Tony Adams insists “I’ve still got a few tricks up my sleeve” after Granada’s 3-0 defeat to Celta Vigo but admits “we need to build a football club”.
Goals from Jozabed Sanchez, Marcelo Diaz and Claudio Beauvue fired a second-string Celta to victory at Granada in Adams’ first game as Coach, and the former Arsenal defender confessed the task facing the Andalusians was more than simply staying up.
“We’ve got another game on Friday and our focus is just on that match now,” he said after the game.
“We’ll see where we are at the end of the season. I think it’s important to regroup and to try and win the next match.
“I’ve not had a lot of training with the players, I’d like to do some more training with them. I think I got a reaction from a couple of the players which is a positive.
“I thought Rene Krhin today was amazing. We certainly got a reaction from him. I thought Ingason had a good game too.
“I think everyone is in pain at the moment at Granada. I met with the fans yesterday and it’s a very difficult situation, but we have to keep fighting. We haven’t got a choice.
“I thought we were very much in the game. People who didn’t watch the game and look at the score, probably think it was a one-sided game, but for me it wasn’t.
“We had a few good chances and it could have gone the other way. We gave away sloppy goals and we were punished.
“Lacking concentration for the first and second goals, the game was over, but we were very much still in there. We hit the crossbar and had chances.
“It’s going to be hard to change the mentality and confidence over the next five weeks, but I’m going to try.
“I’ve still got a few tricks up my sleeve to bring this squad together. People try to look after themselves and deflect criticism, but I certainly don’t.
“I’m not one of those characters. I’ve got to build on the performance, because I thought for the majority of the game the performance was good. I saw a couple of players who hadn’t played as well all season.
“I’ll keep pushing these guys to the end. It’s very much a long-term project and we will get it right.
“At the moment it’s painful for everyone, the supporters, the people in the club, everybody connected with the club.
“It’s important for me, the leader, to drive everybody on and to make sure they don’t throw in the towel for what’s left of this season.
“I don’t expect the supporters to be happy with the situation. I’m not, the owners aren’t, but it’s important for us to keep fighting, try everything we can to get results in the short term and to stay in La Liga.
“Longer term, obviously, we need to build a football club, but that’s going to take a little bit longer.
“Hopefully the supporters will understand. I met them yesterday, they’re completely aware of the situation.
“I told the supporters that we’ve already got Krhin signed, Wakaso we’re trying to do in the next couple of weeks, Ingason is signed to the club, Saunier is signed to the club, whatever division we’re in. We’ve got some very good players.”
