Baraja: "We need to compete better away from home and it's important that we demand more from ourselves"

Valencia CF coach Rubén Baraja spoke to the media on Friday before his team’s game against Real Sociedad away from home.  

Rafa Mir

“The situation has changed because he was recovering from his injury, but he has had a setback and we are assessing the extent of the situation. We do not know if it is a relapse or a new situation. When we know everything, we will have the possibility of finding out if it is a new injury or the one from before. He has a problem with his right rectus femoris. Normally that tends to last 3/4 weeks, in which you have to be careful. When he returns to training he got hurt again. Generally, when you have a setback there are always slightly longer recovery periods, so when we have all the information, we will issue a medical report. He will not be at Anoeta.”

 Away games

“We’re just thinking about the first one up for us, which is tomorrow. It is important that we demand more from ourselves, that we are capable of competing better and are able to get positive results. We have to compete much better than in the three games we have played away from home so far. We are working to be able to make the team able to perform the same away from home as at Mestalla. We have to improve away from home and that means demanding more from ourselves, paying more attention, giving more importance to the details and, above all, believing that with our work, doing things better than we have done, we can change the results and the feeling away from home. It is not about setting limits and we can improve in that aspect.”

Match situations

“If we all had enough knowledge to know that if you make a change it will change the game, we would all be better coaches. You do something thinking that it will help you and you have to accept that, sometimes, things do not go as you expect. In the game against Girona FC, the substitutions gave us energy and continuity in the game. The other day against CA Osasuna, they did not give us that continuity, and it is not easy to come on from the bench and change games. We think that there are players who over 60/70 minutes, maybe, are not at their best level, and that someone who is going to come on for 15/20/25 minutes can change things. The important thing is that they have the attitude to be ready to work, compete and take advantage of their opportunities. During a season you have to take advantage of the moments and perform in those minutes that you enjoy, so that you can have more later. Those who go off must give us that extra boost so that they get the opportunity to continue in the game and be able to change it. It is not easy, but we do demand that from them, that they come in with the energy that the game requires.”

Maximiliano Caufriez

“He is in the process of getting into the team. His fitness is good, he feels good, but now I am choosing other teammates ahead of him to play. He has to keep working so that when his opportunity comes, he can show his level. Over a long season, all the players are important.”

Youth in the team

“I don't think they are anxious. We are starting the season. These types of situations arise when you are already in a difficult situation, in a long season, but I don't think we are in a moment in which anxiety is established within the dressing room at all. When you have to win, the opponents are also in the game, and if you are not at your best, it is not easy to win in the Primera División. They are young, but they are a year older than last year. We have to protect them, support them, strengthen them, but also demand that they take giant steps forward every week in their process of improvement. It has been shown that there are players who came here with certain conditions and performance, and in their growth over all this time, they have increased their level. We can get back to performing at that level, so there is no need to look for excuses. We have to work harder, insist more and make them believe and assume the responsibility of wanting to grow.”

Hugo Duro

“When a player comes back into the group, it is because he has already done some previous work that will allow him to have a certain security that he will participate. If he plays, it is because we think that his injury is over. All this takes time. His entry into the group will be gradual, although due to his characteristic and how he competes, he is a player who is shortening the time frame for a comeback. He feels good. His injury is over and at any moment he will have to have minutes to get up to speed.”

Real Sociedad

“They are still a great team. The results determine everything. When you lose important players like they have lost, other players come in who also have a great level and the coach has to position them, teach them all the movements, show all the things that the team do… all this is a process. You have to have that patience. Imanol Alguacil is a coach who has a lot of experience, he knows perfectly well what he wants. It is a team model that I like, beyond the fact that it is not getting results for them right now.”

Diakhaby

“He's doing pretty well from the information we have. It's such a serious injury that we can't know how he'll progress until some time from now. He feels fairly good and he's doing things. The feeling is quite positive. We're there supporting him so that he can handle it as best as possible.”

Gayà

“The feeling we have is good. The important thing is that when he returns to the team, he does so fully recovered. We hope that his return means he comes back and has continuity, that he doesn't have any more discomfort. He's an important player and we need him to be fit.”

S.C. Tenés

“He's working well and he's ready for when he has to participate. Logically, when the competition increases it's harder to get minutes. He's a player who can give us things. He has his minutes and moments, and he has to work so that those moments he provides us with are of a good level. I have no complaints. He works well, he's professional and he's in the dynamic that I like of competing for his place. This is what raises the level of the team.”

Javi Guerra

“He can play as our third midfielder, our second striker at times to keep the ball, and also can run into spaces. He has physicality, depth and creates scoring chances. All of the players are going to be important.”

A lack of goals

“In the Primera División it's very difficult to win, and scoring a goal is also hard. We've had five games where we weren't solid, and now we've seen an improvement in both areas. In our box, opposing teams are creating fewer chances. We've taken a step forward in the offensive aspect, as we get upfield, we have chances, but sometimes those last few metres are a matter of accuracy. We're getting there more than last season, but we're not finding the goals. We have to keep working.”