Jagoba Arrasate was on pre-match media duties ahead of our trip to Celta Vigo. Find out what the boss had to say below:
On the team physically and mentally: We are trying to turn around the tough defeat we had at home against Barcelona. In these cases, what we all want is to get back to competing, and in that respect tomorrow's game is very good for us. Physically, those who played have done some recovery work today. The others have worked more. In principle, there are no problems. Another thing is to manage the fatigue a bit, the times, the freshness; and, based on that, we will think about the starting eleven and the changes.
It's important to recover physically, but it's also important that the defeat the other day doesn't take us off the path we're on. Both things are important. The game plan for tomorrow, which is key, against an opponent that, especially at home, is capable of being very dominant and generating a lot of danger.
On Johan Mojica and Manu Morlanes: These are issues that we manage internally. We talked about it yesterday, like any family. It is settled. I understand that it was an unpleasant episode: we have to recognise some behaviour that wasn't right, but that's always done behind closed doors and saying things to each other’s faces. In that respect, it is settled.
He is hurt, because sometimes you don't realise what you are doing when you are at the speed the team demands. From then on, apologising, as he has done, we have talked about it. He puts himself first... in that sense, he is a player with a lot of experience, he has been in many clubs, in a national team, he has lived through these situations and knows how they have to be managed. You also have to put yourself in Manu's shoes, which is not easy. We must try not to let these things happen again. It's good that we are a family and that we avoid these situations, but we must learn not to trip over the same stone.
On absentees: Both Mojica and some other players who have been playing a lot of minutes could be rested one day. It will depend on how they are, how the substitutes are and the possible situations we may have. It's true that both Lato and Copete are two players who were part of that famous rotation. I'm clear about what we need tomorrow and, depending on how the players are, we'll make the decision.
On regaining confidence: First, you have to know what you have done wrong. We have to learn from our mistakes, but first we have to accept them and recognise them. Once we have done that, we must give more value to what we have been doing all season. The result the other day hurts, but that shouldn't get us off track. What we are doing, in the long run, is going to give us more than it is going to take away. That doesn't mean that, along the way, there won't be stones like the one last Tuesday.
On changes: There are going to be changes, lots of them. In the end we played on Tuesday and Thursday we're travelling.
On penalties: It's true that we've had a run of three games with penalties against us, and it's something we have to avoid. They're situations that count against us, and at least we have to avoid giving the referee the option of giving it to the referee. It's all coachable.
On Takuma Asano: He was called up the other day. It's true that he's been out for a long time and we have to be careful with him, but with every training session, every day that goes by and every day that he leaves the injury behind, he'll be closer to coming back. I hope he can help us tomorrow because he is an important player for us.
On Siebe and Javi Llabrés: Despite not playing at all, Siebe is training very well. Every day, with a smile on his face. His behaviour is exemplary. He's always ready; it's just that I haven't opted for him so far. Now he can have more opportunities. Javi has also trained very well. It's not a question of whether they are good or bad; it's a question of whether the coach decides to put them in or not.
On Celta Vigo and Aspas: It's an ultra-offensive team, a team that proposes a lot, that takes risks, that has a great fluidity in their play and arrives with a lot of people. With a system that can have nuances, but with three central midfielders, inside play and outside lanes. It's a difficult team to adjust defensively, which is why they score so many goals. As they take so many risks, it's normal that defensively they suffer at times. Our intention will be to minimise their attack so that they are not so comfortable and to take advantage of those situations in which they can be vulnerable.
As for Iago Aspas: I think he's ‘an old rocker’. But well, the seasons go by, the years go by, and he's still a starter, still wears the armband, still scores goals and assists. He's a player we'll have to keep an eye on tomorrow.
On this season's results: We are all aware that this year we will have fewer draws. That means there may be more defeats, but the idea is also to get more wins. The game plan will be to try something similar to what we are doing away from home. We are up against a very dominant team at home. We have to hurt them. The idea is to get three more points and move up to 27, which is a very good number to keep moving forward in the first half of the season.