Jagoba Arrasate spoke to the media at a press conference on Friday ahead of our clash with Villarreal CF on Saturday afternoon. Find out what he had to say below:
On the team: It's true that it's been a bit of an atypical week for us and for all the teams. Today we have finally been able to count on all the internationals who are back, some more fatigued than others. It's not the same to play or not to play and it also depends on the trip you have to make. They are all ready to play tomorrow and that's good news. As for the absentees, they are the problems we had with Mateu, Pablo and Javi Llabrés, and Van de Heyden joins us with a little muscle problem.
On Muriqi: I've seen him very well, perfect. He is ready for tomorrow. It's true that something strange happened, but I'll take the fact that he scored two goals, and that he asked for a substitution at half-time. He is a very committed player, he is consistent in what he does. He was able to play 45 minutes and it was more as a precaution. This week he has trained and today he did everything normal. Tomorrow he will be available, fortunately for us.
On Abdón Prats: First of all, congratulate him on yesterday's award. We congratulated him and took a photo, the person is sometimes much more important than the footballer. It's true that in these four games he hasn't had much prominence. He also had problems at the beginning of the pre-season. He practically couldn't participate in England, so he has followed a slightly slower process. Now I see him doing well, it's a question of the coach's choice. I see him as a striker, there will be times when we play with two and he will play. There will be times when we play with one and he will also play, we have a lot of games. It's also true that when you have Muri on the pitch, when you're drawing or losing, you don't want to take him off and when you're winning either, he helps us a lot at set pieces and that's the way we are. It's hard for us to take that kind of player off. Abdón is going to play a leading role and he's going to score goals, I'm convinced of that.
On Villarreal: Villarreal's games have been quite open so far but it's true that away from home they won in Seville and drew in Valencia. They are a team that looks like they are going to be at the top. Because of the market they have made, the players they have and the fantastic coach they have. They don't have European competition either and that indicates to me that they are going to be at the top. I expect a team that is going to go out to win because they are always, within that 4-4-2, a team that goes for the win. They are a team with defensive organisation and if you expose yourself and get lost in transition they can do you a lot of damage. We need the opposite, we need to dominate the game, play in the opposition's half, subdue them, make them uncomfortable and make them have to run backwards. That's what I want and what I aim for, but sometimes there are opponents who want the opposite and it's not easy to impose yourself.
On injuries and the matchday schedule: Of course it has an impact and I'm not going to lie to you, every time I have an international I always look to see if they have played and if they are well. The doctor always talks to them to know how they are. It's a lie when they say you have two weeks to work. Valery and Chiquinho have been fine. But Robert Navarro hasn't been able to be with us. There are internationals that in the end you have to pull from the reserve team. The calendar is too compressed. In 15 days you haven't had a league and now in a few days you're going to play two matches. I think it's too much, but in the end we know where it comes from and who has the solution to that. I think it's the clubs and there will come a time when we will have to rethink things. Right now, as it is, it conditions you, but you have to do what is best to compete in each match.
On Darder and Morlanes: You'll see a bit of everything. We've played with one midfielder and two wingers. We started like that until the day of Sevilla. Then we played with a double pivot and a midfielder. There we have six players and even some more. I think they all adapt to playing with a double pivot or to playing with one and two midfielders. Each one has his own characteristics and you will see them with each other. The fact that Manu hasn't played much with Sergi doesn't mean that they can't play together. Of course they will play together and the other way around. Omar and Manu will also play together at some point. They are moments of form, match plans and above all what I like is that we have a lot of players there.
On development: I think it's too early to talk about these things. We're only four games in. Two clean sheets in a row shows how good we are defensively, but I think it's too early and we need to play more games. Many things have changed but we have also inherited some very good things. This team is very good at defending the penalty area. What has changed is that we defend higher and the centre-backs are more exposed and that requires more work from the people in front of them. If those up top don't press or don't direct the pressure well, it's the centre-backs who are in the picture. It's a collective task and when it's done well, the centre-backs can participate in different ways and even the goalkeepers. The way we defend has changed but we have also inherited things that are very good.
On the transfer market: I am happy with the transfer market because I was very clear about what we needed. I think the club knew that from the beginning. Another thing is that you can do it sooner or later and there were some situations in the air that could not be done. I am happy because on the last day we brought in a player like Valery who is very versatile and you will see him at right-back and you will see him at right winger and left winger. He is a deep player, who comes from a good team and who is going to help us for sure. A talented player like Robert Navarro who can play on both wings and can give us that last pass, association and one on one. We also brought in Chiquinho, who in theory is that unbalanced winger. They were the profiles we had to cover and in that respect I'm happy.
On Chiquinho: I see him well. It's true that he transmits fatigue and that he's tired. He comes from another team where they play more games and train less. He has to adapt to the training but I see him well and fresh in terms of having a good season. I think he is a player with different characteristics and we have to take advantage of that.
On the right-back position: I'm clear about it. We're 24 hours away. I've had time to think about it. I haven't had time to think about other positions because at the end of the day there are people out there who had to come in. At left-back I had more doubts, at right-back less. It tends to happen. We give our heads a lot of thought.
On management of Marc Domenech: He is still in a training period. He is 17 years old. He has to do other things beyond playing football. If there are any youth players in the squad, it's because we think they can help us. We don't fill the squad with youth players when we think it's better for them to play with the reserve team. If he's with us, it's because he's doing well, because I'm happy with him and because, like the other day, he can play as a starter. Another thing is that when you are 17 years old you have peaks of form, you have different emotional states and it could be that in a month's time he will be with the reserve team working and playing. As long as he's as bright as he is now, we're going to make the most of it.
On the importance of what's to come: I give maximum importance because they are the next ones and especially tomorrow. In football we thought that the Leganes game was very important to go into the break winning and with a good feeling. We've only had four games but it's true that from experience the higher up you are, the more everything flows. Everything is much more positive and you can give your best. Everything is important, but more than thinking about that, we think about what we have to do to be able to win tomorrow. I'm more focused on the immediate, which is tomorrow.
On injuries: I'm not a doctor but you've seen that Mateu and Javi Llabrés are doing things with the group. They are in the initial part of their recovery and that means they are in the final stretch of their recovery. Pablo Maffeo has already started to do things too and Siebe we still have to detect a little bit for when it is. Seeing the four of them doing things on the pitch is the first step to think that they won't be out for long.
