Javier Aguirre believes his side are ready to get back into top form ahead of our hosting of Valencia CF this Saturday afternoon.
Having being held to 2-2 draws in our last two games against FC Barcelona and Rayo Vallecano respectively, the boss believes we can build on our positive performances after last weekend and take away some important lessons.
“We never stop learning,” Javier Aguirre said in the pre-match press conference. "We took away a lesson in Girona when we lost - me in particular. From there, you start working, watching videos... it's not that we didn't do it before, but you start to think about whether a player performs better in one place or another, whether you play with one or two strikers or with a line of four.
“In the past, you used to know the teams' eleven and how they played. Nowadays it is very difficult to do that. Valencia, for example, has a collection of spectacular young players but also injured players.
“They have important absentees, but they have Foulquier and Thierry Correia back. Since he took over, Baraja bet on young players and it went very well. It is a dynamic, intense team, with fast and daring players on the outside, a good goalkeeper as Hugo Duro is going through a good moment. It's going to be a hard-fought and beautiful game and I hope the victory stays at home."
Aguirre shared his thoughts on the team and revealed that Jaume Costa is once again fit, although Antonio Raíllo and Pablo Maffeo remain on the sidelines.
“So every week is a new challenge for every team," he continued. "We are all in that uncertainty. We try not to let our shortcomings show and to exploit the possible vulnerabilities of our opponents.
“There is more and more access to training sessions, coaches' talks, explanations and we all learn - myself included. If you are humble and receptive, you can change things and improve. It doesn't matter how old you are.
“Larin can play on the outside, Antonio Sánchez can play on the wing or on the inside, and the left-sided central defenders can play on the right.
“The team is once again competing. Afterwards, you can win, draw or lose, but if I see the team competing, I remain calm.”
