Andrés Pardo: “We are self-critical, but also ambitious”

C.D. Leganés’s director of football, Andrés Pardo, held a press conference on Wednesday to assess the recently concluded winter transfer window. During this transfer window, the club signed Dani Rodríguez and Luis Asué, while Miguel de la Fuente and Benjamin Pauwels left the club.

Here are the comments from our director of football:

Guirao’s role: “We continue to have confidence in him. We believe he is Diawara’s replacement; he’s training very well and will step up when we need him. He’ll get his chance, and he’ll be ready when it comes.”
Players in different roles: “We never view a player as a stopgap. We have players with a lot of potential who can perform in various areas of the field. Marvel’s performance, for example, has been solid as both a center back and a fullback. We’re happy with this versatility, and it’s common in most teams.”
Assessment of the winter transfer window: “The priority was to add a couple of players to the attacking lineup. It’s possible the team was lacking offensively, based on the premise that our improvement depends on the players we have performing better—and this isn’t a criticism of our players. From there, we wanted to bring in two players. We didn’t sign whoever we could, but rather whoever we wanted. Top-flight teams were interested in Dani. As for the striker, we had an agreement with Forés that didn’t pan out. We didn’t want to go into such a crucial position with uncertainty hanging over us until the very last day. Then the option of Luis came up, who has a different profile from what we already have but was exactly what we were looking for. We readjusted that situation and ended up with the two players we wanted. We’ll always be on the lookout, but if we were to bring in anyone else, it would have to be someone ambitious who could significantly improve upon the performance of the players we already have."

“We're not happy with the current situation; I know how the players and coaching staff feel. We're not conformity-minded; we have to give more.”

Message to the fans: "I couldn't ask for more—we've won two straight home games, and we have an important match on Friday. It's time for us all to come together and keep pushing forward. Beyond that, everyone is entitled to their own opinion. I'm doing my best for the club. Please cheer us on and support us on Friday. The players are improving; we've won three of our last five games. It’s time for us all to come together."

Thoughts on the transfer market: "We had two priorities. Once we had that covered, a scenario opened up where we could do something extra or not. We’ve been working on this over the past few days, and there hasn’t been a situation we felt would improve what we have. We’re not happy with the current situation; I know how the players and the coaching staff feel. We’re not complacent; we have to give more, but the team has turned things around, and we have to keep that momentum going.”

Alternatives that didn’t materialize: “We’ve been very ambitious regarding the two profiles we’ve been able to bring in and the possible options. Not just any player would do. If someone came, it had to be someone very special. We’ve had conversations with some players, and in the end, it didn’t work out because they were ambitious targets.”

Enough changes: “Our key will be to strive for our best performance. If this squad can gel, we’ll be close to our best form and capable of winning every game. There are still plenty of points up for grabs, and we’re showing signs of improvement.”

Javi Hernández: “We don’t see any problem at left back. Enric is the one who can play that position most effectively; he’s a player who has given us a lot, and to get back to his best, he needed to play. With him, Marvel and Naim can play at left back. It wasn’t a matter of him returning; it was about helping him improve, and that move was made, which is good for both sides.”

“We're not where we want to be; the project is still ambitious, but we need to be patient and understanding.”

Fan disappointment: "When a team is relegated from the top flight, without putting labels on it, the goal is to get promoted back up in the first year. But we’re aware of how tough the Second Division is for everyone. We have to approach the season with the optimism of aiming for the top; the roster is built for that, but in the end, the competition isn’t just about the numbers. You can have good players, but the performance needed to stay at the top might not materialize. So far, that hasn’t happened. The project has been ambitious; the club has invested heavily. In the summer, we made a lot of moves—even with free agents—which require investment. The club has never stood in our way when it comes to investing. Everything we said we’d do in the summer has come to pass. Every time we’ve asked the club for something, we’ve gotten it. We’re not where we want to be; the project remains ambitious, but we need patience and understanding. Soccer isn’t a sure thing—you don’t always get promoted in the first year. It takes a lot of hard work, and there have been situations that haven’t gone our way. But we’re still in the running, and we have to stay ambitious to think about winning on Friday, and then the next game. It’s not that easy; we knew it was going to be a very tough and difficult road, which is why there are historic clubs in the Second Division—because it’s not easy to get promoted. We’re aiming for the top because the club and the fans deserve it. Leganés’s project is recognized as a solid one, but on the field, we’re not at that level this year. This squad is far from the level of performance we were aiming for at the start. We're working to get it to that level.”

Squad improvements: "We were looking for two players who could bring something different. Dani has given us that—he's had six seasons in the top flight and has contributed right from the start. I think he's going to be a huge asset. Luis is very strong in the air; he's powerful and quick in the box. I think we’ve made some pretty good adjustments. There haven’t been any changes in the other positions, and it’s up to the players to perform at 100%.”

Pauwels: “That happens sometimes in soccer. You can have the best feeling, but many factors come into play. Benji is a top player; he’s continued to play for the U-21 national team even without getting much playing time. We’ve decided to let him seek out playing time; he’s a 20-year-old player owned by Leganés. He hasn’t had much playing time here in recent months, but we believe he has enormous potential, the ability to make a difference, and speed. Let’s hope he does well there, gets playing time and performs well so he can return in the summer and make that leap."

Possible regret: "I’m not hiding; we need to make it normal to reach out to people and have them value our perspective. I don’t usually regret anything, but I do engage in self-criticism. What I said doesn’t dampen people’s enthusiasm for getting back to the top as soon as possible. We’re doing this to get back to the top. We had that wave of excitement that we wanted to convey to the squad. Looking at each player individually—and people from other clubs will tell you the same—it’s a very good squad. Things aren’t going our way right now, but there’s still a long way to go. We’re all going to try to do our part so we can reach the highest possible level. The team deserves that support."

“We're going to tackle this with a self-critical yet optimistic mindset so we can keep the momentum going”

Michelin: "We were worried about the right-back position back in December, because Rubén and Sebas were hampered by muscle injuries that really limited them. Alarm bells started ringing for us in a position where we probably wouldn’t have looked to make a move. We had to act. I’m grateful for the help Leiva has given us; he’s had to step up into an important role by starting matches, and he’s helped us a lot. We were set on doing something, but Rubén returned in Albacete and Sebas has shortened his recovery time. That, combined with the fact that Leiva has performed well, and that we have Lucas Macazaga, who has played two matches with Bolivia’s senior national team, led us to conclude that we had the position covered.”
Possible departures that didn’t happen: “We haven’t considered it. Departures have always been mutually agreed upon, looking at what was best for him and for the club. What hasn’t happened is because it was more of a temporary situation from a sporting standpoint; we haven’t found it necessary to terminate anyone’s contract. I don’t believe in that management model.”

Percentage of the salary cap spent: "I wouldn't want to get into specific numbers. On the one hand, I hear that the club isn't investing. But on the other hand, I hear that we have the highest salary cap of any team. For that to happen, you have to invest. It's not just about having the highest cap. There are teams with much higher salaries. The club is investing heavily, in salaries and in transfers, for both the first team and the reserve team. The fact that we’re one of the most competitive squads is something to be recognized. We have to focus on performance. Dani Rodríguez’s performance, for example, might be comparable to an investment of 2 or 3 million. To bring in these players, you have to make an effort. Things aren’t going well on the field; the players are the first to suffer from seeing that the team isn’t where we want it to be. But there’s still a long way to go, and things don’t always go as planned. We have to keep working and improving. We’re focused on the team training well, giving 100%, and the players giving 100%. In the last two home games, we’ve seen a different team; we’ve shown slight improvement, but we need the fans to keep supporting the team. Every team has good and bad streaks; we’re approaching this by being self-critical, but also optimistic so we can extend the positive momentum."

Contract renewals: “We've made progress on some, discussed others with the players, and in a few cases it depends entirely on the player. There are various situations we're dealing with; we already addressed some before the winter break, and that's also an investment.”
Andrés Campos: “He’s a quality player; we considered a loan move, but we didn’t want to weaken the squad any further. He has the ability, but he hasn’t been able to show it because another pair of central midfielders has been starting consistently. He’s just another player on the roster and needs to keep pushing to earn his minutes.”