Pepe Mel: 'We'll fight to win to stay up in the Primera Division after this home game'
The UD Almería gaffer recognises how hard it can be to get relegated at the Power Horse Stadium 'in front of our fans.'
'I don't talk to the footballers about possible relegation because unfortunately, before my arrival, it seemed clear. I proposed that they compete until the end in the 10 remaining games,' UD Almería head coach Pepe Mel said in his pre-Getafe press conference. Furthermore, the gaffer also highlighted, with great honesty: 'I wouldn't like to go down in front of our fans... that's the hardest thing. We must fight to win the game and at least, when we leave the Stadium, that UD Almería continue to be a top-tier team, but never in front of our people. That's what I've transmitted to my players.'
Regarding the next challenge against Getafe CF, Mr Mel expressed his respect for José Bordalás: 'He's a magnificent head coach. He's achieved everything through hard work and I deeply admire him. I know him very well and I know that it'll be a very tough game where they'll give one hundred percent. I have to make them see that if we're ... the Osasuna thing could be pointless. They play at great intensity, they put their legs in and go for it, and we must perform at the same level as them.'
'We don't consider ourselves to be an inferior team to Getafe CF technically and therefore, we have to match their attacking skills and show that if they make a move, so do we,' the Madrid native explained.
Getafe CF are a team that have a great aerial game thanks to Juanmi Latasa, a player from the Madrid-based club. Given this, Mel pointed out: 'He's got some qualities and strengths that it is my obligation to make the players aware of. We know that Getafe CF take crosses from far back and that helps his height and size.' However, he emphasised: 'We've worked on that, obviously.'
The UD Almería gaffer also highlighted the progress that the Rojiblancos have made over these weeks: 'We've improved a lot in the transition and build-up of the game, taking the ball from our area to the opponents,' but recognised the need to improve even more in their own area: 'We have to improve much more in our own area because if we do, we wouldn't have lost the Villarreal game or many others.'