Dominik Greif, Dani Rodríguez, Jagoba Arrasate and Sergi Darder analysed our 1-0 defeat to Girona. Find out what the players and the boss said in their post-match media:
Dominik Greif:
On the game: ‘Sometimes it's like that, they score at the start of the game and it's difficult for us offensively. We tried, but the truth is that we didn't have many chances to score. As you said, we really want to achieve this great objective, we have four games and we have to go all out and try to achieve it.’
On the table: ‘It's a bit strange because you lose a game and it seems like the end of the world, because you can drop three or four positions. And then, if you win a game, you're there again. As I said, we have three weeks, four games, and we have to go with everything we've got to get as many points as we can.’
On his performance: ‘I felt good personally, I like to help the team if I can. I was quite close to getting my hand to the goal, but the truth is that they shot quite well. I'd like to get points and not miss anything, or even if I did miss something, I'd like to get points.’
Dani Rodríguez:
On the result: ‘We were very excited, very keen to score, to continue. We knew that if we won today we'd be in the fight, we're still in the fight, but we really wanted to score.’
On the match: ‘The start was good, we came out well, with the ball. But it's true that when we were circulated we weren't able to adjust well, it's true that in the second [half] we changed a couple of things and we were better adjusted, but it's true that we lacked accuracy, effectiveness. We didn't do more damage. Well, we're disappointed because we want to stay there, stay in the fight and we're excited.’
On next game: ‘It's a vital game. It's very nice to be talking about all this, after so many years and where we've come from, fighting every year for the category; now that we've achieved that objective, it's a pleasure to be fighting for something so nice now. But it's true that we have a game that, if we want to be fighting for it, we can't fail.’
Jagoba Arrasate:
On the match: ‘We didn't play well, it wasn't our best day. Especially in the first half, I think we were outplayed. We were pressing, we had the impetus to go forward, but they found the free man quite easily, especially with Yangel's position. We were out of sync, and when you're out of sync, the team, the players, suffer from the inside. We didn't do much in attack either, we talked about it at half time, in the second half we improved a bit, especially with the change of system, with the changes. It's true that the last part of the game was better, especially because we subdued them, we put a bit of fear into their bodies, we carried the ball better on the outside, we had a better hold in the box... but it wasn't enough.’
On the system: ‘Defending higher up, looking for presence in the opposition half and looking for deeper players on the outside like Taku and Marc, and with the presence of Muri, thinking that they can get on the scoresheet, too. I think the last few minutes were good, but it wasn't enough.’
On the fight: ‘It's clear that we have to improve on today's performance; we have to recover first, analyse afterwards and then prepare for Saturday's game with our people. It's a game that can open the doors of hope for us and we have to face it as such’.
Sergi Darder:
On the game: ‘It was a bad day and, even so, I don't think they were over our heads by any stretch of the imagination. They, I think, came from a pretty critical situation, where they didn't take as many risks as they were used to with the ball. We weren't completely aggressive with pressure either, with the ball it was very difficult for us; I think they made us throw the ball away with very little and we're in a situation where we're much more confident than they are to be able to try more things. I'm telling you, we weren't here, we weren't precise, we didn't do well. And in the end, when you don't do well, it's normal to lose.’
On opportunities: ‘Right now it looks like we are in last place and we have nothing else to do, and that's normal. In the end we came here to win and it's not enough to say ‘what can't happen is that nothing happens because we lost today’. That is to say, the defeat has to hurt us, the image wasn't good and in the end I think we have to be self-critical within the dressing room, improve things because these four remaining games, playing games like today... we won't win them all, obviously. So, we have to improve in these four games if we want to go to Europe. But of course, we are talking about going to Europe, we have to give value to these things as well. Surely many stones are being thrown at us today, as is normal with today's game, but I think we also have to value what the team is doing; going to compete on any pitch, going to score a lot of points. As I said, we have a schedule, I won't say it's easy, far from it, because in the last few games it's difficult to win any match, but I can say that we have a schedule where we have the great hope of being able to win two or three and surely that will give us Europe.’
On paying at home: ‘If we want to go to Europe, we have two games left at Son Moix. More than ever we need our fans, it's probably hard to believe today's message, because when you lose it's hard to send an optimistic message, but I think we need them more than ever. That is to say, if we want and have such a great illusion of being able to go to Europe, I think the fans should also have it. So we all have to be on the same page. It was a bad game and we have to recognise the obvious, but we must not doubt the team. Surely after today we think that everything is dead and then we'll have another chance. There are four games left, there's a world left and at the same time there's very little left. Everything happens at Son Moix and we need them more than ever.’