Mendilibar: "We want to win to keep ourselves up there"

Speaking in his pre-match press conference ahead of Friday's trip to Levante UD, SD Eibar coach José Luis Mendilibar insisted that his side will be aiming to pick up maximum points in Valencia as they bid to retain their place towards the top end of the standings.

"There are very few points separating a handful of teams. From the position we're in, we can end up slipping down three to four places over the course of a weekend. We want to keep ourselves up there and just win as many games as we can, without focusing on European qualification. The problems arise if certain players start to put themselves ahead of the team and I hope to be able to convince them that they've got to put the team first".

"One issue could be that we start thinking that the job is done. It's my job to ensure that we go out with the same motivation and desire to win against Levante as we did the other day against Real Madrid. I have to ensure that we don't just go through the motions but that we're really up for it".

"There are 10 games to go and my target is for us to at least equal the 54 points we got last season. To achieve that we have to win five of our 10 games and we're in good shape to go on and do that".

When quizzed about Levante, Mendilibar commented "If they beat us, it'll see them take a big step towards their target".    "After having won their last game, they won't be as anxious coming into this one. They'll come out to win but they'll also be wary not to concede. The confidence they'll have taken from beating Getafe will give them a real boost.

In reference to the appointment of a new manager at the Ciudad de Valencia, he stated "Initially those sorts of changes serve to give you renewed energy". "It means that the players that are playing regularly can't afford to rest on their laurels and those that aren't involved see it as an opportunity to get more game time".