“La culpa és de tothom, no solament del jugador al camp. És una qüestió de grup,” RCD Espanyol manager Manolo González argued ahead of his side’s away fixture in Santander.

RCD Espanyol arrives in Santander with urgency, winless in four matches and sitting 16th in the La Liga standings, as reported by El Periódico. The Catalan club faces Racing Club with an identical record of eight points from nine matches, recording two wins, two draws, and five defeats so far this campaign.

Santander Trip Carries Urgency for Espanyol

The squad managed by González enters the fixture needing to distance itself from the ghosts of the previous campaign. Recent matches have seen the team unravel in the dying minutes, creating a damaging pattern of late concessions that has dragged the club dangerously close to the relegation zone.

During his pre-match press conference, González shouldered collective accountability for the team’s slide down the table while directly addressing the defensive lapses. “We cannot concede goals the way we have lately,” González said. “There are things that cannot happen as a team. And we have talked about that.”

Espanyol Must Improve Late Game Transitions

Both Espanyol and Racing share identical statistics entering the weekend, each holding eight points through two victories, two draws, and five losses. Despite the shared struggles, the immediate concern for the visiting coaching staff centers on game management during closing minutes.

“We want to give a good image again,” González acknowledged. “We have to improve in the final minutes, above all so that they don’t hit us on transitions.” Counter-attacking speed from opponents has consistently punished Espanyol’s structure late in matches.

Managerial Future Scrutinized Amid Relegation Proximity

With the club slipping to 16th place and approaching the drop zone, speculation regarding González’s position at the helm has intensified within the organization. However, the Catalan coach maintained that he does not feel any extraordinary pressure regarding his job security heading into the Santander encounter.