The Villarreal head coach regrets his team’s lack of killer instinct against Levante
Villarreal manager Javi Calleja regretted his player’s lack of killer instinct in front of goal against Levante (1-1). “At least we managed to get a draw at the very end. I believe the team often dominates the matches and we have enough chances to win. Levante also played well. The nerves we are currently feeling means that we’re not calm in front of goal. We’re not getting it right,” he commented.
For Calleja, the psychological factor is playing a big role. “The players are working hard and what we need to change is the mental aspect. For example, Gerard is a player of enormous quality, who works hard and gives everything on the pitch. What’s weighing on his shoulders is not being calm in front of goal and that’s making him anxious. We need to try and get these negative thoughts out of our head. The mental aspect is key and we need to work on it,” he added.
According to the Yellows boss, Villarreal deserved more: “The first half was even and in the second half we were on top. Levante often make matches into attack and defence, leaving a lot of spaces. Bit by bit, we began to dominate until the draw came right at the end.”
The Yellow Submarine manager also wanted to praise the performances of young players Samu Chukwueze and Miguelón: “Samu and Miguelón played at a high level. That’s the path everyone should be following. The youngsters showed the rest of the team how to play today. In football, you need to play with happiness, intensity and without fear.”
To conclude, Calleja underlined the path to follow: “We can’t look long distance. Our aim is to beat Rapid Vienna in the Europa League and then Rayo Vallecano. From there, we need to go up the table and we will see where we reach.”
