Gracia: "The best thing that we can do is be focused"

Valencia CF coach Javi Gracia addressed the media ahead of the Friday night fixture against Elche CF, talking in his pre-match press conference.

Opinions on Elche

“In terms of our opponents, they deserve a lot of credit for what they are doing. They are a very well organised team. It’s very hard to create chances on goal against them. Their transitions and the speed of their players make them a very dangerous team. They are going to oblige us to be very well organised all the time, in both attacking and defensive phases. I think that we are very motivated for this game, but aware that it’s going to be a different game and that we are going to have to have patience. We need constant order and balance. We have to try to create the clear chances that we need to score goals and to win the game.”

Kondogbia’s availability

“I don't know when he will be available. He’s currently out due to a medical problem. He has been making progress and this week has trained on the pitch. I think he is on the right track to return. The situation I see is what usually happens with players who do not train. He has some niggles and is not available at the moment. The process with him is the normal one that other injured players follow. We can see an improvement and the I hope that he will be back as soon as possible. What will happen when he has recovered? I don’t know. I am confident that he will be an important player, as he has been so far.”

The team’s mental state

“The rest of the team are looking very good. I think that we’ve trained with a lot of intensity, and the players continue to work with the excitement that the last good result gave us, even though the last two results have been negative. There’s that feeling that we’ve had, and we feel that we are becoming more solid all the time -and earning more and more of a chance of earning good results in a consistent way. In terms of morale, the team are looking very good to me.”

Maxi Gómez

“Maxi came back from international duty with some discomfort. Before the game against Villarreal we evaluated whether he could play or not, and he said he would be fine. This week he felt some more discomfort and right now he is not ready to play. Hopefully these next few days will help him recover. He will not be available tomorrow due to some discomfort in his knee.

Maxi's absence will not change the work we have done during the week. We are clear about how we are going to play. When we work on games, we do so with several options. We work by rotating positions, so everyone knows what to do in the games. There is a player out, but we have other alternatives. They may have other characteristics, but things will not change much.”

Valencia CF’s aim for the season

“We have to take things step by step. The best thing that we can do is be focused. What is in our hands is the next game, and we need to focus on that. We need a good feeling and good results. If we get a consistent dynamic, it will help us to be more optimistic in the long term, with other ambitions. What helps us most right now is focusing on the next game, without stopping being ambitious and demanding.”

Early mistakes

“It is a situation that occurs. We have conceded goals at the beginning of games that have made it difficult for us. In preseason we turned the score around, and on the first matchday as well. I don't think it's because of a lack of intensity or because we don’t come into the games with the right intensity. We have to improve our attention span and be more focused at the start. In matches that are very close, those details define the final result. We will try to improve what is within our power to have a better result.”

Uncertainty over the kick-off day

“It’s an atypical, surreal situation. I’m convinced that we are going to play on Friday, and that’s how we’ve been approaching this week in terms of our training. If there is a modification, then we will adapt and play when they say so. I would like things to be done a different way, and for us to know all of the schedule in advance. I hope that this is fixed as soon as possible. For the moment, we are convinced that we are going to play tomorrow.”

Kang In

“He’s played minutes and games. He didn’t play in the last match, but he has to keep doing what he has been, which is work well and try to help the team in what is asked of him. I’m happy with his performance and he has to keep showing me that he wants to play -just like his teammates do.”