Valverde demands 'more competitive attitude' as Athletic turn the tide at Tartiere
Athletic Club manager Ernesto Valverde reveals how his half-time team talk sparked a crucial second-half transformation against Real Oviedo.
Athletic Club’s gaffer Ernesto Valverde didn’t mince his words after his side’s Jekyll and Hyde performance at the Tartiere Stadium, admitting a half-time rocket was needed to salvage their day.
The Basque outfit struggled mightily in the first period against Real Oviedo, falling behind and looking proper out of sorts before finding their feet after the break to nick a vital three points.
Tale of Two Halves
Valverde was refreshingly honest about his team’s first-half showing, which was about as impressive as a wet weekend in Walthamstow. Athletic looked rattled after conceding, with the manager admitting they “accused the blow too much” - a fancy way of saying they completely lost the plot.
“We talked about needing to change the dynamic and how we were approaching the match because it was slipping away from us,” Valverde explained about his half-time chat. “The idea was to shift towards a more competitive attitude, and we managed to achieve that.”
Pragmatic Approach
What’s crystal clear is that Valverde’s bread and butter right now is points over performance. The gaffer acknowledged that Athletic’s urgent need for points sometimes affects their quality of play:
- “The most urgent thing is the same for us as for Oviedo and all teams: getting points”
- “Obviously you need to have good play and attitude - playing well isn’t enough”
- “You need to have a good competitive attitude”
Injury Concerns
It wasn’t all champagne and strawberries for Athletic though. Jauregizar was forced off after taking a tumble, with Valverde admitting they’ll need to assess the damage tomorrow.
Yuri also gave the coaching staff a right scare when he signaled for a substitution, only to change his mind and soldier on - a proper Barnet fair move when options are limited.
Nico Williams continues to struggle with fitness issues too, with Valverde confirming: “He has discomfort and isn’t at 100%. It’s a situation that keeps recurring over time and it’s a problem.”
European Aspirations
With Athletic now looking up the table again, Valverde remains focused on their next challenge against Elche on Friday. The win keeps their European dreams alive, but the boss knows consistency will be key.
“When you win, it’s because you try to do more to deserve it than your opponent,” he reflected. “Oviedo were better in the first half, and we were better in the second.”
For now, Athletic can celebrate turning their afternoon around when it looked like they were heading for a right old bubble bath.