Asier Garitano: "We have a good opportunity to continue with what we've been doing well and to keep improving"

C.D. Leganés manager, Asier Garitano, answered a press conference this Friday ahead of their visit to Anduva this Sunday at 14:00 CEST. The coach confirmed the single absence of Avilés and sees the C.D. Mirandés fixture as a good chance to get more points on the board.

Garitano was able to confirm the availability of all his players except Javier Avilés: "The others are back to training, and unless anything happens, will all be available for Sunday. Since the preseason he has had fewer sessions with the team so we have to be patient. There's no deadline so we'll keep looking for solutions to get him back and involved". 

On the journey to Anduva, he reflected "it has a lot of historical significance, but there's no pressure or anything like that. We know it's a beautiful past, but now is another time and we will be coming up against a side that, frankly, is performing well. Anduva will always be remembered regardless of what happens. It will always be a great joy to go to that ground, but on Sunday we go with our feet on the ground and our heads in the present. We have to go there and play a great game against a good team".

"Winning against Mirandés means having to dominate a lot of areas of the game"

As for Mirandés, the coach from Bergara described them as a team that "have always competed very well, with an incredible fan base. They've had three different coaches in recent years, but their performances mean they achieve at a very high level. They get it right with young, dynamic players, and how they're able to instill a certain composure.  They show ambition and generally are doing things really well. They're quick, prolific in one-on-one situations and operate with a flexible formation as they did in Tenerife... We have to create some continuity around the positives of our game and try and limit our flaws. Winning against Mirandés means having to dominate a lot of areas of the game, which is what we aim to do". 

On the current state of the team, Asier believes that "the atmosphere has always been good, perhaps we haven't had the results to match it, which can influence the mood, but we're still on track. The team is training well, we meet the objectives we set during the week. Of course, when you win you are happier, but the day to day is going well for us. We have to maintain a balance, we have to be aware of our opponent's virtues such as a good start and a win from a tricky visit to Tenerife. We have to keep up the good aspects of our system and it's a good opportunity for us to move up the table".

"The individual improvement in some of our later arrivals will help us as a group"

When questioned on the fitness of the more recent arrivals, Asier reassured that "they keep getting better, Borja Garcés is the only one who is finding it more difficult to come in due to some problems he has. We're happy though, he's developing well. The others are similarly getting better and better, and that's going to help the team get better and better. We want to exceed, but first the individual improvement in some of our later arrivals will help us as a group to put ourselves in a better position, so we're confident". 

Finally, Garitano was asked about the change in goal that took place last game: "Asier Riesgo was at a good level in the pre-season and Iván Villar has also been progressing. We decided to change and, if nothing happens, we will continue to give Iván the spot for this next game. Asier has been exemplary and it's a privilege for Leganés to have a goalkeeper like that", he concluded.