Igor Oca: "We are confident that it will go well"

On Monday, December 29, C.D. Leganés held a press conference at the Butarque Sports Complex, attended by the club’s director of football, Andrés Pardo, and head coach Igor Oca, who will remain at the helm of the Pepineros after having already led the first team in three matches.

Here are Igor Oca’s remarks in response to questions from the media:

The club’s confidence: “I’m grateful for the trust they’ve shown since I joined the club. I felt it from the start, and now it’s become a great responsibility. We’re confident that things will go well and that we’ll turn this positive momentum into points.”

Fan support: “I’ve seen a response from the stands that has helped us a lot. Drawing on a tough day in Córdoba, those more than two hundred who went to Santander, and the other day we didn’t lose heart because the fans were behind us. They know they’re absolutely essential, and they want the team to be brave and competitive so they can always stay connected with them.”

Clear identity: “We have certain strengths that we need to build on to play with courage, take the initiative, recover quickly, and play direct football. We’re working along those lines; we’ve shown flashes of it in these matches, and what we want is for that to happen as often as possible so it translates into results.”

Signings: “Communication with Andrés has been very constant and intense from day one. We respect the work to the fullest and focus on improving every action on the field. We offer our opinions, but we’re very much on the same page.”

A challenge: “That joy permeates the entire coaching staff. The responsibility was so great that we didn’t think much beyond it, so our mindset is the same now as it was before. For the players, it’s important to know that the coach is the one in charge. We have to translate those positive feelings into points, and it’s going to happen sooner rather than later.”

Process: "We’ve been working on this for some time now. Being in a situation like this is due to a series of circumstances that don’t change in two days. We all want to win the upcoming matches, but the reality is that a process takes time, and we have to persist in building on the small progress we’ve seen. Focusing on the negative dynamics is the easiest thing; the hard part is identifying the positive when the results are negative. I see tremendously attractive and positive challenges that make us enjoy the day-to-day.”

Goals: “What matters is the present—the 100 minutes of Sunday's match that we have to make the most of. We need to focus on the here and now; we have three training sessions left before Sunday, and we'll be ready.”

Squad: "I look at the team and know what they're capable of, though their performance can be affected by various factors. My job is to get the players back to their optimal level. If they’re up for it—as I believe they will be—we have a team capable of achieving a lot.”

The process of joining: “We’re obligated to be available to the club and stay informed about day-to-day matters. That gives you a head start. The dynamics at the reserve team made it easier for them to trust us, and in a situation nobody wanted, the opportunity arose. Then there was an announcement that we knew might come, because there have been many positive factors supporting continuity. That’s how it went, and I’m happy about it."

Lucas Pérez: “It will depend on him, and I’ll be just one more person offering an opinion. The market situation is clear: he’s a player with an incredible track record, and the decision will be made based on what he can offer and what’s in the club’s best interest.”

Player condition: “The players are in much better shape. They've been feeling the strain, so a few days at home have helped them recover. We need to get them motivated mentally—which is essential—and tactically as well. They're the ones most eager to give the fans a victory.”

Andrés Pardo: "We're all part of this, we need to feel responsible"

For his part, Andrés Pardo had this to say:

Responsibility: “All of us involved in this have to feel responsible. We didn’t expect to be in this position at this stage, but there’s still plenty of time to turn things around. We’re focused on the transfer market to see what solutions we can bring to the team. A big part of that will depend on the players currently on the roster performing at their best. We’re already working on turning things around.”

Departures: “Rather than focusing on numbers, we’ll see how the transfer market plays out. We’ve been preparing for this for a long time, and whether or not there are departures will be determined by the market and the situations that arise.”

Positions to strengthen: “We’re open to any situation. In the summer, there was a lot of talk about the fullback position; now, offensively, we’re creating chances, but we’re not finishing them. The front line is likely to see some movement, but we’re not going to focus solely on that.”

Self-criticism: "Completely. We understand the fans’ frustration because the team isn’t built to be where we are. There’s still a long way to go. There are many factors that can lead you to where you are, but in August we all believed we had a solid squad capable of facing any challenge in this division. Soccer has many variables; the team started playing well but wasn’t getting results, and that can affect performance later on. We don’t blame them for a lack of attitude, but rather for a lack of accuracy.  It's those little details that have led to our current points total. The players are giving it their all, but we're not finding the back of the net. We hope this is just a temporary phase, and we're working to address it.”

Transfer market options: “We're keeping an eye on everything. We've been working on various transfer scenarios for some time now, and we'll be ready to make some adjustments.”

Attack: “There are many more players who need to contribute goals, not just the forwards. It’s one of the areas that can be most sensitive in the transfer market, but we have confidence in the players we have, and that will help them find their scoring touch.”

Goals: "We don’t set long-term goals. We focus all our efforts on performing in the short term and winning the next match. Our minds are set on the weekend and tomorrow’s training session.”

Potential profiles: “The January transfer window is very unpredictable. Any player who joins could be someone who hasn’t been getting playing time but can adapt here.”

Joy through signings: “We’d like to bring the fans as much joy as possible because they deserve it. People travel to the games, cheer us on, and support us, and our greatest desire is to bring them joy by winning. And to win, we must get the best out of the players we currently have, but also make a move in this transfer window that adds value. We understand that the fans might be upset because no one expected us to be in this situation, but we all have to pull in the same direction because we need it"

Squad: “We all felt and hoped that the squad was very good and had little room for improvement. I still feel the same way. Things haven’t gone as planned, but we were all in the same boat before the season started. I’m ambitious, just like the club, and we’re the first ones who have to believe that the squad will achieve its goals. We have to be able to turn things around.”

Lucas Pérez: "It started almost back in the summer; we spoke with his agent, and he’s always been there. We didn’t foresee this situation when we finalized the roster, but then this situation arose. He has and has had offers to sign with multiple teams, but he wanted the chance to prove he can contribute here. We hope to assess the timing and his current form as a player, and from there make a decision together. It’s appreciated that he’s focused on getting a chance at our club. We haven’t set any deadlines; he’s been training daily, but he’s been training for months without competing. There’s no set timeline; we’ll have the patience to determine if he can help us.”

Return of former players: “We’re open to any situation, whether a player has been here before or not. Anyone who’s been here knows the potential of the squad, but we’re not focused on that specific profile.”

Revolution: "I’ve been looking forward to this moment because I think we need to provide some explanations. We’re not going to hide, nor do we think that would be a good idea. I don’t think there’s going to be a revolution, although we still have a month ahead of us and a lot can happen. It’s unlikely there will be eight or nine departures and eight or nine arrivals. This squad has significant value despite the current situation; I don’t think we need a revolution, just some adjustments—some players who can help us turn things around and get the points we need. There will surely be some movement, but I don’t think it will be on a massive scale.”

Departures in attack: “I couldn’t say. Even if we bring in players for that position, it might not result in any departures. We have many open options to fine-tune everything. The arrival of someone shouldn’t necessarily mean someone else leaves, though it could happen.”

Left-back: "We knew Enric’s situation could happen, as it’s common. We didn’t think it was necessary to bring in reinforcements so that he’d have that spot when he returned. He needs playing time and is still developing; he’s going to contribute a lot more, but we need to be patient and have confidence in him. There are solutions within the squad—Marvel was one of them, Naim is another—and there are players in the reserve team who can also help us. It wasn’t a priority, and we still believe we’re in good shape in that position as long as there are no injuries.”

Possible investment: "Yes, definitely. We already discussed it in the summer; no signing was missed because the club couldn't provide the necessary resources. We have to look for performance, whether through investment, a free agent, a loan with an option to buy… There are players who are performing very well and others who aren't at their best, but this summer, for example, we invested in Pauwels for medium- and long-term returns. He's a young man with enormous potential, an international with Belgium's under-21 team, and the club allowed us to make that investment. We can afford those kinds of deals."