Manolo González remains grounded despite Espanyol's late drama against Celta
Espanyol boss reflects on his side's rollercoaster 2-2 draw with Celta, admitting they've lost their defensive solidity while praising their fighting spirit.
Espanyol’s gaffer Manolo González has his feet firmly on the ground despite a dramatic 2-2 draw against Celta that saw both late goals and plenty of emotion at the RCDE Stadium.
From behind to ahead… and back again
The Pericos found themselves trailing after Jutglà’s opener but showed proper bottle to turn things around through Kike García and Dolan, the latter netting what looked to be the winner in the 88th minute. But football’s a funny old game, innit? Borja Iglesias popped up in stoppage time to level things up and break Espanyol hearts.
The result extends Espanyol’s winless run, but González was keen to focus on the positives while acknowledging his side’s current struggles.
Defensive worries
González didn’t mince his words about his team’s defensive frailties:
- First half performance was below par, with positioning errors allowing Celta to exploit spaces
- The team’s anxiety to push forward is causing structural problems
- Espanyol have lost the defensive solidity that saw them climb to sixth earlier in the season
“We need to close down our area better,” González admitted, clearly frustrated by the late equaliser. “We need to recover our defensive sensations to play well.”
Realistic ambitions
The gaffer provided the quote of the day when putting Espanyol’s situation in perspective: “No vamos a ser la Holanda de Cruyff o el Brasil del 70, pero sí hemos sido un equipo competitivo durante todo el 2025.”
He’s not promising the second coming of Total Football, but rather a return to the competitive, structured side that performed so well earlier in 2025. It’s bread and butter stuff - get the basics right before worrying about the fancy bits.
Building confidence
Despite the disappointment of conceding late, González believes the comeback shows character:
- The substitutes made positive impacts
- The team showed fight after going behind
- The point feels better than recent defeats against Girona and Alavés
For a team struggling with confidence, the manner of performance in the final 30 minutes could provide something to build on, even if González himself insists it’s “not enough” on its own.
The Espanyol boss now faces the challenge of restoring the team’s defensive organisation while maintaining their newfound attacking spark. No easy task, but as they say in the East End, where there’s a will there’s a way.