Luis Carrión: “We have to believe in our work, keep improving, and have confidence in what we do”

C.D. Leganés head coach Luis Carrión appeared Thursday at the press conference ahead of the team’s match on Friday (8:30 p.m.) against Burgos C.F. at Ontime Butarque Stadium, as part of Matchday 14 of LALIGA HYPERMOTION 2026/27.

The Blue-and-White coach offered the following assessment of the team’s current situation ahead of the match:

Absences: “The international players, plus a few others whose condition we’ll have to assess tomorrow.”

Playing on Fridays: “It’s always more convenient for the fans to watch their team on the weekend. That’s just how it’s worked out for us. We’ve focused solely on beating Burgos. 

We know it’s harder for our fans to attend, but we know they’ll be right behind us all the way to the win.”

Three-game week: “Midweek games are just another session in terms of training load. They’re young guys; we’re excited, and everyone will be ready—I’m sure of it.”

Jorge Martínez: “He’s already becoming a viable option; he played because he earned it. We’re taking a cautious approach with him, observing what he does well and what he doesn’t. He’s working hard.”

Personal assessment: “We expected better results, but we’ve worked on many offensive scenarios to threaten the opponent. We’ve had chances in every game, but we’ve conceded too many goals. We’re trying to find a balance so those chances translate into wins. We’ve improved in one area and need to improve in another. We try to be self-critical on a day-to-day basis and fix what we’re doing wrong. There are new elements, and we’ve focused intensely on the team’s offensive potential and creating more scoring opportunities. And I think we’ve achieved that, even though we’ve scored fewer goals than expected. I’ve also noticed situations under pressure where we’ve lacked balance, and we’re working to improve that. Even though the results haven’t been great, I see positive signs in terms of what we want from the team. We need to improve defensively.”

Midfield: “We’ll see what we think the team can offer us. When we haven’t pressed well, it’s been a team-wide issue. We’ll try to have a midfield that contributes, is balanced, and can disrupt the opponent’s play.”

Second halves: “Since I’ve been here, they’ve been better than the first halves. Against Mallorca, against Valladolid, even the other day. There are better and worse moments, but we have to make the most of the better ones. Against Albacete, we conceded a goal that’s hard to let in, but it ended up going in. There are many moments when teams don’t feel comfortable, and nothing happens in the games.”

Morata: “For us, it’s very important that he scores goals. Millán, too. The team creates enough chances to turn them into goals, and we’ll try to develop further in that area and improve in the other aspect.”

Lack of decisiveness: “Anyone who gets up front intends to do well. We have to choose better opportunities for the final pass, make better decisions, and stay calmer in those situations. 

Once we climb the standings, we’ll score more goals with fewer chances—I’m sure of it. We need to be more decisive and solid as a unit so we don’t concede so many goals.”

Tactical adjustments: “We want them to be evident from day one. Everything is a process, and we have to keep improving in different areas, but we want to win now, play a good game, and show the work we’ve been doing in training. There are many areas we need to improve, and we’ll take it one game at a time. We want to win, and tomorrow has to be the day.”

Gharbi: “I’ve had several meetings with him, reviewing game footage. We’ve put him in a role that we believed was exactly what we needed. The other day, playing behind the striker, he created quite a few chances. When he returns, we’ll try to get him to perform at his best.”

Slump: “We have to get it into our heads that we have to win on Friday, hurt the opponent, and feel competitive. We shouldn’t look too far ahead. Tomorrow we’re hosting an opponent that’s doing things right. But we want to get the three points, and that’s what we’re focused on for tomorrow.”

Atienza and Sancris: “Burgos has changed coaches and playing styles. I know their sporting director, and he always builds competitive teams. It’s no coincidence that they’re near the top. We have plenty of tools to counter them, and we’ve studied them quite thoroughly. I’m sure they’re highly motivated to ensure Leganés takes the three points that will help Leganés climb the standings.”

Lockeroom atmosphere: “Sometimes there’s bound to be some impatience—it’s only natural. But that’s not a bad thing; it means it matters that we’ve gone so long without a win. We have to believe in our work, improve, and have confidence in what we’re doing. They train well; I have no complaints about any of them. Wins help with all of that, mostly in a positive way. We’re coming off a winless streak—except in the Cup—and we’ll have to put in an even greater effort to win tomorrow, which I’m convinced we’ll do.”

Effectiveness Early On: “In Valladolid, we got off to a very good start. We conceded a goal, but we came out strong. Against Mallorca, we finished stronger, and against Albacete, we attacked more because we were down on the scoreboard. But it’s not an attitude issue. We want to win from the start, and we’ll try to improve our effectiveness and our performance in the first half, because everything matters.”