Following Portugal’s disappointing 1-1 draw against Congo, Portugal manager Roberto Martinez has received plenty of backlash following star attacker Cristiano Ronaldo's lack of impact created throughout the game.
The Red Devils were slammed for the sluggish performance and rigid tactical system at Houston Stadium last Wednesday night.
Chasing recovery against Uzbekistan
The level of potential to revitalise form against Uzbekistan is very high, as qualification is mandatory for such a prestigious national team.
"They (Congo) were intense, confident. They played like a big final in a big tournament, and that shows incredible personality. We knew that Congo could do that. It wasn't a surprise,” the tactician expressed.
The Belgium-born manager added that, “There are no fixed lineups moving forward. Now we need to be calm, we need to assess, we need to highlight the good things that we did, and we did many good things. We need to improve the bad things, and that's what happens in a World Cup."
Martinez explained, “What we needed was to add Gonçalo Ramos without making it in a way that it would become even more of a difficult line. As you know in football, the straight line is not the quickest way."
Backing Ronaldo's importance
Despite hinting at Ramos replacing Ronaldo, the 52-year-old ensured, “Cristiano is in the national team on merit. Nobody gets into the national team by just having a name. On the field, he's a player who draws defenders and creates space for others, and for us, that's really important."
Martinez added, "It makes no sense to get the best goalscorer in world football out in a game that you need goals.
“A player's main weakness is usually when they don't show enough effort or don't have the right mindset. A player who doesn't show commitment or the right attitude isn't selected for the national team."
