Gracia: "We are all committed and motivated for our ambition to improve"

On the eve of a Friday night regional derby against Villarreal CF, Valencia CF coach Javi Gracia gave his thoughts on the fixture in his pre-match press conference.

Chasing victory

"In our last home games we have picked up 6 of the 7 points that we have taken in the last five matchdays. Tomorrow we face opposition who have more of a possession style, and I think that in the first meeting it was an even game -even though we suffered defeat. We had our chances in that game. We expect it to be a hard fought match, and hope that it will be our third consecutive home win. If we can do that and keep a clean sheet as well, then all the better."

Aiming to improve

"Our results should be better, and in the last five matchdays we have had two pretty bad games, but we have still been the side with the eighth most points earned in that period. We have to improve and be more ambitious, but I would like to give optimism and positivity to the work that the team are doing. I am convinced that we will have a better game, better results and a better position in the table. The goal is to improve, and that is our ambition."

Focus in the squad

"The team are focused on ourselves and on working hard, regardless of what is said on the outside. Our intention is to work hard and try to improve things, which is what we are trying to do."

Injured players

"Cheryshev has had a calf problem for a long time. He thought it would be over soon. He was training but noticed some discomfort in the same spot that prevented him from progressing. He's training separately and doing things, but he's still not fit. Everything will depend on his level of discomfort. Piccini is in a special situation. He is coming off a serious injury and has completed several training sessions. He noticed a little swelling in his knee and that makes us cautious. We believe that he will be fully fit to train in the next session."

Becoming more consistent

"Our showing against Real Madrid was not good at all. Against Getafe CF we showed signs of falling apart. When we receive a setback, it is difficult for us to compete at the same level;  this team have always shown signs of being able to turn around scorelines, with the exception of these two games. I want to think that we are better than we were in those games. There are fewer games remaining all the time, and there will be more tension. We need to be able to give a showing befitting of who we are, and be more consistent because it will help us achieve better results."

Improving offensive production

"I consider Maxi to be an important player for the team, and one who has offered goals and important things for the team. I trust that if the team perform alongside him, he will be an effective player. We try to improve the team's play and attacking situations, so that our forwards have more chances to score."

The starting goalkeeper

"Cillessen has been given the opportunity to play in the last few games. Jaume is exemplary, whether he is playing or not. He is an important cornerstone of this squad. He continues to work hard to be ready when the coach picks him again. There is no question about him. We just opted for Cillessen in those games, who is also doing a good job."

Trust in Guedes

"He is training normally and is another option for tomorrow's game. He is training well, like the rest of his teammates, and is eager to participate. I hope that when it is his turn to play, he will do so at his best level."

A conversation with the president

"I spoke with the president when he returned, and today he watched part of the training session. He also conveyed greetings from Peter Lim to me. We shared opinions on the team and he expressed an interest in things about the team."