Davoudi: I take responsibility for the loss; this team has a lot to say
Arne Davoudi, head coach of the Golnoor basketball team, spoke after the 71-74 loss to Naft va Gaz Zagros Jonoubi Jahrom in the first week of the Premier League: it was a difficult game and the two teams were close, so close that the winner was not decided until the final seconds.
My players gave everything
Thanking his players, he added: the opponent had national-team players and very good players, and we could not win this game. Things happened during the match that I do not want to use as an excuse.
20 percent from three made it hard
On the youth of his team, Davoudi said: it is true that our average age is about 23, but I do not want to blame the loss simply on the team being young. We have to accept our situation, be patient and work to improve the players. When you make only 20 percent of your three-pointers in the first game of the season, winning is naturally difficult. We will try not to repeat the mistakes and the incidents of this match so that we perform better in the next game.
The responsibility is mine
Accepting responsibility for the defeat, the Golnoor coach added: if we lost today, then I as head coach am certainly responsible, because I could not prepare the players to perform better in the key moments. I will try to review the situation, fix our weaknesses and lay the ground for better performances in the coming games.
On the time young players need to reach full readiness, he said: I do not want to use the team's youth as an excuse, but the reality is that our players are young and that cannot be ignored. When a young player is on a fast break and cannot finish in a decisive moment, we must remember that gaining experience in such situations matters a lot. These things are natural, and I myself faced similar situations during my playing career.
Three turnovers in one minute
On the team's fast breaks, Davoudi noted: given the age of our players, we have good speed and we have trained a lot for it. We ran good fast breaks during the game, but sometimes rushing decisions make us waste good chances.
On the final minutes, he added: in the last minute we lost the ball three times. If the players had more experience, perhaps that would not have happened and we could have got a different result. In the end we also missed a shot that, if made, could have tied the game and sent it to overtime, but it did not happen.
Thanks to the fans
The Golnoor coach said: we must learn from what happened in this game and make better decisions in the coming games, especially in the key moments. I thank the fans who came to the hall today and stood with the team; their presence helped us a lot. I also ask the rest of the fans to come to the hall and support the players.
He stressed: of course, the first duty is on us, and we must bring the fans to the hall by playing well. We also expect the fans to be with us at the games and support the team, so that together we can follow the path of progress.
My first experience as head coach
On his first experience on the sideline as head coach, Davoudi said: it is a difficult experience. When you are on the sideline, the situation is different from what you experience on the court. I am gaining new experience on this path and trying to improve my performance. I hope that by continuing to work and try harder we can create better conditions for the team. I am sure our team will have a lot to say in the future.
Photo: Golnoor Club