Quique: “In the best of situations, I see the team playing in Europe”
“The only way to keep our morale high is to win again”
Quique Sánchez Flores touched on many topics at his pre-game press conference before his side takes on Getafe at the Coliseum. The ‘rojiblanco’ manager commented on all of the subjects related to the game, as well as certain current issues regarding his squad. He believes in his players and is convinced that they’ll qualify for Europe. To do that, there would be nothing better than beating his first team as a First Division head coach.
The manager of Atlético de Madrid, to begin, referred to the week that his club has ahead with two fixtures against Getafe and Villarreal which could decide the team’s possibilities in La Liga, especially after the win in Zaragoza and the draw against Sevilla. “We’re still looking for a turning point which translates into results. The statistics indicate that we’re on the right path and so do our feelings, but we have to materialize them. The only way to keep our morale high is to win again.”
Regarding whether he feels like the team is in the toughest stretch of the season as they search for consistency, he stated that “I’ve said that it’s a very different season than the one we expected and I accept that the toughness of the season has been huge. I believe, and I won’t stop believing, in this group. Like one knows their children, they know where they have to try and straighten out the situation. It’s not the ideal season, but we’re not going to get discouraged. We have good professionals who train hard and will turn this situation around.”
This is a crucial week for the team against two direct rivals, Getafe and Villarreal. “We always think very positively. I, honestly, knowing the group, prefer to go match-to-match. We have to get back to what we did last season and split our efforts on the pitch. These are things that can’t be explained but that are very normal and sometimes escape us. When we’ve been supportive of each other and played in short competitions like last year, when the team completely divided up the effort and knows what it has to do, there’s no problem. The problem is when, like in the first half against Sevilla, suddenly seven guys are making the defensive effort, four are in offense, the team is inconsistent, we give them an advantage for several minutes and lots of our chances to win the game get away from us. When they understand that we’re better playing as a supportive and united team, it’s a team that gives a different sensation.”
He was asked whether he still believes that they have a chance to qualify for Champions League or if it’s too far in the distance. He replied that “we’re going to go little-by-little and when we get to the final matches and see our options we’ll say what our true goal is. In the worst of cases, the team won’t have to leave European competition. I’ve experienced bad situations here, touching the relegation zone, dropping into it, falling into the middle of the table, but I see the team playing in Europe in the best of situations. I respect this group, this Club and this badge, and I believe that’s what’s going to happen. Therefore, now, at one point, at four and at six, we have Europe right there. Do we deserve to fight for Champions? Time will tell. We’ll see how we make it to the last eight fixtures, which is where everything is decided.”
With respect to the defensive facet of the team and the fact that they’ve been conceding goals, he didn’t allow any criticism directed towards his goalkeeper. “David isn’t really making any mistakes. He’s been the starter at Atletico de Madrid for practically two years and at this point he should have made an infinite number more of errors. Because if you compare him to the best keepers at his age, Casillas, Valdés and Reina, they made mistakes that he hasn’t made. They’re scoring true cracking goals against him, many of them unstoppable. He doesn’t feel under attack, but he does feel impotent because of how many times they approach his area. He’s doing everything well enough, and then some, and I’m extremely happy with his work.”
After looking for a central midfield that produces results, it seems like he’s found one with Koke, Tiago and Raúl García. “Yeah, because I have two players with whom I speak daily and who arrived in the winter signing period, and they have to understand what Atlético de Madrid is, that it’s not an easy squad. Those up front think in a certain way and those in back another. And when everything fits together perfectly it can work, but when there are several different ideas it’s tough to put into play. Therefore, while we’re manufacturing those ideas from those players that are really going to help us in the future, we’ve found a solution, which is to give the best passes possible to our strikers. And people who play football well are doing that. Koke has class and plays well and gives a certain pause to the midfield. Of course we can change at any moment and play on the wings, and there are other situations in which the other guys will be able to help us.”
Concerning the substitution of Forlán against Sevilla, the manager stated that “we need goals from our strikers, that’s clear. But scoring a goal or not never depends on the strikers. It’s true that we’ve had chances to score more goals this season, but that’s not happening for a thousand different reasons. When you’re the seventh lowest-scoring team in the league, that costs you a lot of points. But it doesn’t solely depend on Kun and Forlán alone, nor Diego Costa, but on everyone. They’re streaks. These same players showed that they were capable scoring bunches of goals two years ago and got the team into Champions League in 10 matches.”
Precisely, the ‘rojiblanco’ maanger emphasized that “I think Forlán is playing well. He’s played very well in the last two games, in Zaragoza and against Sevilla, much better than in previous ones. And when he scores a couple of goals, he’ll score a lot more. Last year he did something similar when he was blocked. And in the end he recovered his goal-scoring instinct and ended up participating in the team’s titles. Diego doesn’t create any kind of doubt in me.”
To finish, he had to touch on Getafe, the club that gave him his shot as manager in the First Division. “They seem fantastic to me. I have enormous affection for Getafe, for their fans, and I hold Ángel Torres and Mantilla, their delegate, in the highest of regards. I love them a lot and I’ve always said that they’re part of my family. What I’ve become eight years later has a lot to do with what I was seven years ago with Getafe and with those players who were extremely generous in their work with me. I wish both teams could win the three points, but that can’t be and hopefully we’ll be the ones playing a good game.”
The manager of Atlético de Madrid, to begin, referred to the week that his club has ahead with two fixtures against Getafe and Villarreal which could decide the team’s possibilities in La Liga, especially after the win in Zaragoza and the draw against Sevilla. “We’re still looking for a turning point which translates into results. The statistics indicate that we’re on the right path and so do our feelings, but we have to materialize them. The only way to keep our morale high is to win again.”
Regarding whether he feels like the team is in the toughest stretch of the season as they search for consistency, he stated that “I’ve said that it’s a very different season than the one we expected and I accept that the toughness of the season has been huge. I believe, and I won’t stop believing, in this group. Like one knows their children, they know where they have to try and straighten out the situation. It’s not the ideal season, but we’re not going to get discouraged. We have good professionals who train hard and will turn this situation around.”
This is a crucial week for the team against two direct rivals, Getafe and Villarreal. “We always think very positively. I, honestly, knowing the group, prefer to go match-to-match. We have to get back to what we did last season and split our efforts on the pitch. These are things that can’t be explained but that are very normal and sometimes escape us. When we’ve been supportive of each other and played in short competitions like last year, when the team completely divided up the effort and knows what it has to do, there’s no problem. The problem is when, like in the first half against Sevilla, suddenly seven guys are making the defensive effort, four are in offense, the team is inconsistent, we give them an advantage for several minutes and lots of our chances to win the game get away from us. When they understand that we’re better playing as a supportive and united team, it’s a team that gives a different sensation.”
He was asked whether he still believes that they have a chance to qualify for Champions League or if it’s too far in the distance. He replied that “we’re going to go little-by-little and when we get to the final matches and see our options we’ll say what our true goal is. In the worst of cases, the team won’t have to leave European competition. I’ve experienced bad situations here, touching the relegation zone, dropping into it, falling into the middle of the table, but I see the team playing in Europe in the best of situations. I respect this group, this Club and this badge, and I believe that’s what’s going to happen. Therefore, now, at one point, at four and at six, we have Europe right there. Do we deserve to fight for Champions? Time will tell. We’ll see how we make it to the last eight fixtures, which is where everything is decided.”
With respect to the defensive facet of the team and the fact that they’ve been conceding goals, he didn’t allow any criticism directed towards his goalkeeper. “David isn’t really making any mistakes. He’s been the starter at Atletico de Madrid for practically two years and at this point he should have made an infinite number more of errors. Because if you compare him to the best keepers at his age, Casillas, Valdés and Reina, they made mistakes that he hasn’t made. They’re scoring true cracking goals against him, many of them unstoppable. He doesn’t feel under attack, but he does feel impotent because of how many times they approach his area. He’s doing everything well enough, and then some, and I’m extremely happy with his work.”
After looking for a central midfield that produces results, it seems like he’s found one with Koke, Tiago and Raúl García. “Yeah, because I have two players with whom I speak daily and who arrived in the winter signing period, and they have to understand what Atlético de Madrid is, that it’s not an easy squad. Those up front think in a certain way and those in back another. And when everything fits together perfectly it can work, but when there are several different ideas it’s tough to put into play. Therefore, while we’re manufacturing those ideas from those players that are really going to help us in the future, we’ve found a solution, which is to give the best passes possible to our strikers. And people who play football well are doing that. Koke has class and plays well and gives a certain pause to the midfield. Of course we can change at any moment and play on the wings, and there are other situations in which the other guys will be able to help us.”
Concerning the substitution of Forlán against Sevilla, the manager stated that “we need goals from our strikers, that’s clear. But scoring a goal or not never depends on the strikers. It’s true that we’ve had chances to score more goals this season, but that’s not happening for a thousand different reasons. When you’re the seventh lowest-scoring team in the league, that costs you a lot of points. But it doesn’t solely depend on Kun and Forlán alone, nor Diego Costa, but on everyone. They’re streaks. These same players showed that they were capable scoring bunches of goals two years ago and got the team into Champions League in 10 matches.”
Precisely, the ‘rojiblanco’ maanger emphasized that “I think Forlán is playing well. He’s played very well in the last two games, in Zaragoza and against Sevilla, much better than in previous ones. And when he scores a couple of goals, he’ll score a lot more. Last year he did something similar when he was blocked. And in the end he recovered his goal-scoring instinct and ended up participating in the team’s titles. Diego doesn’t create any kind of doubt in me.”
To finish, he had to touch on Getafe, the club that gave him his shot as manager in the First Division. “They seem fantastic to me. I have enormous affection for Getafe, for their fans, and I hold Ángel Torres and Mantilla, their delegate, in the highest of regards. I love them a lot and I’ve always said that they’re part of my family. What I’ve become eight years later has a lot to do with what I was seven years ago with Getafe and with those players who were extremely generous in their work with me. I wish both teams could win the three points, but that can’t be and hopefully we’ll be the ones playing a good game.”
