Ernesto Valverde has urged his Athletic Bilbao players to “manage their anxiety in a positive way” when they travel to Deportivo La Coruna on Sunday.
Two defeats in as many games have seen Athletic plummet to 18th in La Liga, but Valverde insists the overriding sense of desire to put things right against Depor has only served to inspire his team.
“I don’t consider anxiety a negative thing. A player has to have it and manage it in a positive way,” the Coach said at a Press conference.
“The break didn’t come at a good time because we weren’t doing badly. Even in the match against Sporting, the team weren’t bad except for 15 fatal minutes.
“We held a similar line for the rest [of the match]. Therefore we’re eager to play, it’s the truth.
“We must change the trend and boost our confidence as the season is about to go very quickly.
“[The season] has just begun and a lot of it remains, but we must start picking up points. We’re aware of this demand and now everyone’s trying to stand up.
“The start is crucial, but so is maintaining a positive attitude and trust in what you do.
“Depor are a very orderly team and still have their backbone of Mosquera, Sidnei and Fajr, and a great player has joined them [Florin Andone].
“I see a well-structured team taking to the pitch, starting from a position of defensive order so their quick players [can counter].
“I expect a match that we can’t lose control of, neither can we lose out in tight areas.
On Depor losing Lucas Perez to Arsenal, Valverde added: “He’ll be difficult to replace in the short term.
"When you lose a player of his potential, the others have to unite so [the loss of] his numbers aren’t noticed as much.
“Joselu’s come in and they’ve signed some important players, but it’s true that the profile of their forwards has changed.”
