C.D. Leganés manager, Mehdi Nafti, stopped by the press room ahead of the Pepineros' 19th league game of the campaign this Monday at 21:00 (CET) in the Montilivi against Girona F.C.
The coach believes Girona F.C. will present a tough challenge on Monday: "They're a team with a well-defined model, that's in good form too, but I don't look at the table as much as I look at how my players and the squad is developing. I hope come Monday we can get the three points from Girona because it's going to be a complex battle".
El técnico cree que el lunes tendrán una dura prueba frente al Girona F.C.: "Es un equipo con un modelo muy definido, que está en muy buen momento, pero no miro la clasificación sino el crecimiento de mis jugadores y de mi equipo. Espero que el lunes podamos llevarnos los tres puntos de Girona sabiendo que va a ser un partido muy complicado".
"We didn't play our best in Jerez, but we're happy to be able to continue in the Copa"
Questioned on the players that participated in the Copa del Rey fixture last Thursday, Nafti responded that "there was a lot of competition over spots, but it wasn't an attractive match and we were lacking our usual rhythm slightly. It's understandable as a lot of them hadn't been playing regularly before. But it's good to look forward; we have another game which means more minutes for the players and we can't just sleepwalk into it. Like I said, we didn't play our best in Jerez, but we're happy to be able to continue in the Copa".
One player from Thursday's encounter was Naim, with Nafti saying: "He's improving. We've had to catch him up tactically, but he's doing his bit. He definitely was one of the best in Jerez, he has a lot of personality and we're going to help him keep developing. He's perfectly capable on both the right and the left and he's an important asset for the club's future".
"Praise and flattery won't distract us from the objective: the next match"
On the team's increasing goal production, the manager commented: "It's very important, when the ball doesn't go in, not to insist on it, so that they don't eat their heads off. The psychological factor is very important, you have to leave them calm and not insist on the subject". Then, on a possible defeat, yet to come since his arrival, he admitted that "it will always be a hard blow, but it's not the kind of question we ask ourselves. I know how this world works, but the praise and flattery won't distract us from our objective: the next game. The important thing is for the team to compete in every game, and if we do things as we should, it will take a lot for any opponent to beat us".
Lastly, Nafti was asked to compare the current situation to his team from last season: "They're two completely distinct squads and campaigns, there's no comparison. We built up a good streak in Lugo which got us to an unimaginable play-off spot. We knew the reality of it all, and this team is even more prepared to look further. They suffered a setback at the start of the season, and from now on we want to develop and finish as high as we can", he concluded.
