Tough defeat
“We did everything to win, and everything to lose. It was a tough, cruel defeat. If I had been here all season, this would be demoralising, but I’ve only just arrived and I’m not going to change the way forward, or the idea and line we marked, particularly in the second half. We need to move on”.
Good second half
“We created clear opportunities to score. In the second half, the team played with more personality, they were more settled on the pitch and a lot calmer. We played deeper and forced Alavés to defend much further back, so much so that it resulted in a double yellow card and expulsion. I think the team did a great deal. Throughout the season, similar things have happened. We conceded two shots at goal, which weren’t even initiated by the rival. We know it’s going to be like this until the end of the season, and we never thought it was going to be easy. We need to carry on, and keep our heads held high”.
Mistakes
“I must thank the fans. If I showed a dip in morale I’d be wrong, and sending a negative message to the players. What we’ve been working on in three days could be seen in the second half. We competed against a very difficult rival who took the lead, but we didn’t fall down, we carried on. I think the match was more for our victory. However, there’s no point talking about justice or injustice, you can’t make so many mistakes as at this level, the punishment is harsh, particularly for teams that are on a dubious path. This is a big reward for Alavés, but also well-deserved. They were able to seize their opportunities and wait”.
Heads or tails
“I said from the beginning that the team has sufficient qualities to perform at a good level, which they demonstrated in the second half. We showed continuity of play, but overcoming a team isn’t easy. Things didn’t go our way today, but if we continue like this, the tide will turn at some point”.
11 games
“It’s an obligation. I can’t feel bad, I have to continue. There are 11 matches remaining, and possibilities for the team to be much closer to showing what they did in the second half today. We’ll try to fix the mistakes, but sometimes there are situations that are difficult to resolve”.
