Baraja: “ The response from the players has been fantastic” | OneFootball

A change of dynamic

"What we e can demand from the team is what we see in each game: For us to be competitive, suffer when we have to suffer, put in the intensity that we put in. We can demand a lot of things. We have to transmit that to the players. We are at a club that historically has to demand more in each game, and that is where the team can grow and improve. The competition puts you where you deserve to be. We always keep our feet on the ground and have the humility of knowing that it is very difficult to win and score points in the Primera División."

Working for the future

"We had to set reasonable objectives. During the year I have been talking about how we were building something beautiful. There are players who are not the same as they were on Matchday 5. This is what fills me with satisfaction: Seeing the team with that evolution, with that improvement. Sometimes we will be more or less effective, we will win or we will lose... we train hard and work to win and that always gives you confidence and security. Doing that again at home helps us a lot and makes us optimistic for the future."

Cenk's performance

"It was a difficult game for him. He had not been participating in the last two or three games. You come in to replace a player who was performing at a good level and today was demanding. There was lateral movement, contact and second balls. He lived up to the expectations of the game. He remained solid. I only remember one action in which he made a bad clearance. He is young, we have to support him and today’s showing can help him feel that he can give a good performance.”

Hugo Duro’s chances of a Spain callup

"He has good numbers, but his work does not always get the reward of a goal. He is very important for the team, and today he was successful in scoring. I always demand more from him, that he doesn’t settle. In football you have to keep going, work hard and insist. The important thing is to feel that through improvement you can become a better player than when you started the season. I hope he gets there, because it would be a sign of his work this season, which has been very good, being appreciated."

Yaremchuk

“He worked hard. He had to keep the centre backs busy and attack the space. It was difficult for us to understand that if we go outside we have to get crosses in. We took an extra touch before crossing in. He worked well, he made an effort to be in there, and his commitment is beyond any doubt. There are many positive things from the game. One of them is that the team repeated a good performance. Winning backs up everything. I always like to talk about the team as a whole, about the players who came on later who gave us energy and intensity too."

Talking about European qualification

"I haven't said it's negative. I'm not going to talk about situations that are hypotheses. I think it's very good that people are excited, that everyone has this hope. We are in a good situation but there is a long way ahead of us this season. We’re going step by step. That means suffering like today, fighting like today. Knowing how to play like we played today. If you demonstrate in an entire season that you deserve to be at the top, then logically it is something that you will have earned, but there is a lot of the campaign left. We have to be able to finish the season well, and reaching 40 points always brings you closer to this peace of mind that helps all of the players grow."