One of the greats in the category
“Both teams have a history. The rival is prepared to fight to the maximum. They have changed coaches, and these are two fan bases with a lot of history. We carry the weight of the category together with Deportivo. It’s a high voltage game, we have the reference of the last two games, they have gained defensive potential, but haven’t yet found the attack. We have to be alert, look at ourselves in the mirror at the beginning of the season, be brave, compete and be consistent. It’s a high-voltage match. We keep our feet on the ground, but, if we play to the limit, we can compete against any team. We need to focus on ourselves and work hard.”
Intensity, essential to compete
“We haven’t recovered any players. Dioni has a bruise from yesterday's training. The key has to be training to the max. After the Cup there was a bit of psychosis, but this is football. You have to go to the limit. We had injuries after the Cup and we have adjusted the training. If we don't go to the limit, it's going to cost us. If we work like this week, in the process of the season, there are no excuses. It’s a question of young men and boys, not of names, and to demonstrate that competing is not linked to where one has played, because performance changes all the time. Many teams are going to go through these situations. Those who are there need to perform at their best, and those who are not there must get their act together and be ready as soon as possible.”
A very important month
“We cannot repeat the performance of the last game and any future home games. Away from home we’ve played well. Now it’s time to give opportunities to other players. We have to stop complaining, not focus on the missing players. We have to take a step forward, find the solutions and train to the max. We cannot lower the performance level, there will be injuries. It’s a very important month, we have to experience the roller coaster, and overcome it with hard work: technical, physical and mental. We have to have consistency during the game, it’s not a question of a lack of players but of everyone taking a step forward.”
Maximum demand
“The most important thing is that we compete very well at home. We have to believe in ourselves. We must understand that we are in a club with brutal demands. We have to enjoy the competition, without the pressure getting to us. We are just as good as we were five days ago, what counts is winning. We have to know how to accept criticism, we are from Málaga, and we know what we represent and the people we have behind us. We have a lot of responsibility. The other day in the first half we were not as we should have been, I’m the first one to say that.”
Tight-knit group
“It’s a united group, there are many young people dedicated to the cause. If we enjoy the pressure of competition we will show this again. You have to have a lot of personality, we have seen many images of what we have done before, so you can see that we can compete against anyone.”
Izan returns from the World Cup
“We have Izan back. If he had not been in the national team, he would have had minutes due to the circumstances. His enthusiasm is going to be very good for us.”
Focused on our path
“We want to win, looking at other results is of no use to us. Ibiza and Castellón are up against each other, who are above, but when we have faced them they weren’t superior. It's a matter of consistency, we have to put our feet back on the ground. If we focus on ourselves and work as we have to work, we will compete in every game. We have to look at ourselves. The important thing is the quality of the minutes, if we improve individual performance we will improve as a team.”