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González: "We have to compete better than Sestao River do"
The coach talks before the Copa del Rey fixture
Before RCD Espanyol face their first round of Copa del Rey action, coach Manolo González underlined that the team are “working to secure a win away to Sestao River.” The game comes off the back of a series of adverse results.
“I’ve had to earn everything since I was young -in football, as well as in the other jobs I’ve held. That’s just life, and that’s why I’m going to fight until the end. People are free to say whether they liked my approach or not, but no one can ever accuse me of not giving my absolute all for Espanyol. I am completely certain of that,” he remarked.
“I know my job is at risk. I can’t ignore reality. I can’t predict the future, and I don’t know what will happen between now and Friday. For as long as I’m here, I’ll keep working, though I’m well aware that my standing has taken a significant hit.”
“Football is all about results; it’s not a fairy tale. It’s only natural that I face criticism when we don’t win. I know the nature of my job: when the team doesn’t win, the coach ends up taking the brunt. I’m frustrated because we aren’t winning -that’s just how I was raised,” he stated.
Once again, the manager defended his squad, saying: “I don’t believe the players are to blame for this situation. It’s likely more a matter of confidence.”
Regarding the Copa del Rey match, he noted: “We’ll field a strong side, with the clear intention of advancing to the next round. I don’t intend to do what’s been done in previous years, which was rotating the squad heavily. We’ll go all out tomorrow. I don’t want a repeat of the mistake that has cost me dearly in the Copa in the past.”
“They are a team that work very well. That is why we have to compete better than they do. They are a strong side, and while it might sometimes seem like there should be a huge gap in the level of each division, the truth is that every team works hard.”