Baraja: “The fans are helping us a lot and tomorrow we hope for a good atmosphere at Mestalla and for us to perform at a good level”

The coach of Valencia CF, Rubén Baraja, appeared at a press conference before the La Liga Matchday 7 game on Wednesday against Real Sociedad.

The match against Real Sociedad

I am only thinking about Real Sociedad. We are up against a Champions League team and one of the best sides in terms of tactics and talent. They are going to make it very difficult for us and we must have a complete game if we are to achieve victory.

They are very potent in the final metres and we have to attack deep and have a good game defensively. There has been enough time to recover. The effort against UD Almería has to make us realise what makes us competitive: Running, sticking together, playing deep... we had some very good numbers and we are physically prepared for this match.

Real Sociedad’s model is one to follow in many things. They have been doing things very well for a long time, such as their management model, bringing young players into the first team and then having investment that makes a difference. The sports management have set out the strategy and then Imanol Alguacil has managed to get young, homegrown players to compete in the Champions League.

A good start to the season

We think about the team and what we want to do together in each game. Several players stayed here when they came back, to undergo treatment and do voluntary training. Commitment is very important and it makes the players ready to compete in the best way. We try to have our identity and take care of the details.

Squad management

There is a great mentality. The players are young, strong, and eager to compete and recover well. Tomorrow is another chance to do things right. The fans are helping us a lot and tomorrow we hope for a good atmosphere at Mestalla and for us to perform at a good level.

Injuries and recoveries

Both Gabriel Paulista and Roman Yaremchuk are now ready to participate. Yaremchuk is eager to play and I’m sure that tomorrow he can have that opportunity, because he is very necessary for us. The normal thing would be for him to go away with the national team and get in shape with them too. Jesús Vázquez's problems have not gone away and we are watching to see what happens. Since I have been here, I have always informed the media about injuries. We always try to tell the press things.

Rotations

On a physical level, what happened the other day in Almería is normal due to the effort required in those games. Matches no longer last 93 or 94 minutes, they now last more than 100 minutes. Exhaustion happens to all the teams in all the games.

Javi Guerra

The process with him has been very fast in every way. He finished last season very well and this year he has been a protagonist in offensive actions such as scoring goals. He must keep calm and manage the situation, and we must help him focus on his daily work. You have to know how to handle all of this and he is doing that well.

Amallah

He needs to adapt and understand what we are asking for. He has just arrived, and when his time comes we hope he will be at his best.

Long stoppage time periods

It's a handicap. If referees make that decision, it will be because they think that time has been wasted. It gives you a little more of a risk of an injury, makes players more tired and causes goals that decide games due to fatigue.