6s, 10s, 9s and I think that’s something that we need to just improve. And that’s the connection, the positioning and stuff like that, it’s just going to get better.”
Q: In terms of that, we saw a lot of fluidity on and off the ball. Is that something that you’re developing?
Elena Sadiku: “I want us to be unpredictable when we play attacking football. I want the opposition defenders to not know exactly what we’re going to do and they need to react on that so we can attack in different ways. That’s something that you could see today, but hopefully that will just get better. That’s why I’m saying that the formation isn’t really that important. It’s the principles that are the most important. Today especially because I don’t think we looked like a 3-4-2-1 a lot of the time.”
Q: Are set pieces something that you have worked on?
Elena Sadiku: “Yeah. After every season, I go into this cave and think about what we need to improve. Everything we did last season, we want to get better at. If we look at the statistics of set plays, yes, we’re really good at it but we should be even better. I think you could see we scored two/three goals from set pieces today and we should have probably scored more there. It’s about how we can improve every part of our game. Is it set plays, is it defending, is it counter attacks, is it defensive transitions, it’s everything. We want to be unpredictable. We don’t want to be doing the same things all of the time, so we need to be creative.”
Q: How difficult does the quality of your squad make it for you to pick a starting 11?
Elena Sadiku: “Kelly said yesterday that they want me to get a big headache before picking a squad out and it is. It is hard. There are different x-factors in every player and it’s about how that X-factor can attack the opposition. Then I need to see, okay, what player has these skills that I think are going to threaten the opposition. And that’s something I think about. My technical staff are a big part of the discussions and what we think are going to exploit the opposition, and something that the opposition maybe do well that we need to be aware of. That’s the background gel that we need to do together. Competition is something that I love. I don’t like lazy players, I don’t like sloppy players, and I don’t like players that are uncomfortable. If we have that great squad that we have, they can’t get comfortable or they won’t play, and that’s just how it is.”
Q: How important was it that the game was played at Celtic Park?
Elena Sadiku: “It’s important because we’re taking steps as a team but it also shows that the club are really investing in us. They want to make sure that we get the conditions to be the best we can be and I’m really happy for that. We get the support from Michael Nicholson and Chris Duffy from the board as well so I think we’re headed in the right direction together.”
Q: Would you like to see more fans turn out for it?
Elena Sadiku: “As Celtic, if not one of the biggest, the biggest clubs for me when it comes to watching the men play and the atmosphere there. I feel like we should be one club and have a one club mentality. We, as a club, wrote history. We were the first team where the men and women won the league in the same season. The first time ever. And that’s something that I think should be more acknowledged. Also because I feel that my players deserve the best. I’m really happy with the fans that attended today and that shows that we have a great fanbase. But I believe we can do more with our fans.”
Q: Will you be paying attention to how the rest of the SWPL games go this weekend?
Elena Sadiku: “It’s fun to watch football and to see if some of our opposition have changed anything or stuff like that. I’m just really excited that the season has started and obviously, I’m really happy that we are the first team out. To have that performance really shows that we’re excited to get going and to see what we have ahead of us. Probably, I’ll see some results and some games maybe live as well.”
Q: Would you like to come back to Celtic Park for a European game?
Elena Sadiku: “We have Round One next month. We need to make sure that we go there really prepared and win both games. I don’t want anything else than making sure we are really successful in Round One. If we manage to get to Round Two, we know that we have one home game, and whether it’s here or somewhere else, I just want the fans to get along and to make sure that we have the best support because it will be a tough game waiting in Round Two – which we’re going to fight for.”
Next up for Celtic FC Women is a home match against Glasgow City at the Excelsior Stadium on Sunday 18 August, kick-off is at 4.10pm.
Jessica Elliott
9⃣ goals
7⃣ different scorersThe ideal way to kick-off the 2024/25 campaign ➕3⃣ 🔥#CELUTD | #CelticFC🍀 pic.twitter.com/9I6SUEuvGE
— Celtic FC Women (@CelticFCWomen) August 10, 2024
