Real Oviedo Head Coach José Ángel Ziganda appeared before the media this morning, ahead of tomorrow's match against UD Las Palmas, following the painful, unfortunate defeat in Eibar.
"The image and the feeling is important in football, but we felt better after Ponferrada than we did in Eibar. We have to focus on the good things and try to correct what we have been missing. There is very little recovery time and every match is like a final exam, but it's another game where both sides are in the same position. We have to make the most of some players' form and try to pick those who are at their best."
Asked what the team had done differently against Eibar compared to in other matches, the Coach said that "the willingness we had right from the start helped. We played with a lot of personality. The pitch and the weather also helped. What stood out for me was our attitude after losing the ball, in all the 50-50s, carrying the ball into space... I would highlight that more than our work with the ball. Every match is different but it is unbelievably even. We can see what the division is like and how hard it is for any team to win matches."
What Ziganda is happiest with is "the attitude and the way the team goes into away matches. Then, depending on how clinical we are it can look like we are lacking things, or people say we lack ambition. I think we have had a great mentality at every ground, it hasn't mattered whether we've been at home or away. We always go for the win and then see how much energy we have, because it's not easy to be at it for the full ninety minutes. Our attitude couldn't be better, but it's true that sometimes that isn't reflected in the results. Eibar didn't play great against Burgos and won 1-0, while we played badly and lost 3-1. There are some teams that know how to do that, and others who don't. We haven't been able to win when we weren't playing well. We have to be more practical and we mustn't be fooled when it seems like we are controlling the match. There have been days that we've had the ball and not control, and vice versa. Different matches come up according to the opponent and how each side does on the day. The key for me is that the team always gives its all and doesn't give much away."
Regarding tomorrow's opponent, UD Las Palmas, the Real Oviedo Head Coach said that "they've been very consistent this year. They've only lost two matches so far and that shows that they are managing all phases of the game well. Just like everyone else, they are one of the fifteen teams that is looking for promotion to Primera. They have a lot of individual quality, we know what they can do, and then on top of that they've been able to bring in Jesé, and we all know the form he is in. They have a coach with a lot of experience, who has been at the club for a while now. That consistency is being reflected on the pitch."
