Pellicer: “We’re very motivated to get out of this situation”
The Malaguista coach gave his pre-match press conference this Friday ahead of #CulturalMálaga: “We’re focused on ourselves and being very self-critical,” he said.
Motivation to turn the situation around
“We feel anger, it was a draw that tasted like a defeat. We were angry because of what happened in Castellón. In the first few days you have to feel it, you have to recognise that we’re doing things that don’t match the small details, which are no longer small. Those minutes in which we slipped up. Five minutes in Castellón and two in Córdoba have cost us five points. We can’t use it as an excuse; we have to understand it. It’s a long week, with one more training session, a rest day in the middle, and tomorrow more group-based analysis. The outside noise makes everything look bleak, but we have to give our best version, win the match in León, and thank the fans, who encouraged us until the last minute and then gave their opinion, which is theirs to give. We’re very motivated, eager to turn it around, to transmit the right energy to win the match and get out of this situation. We have to focus on ourselves and be very self-critical.
Punishing final minutes
“Many times I get ahead of myself, and I’m choosing to approach tomorrow’s training session, and Sunday’s, with enthusiasm, so we can go to León and win, just like we went to Las Palmas and won. It’s been a very tough stretch because of the defeat in Castellón and the draw with Córdoba. Everything stems from the bad run away from home. We’re carrying the weight of previous results on our backs. I’m someone who makes a lot of mistakes because I talk a lot. If we had closed out the match in Castellón, and if we had closed out the last one, we’d all look very good and be in a different situation. I’m focused on the mistakes we’re making; without them, we’d see many things much more clearly.”
Self-demand ahead of a tough match
“We need to talk and work behind closed doors. I have a very clear message for the outside, because we represent many things. But internally we are very demanding. We’re constantly questioning ourselves, and tomorrow we’ll keep insisting on the situations that are costing us. On Monday we have a match in León, against a coach who’s building a solid team. They’re coming off a tough away defeat. It’s going to be a tight match. We have to improve on set pieces: find the right taker, finish our chances, and defend better, like in the last play against Córdoba. There are certain nuances in micro-plays where we are not doing well.”
Nuances in daily work
“We work on things, but we don’t have the stress of a real match. Tomorrow’s session will be more analytically focused, split into two groups, with situations we’re going to face and need to adjust to. Then we need to reinforce certain identity details, reference points to reconnect with ourselves. We have to forget this mental state and build the strength for things to go the other way, as has happened in previous years.”
Committed dressing room
“The boys try to do everything, there’s a real sense of belonging. The other day they fought until the end, and we made mistakes. Many have had their chance, and I’m grateful for what they’ve done, but this is about the here and now. I sense a lot of energy and affection within the group.”