Barcelona coach Louis van Gaal, who has come under increasing pressure since Sunday’s 3-0home defeat to Sevilla, is confident he can arrest the club’s decline.
“I am capable of turning this situation round,” van Gaal told reporters after the match. “I believe that the players are behind me and I don’t think it would solve anything if I left.”
“This is a very similar situation to four years ago when we lost to Villarreal,” van Gaal said, referring to a 3-1 defeat in his previous spell in charge of the club, which led to calls for his dismissal. However, the cllub persisted with the Dutchman and wererewarded when Barcelona won the league title later that season.
“The difference is that this time we are playing much better inthe Champions League.
“In any case now is not the time for talking, but for work, action and winning games.”Leading players have rallied around van Gaal and insist that it is they who bear the responsibility for the club’s inconsistent performances.
“Van Gaal is the ideal coach to get us out of this situation,” said injured club captain Luis Enrique.
“He knows the team well, is demanding and has the confidence of the players.
“There is no magic formula to get us outof this, but what we need now is to win a game, ideally starting with our next match away to Mallorca and I am sure we can get out of this.”
