Sporting Gijon vs Racing de Santander preview - Preciado predicts upturn in fortunes

Posted Sunday, September 25, 2011 by PA

Sporting Gijon have endured a nightmare start to the season with four defeats from four matches but manager Manuel Preciado believes his side "can rise from the ashes like they have many times before".

Sporting suffered a similarly bad start to the 2008-09 season when after being promoted back into the Primera Division they lost the first five games and Preciado does not believe the situation is as bad as it was three years ago.

"Back then we were much more inexperienced and naive and we were able to solve a situation that was generally a lot worse than the one we are in just now," he said.

"The problem is having gone four games without winning there is a great amount of pressure on the players and they suffer a mental block."

Striker Nacho Novo - who scored the winner for Sporting in the corresponding fixture last season - also believes his side can get out of their current predicament.

"The way to get out of this situation is to work hard and stick together like we have on previous occasions. There has always been a great togetherness and everyone helps each other so we just have to continue doing that," said the former Rangers striker.

Racing by contrast had a great result midweek by holding Real Madrid to a 0-0 draw and manager Hector Cuper wants his side to continue in a similar manner against Gijon.

"Our attitude shouldn't depend on who our opponents are but we must maintain the spirit we showed (on Wednesday)," the Argentinian said.

"Sporting played a very good match against Valencia, they are difficult to break down as they use a 4-5-1 when they are defending but also counter-attack well."

Cuper does however have a number of injury doubts including strikers Lautaro Acosta and Christian Stuani so he may hand a start to Ariel Nahuelpan.