Seoane: “We want to give the fans the win they deserve”

Head coach Gerardo Seoane answered media representatives’ questions ahead of the Foals’ derby game at home to 1. FC Köln on Saturday (15:30 CET). Here are his most important quotes.

Head coach Gerardo Seoane on…

…the squad situation: Everyone’s available for the weekend apart from Alassane Plea and Tomáš Čvančara. One or two have trained a bit less in the past few days to manage their load. Every player’s fit though except for the two I mentioned.

…the preparations for the game: The team was very focused and concentrated, as they’ve been throughout the past few weeks. They have a good level of intensity in training and try to complete the daily tasks to the best of their ability. There’s also healthy competition in a lot of positions.

…the current mood: Positive results help improve the mood massively. We’ve now picked up points in successive games. That’s boosted our work during the week. If we have another good result at the weekend, it would improve the atmosphere even more. It wouldn’t be any guarantee though that the next match would take care of itself. You have to play football and put in the work in every game.

…the importance of the derby: All of the players know the importance of the derby and how huge the game on Saturday is. The guys who have been at the club for a long time and have more experience with these matches are maybe a little bit more motivated, but I’m expecting every player to be full of determination and to give 100 percent.

…the emotions surrounding the derby: Everyone always puts their absolute heart and soul into a derby. In a game with stakes as high as this one, there are certain to be some strong tackles and disputable decisions, which will cause emotions to run high. However, it’s vital that we can remain focused on what’s most important, which will be to defend well and be strong going forward.

…his reflections on the first half of the season: We didn’t perform well when we faced them on Matchday 8. However, we’ll transform the negative experience into extra motivation for the upcoming game. Everything else is irrelevant, as a lot has changed for both teams in the past six months. We therefore need to conduct a fresh analysis of the opposition and their playing style ahead of the game.

…the fans’ support: We’re sticking together and will approach the game as one. From the beginning, I was able to sense that the fans would be willing to stay by our side throughout. Of course, we would love to make the afternoon great for our supporters and give them the win they deserve.