Manolo plays down pressure ahead of Atlético meeting

“The situation is not tragic; we are like eight other teams,” Manolo says. The Espanyol coach is seeking to ease the pressure ahead of Saturday’s 2 p.m. home meeting with Atlético de Madrid at RCDE Stadium. The match offers his side a chance to halt a difficult month of results and performances, while also quieting debate around the team and Manolo González’s future in charge.

The immediate stakes are significant: a win, or at least a point against Simeone’s side, would help Espanyol move away from the relegation zone and approach the next three away fixtures with greater confidence. Manolo stresses that his team’s position is not unique. He notes that eight sides are level on points and that Espanyol are not bottom. He also acknowledges the need to improve, while arguing that his team creates play and scoring opportunities.

The coach says discussion about his position did not begin with the latest results. “From the first day, I knew the debate would return when we did not win,” he says, recalling that the pressure was already there during pre-season. He says he knows how to live with that demand and notes that it also accompanied more euphoric periods last season. He wants responsibility for the difficulties to be shared: in his view, the group analyses problems together and remains united, convinced it can have a good season.

In preparing for the match, Manolo wants his team to reproduce the continuity it showed in the first half against Málaga. He believes the failure to score was costly in that game and says football can turn quickly. “If we do things well, we have a chance to bring Atlético down,” he says.

As for availability, he says Jofre and Kike remain the known absentees, while the other players are available for selection unless an issue emerges. The starting goalkeeper has yet to be decided: Manolo praises Fortuño’s quality but says the choice will be made on match day. He also insists that his confidence in the players remains intact, saying he will not judge them on a single good or bad performance.