Garitano: “We like being in first place and want to stay there, but we’re not looking at the standings”
Previewing this weekend’s clash with Málaga, the coach praised the opponents and said “they’re going to take many more points in the second half of the season than they did in the first”
Discussing Eibar’s current position at the top of the LaLiga SmartBank table, coach Gaizka Garitano said in a press conference on Friday that: “We like being in first place and want to stay there, but we’re not looking at the standings.”
In that press conference ahead of Sunday’s match against Málaga at Ipurua (at 14:00 CET), the coach of Los Armeros stressed that Pepe Mel’s side “are going to take many more points in the second half of the season”.
ON BEING LEAGUE LEADERS
“We’re not really looking much at whether we are in the lead. The difference between being fifth or sixth or being top is only one or two points. You have to look at the league standings at the end of the season. We like being in first place and want to stay there, but we’re not looking at the standings and it doesn't change much whether you’re currently first or in fourth or fifth. We’re focusing more on the preparation of the matches, to try to get ready for these games as if they were finals and to do things well. The important thing is being in the pack that’s near the top and if you are in first then so much the better, but we don't look at the standings at this stage.”
“We have been very strong at home for a year and a half and we hope to continue this good home form. All the matches have been tough and when you see the squad that Málaga have, we know that we’re going to have a difficult match this weekend. But, we’re confident, we’re doing things well and we have to continue without giving up. We must keep pushing and remain strong at home because away from home it's harder for all teams to win, so we have to do as well as possible at home.”
ON MÁLAGA
“Málaga were among the favourites at the start of the season and everyone said they were ready to fight for promotion. We have the utmost respect for them. They have a very experienced coach and, if you look at Málaga over the last 10 games, you can see that they are a good team, that they have found a way of playing, that they have found a starting line-up that is giving them good performance. I think they’re going to take many more points in the second half of the season compared to the first half.”
“We’ll need to try to stop them getting the ball to Rubén Castro, making sure they’re not close enough to the box to play so many balls to Rubén Castro there. If he's not the very best player in the division in that area by the box, then he’s certainly up there. As for us, we’ll try to play as we usually do. We don’t usually do man-marking, but what we have to try to do is keep them as uncomfortable as possible with the ball, so that they don't feel comfortable because of the quality they have in midfield. The fewer balls they get to Rubén Castro, the better, because whenever he gets the ball near the box, it almost always ends in a goal or is very close to it.”
“Looking back at the match we played against them in the first half of the campaign, they have changed some players since then, as they’ve just signed some good players like Appiah or Lago Junior. They have evolved since the first half of the season and, as always, we have to respect all opponents and try to be strong, try to do what we do best, knowing that this will make us more likely to win.”
WILL THERE BE ROTATIONS?
“Each player has his different stages of a season, and some will contribute more in a few months’ time in terms of minutes. On a day-to-day basis, all the members of the squad contribute. Some have a few months in which they play more often and others have a few months where, for whatever reason, they’re not playing as much, but you always have to be prepared to play. There are some who have higher peaks of form in certain months and we take advantage of that. A winning team is built using everyone. Last year we gave chances to everybody and everybody was very useful and this year it's the same. It's difficult to make a fixed starting line-up because everyone is contributing. We have to try to take advantage of when a player is in good form or when we see that he is important for a specific game plan.”