Baraja: “I care about the hunger we feel, the need we have to win again and even more so in front of our fans” 

Valencia CF coach Rubén Baraja spoke ahead of the his side’s game against Deportivo Alavés on LaLiga Matchday 34.    

Mosquera and Yarek

When you work with them, you see them on a day-to-day basis and you see their evolution, the idea is to try to give the possibility for all players to have continuity. In Yarek's case, his process has been accelerating. Training with the first team makes you grow and the other day we decided to give him the opportunity against Barcelona. The two who will play tomorrow will be between Cenk, Mosquera and Yarek.

A big match

I didn't have the feeling that the last two games were ‘finals.’ In the case of the Copa del Rey, yes, because there you either go through or you are knocked out. I don't have that feeling about this game either. I try to insist a lot on what it means to wear this shirt and the demands the players must have in each game. This shirt requires you to compete to the maximum and be at the highest level, and doing that at home has gone well for us in front of our fans, who are going to push us positively. Winning this match does not have a ‘final prize’ yet. It makes us continue in this fight and it is really important to win again after two defeats.

Transfer market rumours

It is a time of the season when certain things come out. I don't read much, but I think the players are focused. It is a moment in which we cannot lose ourselves. We have to focus on the next game. We are going to face opponents that have a dynamic opposite to ours, after two victories against good teams. We are coming off two defeats and I think we must try to translate that need, that hunger and that energy into the game to win again. I don't think we're here to think about whether one player goes here or another goes there. We must focus on the objective of tomorrow's game.

Yaremchuk

Roman is doing better. He is feeling good and we will see. He's a little short on training time. We will see between now and tomorrow the decision we make. He is doing quite well and is eager. But nothing changes either. Our formation has always been 4-4-2, regardless of the characteristics of each player.

Interest in Mosquera from other clubs

I don't have any information on that and I'm not going to waste my time on that kind of thing. I am focused on the competition and I think Cristhian must also be in that dynamic. His season has been fantastic in every way and that may arouse the interest of other teams, but Cristhian is a Valencia CF player and has to focus on the five remaining games without thinking about anything else.

The substitute for Mamardashvili

Jaume will play tomorrow. When Giorgi is not available, Jaume has the position of second choice goalkeeper for this situation. He has experience. At certain moments in his career at the club he has had very good performances and of course we trust in him, in his work, in his level and in what he can contribute for us tomorrow.

Alavés staying up

It is clear that Alavés' initial objective was to try to stay up, and they have done so brilliantly. They are a team with a lot of energy and have players with a lot of youth and desire, who play good football and have good counterattacks. They are good from set pieces and tomorrow we have to be attentive to those types of actions. I care about the hunger we feel, the need we have to win again and even more so in front of our fans, who will support the team knowing how important winning is to us. We’ll need a good performance to beat Alavés.

Peter Federico

His development has been what we consider to be appropriate. You come in to a team in which you have to know the mechanisms, work day to day, find out a little about what we are looking for and be part of the structure of the team with your qualities. He is a player who can play on both wings. Little by little, he has been making the most of his opportunities and I think his growth has been positive. The other day I think he had a good game and participated in all the dangerous actions. He is a player who has a good shot, he has skill and we are going to try to get the best from him for the rest of the season. From there we will make a decision regarding his future.

Players out injured

Foulquier is now in a position to be able to be in the squad. Fran Pérez and Gayà are the only ones still out. José is in his recovery process and is close to returning, and Fran has a back problem that is preventing him from training. Foulquier has already recovered and Roman is doing quite well. Diakhaby is in France for the review of his injury.

Defensive solidity

One of our great virtues is that we are a team that concede few goals and are well organised defensively. That allows you to stay alive in games. It is one of our best weapons. In these last two games it is true that certain details, specific actions, the quality of the opposition and our mistakes -which is something we must acknowledge- have led us to concede more goals than we had been. In tomorrow's game we must be strong at the back and be consistent. It is important for us, since it will allow us to be close to being able to score and win.

Internationals

I think it's something that gives you motivation, that activates you at the last moment. In football you always remember the last thing. We have several players who have the possibility of getting callups with their national teams and I hope this helps us to be at our best. Focusing things in a positive sense always helps you and I hope it helps us so that Roman finishes the season well, Cenk is prepared, the players who can go to the Olympics play well, José with Spain, Giorgi... We have many possibilities there and I see that motivation as positive. It will help us give that final push.