Baraja: “This is not going to change in a one day. It is essential to maintain unity and have the fans with us""

In his post-match press conference, Valencia CF coach Rubén Baraja assessed his first game in charge, reflecting on the loss against Getafe away from home on LaLiga Matchday 22.

The dynamic

I respect opinions, but we think that, through hard work and making the players believe that the situation can be turned around, we can do it.

Tonight's result does not leave us satisfied in any sense because the team competed and had chances to go ahead with 2 or 3 very clear chances that we didn’t take advantage of. That was the difference.

What I cannot do is assess the situation in the long term. I only think about this moment. We know how difficult the situation is, nobody here has hidden the reality and what is clear is that we need to improve aspects of the game that give us the chance to be closer to winning. Today we did enough to have chances in the game, but we are leaving empty handed. This does not mean that we should think that there is no time to change the situation.

The situation

Nobody has hidden in the analysis of the situation, which is tough and had to be accepted. We arrived with good energy and we felt that the response from the players has been positive in terms of their attitude, in their desire, in staying intense in the game. The difference was that if we had taken the lead we would still be talking about another thing.

I understand everyone's concern, but I have to focus on the next game. We will try to take the positives from today and with our work in the week lead the players to believe that we can win at home against Real Sociedad.

Relegation

I understand that you want to give seriousness to the situation, but there are many matchdays to go. We have to assess the situation based on whether the team can translate today's effort into points. The team worked well, they did what we wanted in the game, which was to have chances and to be alive in the game, but the difference was made by their finishing.

They generated far more from set pieces than they should, but it is difficult for us to deal with set pieces and this is something that we have to work on, evidently. But we have to think only about tomorrow, not beyond that or thinking about hypotheses. I'm not going to waste energy on that.

Hard work

We must generate confidence, with a competitive atmosphere in which players feel demands and also dare to do things. In the end, we are the ones who have to turn this situation around and they have to believe that the change of dynamic can take place. Logically, at times we have been imprecise, they were too, It was a tight game, with a lot of equality and various situations.

The pity is that the work we have done has not translated into a change of dynamic. It's even more infuriating because we created chances, but didn’t convert them and then we had the misfortune of conceding from a set piece and we leave here empty-handed.

The fans

The message is clear. This is not going to change in a one day. It is essential to maintain unity and have the fans with us. I understand that they are suffering because the situation is difficult and it hurts us all to see ourselves like this in the table.

We have a margin to work on and we have to make the team see themselves as capable of winning games again. For us, our fans are essential.

Positives

We were been in the game, we competed, we have had chances, were consistent in our effort. With this continuity and an improvement in the day-to-day work and in the aspect in which they can gain confidence, I think the team can grow. This is the message I want to send.

In these moments you either become negative or you become positive. I prefer to be positive and think that with work, the attitude shown today in the game and with the support of our fans, we can play the games to win them.

The dressing room

Everything is based on having mental strength and having energy. What I have to transmit to the players is that. We have to keep working. Through  work and the unity with our fans, which we need more than ever, the team can improve.

It is essential to keep our heads strong, value the positive things and correct those that have not been so good.

Lino and Gaya

Both Lino and Gayà suffered small sprains that we have to assess.

Tactical aspects

The team were imprecise at times, a little due to tension, but we also had a good sequence of passes, were good with the ball, penetrated and looked for spaces. In terms of positions, in open play Getafe CF didn’t create chances and all the danger came from dead balls. In defensive aspects we were compact except for set pieces and some other things that we have to correct.

We want a team that attack well with the ball, that arrives from the wing, that look for goals and that without the ball are organised, with the possibility of stealing possession and going on the counter.

His first game in charge

I am sad because in these situations, when you have a game with chances and situations to score that normally result in a goal, situations that can give you confidence and the players let go, and they don’t go in, it hurts. We have not had that luck and the game remained open at 0-0 -and in that final action they won it

I feel the strength and the will to change the dynamics that are changed by winning. We need to win and our next objective is to focus on Real Sociedad, prepare well for the game and try to compete to win.

Today we had real chances to win the game. We competed continuously, there are things to improve because we have only been here for 4 or 5 days. We have to think that we can do it.