Adrián Embarba: "Beating Girona FC will be a weight off our minds"

Adrián Embarba does not shy away from responsibility for UD Almería's difficult situation in the table or the challenge that his team faces in both the short and long term. The player was reasonably honest in an interview with UDA Radio, the Club's official radio station: 'When you get into this type of team dynamic, the most important thing is mind toughness. 80% of the player is his mental toughness and his confidence. We may be better or worse but the results are what defines a Club and it's clear that we must be well aware and responsible that we haven't done a good job. Football is based on results.'

The 31-year-old attacker has been even more specific when it comes to taking stock of the current situation: 'I'm a player and a responsible person. I know where my limit is and how far my team and I can go. The easy thing is to make excuses and when I read them, I just get cross. We have to move forward facing reality and what's coming next and be realistic.' 

The Madrid-born player has referred to the upcoming visit of the co-leaders with real Madrid CF this weekend: 'In all honesty, it's difficult to face a game like this with a first half of the campaign in which we haven't performed up to standard. Although it's difficult, we must recover and overcome that. We're training well. This negative run of results affect our emotional well-being. Confidence is fundamental and the case of Girona FC shows it. We're convinced that the first victory has to come.' On that subject, he has made it very clear: 'The head coach has insisted on teamwork and I sincerely believe that now it'd be much more difficult for Girona FC to come back from behind twice like in the first leg. We're more of a team. We've actually lost games by small margins.'

Embarba knows that life can change if a victory is achieved: 'We need total confidence as soon as possible and change our mentality to believe in ourselves again. If it happens against the co-pacesetters considering the great season they're having, it'd be even more important. If we row together and play as we know how, we can beat any team as we've shown in other games, despite not winning.'

The right-winger got off the mark by scoring his first goal for UD Almería against Girona FC last season, after taking a brilliant direct free-kick: 'Many times I finish the game and I reproach myself for not having shot more on goal. In each match, I read several messages on the phone from many friends who are watching me and tell me to shoot more on goal because I'm good at it. I've even spoken with rival goalkeepers at the end of the games and they tell me that they were scared of my strikes. I'm lacking that confidence and it's hard but I have to dare more to shoot from long range.'

Despite this first half of the season, Embarba continues to believe in his team: 'We're the same as when it was said that we were a good team. We haven't won and I insist on being responsible and self-critical but the only difference is the team dynamic. There have been games that we deserved to win -and some against direct rivals - and that makes us even more upset. We have to look forward. Beating Girona FC will be a weight off our minds.'