Imanol Alguacil wanted to blame himself for a bloody defeat: “It wasn’t because of the players, I am the one most responsible; if someone has failed, it was me.” He did not hide at all a feeling of absolute frustration: “When you take 4-0 in a game that is so special and emotional for everyone, there is no doubt that it hurts”. He also did not explain further that “they have been better and that’s it.”
Set pieces, decisive
In his opinion, after a “even” first half, the plays that marked the game were the two strategy of the first goals. “From then on we have fallen and we have to congratulate them, but if I feel proud for something, it is for representing Real, even in these bad times”.
unexplained crashes
He believes that in those set pieces, which they had studied, “they have been very good and we have been bad.” There was still time to try to react, but “we haven’t been able to.” He announces that they are going to examine these crashes: “After the first two goals, the team fell apart. We’ll analyze why and that’s it. I take responsibility for the defeat as the coach that I am.”
The Royal will rise
Imanol feels calm because he believes that his team will not collapse emotionally and “he knows how to face this type of tough, difficult defeat.” That is why he makes the following announcement: “We are going to get up, there is no doubt about that.” And it is necessary to do so because “now, on Thursday, we have one of the key games of this season with our fans.”
no energy to attack
Imanol justifies his team’s absence of attacking plays in this way: “Today we weren’t up to that effort of going out and going back”. He believes that Real was not comfortable in the first half, but Athletic did not press as high and hard as other times. “In this stadium it is difficult for many teams, but we have tried and until his first goal the match was very even”, he insists.
Isak, doubt for Thursday
The coach reiterated that he does not want to use fatigue as an excuse, although his team did not go into the match in the best conditions. And he also did it without Isaac, on Saturday in the call, on Sunday out of it: “Yesterday he tried and we put him in the call, but today he was in pain and he couldn’t travel. I don’t know if he could make it on Thursday.” Another diversionary maneuver from the coach?