Gracia: “We want to make the most of confidence against Athletic”

Javi Gracia spoke to the media on Saturday to preview this weekend’s game against Athletic Club, which sees his squad travel to Bilbao searching for another three points.

A demanding match

“The game against Athletic is very important. I try to make my players feel the importance of this game, and it really is important; we come into this one off a victory and the good feeling remains. We must take advantage of the confidence and the optimism that the last result gave us and play with the demand that this game requires. In the table the differences between teams are minimal; you win a game or two and everything changes. It is time to try to take advantage of this. We have to give everything that we have and win. Athletic are competing very well and achieving good results. It will not be easy, but the team are very aware, and between now and the game I will make sure that they are even more aware.”

Marcelino

“We are playing against Athletic. Their coach has had a recent and successful past at our club, and I consider him a great coach. I can say little more than that. I am not involved in this, and from a distance you have to be prudent. Tomorrow's game is an important one, against a team that are in great form, and as a result they have won the Supercopa, taken good results in the Copa del Rey and won against great teams -not only due to the good work of their coaching staff, but also from their players.”

Transfer market analysis

“I have spoken about my responsibility at the club on previous occasions. The players who have come in are players who want to be here. Except for the frontline, where there has been one player who left, and has been replaced with Cutrone, two positions are filled that we had considered priorities since the summer. They are players who are excited and really want to be here, and I value that. They are my players and they are the best in the world -and if they weren't, then they will have to be so, and I have to make that happen with my work. I am informed of things when the club deem it appropriate. One thing is to participate more actively in the choice of players, another is to be informed. In principle, all three are available for the match against Athletic Club.”

Analysis of Ferro, Cutrone and Christian Oliva

“The players first have to settle in. They have just arrived and need time to offer us their best level of performance, but of course they are players who are healthy, who are have played a certain amount of minutes and are at my immediate disposal. In some positions, as is the case with Cutrone, we now have more options and different characteristics, but with the ability to use a different type of player to what we had in the squad. Ferro, on the other hand, is a different kind of defender in terms of his height and size, and he has experience in European competition. That is one more player in a position where we have several out, and where Hugo Guillamón has a possible suspension to complete. Finally, Christian Oliva is a midfielder, which is where the team needed one more player. He has a slightly different profile and a little more experience. These are the characteristics and virtues that they can contribute to the team.

They are players who are available and in good shape. One of the virtues they have is that they will be available for the next game. They are my players from the moment they arrive; we will have to watch them work, and everyone needs time to settle in a new place, but I see a great will on their part. It's time to focus on valuing the squad I have and, with my work, help them improve and compete in the best possible way. It is our job and we take that responsibility seriously.

The squad is what it is, and I have to get the most out of it. My players are the best. I will try to help them to compete as a team, achieve good results and show that we can have a great second half of the season. There is no point in looking back or looking at anything other than the next game. I am happy with my players and with the new options that the new signings give us.”

Cillessen

“This week he received medical clearance, and from there we need him to be cleared by our coaching staff. The fact that he has been training with the team for some time allows him to be safe in actions such as the one in which he was injured.”

Piccini

“He is training for part of the session with the team. He starts with the group, then does some work on the sidelines. We believe that to compete at your best level you need work independently of what the team are doing. It will depend on how he develops. He is a very good professional and he has worked hard; thanks to that work he is fit and will be at his best. We want him to be that way not just for a while, but this whole year, next year and his entire career. He has been spoken to us and he is working to get back to his best.”