Celades: "The win deserves a lot of credit and we are very happy with everybody's performance"

Valencia CF coach Albert Celades was glowing in his praise for his players after a hard fought win against Granada CF, but still sees room for improvement and the motivation to continue moving up the LaLiga table upon the return from the international break. He spoke to journalists in his post-match press conference at Mestalla.

The result

 “This win deserves a lot of credit, because of our opposition, the two new injuries we picked up, the fact that we'd played a highly demanding Champions League game in midweek, the injuries we have and the fact that we are fielding some players more than they should be. We are very happy with the performance from everybody."

Absences in the midfield

"Today Parejo played, but so did Wass, who was fantastic; not just because of his goal, but his overall performance in a position that isn't where he usually plays. I have no criticism of any player, and every one of them is giving us a lesson in every game."

Still demanding more

"We'd like to be higher up the table, concede fewer goals, have more points... but we're in a good position in the Champions League alongside two of the best teams in Europe in Ajax and Chelsea, and in LaLiga we are improving. We're getting closer to the top positions, but we need to demand more from ourselves. We are always very proud of the players, and today is another day like that. The performance deserves a lot of credit for everything: We were up against a good side who are still at the top of the table -and that isn't a coincidence."

Ferran and Kang In

"They are young players and we need to leave them alone and follow their development. Ferran is only 19. The best thing that we can do is leave him alone and make things normal for him. We also have to go step-by-step with Kang In."

Injuries

"Whenever a player gets injured, it's always very sad for the team, because it means we can't enjoy having them on the pitch. It's the worst thing that can happen. We are getting injuries because we have so many games and are so on the limit -we haven't had a calm game. We have meetings every day. We shouldn't go crazy about this. Some of the injuries are trauma, like in Guedes' case. We believe that everything is down to the accumulation of games, which the players are paying the price for."

Parejo

"Dani doesn't just offer a lot to our play. I always highlight his tremendous personality. It isn't easy to find footballers like him. The other day against Lille he misplaced a pass, and then he took a penalty with lots of calm. It's admirable how he resolves situations with such normality."

Injuries to Kondogbia and Rodrigo

"Kondogbia felt some discomfort in his hamstring, but he won't have tests done on it until tomorrow. Rodrigo came off because he had a problem with his back. We don't think it's serious, but we don't know any more for the moment."

Closing in on the LaLiga lead

"We're happy with the victory, which deserves a lot of credit. It isn't easy after such a demanding European game -on both a physical and mental level- to return to LaLiga action. The team took things seriously, scored two goals and could have scored more, and didn't concede. We continue making progress. We have to demand more from ourselves."