Escribá: 'We've got 15 finals left' as Valladolid brace for six-pointer against Huesca
New Valladolid boss Fran Escribá is keeping calm despite the relegation battle, insisting every remaining game is its own mini-league.
Fran Escribá is barely through the door at Real Valladolid and already he’s got one of the trickiest jobs in Segunda División on his plates. The new gaffer spoke to Radio MARCA Valladolid this week, and he’s doing a decent job of keeping the mood steady despite his side sitting in the relegation zone.
A debut draw and cautious optimism
Escribá got his first taste of life on the Valladolid bench with a draw away at Gijón — not the dream start, but not a disaster either. What he took from it was telling: the players were reportedly frustrated not to have nicked all three points, which he seemed to read as a good sign about the mentality in the dressing room.
He’s also been pretty open about his tactical thinking, which is refreshingly straightforward:
- In defence: he wants order and structure
- In attack: he actively wants chaos — players expressing themselves and causing problems
- No fixed first eleven, which gives him flexibility as he gets to know his squad better
He turned down a queue of other clubs to be here
One of the more interesting bits from the interview was just how in-demand Escribá apparently was before taking this job. He claims he knocked back offers from somewhere between eight and ten clubs — from Cyprus, South Africa, Algeria, and even clubs in Segunda — before agreeing to join Valladolid.
The connection with sporting director Víctor Orta, who he worked with back at Elche, clearly played a big part. But Escribá was at pains to say he’d have taken the job regardless. He also confirmed he was approached when Gonzalo Almada left earlier in the season, but the club went with Pacheta (Tevenet) at that point. That didn’t work out, and here we are.
The contract he’s signed is a year and a half — which, given the situation, suggests both parties are thinking beyond just survival.
The Huesca game: massive, but just one of 15
This weekend’s home fixture against Huesca is about as high-stakes as it gets in the lower half of the table. Huesca currently sit just above the drop zone, meaning Valladolid could leapfrog them with a win. It’s the definition of a six-pointer.
Escribá acknowledged the significance — both on and off the pitch — but he’s clearly trying not to let the occasion become bigger than it needs to be in his players’ heads. His line was that there are “15 finals” left to play, and that the squad should treat each game as its own standalone competition rather than getting caught up in the broader picture.
It’s a well-worn managerial trick, but it’s well-worn because it works.
The bottom line
Valladolid are in a proper scrap, no two ways about it. But Escribá looks like a man who knows what he’s walked into and isn’t fazed by it. He likes the squad, he trusts the people around him, and he’s got a clear enough idea of how he wants to play. Whether that’s enough to drag the blanquivioletas out of trouble remains the big question — but at least the vibes coming out of the club feel a bit more settled than they did a few weeks ago.