“The players are doing their best. If the club has to change something, it is the Coach,” commented Paco Jemez after Rayo Vallecano’s 4-1 defeat to Espanyol.
The Madrid side were hit with a heavy home defeat on Sunday evening thanks to a Sergio Garcia hat-trick and a final effort from Christian Stuani.
However, the game’s tone was set with goalkeeper Ruben Martinez’s red card midway through the first-half that led to Garcia’s first of two converted penalties and had Rayo swimming against the tide.
For the performance put in, Rayo’s Coach was left with nothing but praise, if also a little frustration.
“We have a lot of room for improvement and for the games where we have made errors, we seem to find a solution, but then they come out again,” considered Jemez post-match.
“In a game that could have been anything, it is a shame that we have been thrashed, since the opponent has made the most of our mistakes.
“The penalty? It is an action and I am not going to go into rating the decision of the referee.
“The attitude of the players is unmatched for how they played, how they have demonstrated themselves and conceding two goals at the end marred the work that they have done.
“I do not want them to be demoralised because they have done more than the result suggests.
“The result is misleading and this is not to detract from Espanyol, who are deserved winners. I stick with how my players have fought and how they have not lost face in the game.
“Our current situation? It concerns me to the extent that we have not yet resolved it.
“The players are not guilty of anything. The players are giving everything and are doing their best. If the club has to change something, it is the Coach.”
