Clerc’s impotence
Four days of intense reflection followed a stinging defeat as Elche analyzed a disappointing start to the season. The Franciverde coach, Francisco, held himself and his squad partly to blame after the heavy loss to Villarreal, while also criticizing the compressed schedule that left little room to prepare with a full group of players.
“Today the opponent was clearly better on both the pitch and the scoreboard,” Francisco stated. He noted that the calendar had not been kind, though he dismissed excuses. The team failed to find the path to the results they wanted, the coach from Almería admitted in the Ciutat de València press room.
His tone grew more pointed as he evaluated what the team showed this campaign versus last year. “If this group has one defining trait, it is character and the will to persevere, and I did not see that today,” he remarked. He pledged a thorough analysis of the reasons behind the poor display and accepted full responsibility for how things unfolded.
“Everything feels unsettled: the balance of emotions, goals conceded, goals scored,” the Elche mentor declared. He added that they earned no more than a single point against a club fighting for survival, and he explained that the calendar affected matches against stronger teams more than it did those against direct rivals.
Francisco insisted that the remedy lies in hard work and time. The team faced a difficult preparation period, and now the time has come to devote every available hour to improvement. He acknowledged that the squad had not been schooled in fundamentals during the recent grind and vowed to restore the form they showed two months earlier as soon as possible. The coach spoke with visible frustration about the work dynamics that had to be established during July and August.
He also pointed to a psychological hurdle, saying that the main issue appears to be mental rather than tactical. He anticipated that the situation would improve once the new signings blended with the existing group. The message was clear: the team must deliver for the fans and continue to fight for them.
Clerc’s impotence
Carlos Clerc, who took Mojica’s place in the Franjiverde lineup the day before, admitted that the mood on arrival home carried a sense of helplessness. He confessed that the team did not show enough aggression in attack and that the overall offensive game lacked effectiveness.
Despite a desire to present a tempered assessment, he underscored the lack of clinical finish in front of goal. He added that the fourth day of the season arrived quickly, and while the path ahead was not smooth, there was confidence in every teammate to improve.