Quique S. Flores: 'We have to continue onwards and not drop our heads”
The coach doesn’t believe the solution is more signings
Quique Sánchez Flores wants his team to erase the image of the last two matches and hopes that the fixture against Levante is a turning point to get back to the top spots in the table. Thus, at his press conference after the team’s last training session, he analysed the squad’s situation and said that “we’ve analysed those games, as we always do, to correct the group mistakes. The players and I are convinced that we’re going to do it. I continue to believe in the group. We’ll try to reduce the errors and the positive things, which are there as well. There are better and worse moments over the course of a season. We still have the same idea of reaching the goal set at the beginning of the year, which is to earn a Champions spot. The players spoke in the dressing room to agree on the mistakes made and in the last training session we could see that everything is resolved.”
The Atlético de Madrid head coach knows that the squad’s last two losses haven’t sat well with their supporters and for this reason assured that “we know that our fans aren’t the happiest right now, but they need to have confidence in the group. It’s a winning squad. It’s won two titles and has made it to three finals recently and for this reason they have to keep the faith and confidence in their team. Even though they judge us harshly now, we have to be strong and take the criticism.”
In looking for a possible explanation for the team’s last two defeats, Quique explained that “everything fits into one match, good and bad surprises; I don’t want to goy beyond the losses, but they were disconcerting. For a time all thought we could win those matches, and it’s true that we made mistakes, me first, but basically I want to pass on the supporters that nothing is given away for free here. To the contrary, we have to steel ourselves, as we’ve always done. If last year we brought enormous hopes to the fans, we’ll do the same this year. It will be tough, but being in Champions in November doesn’t mean anything; the road ends in May and we have to go down it. Although it’s true that, even in the Europa League, it’s not over till it’s over.”
Quique knows that the only way to straighten out the poor run is to keep working. “We have to move onwards, not drop our heads, and move on. I’d like to get back the good sensations after two matches, but when things don’t go that way, like last year, you have to get dirty, roll up your sleeves, and bring out the best of every individual. A link was created with our supporters that can’t be broken by two poor results, which create uncertainty in the team itself, as they don’t know how it happened,” he stated.
“When you concede six goals in two games and five of them are due to horrible mistakes, there’s not much to be said. I watched them with the players and we studied them. Atlético de Madrid is at that point where if we’re walking a fine line, we fall on the wrong side, but we’re at the time where we have to correct that. We were all surprised that what was once working stopped working, and we have to fix it,” he asserted.
With respect to the possibility of signing players during the winter signing period, Quique was clear and assured that “I don’t think that the solution is outside our locker room. I said last season, when we arrived, and I’ll continue to say it, is that the solution is in the dressing room. We have extraordinary numbers with respect to last season. We shoot an average of 25 times, twice that of our opponents, and right when our opponents shoot the least, they score the most. It might surprise you, but that’s football. We have to limit our mistakes, limit the luck factor, tighten up in the situations that we need to and correct certain situations, but we’re not getting stuck on the last match or the recent results. Things easily could have fallen differently and we wouldn’t be speaking about the last two losses right now, although logically the coaching staff would have analysed them anyway. The nationalization of Kun is great news. It’s good, as it opens paths for you, although right now they’re not necessary.”
Regarding the criticism the defence has received for their recent performances, Quique gave his opinion that “I don’t want to blame the defence for the last goals we’ve conceded, but if we look at the last few games, we can see things that haven’t worked. Goals don’t start inside the area but on the other side of the pitch. But I insist that nobody expected to give up six goals in our stadium.”
The defence has undergone many changes and many different players have gotten minutes. The ‘rojiblanco’ manager said that “I understand that we have nine defenders, counting Pulido, who can play at any time. Like any coach I’d like to have a base, but we’ve had to change more than necessary. Even so, that’s not a reason to think that we’ve made errors because of that.”
Levante is Atlético de Madrid’s opponent this weekend. They’re a squad that Quique has studied in the last few days. “All teams that want to save themselves from relegation are very aggressive at home, they know that those are their matches, at home. Just like in San Sebastian, it’s going to be a tough match, and we have to worry about what we do. It’s going to be very physical and aggressive, and if we don’t give our best, we won’t win.”
To finish, Quique Sánchez Flores analysed the recent performances of De Gea and Domínguez. “De Gea has all the right in the world to make mistakes; he’s only 19 years-old. Goalkeepers such as Casillas, Reina, Valdés, the best in Spain, made plenty of errors at that age, almost constantly. David, until now, had almost not made a single mistake, so his margin for error is still pretty big. With respect to Domínguez, there’s little to say. Those who take care of him have to clear his mind, because I’m finding a player who’s quite mentally blocked,” he finished.
The Atlético de Madrid head coach knows that the squad’s last two losses haven’t sat well with their supporters and for this reason assured that “we know that our fans aren’t the happiest right now, but they need to have confidence in the group. It’s a winning squad. It’s won two titles and has made it to three finals recently and for this reason they have to keep the faith and confidence in their team. Even though they judge us harshly now, we have to be strong and take the criticism.”
In looking for a possible explanation for the team’s last two defeats, Quique explained that “everything fits into one match, good and bad surprises; I don’t want to goy beyond the losses, but they were disconcerting. For a time all thought we could win those matches, and it’s true that we made mistakes, me first, but basically I want to pass on the supporters that nothing is given away for free here. To the contrary, we have to steel ourselves, as we’ve always done. If last year we brought enormous hopes to the fans, we’ll do the same this year. It will be tough, but being in Champions in November doesn’t mean anything; the road ends in May and we have to go down it. Although it’s true that, even in the Europa League, it’s not over till it’s over.”
Quique knows that the only way to straighten out the poor run is to keep working. “We have to move onwards, not drop our heads, and move on. I’d like to get back the good sensations after two matches, but when things don’t go that way, like last year, you have to get dirty, roll up your sleeves, and bring out the best of every individual. A link was created with our supporters that can’t be broken by two poor results, which create uncertainty in the team itself, as they don’t know how it happened,” he stated.
“When you concede six goals in two games and five of them are due to horrible mistakes, there’s not much to be said. I watched them with the players and we studied them. Atlético de Madrid is at that point where if we’re walking a fine line, we fall on the wrong side, but we’re at the time where we have to correct that. We were all surprised that what was once working stopped working, and we have to fix it,” he asserted.
With respect to the possibility of signing players during the winter signing period, Quique was clear and assured that “I don’t think that the solution is outside our locker room. I said last season, when we arrived, and I’ll continue to say it, is that the solution is in the dressing room. We have extraordinary numbers with respect to last season. We shoot an average of 25 times, twice that of our opponents, and right when our opponents shoot the least, they score the most. It might surprise you, but that’s football. We have to limit our mistakes, limit the luck factor, tighten up in the situations that we need to and correct certain situations, but we’re not getting stuck on the last match or the recent results. Things easily could have fallen differently and we wouldn’t be speaking about the last two losses right now, although logically the coaching staff would have analysed them anyway. The nationalization of Kun is great news. It’s good, as it opens paths for you, although right now they’re not necessary.”
Regarding the criticism the defence has received for their recent performances, Quique gave his opinion that “I don’t want to blame the defence for the last goals we’ve conceded, but if we look at the last few games, we can see things that haven’t worked. Goals don’t start inside the area but on the other side of the pitch. But I insist that nobody expected to give up six goals in our stadium.”
The defence has undergone many changes and many different players have gotten minutes. The ‘rojiblanco’ manager said that “I understand that we have nine defenders, counting Pulido, who can play at any time. Like any coach I’d like to have a base, but we’ve had to change more than necessary. Even so, that’s not a reason to think that we’ve made errors because of that.”
Levante is Atlético de Madrid’s opponent this weekend. They’re a squad that Quique has studied in the last few days. “All teams that want to save themselves from relegation are very aggressive at home, they know that those are their matches, at home. Just like in San Sebastian, it’s going to be a tough match, and we have to worry about what we do. It’s going to be very physical and aggressive, and if we don’t give our best, we won’t win.”
To finish, Quique Sánchez Flores analysed the recent performances of De Gea and Domínguez. “De Gea has all the right in the world to make mistakes; he’s only 19 years-old. Goalkeepers such as Casillas, Reina, Valdés, the best in Spain, made plenty of errors at that age, almost constantly. David, until now, had almost not made a single mistake, so his margin for error is still pretty big. With respect to Domínguez, there’s little to say. Those who take care of him have to clear his mind, because I’m finding a player who’s quite mentally blocked,” he finished.