Bordalas: " The equaliser was a rush but we have to improve"

 Valencia CF head coach, José Bordalás, spoke in post-match press conference to run the rule over the last gasp home draw with Atletico Madrid on Matchday 13 of LaLiga.

This team may have weaknesses, but it cannot be denied that we fight to the end
The team never gave in, despite the unexpected blows that we received. They took the lead when they weren't creating chances, and the only mistake was for Luis Suárez's goal. In the second half we managed to draw level, and off a lost ball in the opposition half we let Griezmann shoot. I am happy with the effort put in by the players and I want to congratulate the fans, because they were supporting the team, but I am not happy because this is not what I want. The team looks like what I want when we seem out of it. We lack authority and we cannot concede the goals that we concede. Drawing level in the final moments has merit, but I would have liked another script to have been followed and we have to improve -because the second and third goals were avoidable.

How did you experience the adrenaline rush on the bench?
It was an incredible rush for everyone because the team never gave up. But that has to be the script that we follow from the opening whistle. We do not have to wait until we are up to our necks. The equaliser was a rush of adrenaline, but we have to improve to avoid making mistakes that weigh us down.

Was one of your instructions at halftime to advance the lines?
It was one of them, because we were very far off the play. It seemed as if we didn't dare to go for it. We confused sticking together with not troubling Atleti. With an adverse scoreline, the team needed to go for an equaliser, and it was a shame to concede the second goal so soon after we pulled level. Hugo Guillamón got over-confident with an incomprehensible loss of the ball. It seemed that the game was over, but the team tried until the end and the draw deserves a lot of merit.

Is the improvement in solidity something that can be trained?
We must react. I've told the players this. I congratulated them on the draw, but I told them that we have to improve. We cannot wait for the years to pass to gain experience. We need it now. We cannot concede 20 goals. It's massive. If we don't stem the bleeding, we will have a hard time. We have to be more forceful, strong and reliable, because today's football requires that. We are on a high from the draw, but we have to improve.

How can you explain the change in intensity from the first to the second half?
It has already happened to us in many games. We conceded a lot of goals in the opening minutes and we wanted to react. That is why I am not happy in that regard. The showing from the team in the second half has to be what we do from the opening whistle. We have to have that level of forcefulness and solidity and be much more well balanced. We are working on this and we have to change that trend as soon as possible. We have to reflect and return to the competition at our best level.

What is your verdict on the first third of the season?
It is too early to judge. I have defined which aspects we must improve in each press conference. 20 goals is a lot. That was an objective that we had set for ourselves and we haven't corrected it yet. We have to reflect and keep working to improve that aspect.

Hugo Duro played close to the area and scored goals. Has he earned the number 9 position?
He is a team player. I have known him from his time at youth level. He is honest, he gives his all and he has always scored goals. I knew he was going to help us. It is not easy to play for Valencia CF. He always gives everything. Let's see what happens from here on. He is going to give everything for Valencia CF. He is a great teammate, humble and has helped us today -and he will continue to help us. I want to congratulate both him and all of the other players. Let's see how far we can go.

Did you need a match like this to make an argument like this?
It is a clear and obvious argument. I am not getting carried away by the results. There have been games that we have lost and I have congratulated my team. Today, despite the high, we have to improve. We cannot ignore reality because we would be fooling ourselves. We must be humble and know what we have to improve. There are things that we do very well but there are also aspects that we must improve.