Roberto Martínez looks to build on positive start as Portugal coach | OneFootball

Portugal-Bosnia preview

It was a huge surprise when the Portuguese Football Federation announced the name of Roberto Martínez to become Portugal’s head coach following the long tenure of Fernando Santos.

So far so good. The Seleção duly dispatched Liechtenstein (4-0) and Luxembourg (6-0) in his first two matches in charge, admittedly two of Europe’s weakest teams.

But it has been Martínez’s capacity to communicate clearly and logically that has stood out in the first few months of his time as Portugal manager.

The Spaniard’s up-front style and amiable attitude were on display in the pre-match press conference ahead of Portugal’s match against Bosnia and Herzegovina in Lisbon tomorrow.

Martínez did not dodge any issue, talking candidly about the goalkeeper situation, João Mário’s retirement, Cristiano Ronaldo’s place in the Seleção, the surprise call-up of Toti Gomes and how he sees the evolution of the team so far in his short time in charge.

Goalkeeper hierarchy established

“I think the goalkeeper position is special. We need clarity. I liked the attitude of the three goalkeepers [in the previous international window] and we all saw the good performance of Rui [Patrício], who is a key player in the locker room. In the March get-together he was perfect, but we need clarity. At this moment the number one is Diogo Costa, the number two is Rui Patrício and the number three is José Sá. I like to have clarity.”

Bosnia danger

“They are a very complete team; a mixture of youth and experience. They are a very competitive team, and have a coach with a clear tactical idea. It’s a strong team, with great competitive intensity and it’s an opportunity to see our level.”

João Mário’s international retirement, citing lack of playing time

“It’s a personal decision and I respect it. He had his Portugal career, but we have 26 players and they all want to play and be important. I see pride and energy in the Seleção players. This is not a problem for the future [players retiring, the question also cited Rafa Silva]. We need an environment of elite performance and we have plenty of players.”

Cristiano Ronaldo, playing in the Saudi Arabian league

“I’ve got a lot of experience of players who play outside Europe. Sometimes it’s actually an advantage to play in the national team. To play in the Seleção you need three things: individual quality, experience and commitment. In Cristiano’s case, it is total. He’s an example for the locker room and for world football. He’s played 198 matches for Portugal. Even so, he needs to train well to be able to play. Cristiano and Pepe are examples for Portuguese football.”

Toti Gomes debut?

“He’s a different player. To play with three centre-backs, we need players with the profile of Gonçalo Inácio and Diogo Leite, but Toti is different. He’s a player with lots of potential and I like what I’ve seen from him. We have six high-quality centre-backs, and he needs more time to get to know our ideas.”

Is the Seleção where you want it to be?

“I think we saw the Portugal that I want to see in the second half against Liechtenstein and in the match against Luxembourg. We need to grow, the players have surprised me, but we need more time. I saw signs in the way the attack functioned. I’m very happy and we need to repeat it against Bosnia.”

Predicted Portugal XI

Diogo Costa, João Cancelo, Rúben Dias, Pepe, Gonçalo Inácio, Raphael Guerreiro, João Palhinha, Bruno Fernandes, Bernardo Silva, Diogo Jota, Cristiano Ronaldo