Chus Mateo: “We have to keep up this good run and pick up more wins”
“We're working hard to get as close as possible to our best," highlighted the coach following the win over Río Breogán.
Chus Mateo assessed Real Madrid's win over Río Breogán on matchday 11 in the league: "It's important for us to keep gaining confidence. We knew from very early on this season that we were going to suffer a bit, but when you come off the back of a season as calm as last year, it's not easy to deal with a dose of reality. What was previously coming off for us, now has to be done in another way, and we have to keep fighting together. Today was an important game for individuals to step up. It was great to see how some players really took it upon themselves and showed they're ready for whatever is asked of them."
"I'm delighted with Hugo González. He put in an incredible performance today in every sense: defensively, his energy, the rebound... He's absolutely destined to become one of our country's top players. I'm pleased with him and how he's developing. We want to look after him and ensure he continues to evolve, we don't want to rush things. From what we've seen today, he's already a fantastic player, but he's got a bright future ahead of him."
On Garuba
"He's lacked continuity in training but now he's coming through the physical issues he's had. He's still got the odd problem and we'll have to make sure he gets enough rest. But the Usman we saw today is the one we want. I hope we can help him find the consistency he needs. He needs time. He's been out of action for a while, but he's struggled to find that competitive rhythm in years gone by too. We need him back to his best because he's a tremendous help to us."
Consistency
"It's good to see us taking forward steps, but I try and remain cautious because we need a degree of consistency, and if we fall, we have to be able to get back on track. One game doesn't mean anything. We have to keep up this good run and pick up more wins, that's what makes us feel stronger."
“It's very hard to be at the top of everything all the time and deliver 100% on accuracy, effort and concentration. We're working hard to get as close as possible to our best but we have to keep our feet on the ground, take things one step at a time and not get too worked up about the defeats."