Bordalás: "There are still games left and we need to improve but I want a team that competes at a level like we did in Bilbao"

José Bordalás spoke to the media in his post-match press conference following the 1-4 loss to FC Barcelona at Mestalla.

After the game against Atletico Madrid, you said that it was necessary to keep your feet on the ground when talking about Europe. Should we be looking down now?

It is a reality, with the numbers we have achieved and the results we have at this point in the season. We cannot think about Europe. We have to think about getting the necessary points to be calm and not suffer in the final stretch of the season. When you concede so many goals, we have to think of any possibility. We have tried almost everything: We have played with a five-man defence, we have reinforced the midfield… but we are the still the team with the second most goals conceded. You have to do a lot of thinking. We had prepared the game very well. We had talked about the possibility of them playing long and looking to get behind us. For their first goal we were not successful and they got around the back. In the second goal there was great passivity from us. We have to wake up, because we cannot make things so easy. Today there was a huge difference. They were very successful.

One of the phrases that you have repeated a lot was that we were going to see where we ended up in the league. Now the team are mid-table. Did you think it would be like this?

No. We continue to make the same mistakes that we did from day one. Barça's first goal is something that has happened to us several times. If you don't correct the mistakes, it's difficult to stem the bleeding in terms of goals. We are the team with the second most goals conceded, and I didn't think that this would happen. We have to tighten up and be aware of reality. We have to compete like we did in Bilbao. I want us to leave everything out there and not concede like we conceded today against Barça.

Why do Valencia CF concede so many goals? Is it mental or physical? Do you not have the necessary players?

I am the one who is most responsible. It is something that is occurring at a group level. We worked from the first day I arrived to improve those numbers and we have not achieved it. We work every week on our defensive level. This week has been special in that aspect, and then we didn't put it into practice in the game. There is no other option but to continue and improve in that aspect. There is a lot of the season left and we still don't have the necessary points. I'm sad for the fans because they don't deserve the showing that we gave today. We wanted to get a good result and it wasn’t to be. You can lose, but you can't be beaten that easily. We were powerless to counteract the potential of FC Barcelona.

Valencia CF have not won in many matchdays, with 43 goals conceded. At the beginning of the season, was this the objective of the club?

Our target has not changed. I am an ambitious coach and my goal was to improve the team's numbers. We have not succeeded to date. There are many games left, but we have to improve. We are on a very bad streak of results. In Vitoria we had one of our worst games. We didn't have a good game today either, and now we have to focus on a vital game against RCD Mallorca. We can't be confident and calm until we get the necessary points. We have to keep working to correct the poor run of results.

Doesn't it frustrate you to have to set the objective of staying up on Matchday 25? With this fragility, can you beat Athletic?

Yes I am frustrated. I am very annoyed, because it was not my objective. I'm ambitious and it's not what I want. I want a team that competes, but always at a level like we did in Bilbao. I am not happy and I am frustrated. However, of course we can beat Athletic. If we compete like we did in Bilbao, of course we can. That is the showing that we have to give constantly, and the players know it.

In Vitoria you had a bad game, and you also did today. Why do you think this is happening? Are the team hindered by Copa del Rey?

We have to be aware that there is a lot of difference between Barça and Valencia CF. That's the reality. We would have liked to have won, of course, but after the game you see the difference there is. It's tremendous. We have to keep our feet on the ground and work with humility to score the necessary points.

How is Gayà? Are you worried that the message that you send will not get through to the team?

Above all, it’s about consistency. It's not about the message. This is the Primera División and if you are not fully alert, the opposition can hurt you. Alavés had three or four chances. We cannot give opponents the chances that we are giving them, and we will work to correct this. Gayá ended the game with discomfort. Tomorrow he will undergo some tests, and hopefully he doesn't have an injury.

Why was Guillamón subbed off? And what do you mean by the team not being enough?

We can't compare ourselves with the teams in the upper area of the table. We haven't been able to beat any of them. If we want to look at things well, we cannot live in the past. Today we are not good enough to compete with those teams. I'm frustrated because I'm here to beat those teams and we can't do it. Guillamón was having problems. With his mask his vision is limited. We wanted to put Maxi Gómez in to close the gap on the scoresheet.