Manolo González: if Roberto keeps this form, he'll join Man City | OneFootball

Espanyol face another LaLiga matchday this Tuesday with the aim of extending the positive feeling following last Saturday’s victory over Osasuna (0-2). The blue-and-whites will visit Rayo Vallecano at Butarque in a match that will be the second of the three games the team must play in barely a week.

Manolo González spoke to the media this Monday and made it clear that Espanyol’s objective is to compete for all three points. “We want nine out of nine, that’s our objective, and it’s very difficult, but it’s the ambition we have,” said the Espanyol coach. The Catalan side already picked up the first three points of this demanding week at El Sadar and will look to repeat the result against Rayo before hosting Elche next Friday.

The blue-and-white coach, however, wanted to stress the difficulty of the match. González believes Rayo’s current position in the table is “misleading” and warned about the potential of a side that still has not been able to play its home matches in Vallecas. The clash will finally be played at Butarque due to the situation of Rayo’s stadium.

One of the main factors will be the schedule. Espanyol will face three matches in just seven days, and Manolo González admitted that it is a major demand, although he ruled out making automatic rotations. “I don’t believe in systematic rotation,” the coach explained, as he believes decisions should depend on the characteristics of each match and the condition of his players.

The coach also confirmed an important absence for the match. Jofre Carreras will not be available due to pubis discomfort, while the accumulation of minutes will force the coaching staff to manage the squad carefully.

González also had words for Roberto Fernández, one of the main figures in Espanyol’s strong start. The striker has scored five goals so far this season and has become one of the blue-and-whites’ main attacking threats. The coach even raised the forward’s ceiling by saying that, if he maintains this level, he could end up playing for a club the size of Manchester City.

Celebration of Roberto Fernández’s first goal this weekend against Osasuna. Source: LaLiga

After ending a run of three matches without a win against Osasuna, Espanyol now face the challenge of confirming their response.Manolo González wants an ambitious, competitive team capable of maintaining concentration despite the demanding schedule. The objective is clear: c

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