CHICAGO FIRE MEDIA CONFERENCE

May 5, 2021

Raphael Wicky

Press Conference

Q. What has been the focus in training after what happened on Saturday? What have been the things the team has focused on after that game?

RAPHAEL WICKY: Well, we spoke about, obviously, we came back on Monday. We spoke about the game. We spoke about certain things and then we started our training week again with keep working on our principles and keep working on our rate of play. I think there were some things we did really well against New York and some things we lacked, and then we keep working on that.

I think we -- like I said after the game, I don't know if I said that you guys, but we felt actually that we played quite well through their press. We were able to go from one set to the other, but we lacked then verticality. We lacked then going into the final third and attacking that back line. That is something we spoke about and something we need to do better.

Q. It's a new season of course, but the team is winless in its last nine games dating to last year. How much pressure are you and the team feeling to turn this around soon, even though there's 30 games to go?

RAPHAEL WICKY: That's a reality. That's a fact. We are aware of that. But we are trying not to have that in our head as much. We are obviously frustrated with our start we expected more, we expected more points. I think it just doesn't make sense to look back. It's just important to look forward and keep working and believe in what we do.

Yes, we need to turn the thing around and we need to start winning games and making points, but I'm very confident with this team and with players coming back slowly, that we will turn this around and we will make points. I'm absolutely sure about that. It doesn't make sense to look back and see how many games didn't we win. At least I'm not doing that, and that's the wording now I have to the team.

Q. How are we looking as far as everyone's injuries go? And with Forward Madison's season starting soon, have any players left on loan?

RAPHAEL WICKY: No, no one has left. We are in talks. It's possible that we will send someone but it's not finalized yet. We are talking, what is the best for the player, what makes sense for the individual player. So we are in talks in that. We will update you when we have news there.

And the injury updates is, yeah, Fabi is slowly reintegrating into the team. He is training a little bit more every day. This is day-by-day.

Miguel Navarro is also slowly back. We have to say day-by-day how he will react.

Carlos and Nacho are getting better but are not yet in team training, and Kenny is not in team training and Stani obviously.

But Stani we are not going to mention every time until July or so, right, or June, whatever.

Q. That makes more sense, yeah.

You're facing a former teammate this week in Jim curtain. What are your thoughts of the job he's done in Philadelphia and what is it about the job he's done that makes that team so difficult to play against? I know they are not off to a great league start out obviously a quarter shield winner, so what is it about the job he's done?

RAPHAEL WICKY: I think Jim has done absolutely amazing job. First of all, he's there, correct me, seven years, eight years there, I'm not exactly sure if it's eighth year or seventh season.

Q. Eighth.

RAPHAEL WICKY: Which is highly unusual in our business, at least in Europe. It's almost, you never see that.

First of all, that means he has done a good job. He has the trust and confidence of his club and that comes with good work. He always -- you always creates a good team. They always have a lot of consistency in what they do and I think that's what makes the strengths of his teams.

Next to that, he's a great person, a great guy. So yeah, you cannot I think regard why you have for what he has done and being a coach with one club for with eight years, it's remarkable.

Q. Medrán and Giménez have quiet starts to the season. How much do you need both of them to start displaying the form that they had last year?

RAPHAEL WICKY: Look, I think everyone needs to step up. I don't think it's fair to talk about one or two players. I think everyone needs to step up. We all need to step up. We all need to do more, do better in all aspects. We are always close. We are always there. We are playing good football but we are not winning. I think everyone needs to question themselves. Everyone needs to step up, not only those two, and we expect more from everyone. That comes for all players.

Q. What about the fact that as midfielders, they are on the ball more than almost most of the team?

RAPHAEL WICKY: What's the question?

Q. Well, they are both midfielders, so they are both usually at the heart of everything you guys do. I'm kind of asking about them as a pairing, what do you need from them? What more do you need from them in the next few games?

RAPHAEL WICKY: Well, it obviously depends on which zones of the field where they play. In general, I think we all need to do better and they need to do more, as well. They need to do better, more dominant, because that's the way they are. That's what we expect from them. More leadership on the field, off the field.

But it's not only for them. I think that goes foreign, yeah. When they play together, yeah, they need to fulfill the roles they have but I'm not going to go into every player's role, but I think in general, just everyone needs to be on their toes and needs to know, yeah, I need to do more, I need to step up more and I need to contribute more so that we actually start winning games.

Q. What was the deal with your Chivas USA team and why did it produce so many guys who went on to coach. Do you have any answer for that?

RAPHAEL WICKY: No, I don't have any answer for that. No, I don't know. We didn't have coaching courses there, that's for sure.

Q. Under normal circumstances, three matches to start a season, pretty small sample size, a lot of games left to play, but there are a lot of fans who are very vocally frustrated that they are not seeing the progress that the team was hoping it would make this season so far. What message do you have for the fans who are feeling that frustration?

RAPHAEL WICKY: Yeah, we also have that frustration, and it's a fact. We unfortunately have five, six guys injured. We hope that these guys come back; that the competition in the team will be more; that we can add these players which were a big part in our plans, as well, the players we had. We are going to keep working hard and we're going to believe we are going to turn this around and make results.

But the frustration is there with us, as well. We are not happy with three games and one point. It's a very young season and guys coming back, and I am sure that we will be better soon.