Marcelino: "I'm convinced that this squad will not suffer from mental fatigue"

Marcelino's focus is firmly on Sunday's game against SD Eibar, and the Valencia CF coach spoke about the Basque side and his own squad in his pre-match press conference.

The fans
"We have four games ahead, but the one that we have to win most immediately is the first one, tomorrow. We're playing at home and the fans are sure to be behind us. They have to help us in such a decisive final stretch of the season. We ask for the support of the fans and we will all be united in search of a win that -at least momentarily- would put us fourth."

Analysing Eibar
"Eibar are a side who demand the maximum from you, constantly and in every phase of play. They don't let you think, they press high, they keep up their pressing after losing the ball, and they oblige you to make decisions constantly without drawing breath. When they have the ball, they move it quickly into the opposition half, providing a lot of crosses. They are a side whose playing style I like. We have to have the mental freshness to make the right decisions and know where we should attack, as well as how to counterbalance Eibar's attacking play."

Possible rotations
"Playing a game every three days isn't the same as playing one every four days. The two LaLiga games that we've lost have both been a third in the space of six days. Now we have four days between one game and the next, but we have to make changes in any case.

"We have to make changes in order to find the best physical and mental state possible for every player. If we really believe that we have a competitive team, then the coach has to show it by giving minutes to everyone at his disposal. That's the dynamic we are going to follow.

"We don't want any more injuries, such as the strange, unlucky ones we've had to players like Kondogbia, Cheryshev and Piccini."

Expectations of Eibar
"It looked as if we were going to be up against a side with nothing at stake, but after their defeat to Huesca they are in need of a few more points. They will be trying for that at Mestalla, as demonstrated by the fact that their big players are going to be playing against us. We have Huesca and Valladolid coming up, who are down to their last chance of staying in LaLiga."

One eye on Arsenal?
"The Europa League game isn't going to affect our decisions tomorrow. We have from 12pm until Sunday to 9pm on Thursday, which is sufficient time for the players to recover enough to be perfectly fit for the game against Arsenal."

The team's mentality
"Thanks to the players' extraordinary attitude, we've been able to keep up in shape both physically and psychologically. Now, with so few games remaining and everything so tightly packed, it is worth making this effort to separate each competition in order to give our all.

"I'm sure that we are going to do that. I'm convinced that this squad will not suffer from mental fatigue, because what tires you out is being down towards the bottom of the table and having to deal with difficult situations."