Marcelino: "I have no doubt about the players' desire"

Valencia CF coach Marcelino García Toral fielded questions from the media in a press conference on Monday, ahead of the Copa del Rey game against Sporting Gijon.

Playing Sporting

"I feel the same as before any game; we're preparing for it to win. We always have the same mentality, regardless of the opposition or the competition. LaLiga is our priority, but that doesn't mean that we aren't looking to progress past this game in the cup."

His future

"The important thing for me is the future of the club. I'm someone who dedicates myself to my job and in my day-to-day work, so I'm facing this with the responsibility that comes with the position. There is no difference between the first game that I coached at Valencia CF and tomorrow's game -or Saturday's. It's a question of the responsibility of my position, and looking for the win in every game."

The support of the players

"I'm sure that the squad believe completely in the coaching staff, but that's a question that you would have to ask the players. I enjoy working in every training session, because they are totally receptive and have the attitude of doing what I say. Sometimes things don't work out well, but that's down to the situation and not because of a lack of will. I have no doubt about them wanting to win and respecting and following our plans."

Comparing the side to last year's campaign
"I'm the same coach as last season; I haven't changed how I am or how I act. We've made modifications to our strategy, but that's football. Sometimes you get it right, other times you don't. We all know the difference between Valencia CF this year and Valencia CF last year, which is the 20 goals more that we scored in 2017/18."

The mental side
"Many times, the team go ahead and, from then on, think more about running down the clock than in playing the game. The results aren't going our way. That's the real problem: The results take away your confidence and trap you in a mindset of putting the result before your play."

Turning things around
"We are getting chances. Against Alavés we had more than them, but we didn't convert them. I keep working in the same way and for every game we work to turn the team into a winning side. We're going to do that with complete conviction."

"It's normal for people to hold the coach more responsible than the players, and I accept that. The most important thing for me, so that the team change the dynamic of results, is for Mestalla to support their players -who are going through a bad time."