Baraja: “I’m happy for the players and the fans”

Valencia CF coach Rubén Baraja talked to the media after a vital 1-0 win over Osasuna at Mestalla on LaLiga Matchday 25.

Happiness with the victory

We took the game into the territory that interested us, we were consistent in our intensity and we matched Osasuna’s intensity, as well as finding something that we lacked which was our finishing in the final metres -which gives you the possibility of winning the game.

Defensively, the team are better, but we wanted to finish our chances. We were lucky enough to score the goal and we had 3 or 4 good chances to kill the game off that would have given us more peace of mind, but today I am really happy for the fans, our players and the people who are suffering with us.

Today we had a feeling of power, of having our fans behind us which, as I said on the first day I arrived, is essential for us. Mestalla plays a role and today it helped us a lot. The team did many things well. Osasuna are great opponents and we used our virtues and minimised theirs.

The refereeing

We cannot go into assessing which situations you have to use VAR. The other day they did not look at possible penalty and today they did. It is pure interpretation. But we can't do more about this kind of thing. They are the ones who have to decide. We have to put our energy into what is important, into what we do on the pitch, how the fans helped us. If we focus on this we will be closer to competing and winning games.

VAR

The regulation is clear. The referee sees an action and whistles, and if he doesn't see it, the VAR reviews the action, they check it and they make a decision. There have been two or three situations that he looked at, and the other day in Barcelona they did not tell him anything from VAR, which is what they need to do if the situation warrants it. We were left with the feeling that it could have been looked at. They see the moves and try to be as fair as possible. It does not depend on us. There is a person who watches the action and today he gave a penalty -and the other day they did not see it like that.

It is something that should not take away our energy. We want to see that the team competes, that we are capable of two straight home victories with a clean sheet, and the other things are situations that I am not going to assess each time because that means not focusing on what is important.

Mestalla

When you are in a negative dynamic and you need to find things to improve, having your fans by your side to push you like Mestalla does is very important. We need our fans.

The players have to feel what it means to play at Mestalla so that they give us a boost, confidence and determination. I liked how we faced the game, how we have managed it and how we were able to run down the clock when it was almost time. The fans help a lot with that. When you feel that they are with you and support you in every action, it helps you.

The teams that are down at the bottom have their fans behind them and we were clear that we needed this to be able to improve, grow, get results and continue in the fight.

Maturity

We know what we have at stake. You have to be able to see games out and try to play so that situations do not arise in your penalty area. There were several chances to go 2-0 up, with the penalty and the header from Lino, and when the score is close you always have the feeling that the opponents can equalise from any action. The team are young in age, but they really want to learn and we work so that they can handle this type of thing. We competed against a great side, who were in a good situation, who are intense, and we took the game to where we had to take it.

With the 0-0 scoreline, we could have rushed, getting nervous, and the maturity that the team showed gave us the chance to win in the final stages.

The table

We haven't got out of anything. We have to follow our path. We have achieved a great victory, so we have to enjoy it and see the fans happy. I was delighted that the players dedicated the victory to the fans, delighted with their unity and their insistence to continue trying to compete in each game.

Hugo Duro

He had a game in which he gave us what we needed. He created chances, he pressed when we needed it, he was in the area for the crosses and he did the job we asked of him. In the penalty we would have liked him to have scored, which would have given him more confidence, but he did a very complete job beyond the penalty.

Sometimes in football you miss a penalty and in the next three games you score a goal. I understand that you have some frustration, but starting from tomorrow you have to clear your head and think about the next game. We don't have time to lament that. He has to keep going every day and contribute things to the team.

There have also been players who came in and did very well. The changes in the starting lineup gave us continuity and aggressiveness. We need everyone and everyone has to be prepared to contribute to the team.

Kluivert

He had a complete game with a lot of work, and we subbed him off due to cramps. What we are looking for from him, is to put him in a situation where he feels good and to take advantage of his virtues of speed, finishing, shooting, dribbling. This week he worked very well and that's why he was in the starting lineup, because we thought that he could do well. That helps us increase the competitiveness, because it forces the teammates who play in his position to push. We need to add players so that there is competition. When we choose a starting XI, the players on the bench can contribute as happened today.

I am very happy with Justin, but also with the attitude of Lino and Nico when they came on. The important thing is the team, the group and that everyone feels with the possibility of coming in and participating.

Defense

We are seeing that there is a good level of performance when Diakhaby has played with Cenk, Paulista until the injury was good as well, and when Eray has played he was also good. We have two of the three central defenders on 4 yellow cards and it is a risk that both of them get suspended. We are trying to build confidence to have options, so that any player you put in that position can give you a good performance. We want to generate trust so that the team are prepared and it benefits everyone.

Resting

We corrected some details to press more, because we were dropping back a bit and they had time to put in crosses. We talked about the importance of starting the second half well. It was a little difficult and instead of playing forward we played backwards, but there is also the maturity of not being hasty.

Having a consistent 90 minutes is also tricky. They had 10 or 12 good minutes and we have had some mistakes. In the end, the fans were fundamental and we had the maturity to not lose out cool until we found the goal to be able to close the game off.