The head coach wants to get the B team’s first win at La Cerámica against Granada (Sunday, 2pm CET)
Villarreal B head coach, Miguel Álvarez, appeared at his pre-match press conference ahead of the game against Granada CF, corresponding to Gameweek 26 of the 2022/23 LaLiga SmartBank season, which will take place this Sunday at 2pm CET at the Estadio de la Cerámica. These are the comments he made before the important match:
Excitement at a win at La Cerámica
“We want to win and we are excited about doing so. In the first game at La Cerámica the result went against us due to circumstances. We’d like to be on the same track of playing well and we’ve had victories away from home, but the other day there were a lot of people there and we couldn’t give them the win. The B team has always been known for good results and good football at home and we left with a bad taste in our mouths. We want to be able to give something back.”
The opposition
“We all know Granada’s potential, starting with the coach. They have made three good signings. I think Pol Lozano and Weissman are two top players. They feel like a first division team. The lads and I are really enjoying preparing for the game.”
Being calm despite high demands
“Neither a defeat nor a win takes me out of the process of being with the boys. We haven’t secured survival yet, and we weren’t relegated before. The coach has to project calmness to the boys to continue in their development. That’s my job as a coach and even more so with young peopl”
Staying on track
“Victories give you more peace of mind and more energy. But I’ve been here a long time and one of the nicest things we’ve created is a culture of work, that they don’t get off track, but we all like to win. The boys have internalised very well that the way is to work. They are very clear about it and they focus on their individual improvement and that makes us more powerful. We are adapting to a new environment, which is La Cerámica, where a lot of people come who we are not used to and the boys are aware that we have to do more things to win.”
The keys to beating Granada
“We have to have character throughout the game. We know our opponents’ strengths, of which there are many, and their weaknesses, of which there are few. What’s more, they have strengthened very well. There are times when the opposition push you back, but nobody will see me push the boys back, it’s the opposition. We’ll try to be brave and show our strengths in the opposition’s half. Now we have fewer chances on goal and we defend better, also from set pieces, but in this category, the fewer chances you get, the better”.
Terrats’ adaptation
“He has already played for Girona. Last year he was an important player. I knew him perfectly well because last year Iván Martín and Baena were there and I try to watch the games with players I’ve had. I already thought he was a tremendous player. Now that I have him, I think he’s even better. It’s logical that the coach of the first team wants him and we are happy. To be a good professional you also have to be good people and he is an incredible professional. It’s true that everything is made easier for the player here and all the lads have made his day-to-day life very easy, but that’s because he’s earned it too.”
