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González: "This was one of the best matches we’ve had"
The coach gives a positive review of the Matchday 10 win
RCD Espanyol coach Manolo González was delighted with the showing by his players in the 1-0 win over Elche CF, and described it in his press conference as "One of the best matches we’ve had.”
“It was very difficult. Today's game says it all: Elche had only lost once this season. The changes hindered us. We lacked the strength to press and counterattack, and some specific defensive movements hurt us, but that's the only thing that we lacked."
González praised the effort of his players in the LaLiga win.
"I'm with them every week, and they believe in themselves. Jofre came in today and was great. Rubén too. We're lucky that the players are committed and that they want to play. Either you are at the same standard as the rest of the squad and don't make mistakes, or you don't play. Competition is half of the game, and having a squad that compete against each other to play is the best thing that can happen to us."
The coach insisted that "our goal is to reach 42 points as soon as possible. The way the season goes will set our goals. As we achieve them, we'll see what’s next. You can't look any further than the next step. We can't believe we're something that we are not, otherwise we'll do badly."
On the game, he said "when we managed to push high and be brave, we did better. Riedel's substitution was because he was on a yellow card and it was risky. I think with the changes I had planned, we wouldn't have suffered so much. If I have a "but" about the game, it would be that we didn't spend the final stretch in the opposition half; we must improve on that."
“We're aware of the date, the club we’re at, and what we represent. It was an important day for us to win. Not winning would be even more frustrating because of what it represents. We weren't looking at the date specifically, but winning is a consequence of what we've seen. I think the players know this and are aware of how hard it is for us to win a game. When you win, you don't value it. Winning in the Primera División is very difficult, and they know that. The day we don't win will be because the opponents will be the better side, but not because we got things wrong in that regard.”