Without wanting to hear the word “final”, neither to refer to his professional future nor to the dynamics of the bottom player Hercules, Ruben Torecilla He spoke this Wednesday before the match against the leader of this Friday (7 p.m.), Atlético Madrileño, in an extensive appearance, lasting more than half an hour. “I am very grateful to Enrique (Ortiz), Carlos (Parodi) and Paco (Peña). They know the person I am, I dedicate 24 hours a day to this shield. We have to remember what we have achieved. Defeats hurt me a lot. I've been there for 2 years and 5 months because I try to give this shield and this hobby everything I have. I thank you for your closeness and support. Everything can be changed in life. Worse situations than the one we have now have come to light. I still think that we will be able to change the inertia“, declared the coach, confirmed by the ownership despite adding the fourth defeat of the course last Sunday in Teruel.
“Hercules cannot be in the position we are in”Torrecilla stated emphatically, later attributing the team's situation to the details and the mental aspect of his squad. “We have players adapted to Hércules and its pressure, like Carlos Abad, Retu, Colomina…that there have been difficult times, for example in La Nucía. It doesn't affect them that much anymore. But those who have arrived are not so used to so much pressure. I tell them not to read or listen. Don't look at social networks, don't pay attention. I always try to help them, I think I am a father in that sense. TO Nico (Espinosa) For example, I try to make him see that he will soon be in the field. You have to be close to them, especially in these situations. Of course, if it doesn't hurt and you're laughing, you know that you're out with me,” developed the Hercules coach.
“I think the kids always train and compete very well. For me it is fundamental. There is a united and very healthy group that works very hard, they deserve a victory,” he added about the moment the locker room is going through. Torrecilla did not want to call the match the finaldespite the fact that a defeat could cost him his job as blue and white coach 81 games later: “I don't take it as a final, rather as an opportunity to give joy to my family, the fans, the players… there can be no finals on matchday 7. I will be a fighter until the last day I am in Hercules. There is a lot left, you have to see it like this. We are in a bad phase, but change will come. “Not everything is bad.”
When asked if he had been warned that a defeat against Atleti could mean his goodbye to the blue and white bench, Torrecilla was blunt. “Not once. Never. “I think there is an important and good common consensus between us (between the coach and the ownership)”. The coach did not rule out making some tactical modification with respect to the previous matches in search of “hitting the key”, mainly to reactivate the top scorer from last season, Oriol Soldevilawho is far from his best level. “He is a player who mentally lives on goals. We have to find his place so that he can give us the things in which he is key,” he highlighted about the Barcelonan.
Soldevila laments during the match against Alcorcón. / Jose Navarro
Despite the blue and white team's bottom position, the Herculano coach assured that he would not change anything about the first six days. “If I had to say something, maybe better measure the small details that we have not controlled and that have cost points”he added in his brief response, convinced that his team is “competing well” despite the results. Looking ahead to the match, Torrecilla will have the confirmed casualties of Richie Dapaah, Nico Espinosa, Nacho Monsalve y Samu vasequez. Yes, they will arrive except as a surprise, pending the last training session this Thursday, Ruben Cantero, Alejandro Sotillos y Jeremy de Leon. The coach did not rule out that the Puerto Rican is called up with his team to face Argentina next week, as long as he has minutes this Friday and is physically well.
The Hércules coach extended more than usual when talking about the fans, whom he begs “to be together to achieve great things”. “The only thing I ask of you is that we be together. When things are going well, everyone cheers up. I have seen this field filled with 30,000 people. You have to be in the bad times and the good times. What's happening, things have been bad in six games and now everything is bad? I ask you to put yourself in the position of the players. They end up dejected, they run even more than before. If they whistle at you from the first moment… it's complicated. Generating that atmosphere of protest is not positive. There is a lot of league ahead whether I am here or not. If they think that by protesting they are going to help more… let them put themselves in the player's shoes. Criticize if you see that they don't run, that there is no intensity, but the reality is that we are there in the games,” he explained.
About the rival, Atlético Madrid Fernando 'El Niño' Torresleader of the category with three consecutive victories, Torrecilla described them as “a pressing team.” “We will continue doing the same. We will try to take the game to our field. At home things are being done well, we have four points. When you work so hard, football will surely reward us. It's going to be a great game. We play at home to attack and they have a great squad. If we maintain our level for a large part of the game, I have no doubt that we are going to win”.
Torrecilla heads into the Rico Pérez locker room tunnel / Jose Navarro
Torrecilla also asked the club's surroundings to forget about the summer mirage experienced in terms of the team's performance. “The preseason is not a reality. Elche is not the summer team. Eight players have changed. It just so happened that the preseason went well. Things were done well, but that doesn't mean you're going to do well. The AFE also tied us”, concluded the Herculano coach.
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