Corberán: "The difficulty should increase our desire to be at our best"

Valencia CF coach, Carlos Corberán, previewed the game against Atletico Madrid in a press conference on Friday.

The possibility of beating Atletico Madrid

You don't speak to fans with words, but rather with performances. We have to fight, with intensity, with high standards, with the right mentality, and with decisiveness. We're going to try to go out there and play our best football.

The squad list

Gayà and Rioja haven't been able to train; both are suffering from the flu. The next few hours will be crucial in assessing their availability. Diakhaby will not be included in the squad. Javi Guerra had the flu, but trained normally today, and the next few hours will be key in terms of us finalising the squad list.

The approach to the game

Fear is never a good ally. The challenges that arise during the season can only increase the desire we have to do our best. Our teammates have to go onto the pitch with the same desire and enthusiasm, and the difficulty of the game should motivate us to give our absolute best. This is about the present, about competing, about desire, and I'm sure we're going to see a good Valencia CF side.

Ugrinic and Ramazani

We're looking at the injury list and the options we have to put together the team. Any player who's fit has a chance to start.

Analysis of the situation

The current situation is on my mind. We're not having our best season; we need to take steps forward. We work every day to improve. We're not satisfied. I really value the fact that when we don't start out in the lead, we are able to show the mentality to turn the game around, and we see the areas for improvement we have as a team.

The transfer market

I've been in contact with Lisandro, and I'm always in daily contact with the sporting director. I share what happens on a day-to-day bases. You express your opinion… but I keep that private. I'm focused on improving performance and achieving improvement as a team. All aspects of communication with them are private, and I focus on my duties.

VAR criteria

More than understanding it, we have no choice but to accept that we are all human. Just as footballers can make mistakes, so can referees. With technological support, errors should be reduced. Technology made a mistake with the penalty against Villarreal CF, but we need to focus on what is down to us in order to improve.

Analysis of the opponents

They will demand the best from us; we know how tough the match will be. If I remember correctly, they have achieved 10 consecutive victories at home. The only thing that statistic can do is increase that demand for us to play the way we want to play.

Possibility of fielding five defenders

I believe more in mentality than in tactics. I believe in personality, effort, the ability to give your all in every match. I believe more in versatility than in rigidity. Depending on what happens, you have to adapt, looking at the imbalances, where the opponents pack together more players... the important thing is the attitude of being present in the game and competing.

Away form

We want to improve our away record; it's something we need to address. That can only motivate us to give our best and extend our good spells. We know that 3 points are just as important at home as they are away.

Strengthening the squad in January

A football club always has an obligation to look for ways to improve, and that's handled by the sporting director, who continuously evaluates the team and the transfer market. That area is separate from my role. What I share with them is private, and I focus on improving with each match.

Let me answer this definitively: my role hasn't changed one iota since day one. It's exactly the same. I'm the coach, and as the coach, I talk to the sports management. My focus is on getting the best out of this squad, and nothing changes with the new organisational structure that is in place.

The flu outbreak

There are precautions and safety measures in place. These include masks and minimal contact.

The difficulty of Atletico Madrid

The difficulty can only motivate us. We are aware of the challenge of the match, of Atletico's financial resources, but we want to have our best performance on the pitch. It's eleven against eleven, and we're going to give it our all.

Playing matches with little time between them

Playing matches with little rest is a huge challenge. It's a physical and mental test of the highest level. Ideally, there should be three days between matches, and never two consecutive games with as little time as 72 hours between them. Despite this, the team have given their all so far, and now we have another challenge ahead. There's a point where you reach acceptance and focus on what you have to do to approach each match in the best possible way.