The perfect delineation of the part that runs through his hair, the smile and the calm with which José Bordalás expresses himself before the press do not betray a coach recruited urgently to avoid the drama of relegation in Getafe. A company that he first refused due to its complexity due to the lack of time to work and that he later accepted after a call from Ángel Torres. The club’s owner appealed to the friendship between the two to convince the coach from Alicante to take over for seven o’clock finals that remained The first, against Espanyol in Cornellà El Prat, he lost (1-0). The second, against Celta, at home, was won (1-0). With these two results, Getafe has 34 points, the same as Valencia, which has won the goal average particular.
Bordalás has accepted a poisoned favor and challenge. A toss-up that tonight will have its third episode at the Santiago Bernabéu (9:00 p.m., Movistar LaLiga) after four days of concentration in Oliva. There, between golf courses and the pleasant breeze of the Levantine white coast, Bordalás has emphasized the same message that he sent to the dressing room upon his arrival. The need for them to believe in him and in his script, especially the footballers who did not know him from his previous stage, just over half of the squad.
During these days in Oliva, the coach has given as much or more priority to psychological work than to tactical. “It has been a coexistence, there are many players that I do not know,” admits Bordalás. “Above all we have worked on the emotional aspect. There is no time for heavy workloads. I have recently arrived and we are in a decisive stage with the team playing a lot”, adds the coach.
“The coach has insisted that we have to enjoy defending and attacking, that we always keep our heads up and that nothing is impossible because we are only one point below and there are direct confrontations [el Getafe cierra la Liga visitando al Valladolid]”, says goalkeeper David Soria.
Fouls and possession
Drawn the harsh reality of the classification, the tactical work carried out by Bordalás “has been more than basic concepts”, points out Soria. “We have worked on some tactical aspect and some strategy,” says the azulón coach. Getafe has recovered the intensity that characterizes the Bordalás teams. “When a new coach comes, it’s a change of energy and morale, the team has regained life and defensive solidity, being strong at the back, although against Celta we also had chances to score more goals,” warns David Soria.
The Alfonso Pérez Coliseum was filled to see Bordalás’ home debut against the team from Vigo. Already on the day of his presentation, several hundred fans turned up to pay tribute to him and thank him for the audacity to accept the responsibility of salvation.
“Against Celta I saw the team mentally stronger and believe more in salvation. I didn’t have to intervene, except for a centered shot in the first half”, warns Soria. Both the statistics of the match against Espanyol and those registered against Celta announce that Bordalás has managed to quickly instill the part of his script that is criticized so much. With his predecessor Quique Flores, the average number of fouls committed was 15 and has risen to 22. Real playing time has dropped from 54% to 47% and the yellow cards per game have shot up from three to six.
“It’s all related to the coach’s style, we want to be more intense and push higher. That makes you go more to the duel and make tactical fouls so you don’t get caught on the counter. All this increases the number of fouls. We are not dirty, but there is the unfair current that persecutes the coach. Espanyol took the lead and no more was played. This is football, you are risking your life. They are things that we all do, Madrid, if they take the lead against City on Wednesday, they will do it too, ”says David Soria.
The five remaining games will say if the Bordalás formula achieves the goal of salvation. If so, according to the coach’s agents, Ángel Torres will give him a choice of a year or two of contract. And if he decides not to continue, he will accept the favor Bordalás has done him. The latter, even in case of descent.
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