Jose Luis Mendilibar He wanted to take stock of his team's last friendly of the summer and what the preseason in general has been. The one from Zaldibar has commented that against Athletic he has seen “everything”. In his view, “the start of the game was not good, the first half was bad. Not only because of the goals that Athletic has scored against us, they have also given us chances and reached the baseline to get centers. They have not had the option of scoring a goal, but they have had their chances. However, it has been difficult for us to play, defend and everything ”, he began by analyzing.
Then, “in the second half, we have changed a little and we have improved, although I don't know if because of their fatigue or because of us, and we have already looked like a more team. I think the input of Edu (Foundling) has also given us more football and that means that the rival has to run more to steal the ball. We didn't give it away so easily and we gave more passes. By giving more passes the opponent becomes unbalanced and we have more options to get there. That is a bit of reading ”, he explained.
In any case, what has been seen from his team so far is not what the Ipurua coach wants from his team at the moment of truth. “It is true that between yesterday and today we have made two teams with many people who will not be there. We are between 28 and 30 players to start training on Tuesday and there are almost 12 who will not be in the team. There are still people to arrive and I think that in that sense we are a little late ”, he warned.
For the rest, throughout the summer they have reaped sensations of all kinds. After five friendlies, the balance is two wins, one loss and two draws, but “the result does not usually matter much to me,” he admitted. Mendilibar. “We have played matches against competitive teams, two from First and three from Second. The Mirandés came more justito, they were missing several players, but the other two, the Leganés is a recently relegated and the Rayo not long ago was also in First. Against Rayo we competed more or less, especially in the second half, but against Leganés we did the Indian. We played very badly, we competed very badly and they beat us 3-0 easily. There we play the lowest that can be played in a preseason and later, in the last matches against First-class teams ”, he revealed.
Of course, “yesterday against Osasuna and today against Athletic, we have had our things. Yesterday it was a calmer game during the 90 minutes, with good sections from him and ours, but today everything was very different. In the first half they passed us by and in the second we improved. It is that sense, we have to see a little what we have done in the second half, but not only for the result, but for the attitude and anticipation. I always tell the players that we have to be living the game, not watching it, and knowing that more than one thing can happen. That is what it is difficult for us to see and we have to be more attentive ”, he asked his players.
Competition week
And Eibar will focus on improving these aspects throughout the following week, the first of official competition. Celta awaits on the horizon and they will start preparing for the game on Tuesday. “We have given two days of rest because the week has been hard and the weekend has also been. A competitive game comes in which there are already three points at stake,” he recalled. Celta “last year they were fighting with us, but they still have a team of very good footballers,” he praised Mendilibar. In order to get something positive against the Galicians “we depend on ourselves, to improve a lot in certain aspects. We have to improve a lot on the wings and forward, also defensively as well as offensively. We are a team that until now, if we have stood out for something, it has been by playing, taking centers and giving life in the opposite area to the people who can enter. That already cost us last season and this one we haven't done too much either ”. The Ipurua coach also believes it is important “not to be so vulnerable defensively on the wing. We have to be much stronger and more competitive ”.
To end, Mendilibar He has asked the sports management to give him a hand. “I hope that people arrive and that they do not do it on October 4, since there are already five days that are going to be played and make a competitive team.”