‘We’re going to take a step forward playing our football in Tenerife’
Rubi explains that he’s had more time to work and hopes to see his team playing a better game ‘always with a winning mindset’
‘We’re going to take a step forward playing our football in Tenerife,’ stated UD Almeria head coach Rubi, who hopes ‘to see his team playing a better game than the previous one, always having a winning mindset because we’ll play to win.’ The Rojiblancos’ gaffer looked ahead to Friday's fixture at the Heliodoro Rodríguez López during the pre-Tenerife presser.
Rubi also stressed ‘this week has been extraordinary because we’ve been able to spend many hours covering all aspects of the game, getting to know each other, working on teamwork... We used video in training. We’ve worked on the players’ fitness and we’ve also performed tactical and conditioning drills, strategy ... everything.’
The Catalan detailed ‘we’ve focused on defensive organisation, on set pieces and on the idea of avoiding just direct football when playing out from the back as we did the previous week.’ The newly appointed UD Almería head coach added in this regard ‘we’ve got the roadmap set and now it’s a matter of reading it on the pitch and that the players put in their best performance.’
Rubi pointed out ‘despite we didn’t beat Real Oviedo, I’ve seen the players kind of relieved and without so much pressure and this will surely help them recover more of their true identifying features.’
When Rubi described CD Tenerife, the 51-year-old replied ‘they’ll be really tough opponents to defeat. They have a very clear idea of their game and they’re a well organised team with well-crafted attack and a very solid defence. That’s why they’re the second team that concede the fewest goals, in addition to the fact that their last eight matches have been games of small margins. There’re great players within their squad. They’ll definitely force us to be well focused from minute one.’