Andrés Martín's 'roll up your sleeves' approach keeping Racing top of the table

Racing Santander’s leading marksman Andrés Martín is calling for his teammates to don their metaphorical work overalls as they prepare for a challenging trip to Eibar’s fortress Ipurua.

Tough test ahead

When you’re sitting pretty at the top of Segunda División, everyone wants to knock you off your perch. Racing Santander are finding that out the hard way as they gear up for what could be one of their most difficult away days of the season.

Martín, the team’s top scorer and second-highest marksman in the division, isn’t mincing his words about the challenge ahead. The Aguadulce-born forward knows Eibar’s home record (second-best in the league) makes this weekend’s clash a potential banana skin.

“The match in Eibar will be very difficult,” the Racing number 11 admitted during Thursday’s press conference, making it clear his side need to roll up their sleeves and get stuck in if they want to maintain their position at the summit.

One game at a time

Despite their lofty position, Martín insists Racing aren’t getting ahead of themselves. There’s a refreshing lack of table-watching from the Cantabrian outfit, with the striker claiming:

• The team is focused solely on the next match
• They’re not bothered about being first or second at this stage
• What matters is where they finish come season’s end

Beñat San José’s Eibar side represents a serious threat, with Martín describing them as “very strong” and expecting a fiercely contested battle at Ipurua.

The secret to success

So what’s the recipe for Racing’s continued success at the top? According to their star forward, it’s all about the graft. Martín has been proper impressed with the work ethic shown by the squad, describing their training efforts as “incredible”.

The Andalusian attacker believes Racing have developed into a “very solid” unit, pointing to recent results as evidence of their improvement in this department. The focus remains on winning as many matches as possible and turning El Sardinero into something of a fortress.

If Racing can maintain their momentum and follow Martín’s workmanlike approach, the promised land of La Liga might just be on the horizon for the Cantabrian side.