Return to the team following injury
“I’m happy to be back with the team during such an important time as this. It’s not easy, and I’m grateful to the coach for the confidence to participate, I’m determined to continue playing and feeling an important member of the team for the rest of the season. If that’s not the case, then I’ll contribute all I can from outside”.
Hard work without reward
“It’s the trend we’ve been seeing throughout this season. With the exception of a game or two, no team has surpassed us very clearly. Up until Adrián’s injury, the team was competing very well, we were dominating play. These things make you slow down a bit and you have to make a change, which also alters the approach somewhat and puts you back a little. The only thing you can blame the team for is the goals we conceded from actions we’ve been working on to make sure they don’t happen. However, evidently the rival work on that basis and the chances they generated they were able to materialise. Roberto made two solo stops, we had an injury, a penalty shot impeccably by En-Nesyri, a goalkeeper who made one of the saves of LaLiga, and an expulsion; everything is penalising us this season. We had some very clear opportunities, yet the tone set is still one of suffering and regret, and the most positive aspect is that the team, whilst still in the midst of finals, is competing and disputing matches. I think today, throughout a lot of the game, we wanted it more than Athletic. The good news is we have another match on Wednesday, so we’ve got no time for regrets, only to work hard and carry on”.
There’s life
“For us, having a final each week is positive, as it means that the teams above us also aren’t scoring points. Obviously, we’re missing opportunities, particularly because the team shows they want it, and we generate chances to score goals without winning the match. Only this season, how easily the team can make a mistake is costing us dearly. I believe this is the path we’re on, within the negative tone we’re seeing this season, and also that bit of good luck has to come our way soon”.
The team is still competing
“It’s one of those seasons where everything you don’t want to happen, happens to you. However, I’m a positive person and I think every week the team shows that despite there being less and less matches remaining, we’re competing and want to move forward”.
Moving forward
“Clearly, these things are happening to us, at key moments during matches, different situations that force us to change our approach and retreat back, which costs us a lot in morale. We cannot afford now to stop or protest or look for blame, we need to move forward and apologise to the fans yet again for another defeat. Of course, they get demoralised, but I like to think they feel the same as we do, we want to win, we’re trying, we’ve had very clear opportunities to score and haven’t, which is a mixture of everything that’s happening to us”.
