Chivu: "We showed we can dig deep: we really wanted to win"

“I'd look at the game as a whole. We started well, but then we became a little anxious. I think the defeats in the Champions League have left their mark. We needed a disciplined, organised performance, and after a difficult first half, the three substitutions brought fresh energy and enthusiasm. Even with ten men, we showed that we can dig deep, raising our levels of concentration and intensity. It's never easy when you go down to ten men, especially when we were already struggling to win the ball back with eleven. But we rolled up our sleeves, put in the extra running, adapted the way we played and took greater responsibility. The lads really wanted this win, and I hope it gives us renewed confidence and enthusiasm going into our next European fixtures. I have complete faith in all my goalkeepers. They're excellent, and I'm not going to make sweeping judgements based on mistakes. Goalkeepers are always the ones who make the headlines when something goes wrong, but my job is to give them confidence and peace of mind. That applies to Pepo just as much as the others. We need everyone, and sometimes we need to be patient. Mkhitaryan's experience and energy set an example for everyone, both in the way he trains and how he conducts himself. But I want to give credit to the whole squad, including those who didn't come on. I'm thinking of Pio, for example. With ten men, we needed someone who could offer more of a threat in behind, so we decided to keep Marcus on the pitch. We're exhausted today because we put everything into getting the win, even if we weren't at our best in terms of our football. This is a hugely important victory.”