Gattuso: “The team have worked very well all week”

Valencia CF play Athletic Club at San Mamés on Sunday afternoon, and coach Gennaro Gattuso gave his thoughts to the media on the eve of the LaLiga Matchday 2 contest.

A message to those affected by the fires in the Valencia region

Before starting the questions, I want to send out a message. We are very supportive and concerned for the people who have been affected by the fires in the Valencia region over the last few days. I want to send our support on behalf of the team and the club to all the residents of the affected towns, and if we can do anything to help then we are available for them.

How are Gabriel Paulista and Marcos André?

Gabriel has been training with us for the last two days. Tomorrow I'll talk with him to see how he is feeling. I don't know if he is going to play from the first minute yet. Marcos André missed yesterday's training session because he had to undergo an MRI at the hospital, but he trained with us today.

How do you approach the match against Athletic Club on a tactical level?

We have a tough game tomorrow against Athletic Club, in a stadium where the fans get behind their team a lot. We're up against a team who like to play aggressively. They have quality and it isn't an easy game, but we aren't changing anything. It's a normal game: We have to watch out for their pace, because they have a lot of it, as well as skill and fitness. Nothing changes for us.

Are you worried that your high press could be countered by the speed of Athletic Club’s forwards?

If you defend with two lines of five you also have to be aware of their speed, so nothing changes. Iñaki Williams is very fast, as is his brother. Raul Garcia is very clever when he plays up front, because he is a very strong header of the ball. The important thing for us is our philosophy. We have to be aware of their speed, but we are going to press hard and high and that isn't a problem.

We've worked hard this week. The team have worked very well and tomorrow we will see if we will play with an ultra-attacking press or not.

How have you experienced this week of changes in the Board?

The day before I talked to Layhoon and she explained the changes to me. In these months that I have worked with Joey Lim, Sean Bai and Teo Swee Wei, I have to say that we have worked very well. It is a decision made by the club, and as such we have to respect it.

Do you think that Athletic Club will come out a little more defensive than they did last Monday?

We have worked on this with two different approaches. The team have worked very well all week and tomorrow we will see about the pressing, but we have worked a lot on this.

You have spoken at times of switching to a 4-2-3-1 formation. Are we going to see it soon? Is it a formation that you prefer away from home?

This formation is not exclusively for playing away from home or at home. It depends on how the opposing team play and many other things. I think that at the moment the priority is to play well with a 4-3-3. Then we'll work on another formation. The other day we played for more than half an hour with ten players because of the sending off, and we had to play with a line of three at the back - something that we had not tried before.

Do you like Bryan Gil? Is he going to come back to Valencia CF?

I like Bryan Gil. I like every player who knows how to play football. We are working on things and I think that next week we will solve everything that is important to us, but at this time we cannot talk about it.

Are you concerned that arrivals to the team have been held up?

No. I am concerned only with death. Anything else does not concern me. I’m not worried. I’m only worried about death, about a doctor telling me that I only have five months to live. I work with what I have.

How do you prepare for set pieces?

Like we usually do. We know that Athletic Club are a very physical team and very dangerous from set pieces, and we have worked the same as for the game against Girona FC, although with a different idea. Little changes for us. We have to pay close attention to set pieces, but Athletic Club are not just set pieces and we saw that with the chances they created against RCD Mallorca. It is a difficult game at a very difficult ground.

Do Hugo Guillamón and Nico fit into your formation at the same time?

Yes. I think that Nico can play as a pivot or a number 8, in the position of Carlos Soler or Yunus Musah. I like Guillamón better as a pivot. I’m sure that they could play together and they are compatible.

How many players are missing to complete the squad in this transfer market? Are you nervous or angry?

I'm not nervous or angry. I know very well the problem we have when it comes to signing players, but it's not just a problem for Valencia CF, but for many teams. The club know very well that to complete the team we have to sign two or three players, and I am calm.