The Villarreal head coach is convinced that his team will put in a good performance this Sunday against Athletic Club (4:15pm CET)
Villarreal CF head coach, Marcelino García Toral, is excited about the objective of getting a positive result this Sunday at San Mamés against Athletic Club (4.15pm CET). A demanding opponent against whom the Yellows will try to get back to winning ways in LALIGA and forget about their elimination from the Copa del Rey. For the Asturian coach, intensity and precision in the penalty area will be the keys to the clash.
The elimination from the Copa del Rey
“We have to prioritise what’s happening to you and from there find a solution. We all know that we played poorly in Pontevedra, so we were outplayed by our opponents and were knocked out. It was a hard blow for us as professionals for not giving our level, and for the fans to whom we have to apologise for not being at our level. Normally we would have got through that tie, but we have to recognise that our opponents were better and deserved to go through. We must reflect on the situation and move on. As a club we have to look at what happens in the cup, having been knocked out by a lower-division team over the last few years. I think we need to review our mentality when it comes to these games.”
Consistent performance
“Now we have the league coming up and we have to continue in the good dynamic that we have in this competition, we have to focus on that. This team has been performing very well, but because of one bad day we were knocked out. We must leave it as a bad day and maintain our rhythm in this competition. It’s time to show that this team can and knows how to compete at the highest level. Now we have to get back to competitive consistency, we have done well quite a few times and once very badly, it’s a mistake we have made and now we have to accept it and try to get back to the good dynamic.”
Convinced and mentally prepared
“I don’t think there will be any doubts because of that result, I believe more in the succession of work and games, rather than a bad result. I think it’s more important what we’ve been doing on a regular basis than what happened in a single match. We’re very clear about what we have to do, which is to compete as we have done and be ourselves. We must recover the joy and intensity that we didn’t have the other day and that we usually have.”
How to approach the match
“We must do what we’ve been doing, I think we’re doing well, as shown by the standings and the fact that we’ve only lost two games in the league. The team has shown a reliability in the league that makes me optimistic and that should make us all optimistic. We are aware that we are going to one of the most difficult grounds, a team that takes a lot of points at home, only Atlético de Madrid have won there, in stoppage time.”
Analysis of Athletic Club
“They come off the back of beating Madrid, but for us it shouldn’t be an impediment to think that we can go there and play our game and win. Athletic are a powerful team with a dynamic, deep game and a great counter-attack. They also have three great players in attack who are very decisive, something they are clearly demonstrating in the championship. And other players who are also giving a great performance.”
The key to the match
“What we have to do first of all is match their intensity and that’s not easy, but we have to try. Then we have to put our offensive arguments on the pitch, we have to defend very well, and attack with very good criteria. We know how to do both. We have to be solid and united in our defensive work. We have to show the quality and defensive capacity that this team has shown. But in the end we see how the matches are decided by the success in the penalty areas, the team that is more convincing in both areas is the one that will take the three points.”
A tight table
‘We know that the fourth place is very difficult, the teams have and are proving to have a status. While there are teams that fought last year and are in Europe, we came from suffering a lot last year. There are teams that are stabilised like Betis, Athletic, Real Sociedad or Girona, they are teams that start with a greater solidity than ours. It’s true that this year we are the revelation team compared to last year, I’m not talking about the history of previous years, and that’s why we are fighting with them. From the beginning we have shown that we want to be in this fight, as can be seen in the table and in the matches.”
Fight for possession
“In the last two games we have lost possession of the ball and we must reverse that situation. The parameters of 60 and 40 per cent are normal, as it depends on where the opposing team is positioned. It’s different if you press high up or in the middle block, as you give the opposition the option of more passes. Records between 45, 50 or 60 is equal. That’s why we are aware that we have to improve on the second half in Girona, like the game in Pontevedra. Seeing as the Pontevedra game was our worst game of the year, it’s clear to us that it’s something we need to analyse.”
