Q: How much progress has been made in the penetration of the new style?
A: I do feel a sense of progress, and I think the time we have possession of the ball has become longer compared to last season, so I believe the situation after gaining possession is steadily improving as well.
Q: I don't think it's that easy for the entire team to adapt while the style changes, but I feel that there is a sense of speed accompanying the changes that can be seen in the opening game. How do you feel as a player?
A: After all, it’s a match, so there are wins and losses, but I think we are clearly growing. Even when we have a few losses in a row, I think voices questioning “What’s going on?” will come up, but that’s natural. I feel that it’s meaningless unless we keep going. I think we just have to stick with it.
Q, last season was used as a double volante, and this season it is being used as an anchor. How do you feel about the change in role within the difference in style?
A, The formation and the coach have changed, but even just a change in coach can significantly alter roles, so I don't think it's simply because the formation changed. I also have the feeling that we were doing the same things last season, and when you consider that both the coach and formation have changed and the lineup hasn't changed drastically, I think it's because once the actual matches start, everyone is able to respond instinctively and play accordingly.
Q, I think Aoki's position is a position that takes on both actions of doing what we want to do while reacting to the opponent's movements at the same time. How do you feel about the part of controlling the team while assessing the situation?
A, there are parts where I have been able to do what we relatively prepared in practice, and there were also parts that felt a little different from what we practiced. However, I think we have been able to make adjustments during the game, and as of now, I feel that we have grown quite a bit in carrying the ball steadily from the back. Also, I hope to focus more on scoring goals.
Q, I think Matsumaki and Abe were moving around a lot. What kind of communication did you have with them?
A, that is also something I respond to by trying it out during the match. Ultimately, it’s about being in that position, so no matter how much someone moves, as long as someone else occupies that position, it’s fine. The player in that position covers a lot of ground and plays aggressively both in attack and defense, so I focus on maintaining that balance.
Q, I think that balance is difficult.
A, I'm not sure if I'm somehow managing it or not, but I am conscious of making the game go smoothly.
Q, as we head into the second half, the challenge will be how many scoring opportunities we can create in the attacking zone and how much we can improve our accuracy. As for Aoki's position, what aspects do you think are involved in this challenge?
A, I think there are few occasions where I get into the area in front of the goal and get involved with the final pass or shot, but increasing those occasions is something that the players behind me, including myself, have to work on. So, I hope to increase the number of times I move forward and connect passes going forward.
Q, is it a play that connects to the front line and pushes up to recover second balls?
A, yes. I think the opponent would really dislike it if we can attack repeatedly once we push them back. These are very fine details, but it’s not just me; the center backs and full backs also need to manage risks so that situations where we can immediately regain possession continue. This applies to switching between offense and defense, the quickness of the front players’ transitions, and rather than being overwhelmed by the idea of carrying the ball up from the back, it would be ideal if the whole team could think that far ahead.
Q, do you want to go to that phase in the second half?
A, of course I want to get there quickly. After all, we are playing this football to win in the end. If we don't bring it to a win, it feels like there's no point in doing it.
