Luis Miguel Ramis: “The team has a lot of soul, a lot of character”

Osasuna head coach Luis Miguel Ramis praised his team’s determination and defensive discipline after its victory over Getafe, saying the players showed the resilience required to win a physically demanding match.

“The team has a lot of soul, it has a lot of character,” Ramis said. He explained that the key to the victory was the team’s willingness to fight throughout the match and match Getafe’s intensity.

“That’s what the match against a team like this required, and we showed it. The fans in the stands showed it, too. That support we had throughout the match was very important,” Ramis said. “We were coming off a very physically demanding week, and we knew it could have consequences. That’s what happened, with two injuries, but we didn’t lose our organization. We defended well despite the physical demands Getafe puts you under, and the match was decided, as many of these games are, by one detail.”

Ramis said he was pleased not only with the points Osasuna has collected but also with the way the players have embraced his tactical expectations despite the limited time available to work with the team.

“Obviously, I’m happy with the points we have, but I’m happy because, as I said, this week has been very demanding with very little time,” Ramis said. “The most important thing is that the team understands what we want from them, and in every match they have interpreted what they need to do.”

The Osasuna coach also emphasized the difficulty of facing Getafe, particularly because of the team’s physical strength and ability to create danger late in matches.

Ramis said Getafe is a team that rarely allows opponents to create easy scoring chances and can apply relentless pressure in the closing stages.

“They’re an opponent against whom you don’t create easy chances, and then they’re a team that keeps hammering away,” Ramis said. “They’ve won a lot of matches in the final minutes because they’re very strong physically. They impose themselves in the box because they fill it with four or five players.”

He said that made Osasuna’s defensive effort particularly significant and praised the commitment the players have shown during training throughout the week.

“So I give a lot of value to the work they’ve done and the effort they’ve made throughout the week,” Ramis said.

Asked to assess Osasuna’s start to the league season, Ramis said the team is making progress defensively but still has room to improve in possession and midfield combination play.

Ramis said the players have adapted well to the defensive structure he wants them to use and have done a good job of limiting the spaces available to opponents.

“In terms of the defensive structure we want, they’re developing it well. We’re at a good level, we’re leaving ourselves exposed very little,” Ramis said. “With the ball, I hope the intermediate players we have in midfield can get closer to the play, combine more, control the game more and provide more options.”

Ramis acknowledged that there are numerous areas the team can continue to improve, but he said he does not want to demand too much too quickly given how recently he began working with the players.

“There are a lot of things, but it’s not easy. We haven’t been with them for very long,” Ramis said. “I’m seeing too many things going well to ask them for more. Small, secure steps, and above all, being very rigorous defensively because that gives you a lot. It gives you a lot of confidence.”

Ramis pointed to Osasuna’s defensive record as evidence that the team is moving in the right direction, highlighting another clean sheet and just one goal conceded through three matches.

“Another clean sheet, only one goal conceded in three matches — that’s the line,” Ramis said.