Valverde calls on Athletic to 'conquer' San Mamés crowd amid league struggles
Ernesto Valverde stresses the importance of winning over home fans as Athletic Club prepare for crucial La Liga clash with resurgent Levante.
Athletic Club return to their Basque cathedral with renewed confidence after their Copa del Rey triumph at Mestalla, but their league form remains a proper mare’s nest that needs sorting sharpish.
Pressure mounting in La Liga
Despite their cup heroics, Valverde’s men haven’t bagged a league win since December, collecting a measly 16 points from their last 59 available. The gaffer knows the home crowd can be their 12th man, but only if they deliver the goods.
“We have the help of the public, but we must conquer them,” Valverde reflected ahead of Saturday’s crucial fixture against Levante.
Athletic find themselves in a right pickle in the league table, hovering dangerously close to the drop zone despite their cup exploits. The contrast between their cup form and league performances couldn’t be more stark.
Levante no pushovers
Valverde was quick to dismiss any notion that Levante would be easy pickings, warning his players about the visitors’ recent resurgence:
“They’re revitalized. They won in Seville, drew with Atlético, came back against Elche, and made life very difficult for Real Madrid. They defend together and have good feet going forward, with fast players and good passers.”
The Athletic boss emphasized that apart from two teams (presumably Barcelona and Real Madrid), everyone else in La Liga is fighting in the same bracket, where two or three results can dramatically change fortunes.
Squad updates
Valverde provided several positive updates on key players:
- Yeray is progressing well on his special training plan
- Nico Williams is improving and expected to make an impact soon
- Iñaki Williams’ recent goal is seen as a massive boost for the entire squad
- Jauregizar continues his “extraordinary season” despite heavy minutes
The manager also praised young Monreal, who impressed on his first-team debut, noting: “This isn’t about one match, it’s about a trajectory, and we want him to have a long trajectory at Athletic.”
San Mamés advantage
With four of their next five matches at home, Athletic have a golden opportunity to turn their league form around, but Valverde isn’t taking anything for granted:
“Having matches at home doesn’t guarantee anything. We have the help of the public, but we must conquer them.”
For a club with Athletic’s proud history, the current league situation simply isn’t Danny Dyer. The Bilbao faithful will be expecting nothing less than three points against Levante to begin climbing back up the table where they belong.