Real Oviedo full back, Christian Fernández, appeared in the Press Room at El Requexón following the latest day of work for Juan Antonio Anquela’s men.
After the victory, and going into the next league matchday, the left back believes that “the win provides comfort. We came into the match off of a poor run. Now it’s up to us to keep the good feeling going as long as possible. We must bring consistency to our results. We’ve been talking about winning away for a while, but we have to do it now. We must take our mentality from the second half against Lugo away from home. Playing at the Tartiere provides extra motivation, but it can’t be an excuse when we play away.”
Regarding Juan Antonio Anquela’s change in tactics last weekend, where the Coach employed three at the back, and talking about how he felt playing as one of those three, Christian Fernández declared that, “it’s not a new position for me and I can adapt to the role. It’s another option that I can give the Coach and playing at centre back could also mean I can prolong my career. When you play in a three you have to cover the wings more, use zonal marking, and stay alert. We need good communication and to win as many challenges as possible. The Coach asks me to keep working for the team, with no mistakes, and to organise the line. We need to be strong and work hard in every match.” In addition, the full back assured that, “the important thing is to play, wherever that may be. I want to help and contribute to the team. I hope I can play as much as possible and help the team.”
Asked about the importance of victory and how it’s changed the atmosphere surrounding the team, Christian believes that, “we were in a position of need; almost a delicate situation. Now we have got the monkey off our backs, and it provides some relief. We managed to win against the leaders. We are optimistic, but not overly so, since we still need to improve. We still aren’t the team that the Coach wants. We must treasure clean sheets, since everything starts from a solid defence.”
Talking about what Juan Antonio Anquela asks of the team, and which version of Real Oviedo he hopes to see in order to get a positive result at the Nou Estadi, Christian Fernández highlighted that, “the Coach asks us to be a team that gives nothing away to its opponent, remains strong, and contributes in defence. We must be direct in attack, and hold onto the ball well. That’s what the Coach is aiming for, and we are working to achieve it. We have to be brave in Tarragona, take a step forward, and go after our opponent. We have to impose our new system on them and attack with numbers. That’s what is key to this team.”
Finally, with respect to Diegui Johannesson’s call-up to the Iceland squad, and the match he featured in yesterday afternoon, the Real Oviedo full back stated that, “I watched the whole match. There were more people watching in my house than at the ground! I am happy for Diegui. It is a shop window for the club, and a further incentive for the player. I hope that we can help him to fulfil his World Cup dream. It would be a dream for all of us,” he concluded.
