The Yellows goalkeeper has put his injury behind him and is only thinking about helping the team
Villarreal goalkeeper, Sergio Asenjo, took advantage of the league break for international fixtures to briefly analyze the team’s performance, as his teammate Mario did a few days ago. The Palencia native believes the team has adapted quickly to the changes: “It’s clear that preseason was a difficult time, there were many changes and the team needed to learn to compete together. Once the majority of the injured players recovered and we had time to adapt to the new Manager, the results started coming”, he explained. “It was a difficult situation, but the team has always stood up and fought. We demonstrated that last week, for example, when we got a 0-0 draw and their goalkeeper was the best player on their team”.
What’s more, Sergio said the team can “achieve significant things”, but to do this El Madrigal must continue to be a fortress. “We need the fans. I think if we’re all united, everything will be easier. We go to every ground to get the three points and I think in all the draws, -apart from at the Bernabéu where we were really made to suffer-, (vs Granada, Sevilla and Espanyol) we’ve been the better team. We deserve a lot more and we have to keep going like this”.
Concerning purely football matters, the Yellows number 1 praised his team’s ability to compete and adapt to different contexts, thanks to the variety of formations Fran Escribá has used. “The Manager has different ways to approach matches; as seen at the Bernabéu and in Cornellà where Jonathan played as a second striker… They are variations that make us a lot more competitive and, above all, that make it hard for our opponents to adjust to us”, he commented. Another point he highlighted was the freedom that the attacking players are enjoying: “The players have more freedom now, above all those in the middle of the park going forward. They have a lot more confidence and you can see this on the pitch”.
A stronger return
Lastly, Asenjo explained that the bad times are behind him. “I got injured at an important time in my career. It was clear that the there were going to be doubts upon my return, but I’ve worked a lot and very hard to come back the same”, he commented. Furthermore, he said he is very happy with his current situation. “Everything is going right so far this season. The new management team has a lot of confidence in me and they’re showing it. I am going to show my best level to try to help the team as much as possible”, he concluded.
