Quique Setién: "I hope this match doesn’t do us any lasting damage"

Quique Setién made it clear today, following this heavy defeat in Barcelona that "that is the worst game by us since I have been here", while at the same time pointing out that "we are still a team that is under construction and there many things we need to work on, including defending better, being more aggressive and working harder. When you don’t have these things under control you are going to suffer a lot", he acknowledged. 

He confirmed that David Garcia “has suffered from a muscle strain” and despite the 5 goals conceded “Javi Varas has had a great game, avoiding a few more goals even”. He said that playing Boateng instead of Livaja was due to the fact “he could hold the ball up a little longer than Livaja”.

"We were not humble enough, although that is not the right word exactly, we were rather just a little complacent thinking we could get something out of a game like this because of the way we play. We did some things we shouldn’t have done against this team. They are extremely quick. They took the first ball off us inside the area, Messi I think it was, who was on his own. Nobody in the whole league does that, but we did. We should have known that these players stand out a mile over the majority of players".

Setién recognised the strength of players such as Messi and Luis Suárez. "We trainers all work every week to try to prevent players like Messi from scoring goals. But in the end, they do; the same with Suárez. This is why they are the best in the world, because there is no way to keep them out", he stressed. 

"I draw two conclusions from what went on today. They might benefit us, because they show us where we really are. In order to win we need a high level of clear thinking. The other thing is that we need to need to step up a gear on all levels. I hope this doesn’t leave a mark because there are only things to learn from. I would like to have felt better about the game, but I haven’t any good feelings at all”, he concluded.