Genaro Rodríguez held a press conference following Xerez Deportivo FC - Málaga CF this Saturday at the Municipal de Chapín. The midfielder analysed the game: “In the first half we saw a young team with lads from the MCF Academy. This year we’re going to need them. Xerez piled the pressure on well, whilst we got off to a somewhat hesitant start, but worked hard. We tried to get the ball out from behind, which is something we’ve been working on in recent weeks, and I think that overall, we did well, despite their good performance,” he commented.
Genaro and Loren were the only Blue and Whites to play the 90 minutes of the tournament. “I feel good. Loren and I were the only ones who played for 90 minutes. We’re had such a heavy workload over the past few weeks, and I think I did well from a physical point of view. I felt good from the outset and every minute played during the pre-season is good for the start of the competition,” he explained.
He was asked about his ability to play in different positions in midfield: “The player is there to do whatever the coach and his team decide. This year we’ll need to be able to adapt to the requirements of the matches and the different positions. Yes, it’s true I like to arrive at the goal, cover more of the field and pressurise the rival upfront, but we’re here for whatever the coaching team needs us to do,” he affirmed.
The line of three central defenders and two playmakers is one of the most used by the team: “It’s a system that gives you a great deal of versatility, a lot of direct play and verticality. We feel comfortable with that system. The season is very long, and we have to know how to adapt to different situations,” he continued.
Within a review of the pre-season, Genaro highlighted that: “I think we’ve performed well in our matches. Competing is what gets you on top physical form and, in the end, the tactical concepts are what remain. I think the team is at a very high level and we feel comfortable. We have that spark upfront, in defence we’re pretty strong. We must keep this up and push for the start of the season.”
Finally, Genaro talked about his goalscoring ability: “I like to get to the second line and from set pieces I like to be close to the area. In the end, that can be a decisive factor,” he said during the press conference.
