Jorginho: We need to prepare better before games
BY PAUL LAGAN
Jorginho is urging his side to fight for the points as they face a tough task against Brighton at the Amex this afternoon.
The Brazil-born Brazilian came off the bench at the weekend to turn the game around in Chelsea’s favour in the 2-1 win at the Emirates against Arsenal.
He said that head coach Frank Lampard instructed him to make the difference.
He said: “He said to push. I tried to push my mates. We were a bit soft at the beginning and I tried to change [that] because we needed to change our mindset. We were not fighting enough.
“You just have to be ready any time the team needs you and I was thinking to be ready for that.”
The midfielder who scored the equaliser at the Emirates can’t work out why the team were so far off the pace in the first half.
“I don’t know why. Sometimes it can happen,” he said.
“Maybe we needed to change our minds a little bit and prepare better before the game. Because when you are in the game it is quite difficult, quite hard, to change our minds.
“It’s not just something to be said in the changing room – it’s in ourselves I think. Sometimes you go on the pitch and you are not right and, when you want to change because you realise you are not fighting enough, it’s hard. At Arsenal, we could change that but sometimes we can’t so maybe we need to prepare ourselves before.”
“I think it’s the most important that all the players can talk and help. At the Emirates I came on from the bench and could help my mates. The most important thing is the result because we worked a lot and I think honestly we deserved it.”
Jorginho at 28, is viewed as a senior player in the squad, but won’t excuse poor performances because the side has a number of young players.
He said: “I think when you play for Chelsea, we talk a lot about ‘young, young, young, young’ but we are in the middle of the season and every player has to take responsibility. Not just the older players.
“Of course the younger players need more help but youth is not an excuse, you just have to be ready, prepared for the game, prepared to fight, because you are playing for Chelsea in the Premier League and that’s it.”
The Blues face the Seagulls in the 12.30pm kick-off today and Jorginho is happy to be playing away from Stamford Bridge.
He said: “Yeah, I think for mentality it’s easy because, you know, you have to fight. Sometimes you go on the pitch, when you play at home, a bit soft and that I think is what we have to change.
“Against better teams, it can be easier because you have more space, they are not just defending and they try to play. Sometimes we play against teams that don’t want to play, just defend and make counter attacks, and it’s more hard to find space. We need to work hard to break that.
“To do that I think you should push and break the lines, run more behind the lines. Sometimes we don’t do that, we want to play just ball into feet, and maybe we could change that. And again I say mentality.”
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