C.D. Leganés head coach Igor Oca spoke this Saturday in the press conference prior to the match that the pepinero team will play on Sunday (16:15) against Córdoba C.F. at the Ontime Butarque Stadium, corresponding to Matchday 17 of LALIGA HYPERMOTION.
The coach assessed the situation before the match as follows:
First contact with the squad: "It has been two very intense days of work with the players. Taken on with a lot of calm and responsibility. The dressing room is hurt by the situation, everyone who is part of the team feels it completely. They are taking responsibility and training with a lot of energy."
Objective: "A Leganés without burdens, one that values the minutes we have ahead. We have to value every positive aspect and hold on to that. If we manage to win, which I think we will, we will take a step forward. We’ve lost the right to look beyond the match against Córdoba."
Message from the club: "What we discuss internally stays inside. It’s an opportunity. I’ve worked in youth football for many years, doing it with the highest professionalism, and taking this step is very important. Contributing with experience, energy and hunger so that this opportunity becomes something positive."
Opportunity: "The club is very clear that what matters is this match. We know that what matters is Córdoba, accumulating the points we need. Spending energy thinking beyond that doesn’t help me or the club. I’m taking on these two training sessions and this match, and whatever happens on Monday is a different story."
Reserve-team players: "The presence of reserve-team players has been significant, and some have already made their official debut. I don’t think we need to add anything different to that."
Tomorrow’s match: "I expect a highly complex match. The opponent handles certain aspects that force you to cover many demands, even if they’ve had difficulties in the last month. We approach a match that must be a challenge, an opportunity, and we need enough patience to know that matches last one hundred minutes, that situations will arise that are not what we want, but we must be firm and stable to look for our strengths. We have to trust in what we do to achieve the objective, which is to win."
Dressing‑room atmosphere: "There is a very clear sense of responsibility that comes from the disappointment due to results. I’ve seen an optimal energy to want to turn this situation around. We have to take that to Córdoba and rely on our strengths, which we know are many."
Absences: "The already known ones: Pulido, Rubén Peña, Lalo, and we add the three suspended players: Marvel, Duk and Diawara. There is one doubtful player; with so few training sessions we are still evaluating different possibilities. We count on everyone else and we are convinced that with what we have we can cause the opponent problems."
Revolution: "When you’re in a difficult situation, you have to apply common sense. Coming in from the outside lets you see things with perspective, to see that you have talented players who can hurt the opponent. There doesn’t have to be any revolution—they are the players who form part of the club this year. We will work to grow little by little."
Message to the fans: "What we are is what we do. We have to learn from it. What I don’t want is for it to become a lack of patience. There will be no excesses allowed from here; the players’ willingness is very good, and I keep seeing that possibility of taking steps forward. It opens doors for other players who are eager to help the team. I think we can pass on that positive energy; people know a change is being generated. The fans know that the recent years have been good but that in difficult moments they have been important. I know they will be with the team."
Difficulty in preparing: "There have been similar matches. In Ecuador I had a similar situation of preparing a match in two days. These are situations you have to identify well—the time isn’t there, and you have to apply that rule of common sense to establish two or three certainties and face it as needed, going for it with what we have."
Support from the fans: "I would like that. The fans are sovereign. I’ve attended the matches I could, and there has been support. It will be there. We will be patient with them and they will help us take that step forward. When you’re struggling is when you need your people the most. They are giving an example by filling the stadium in almost every match, and we will count on their support."
Gueye: "We have those adjustments to make and we’ll see what presence the reserve-team players will have. Whether they start or not, despite the absences, we have first-team players pushing for a place and we will decide."
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