Chus Mateo: 'Very demanding and tough times are to come'
"We need the warmth of the fans, who always give us wings and help us to put in better performances", explained the coach before the game against Bàsquet Girona.
Chus Mateo spoke in the run-up to league game 28, in which Real Madrid face Bàsquet Girona Wednesday 8:00pm CET: "We're back at the WiZink Center, where we like to be surrounded by our home crowd. We now need the warmth of the fans. Very demanding and tough times are to come and feeling the warmth of the WiZink Center always gives us wings and helps us to put in better performances. It is another game that we would like to do well in for the fans."
"Bàsquet Girona started out shakily at first but they have got back on track and have now won a few games that allow them to look up a little bit. We have to be careful because they still have to fight to avoid problems in the end and that's also why they're dangerous. There are only a few games left and we have to assess each and every one of them."
"Bàsquet Girona started out shakily at first but they have got back on track and have now won a few games that allow them to look up a little bit. We have to be careful because they still have to fight to avoid problems in the end and that's also why they're dangerous. There are only a few games left and we have to assess each and every one of them."
Moment of the team
'There are players at different moments. There are people who haven't stopped for several games and, obviously, their legs are getting tired but also the competitive rhythm is noticeable. Then there are other players who are coming in and that means we have two speeds at the moment. That's what we have to do. We have to get going and try to get everyone on the same level. We've got Williams-Goss and Llull back, who are still lacking game time, but we're very happy to have them in the team once again.'
Rebounding
'It's important to recover our physicality, because without it it will be more difficult for us. We have been rebounding very well but Poirier's injury and the fact that Tavares has had so few minutes in the last few games has made us hesitant in that department. But, regardless of that, we have to rebound together. Rebounding is often more a matter of mentality and teamwork than anything else. I hope we get back to our best soon because it's an important area.'
'There are players at different moments. There are people who haven't stopped for several games and, obviously, their legs are getting tired but also the competitive rhythm is noticeable. Then there are other players who are coming in and that means we have two speeds at the moment. That's what we have to do. We have to get going and try to get everyone on the same level. We've got Williams-Goss and Llull back, who are still lacking game time, but we're very happy to have them in the team once again.'
Rebounding
'It's important to recover our physicality, because without it it will be more difficult for us. We have been rebounding very well but Poirier's injury and the fact that Tavares has had so few minutes in the last few games has made us hesitant in that department. But, regardless of that, we have to rebound together. Rebounding is often more a matter of mentality and teamwork than anything else. I hope we get back to our best soon because it's an important area.'