Pol Lozano takes responsibility for Espanyol’s slump and defends Manolo

Pol Lozano, an Espanyol player, spoke on 14 October about the team’s recent results, took responsibility for the bad run, and defended Manolo González from criticism. “I would blame the players. If there has to be a scapegoat, it would be us,” he said to the media.

Looking back at Espanyol’s match against Málaga, Lozano argued that the approach worked in the first half (“press more” and keep calm with the ball) but wasn’t sustained after the break. In the second period, he said they tried to defend to secure three points, yet they lacked “composure with the ball”, and that showed on the scoreboard.

Focus for the Atlético clash

Ahead of Atlético de Madrid at RCDE Stadium, he insisted on defensive solidity after an equaliser from an action the side “could defend much better”. He also stressed Espanyol’s home obligation: “at home we have to earn points in every match.”

Belief in the coach

He added comments on why players struggle to miss minutes and noted how hard it is for a coach when results don’t come, but he underlined that the squad’s confidence in Manolo is strong because of the work done and what translates from training to games.