Javier Aguirre was on pre-match press conference duties ahead of our hosting of Celta Vigo this Saturday afternoon. Find out what the boss had to say below:
On the party at Son Moix: "We are focused on what happens on the pitch. I understand that it is a party and hopefully it will be a good party for the fans and that we will be able to give them some joy, apart from what the club is going to give them, and we will do what we know how to do, which is to play football.”
On Celta Vigo: "I think we have similar dynamics. Rafa [Benítez], after many years away, returned to La Liga, found a great project and is finding a way to make them play better. Celta is getting better every day. I expect a very different game from the first round. Both teams have improved and I think it will be a good game.”
On team dynamics: "As I said, both teams are doing well. So I think it's going to be a complicated match and on the outside, it's going to be a party and we have to enjoy it and we have to rise to the occasion by playing a great match. If we win, so much the better.”
On the importance of the match: "It's an important match, which in the best scenario, we can get the three points but we have to go out there, overcome the opponent and then see what we can do."
On the absentees: "Muriqi, Valjent and Jaume Costa are out. Samu [Costa], Manu [Morlanes] and Luna we lost them for the cup and for this match all three are here. David López and Sergi [Darder] were sick with vomiting. I tell them to take extreme precautions."
On the importance of Manu Morlanes: "It is difficult for me to talk only about one player because it seems that the question is directed to that player. I think they all do a good job. One gives us some things and others give us others. Manu gives us very good things, of course. I tell the players that nobody is indispensable, only to the badge. I am very happy with Manu's performance.”
On a lack of right-backs: "In the last match, David López did well on the right. There are alternatives. I know that maybe a left-footed right-back is not logical, but for an emergency Siebe [Van der Heyden] or Nastasic can do it, and with Valjent we are optimistic that he can make it to Villarreal."
On team morale: "I think the team's morale went up after the match at the Metropolitano. From then on, we had four games out of five at home and we got points, and the cup has not been bad for us and the culmination was Real Madrid. The dynamic is not bad, but everything goes down the drain if we have a bad game tomorrow."
On Daniel Luna: "I wanted to see Luna. Luna is a player that you have not seen much. But I haven't given him that opportunity in LaLiga. He has a lot of potential, that kid is a very young kid who wants to learn."
On Darder's condition: "Darder is very well both on and off the field, completely adapted. And he can play with Manu perfectly in midfield. His substitution is nothing personal, I simply have 18 players available who are doing very well and every week I evaluate who is better. I see the opponent, I see how they train and I choose.”
