Real Oviedo Head Coach Cuco Ziganda appeared in the Press Room at El Requexón today.
Ahead of Thursday's fixture against Burgos CF, the Gaffer began by analysing the current state of his squad going into the encounter. "The team is doing well. We have to wait and see following the match the other day. Luismi and Pierre (Cornud) have trained. Pierre is doing better, but I don't think Luismi will make it. We aren't going to take risks and we will wait longer if we need to. There are a few other issues from the previous match that we will look at."
Asked about the number of draws picked up at the start of the season, the Coach reasoned that "it's difficult to explain. However many times we put the blue shirt on and look to see if there's something different we can do to break the deadlock, they are all ending in the same way. There have been too many draws. It's a very even division, but we have been missing something that would get us the wins. We think it all over and we want to be able to turn our form around. We are happy with the team's attitude, but we need to kill games off. We are closer to winning matches than losing, and we keep ending up with the feeling of having lost two points. All we can do is think about the next match and in ending this run in a positive fashion." In addition, regarding how worried he is about this run of draws, Ziganda explained that "all I'm thinking about is our work. We are doing a lot of things well, but we need to maintain them and strengthen them, without any doubt. We are a committed team, that plays in the way we want, not how the opponent wants, but we are not backing that up with points. Everybody would prefer to play worse and suffer more, but win matches. We are not suffering, but we are not getting wins. My motto is to strengthen the good things and produce what we have been lacking. I am keeping confidence in the group and in what we are doing. There are good things, and also a lot of margin for improvement in the areas we have been lacking in."
With respect to his message inside the changing room, the Coach stated that he says "all sorts of things. It's not a coincidence when you draw so many games. We have to believe in our strengths. We are close to taking that step. We have to be ambitious and aggressive. We are delighted with the team's effort and sacrifice. Teams achieve their objectives in May, but in the meantime all the matches matter. Personally I am an optimist and I have confidence in what we are doing, I can see the light. New players have come in and they have to adapt, but the players are going to start to build those link-ups. We have to win on Thursday and we will pick a team we think has the best chance of winning. I don't think too much about what we could have done but didn't achieve. We will make changes tomorrow as we look for fresh players, and players who have that motivation to prove themselves. We have to make a balanced team, get the best out of everyone, and win."
Regarding the next opponent, Burgos, the Coach highlighted that "they know us well, from the Director of Football to several players who played here. It will be special for them, and they will want to defend their club. They are a dangerous and solid team, and don't concede many. The Second Division is like that. There are tight results and close matches, but they know what they are trying to do. You see that they play to their philosophy with belief and confidence."
Finally, ahead of Saúl Berjón's return to the Carlos Tartiere and the danger he brings to his team's attack, Ziganda commented that "we all know Saúl. He has First Division quality. He's different from the rest and is a match-winner. We will treat him like all the other top attackers of the other teams in the division. We have to be careful with him, he's a match-winner."
