Sergio Busquets Calls for Self-Criticism at Inter Miami
Sergio Busquets was self-critical on Saturday after Inter Miami's heavy defeat to New York Red Bulls (4-0) and stated that they still have a lot of work to do to become a reliable and competitive team.
"It's clear that we want to recover all the players who are on international duty, those who are injured, and maybe even make some new signings. But beyond that, we have to change many things if we want to compete, if we want to be a solid team," the Spanish midfielder said in the mixed zone.
"Regardless of what I said at the beginning, as a team, we need to establish some foundations no matter who plays, and so far, we haven't achieved that consistency that we need to be able to compete in every game and every competition we're in," he added.
Without Lionel Messi due to injury but with Luis Suárez, Busquets, and Jordi Alba, Inter Miami floundered in a match in the MLS marked by heavy rain in Harrison (New Jersey, USA).
Lewis Morgan, a former Inter Miami player, netted a splendid hat-trick and Venezuelan Wiki Carmona scored in a memorable afternoon for the Red Bulls. Another standout in this rout was Dante Vanzeir, providing four assists for his team's four goals.
Messi's absence due to a muscular overload was once again a heavy burden for the pink team, which has suffered two defeats this season, both happening without the Rosario genius on the pitch.
"The weather is no excuse. They had the same conditions. In the end, I think we made a lot of defensive mistakes, gave them too many opportunities to create chances and score goals, and that's what ultimately decided the game and both teams' confidence," Busquets argued.
"When you suffer a defeat, you take it negatively, and if it's a heavy loss like today, even more so. It's clear that we have many things to improve, regardless of the players we don't have (...). I think we need to correct those mistakes, be a more solid team, not give away so many chances (...). We need to focus on being more solid, winning more duels, trying to stay closer together, and not losing so many balls," he elaborated.
A controversy in the MLS is that the league doesn't stop during FIFA dates, causing all teams to lose their internationals, a situation that, according to the midfielder, should be addressed.
"The league is growing, and growth means having better players, having international players. I think it clashes a bit with the competition (...). Surely they will try to address it because they want to grow, and one of the things you have to do to grow is this," the Catalan indicated.
Finally, the former Barcelona player expressed hope that Messi can return soon but also called for patience and caution.
"I hope he can be back as soon as possible, but without rushing because we want him to return as soon as possible but above all to recover well," he stated.
