Back

González: "The team are fully focused"

The coach looks at Sunday's meeting with Alavés

Manolo González was quizzed about RCD Espanyol's Sunday fixture against Deportivo Alavés, in a pre-match press conference before the game.

“The team are in good shape and fully focused," he said, reflecting on the demands of playing three games in a week.

“Alavés are third in terms of possession in the final third and they compete well. They are a very recognisable team and the work their coach is doing is showing through. They have fewer points than they deserve. It will be a very demanding game, so we can’t afford to make mistakes and we have to be very switched on.”

The coach insists that, despite having to play in the Cup just 48 hours ago, “the players are in great shape,” but he reiterates that they will have to continue giving their all because “tomorrow, mistakes will be very costly.”

He noted that he has left Koleosho out of the squad “because of a knock he took the other day in the Copa del Rey, and I prefer that he can treatment in the coming days, in order to be ready for the next game.”

González also revealed his insistence on his players avoiding yellow cards, but above all, sendings off.

“It’s something I’ve emphasised since I arrived. We can’t go down to 10 men, and we can avoid cards for protesting -myself included. I don’t want us to lose our tempers.”