Gattuso: “We need a great mentality, without rushing and showing a lot of heart”

It has been published that FC Barcelona might consider ending Nico's loan in January.

It's the first time I have heard about this. The player has not come to talk to me. He has a one-year contract to play for us. He is 20 years old and wants to play. Every player wants to be a starter.

He always trains hard and is very professional. I can only speak well of him. I have a squad of 25 players and I have to choose who plays from the start.

How do you prepare for the match against a team whose coach has changed? Are the strengths and weaknesses of the team or also the new coach analysed?

We have also looked at the coach's tactics, but I think that in 3 days it is impossible to change everything. Tomorrow we have a lot to lose. Everybody thinks we can win. If we don't have a great mentality it will be very difficult. In preseason we lost against CD Castellón. If we don't play with a good mentality, we're going to lose.

Tomorrow we will have 43,000 spectators at Mestalla and we have to play with a great mentality, without rushing and showing a lot of heart.

Will Guillamón be fit for tomorrow's match?

He has trained today, but we will see how he is tomorrow. We have spoken with him. I don’t like to field a player who is not 100%. We'll see if he can start or if he can participate later.

Are the games between teams with such different runs of results the most dangerous?

If we think it's an easy game that we can play at 60%-70%, it's going to be difficult. We have to respect them. The team have worked very well this week. The team have understood what we have worked on and know that we have to have a great mentality.

It will be the first week with three games since the season began. Does Tuesday's game affect tomorrow's lineup?

I haven't thought about Sevilla FC or RCD Mallorca. After the game against Elche CF we'll see who is tired. The priority is tomorrow's game.

Can you confirm how Castillejo is?

Castillejo has a problem that does not allow him to be 100%. When a player is not at his best I don't like him to train with the group. When you have 2-3 players who are not at their best, training is bad. He is working with our fitness coach to see if he can train with the group next week.

Last week you talked about safety, but you are very ambitious and you show it every game. Don't you think the team is fit to aspire for a bigger goal?

We have to talk about football. We played a great game against Osasuna, but if they had scored their penalty I think we wouldn't have won. Our team cannot play with the pressure of qualifying for Europe. We must focus on Elche CF. We are a team that need to improve. Opponents can create chances against us. We must improve to be focused for the full 90 minutes. The goal is to get 40 points as soon as possible and then we'll see how far we can go.

Do you detect excitement about being able to get into Europe?

I like to see the enthusiasm in training and from game to game. The reality is that we have to focus on Elche CF and training on Sunday. We'll see where we can finish. I know we are a big club that has played in Europe. However, my priority is that the team maintain our style and improve our mentality in matches. Against Osasuna we were very lucky, because they could have scored 2-3 goals against us.

It has been published that Valencia CF could be interested in keeping Samuel Lino. Is that true?

This is not my problem at the moment. Samuel Lino is owned by Atletico Madrid. All of us who work here would like Valencia CF to sign him. We just hope that he keeps playing the way he has been. The time will come to talk about it.

Do you think that with the current squad you can compete with teams like Real Betis or Athletic Club, or is it a transitional season?

I have a lot of respect for my team. For me, they are the best team in the world. I am delighted by how they behave on and off the field. We must show on the pitch if we are up to the level of our rivals.

What is Gattuso's formula to convince Peter Lim?

I have to win matches. If I don't win, there is no valid formula. I always like to talk face to face. When I don't like something, I say it to your face. I'm honest and I think the owner likes this.

I feel that this Valencia CF is mine. When we have a problem I deal with it in the first person. It's my style and I think the owner likes this.

You have spoken of the difficulty that Elche CF provide, despite the fact that they have few points.

I'm scared. It is a game that scares me. It's a game in which we have a lot to lose, but winning this game is essential for us. The players must think that there is a cup at stake. We have to think that in the centre of the pitch there is a cup. We must respect the opponents, play with our mentality, but we must do it for 100 minutes. If we don't play with that mentality it will be impossible for us to win.

What kind of match do you expect against Elche CF?

I think they will come to play with a very cautious 5-4-1. We have to be very alert for set pieces. We must not misplace simple passes in order to avoid counterattacks. You have to be very careful with turnovers in midfield.

Tomorrow you will be missing Diakhaby and Marcos André through suspension. How have you handled things during the week to avoid unnecessary expulsions?

There is no need to talk. There are no protests. It is better that I protest than the players. We must improve this attitude and respect the referee's decisions. We must not stop until the referee blows the whistle. When you're on the bench you shouldn't talk and you shouldn't hit a player when the ball is not in play.

You have received 3 yellow cards. Do you think that the referees pay too much attention to you or that you should correct your attitude?

I have tried to correct it, but I’ve not succeeded. I don’t offend people. I respect the work of the referee. The other day I was talking to Ilaix Moriba, who had missed an attack, and not to the referee. I experience football in this way. I don't think the referees have anything against me. I can improve, but if I can’t move and I don't talk, I'd be better off staying home with my dog ​​and going to play golf.

Why is tomorrow's match so important to you?

The match is important because in the last 2-3 years we have not had this continuity in results many times. This will also improve the results-based mentality. When a young team has steady results, they can improve more so as not to be in a position of fear.

What can a change of coach represent on the emotional level?

It gives you enthusiasm. The squad hear different words. Many things can change. It is not the first time that enthusiasm has been created.