Quique Sánchez Flores: "I don't see any rival worse than us"

Quique Sánchez Flores faced the media on Friday to look ahead to Deportivo Alavés' demanding visit to San Mamés, where the second Basque derby of the campaign will be played this weekend. The head coach called for calm after two consecutive league defeats and made it clear that he has already identified the reasons behind the team's recent dip in form.

• Quique Sánchez Flores believes Alavés can repeat last season's win at San Mamés.
• The coach is considering rotation due to player fatigue in a week with three LaLiga fixtures.
• The Madrid-born manager identifies midfield as the area where matches are decided.
• Alavés still sit sixth in the table despite their two recent losses.
• Quique highlights Athletic Club's speed and high press as the biggest threats.

Returning to San Mamés, a major test for Deportivo Alavés

The Alavés boss admitted that playing at the home of Athletic Club is always uncomfortable given how the fans and the team press from the first minute. Nonetheless, he prefers to focus on the positive memory from last season, when the Vitoria side managed to take all three points from Bilbao. Quique Sánchez Flores believes that if his players have already won there once, they are capable of doing it again with a top-level performance and attention to every small detail.

Managing player workload during a three-match week

The congested fixture list has forced the coaching staff to plan the distribution of minutes very carefully. Quique explained that managers sometimes think about rotating players when there are three games in a single week, because not everyone can play all three. The Alavés boss acknowledged that his side put a lot of emphasis on the first two matches of the week, and some players now arrive with heavy legs. For that reason, he did not rule out introducing fresh names into the starting eleven for the trip to Bilbao.

Athletic Club analysis: pace, pressing and high intensity

Asked about the opposition, Quique did not hold back in his praise for Athletic Club. He described them as a very dangerous team with great dynamism, speed in open spaces, and an intense press that prevents opponents from playing through the middle. The Alavés coach noted that, despite the change of manager, the Basque side has kept many of its long-standing trademarks and has mainly altered its attacking structure.

The reasons behind the two defeats and the reality of LaLiga

Far from being dramatic, the head coach highlighted the strong start to the season. Winning three of the first four matches was as surprising to the squad as it was to everyone else, but the team always wanted to stay in that privileged position for as long as possible. Now sitting in sixth place, Quique accepts that the last two matchdays have come down to small details that did not go Alavés' way.

Many of our rivals are better than us, many are similar to us, and I don't see any rival worse than us.

With that reflection, Quique Sánchez Flores placed Alavés in the middle tier of the competition and reminded everyone that the dressing room is fully aware of the reality they operate in. The team remains calm because the message from the coaching staff is clear: they must keep competing every weekend without losing sight of how tight the middle of the table is.

Midfield control and formation, the tactical keys for Alavés

The Alavés manager placed huge importance on the midfield, a zone where most matches are decided. With two strikers on the pitch, the team has fewer players in the build-up phase, so the flow of play has to be worked on differently to ensure the forwards receive the ball in the best possible conditions.

Regarding the system, Quique explained that what he disliked most about the last game was the lack of speed in the shifting defense when the team played with a back four. The distinction matters: defending with five is not the same as defending with four. That is why the coach will not hesitate to correct and refine any tactical aspect that moves the block away from the intensity and dynamism that has worked so well when they have played together.