Elche coach Anselmi has called on his side to maintain the level shown in patches during the opening four matches, reduce needless errors, and target victory away at Athletic Bilbao on Saturday.

Anselmi firmly rejected suggestions that Elche have a defensive problem. He stated: "When we set our defence, we don't face scoring threats. Our defence isn't poor; there's no problem with our defence." Elche have conceded 12 goals in the opening four rounds of the 2024-25 season.

Anselmi also confirmed that Thiago Santana is the only injured player ahead of the trip to Bilbao. Elche's final training session this week was held behind closed doors at Estadio Manuel Martínez Valero on Friday. The coach was unwilling to reveal potential changes to the starting lineup but confirmed that the goalkeeper position will remain unchanged.

Anselmi also dismissed the possibility of Federico Redondo leaving Elche for Boca Juniors in the near term. He said: "I only just found out about this interest." Anselmi praised the midfielder's attitude. In early season matches, he has deployed Redondo as an emergency defender, though Redondo's importance in his plans has diminished in recent weeks.

Anselmi stated: "We've trained well this week, and the players have shown me their desire to play a good match at San Mamés. We've focused on areas that need improvement, striving to approach the team we want to be, which needs to be built from game to game. Now we must first overcome ourselves, because we've proven that as long as we maintain our presence and stability in the game, we can play at the level we should."

On the goalkeeper selection, Anselmi said: "We have great confidence in our current goalkeeper. We know Dituro's experience and credentials. Iturbe also proved himself in pre-season and meets our requirements. He could play at any time, but we can't forget Dituro's contribution in the opening two matches. It would be unfair to replace him now. We know his professionalism; he trains very hard, and I think now is the time to back him."

Anselmi stated: "We haven't collected many points in these four matches. Off the pitch, this might create noise and tension, but as a coach, my job is different: to fix as many problems as possible. Except for the Barcelona match, we've won every second half but not every first half. Needless errors force us to chase the game, but this also shows that no opponent has completely dominated us. This season is long, and I know full well that we have the ability to hurt opponents if we want to. We must stay calm, because that calm will allow us to compete properly and reduce these types of needless errors. The players train very hard, and I also see a positive attitude from everyone at the club. I understand there will be tension from outside, but good things will come. Our work will be reflected on the pitch. When will it come? I don't have a crystal ball, but I hope it's tomorrow."

On defence, Anselmi said: "It's too easy to talk about defensive mistakes. When we set our defence, we don't face scoring threats. Our defence isn't poor; there's no problem with our defence. We're a team that wants to control the game, which also puts us under pressure during transitions, but we haven't paid the price for it in recent matches. I think the key is to always stay in the game and avoid those needless errors. Lomonaco continues to improve, but I don't want to talk about individuals."

Ahead of the Athletic Bilbao match, Anselmi said: "Everyone knows how strong Athletic Bilbao are. They will try to impose their style of play and also have outstanding individual ability. Now more than ever, we need to stay focused, know how to play, stay united, hold the phases of play that need to be held, and hurt them when we have the ball. This is our characteristic, and we won't change. Athletic Bilbao are strong at home, but we shouldn't be swayed by outside noise, because it's 11 against 11 on the pitch."

On tactical systems, Anselmi said: "When you have different types of players, you can use different tactical systems. When you have possession, the system isn't really that... Ultimately, in attack, the system isn't too rigid, because modern football is difficult to play as pure positional football, and if you're too positional, you create too much space for your opponent. You have to find an advantage from positions. In defence, the system should be more rigid, because it brings order. We can use full-backs and wingers, or wing-backs, and these possibilities allow us to make tactical adjustments when needed."

Anselmi stated: "I've long known that the club has great confidence in me. I'm very happy here; Elche and this city are my life. I live in the city, my children go to school here, and I spend a lot of time at Estadio Martínez Valero. I didn't come to Elche to stay for five minutes; I'm very clear about that—I want to stay here for a long time. The fans I meet on the street also make me feel at home."

On Federico Redondo, Anselmi said: "For me, he's important and performs very well. He's very competitive. Whether he plays or not, he conveys a desire to win and joy at being part of this team. So I don't think he'll be leaving for Argentina in the near term."

Anselmi also recalled Athletic Bilbao's experience playing Barcelona in the final under Guardiola in 2012. He said he had followed Bielsa's Athletic Bilbao at that time because the team's style of play was so engaging, and he remembered classic matches at Old Trafford. A friend invited him to watch the final in person, but he had no money at the time, so he quickly sold a motorcycle that had caused him many problems and used the proceeds to travel to Estadio Vicente Calderón to watch the final. Anselmi described it as an extraordinary experience.

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