Estoril coach Ian Cathro emphasized a pragmatic, day-by-day approach to his team’s performance and his future, despite a recent four-game unbeaten run. The 39-year-old Scottish manager leads the club, currently 14th in the Portuguese League.
Cathro dismissed notions of overconfidence following a recent clean sheet against Rio Ave, which marked the team’s first of the season. “I’m not stupid, and I’m not here to sell fire to anyone, but we played 70 minutes against 10 men; we have to live in reality,” he stated.
He acknowledged the ongoing need for defensive improvement. “We can say we have a lot of work to do defensively. That’s what we’re going to do, along with all the other things,” Cathro told reporters.
The coach also addressed questions regarding his job security. “In the last home game, I had to answer a question about whether or not I felt able to continue as Estoril coach,” he said.
“I feel I have the conditions to continue, but I also know that question may be repeated at the end of this game,” Cathro added, stressing the need to “live in the moment and work day by day.”
Looking ahead to Friday evening’s match against Arouca, Cathro noted that midfielder Jandro Orellana, who recently returned from injury, will be sidelined.
Arouca, coming off two consecutive defeats, is expected to be highly motivated. “Everyone knows the quality of Arouca’s work, their identity, how they play,” Cathro observed.
He expects a tough opponent. “I see a super well-prepared team, anxious to win, but so are we,” he affirmed.
Estoril’s top scorer, Begraoui, who netted a hat-trick in the last game, has five goals this season. Cathro declined to reveal any specific goal targets for the Moroccan forward.
“Begraoui is one of our players who is growing, has a lot of ambition, has a lot of quality, has high potential, like all the players we have,” Cathro said.
The Estoril-Arouca match opens Matchday 11 of the Portuguese League. It is scheduled for Friday at 8:15 PM local time in Portugal, with Cláudio Pereira from the Aveiro Football Association serving as the referee.