Javi Gracia spoke to the media after Sunday training to preview Valencia CF’s first game of 2021, which takes place on Monday night against Cadiz.

Awaiting better results

I don’t contemplate things going wrong for me in the future, despite the situation we are in. I trust the work we are doing, I trust that we will get results and I trust that we will improve. I have this trust because the players give me reasons for it. We aren’t where we would like to be, but I have to say that there has only been one game that we have lost by a two-goal difference, and the other six defeats have been very close matches. With this squad and the players we have, we are able to achieve better results. I am convinced that we are going to do it.

The dressing room mood

The coaching staff and the players are pulling together to deal with the best and the worst moments well, and prepare everything so that there is more of a chance of things turning out well. Morale is improved through work, commitment and responsibility from the players.”

The importance of a victory against Cádiz CF

Every game that goes by means that we have more of a need to win, and we are aware of this. Cádiz CF are a club that I appreciate a lot. I wish them the best. Their coach has been doing a great job for a long time and thanks to that they are enjoying this season and are competing very well. They are dangerous on the counterattack, in their attack they have experienced players, and you can tell that they have a lot of confidence in what they do. They are always a dangerous team.

High commitment

My degree of commitment and involvement is the utmost possible, the same as the day I arrived at the club. Time and circumstances go by, but my dedication and my enthusiasm is the utmost -and even more so in these moments in which the results aren’t coming as expected. I think that now is when we need to be most united the most.

Preparing for the game

All of our preparations are different and they can all be similar in how our work, our opposition and the training sessions are analysed. It’s been similar to other weeks, with the differences that come with facing Cádiz, their style of play and the circumstances we have. Every game that passes after a defeat, means that we want to get back to winning ways, and pick up the three points, because the need is greater and greater.

Maxi Gómez

The team are very united: There are no problems between the players, there are no problems between players and the coaching staff, and the reason for my decisions is always tactical. I am very happy with Maxi and with how he is training, and I have no problem with him, either professionally or personally.

The injury list for the game against Cádiz CF

Uros Racic is still not completely fit. He is training with the team and finishing sessions. We are going to see how his recovery evolves. Lato and Hugo Guillamón are already available. Cillessen is still injured, and we have players suspended this week as well.

A possible lack of experience

Lack of experience has only one cure: Playing and gaining experience every day. I don’t want to divert attention or make out  that the problem is a lack of experience because I don’t think that is the case; there are many things to improve collectively and not everything comes down to that. It is something that as professionals we have to acknowledge, work on and improve.