The coach talks about the importance of getting something from the game against Mirandés in Anduva
Villarreal B head coach, Miguel Álvarez, appeared at the press conference ahead of the all-important match against CD Mirandés at Anduva, corresponding to Matchday 25 of LALIGA Hypermotion, which will take place this Saturday at 4:15pm CET. The Mini Submarine need their first win of 2024 to move away from the relegation zone, while the home side, five points ahead, are looking to put some distance between themselves and the Groguets.
Here is what he had to say:
Absentees
“We have very few players available to us. There are a lot of injuries. It looked like we were getting Ortega and Víctor Moreno back, but they’ve suffered a setback. We’re short of players.”
Not being vulnerable
“The opponents are also playing with a lot of potential. We’ve just come from playing a good game at home against Huesca, but now the scenario and the context has changed. I said in the first half of the season that Mirandés seemed to me to be one of the surprise teams in the division and I explained why. There are a lot of loan players and a lot of young players. Many have been important in Primera RFEF. We have to play a good game, knowing where their strengths and weaknesses are. It’s a pitch where it seems like nothing happens and a lot of things happen. We’re very vulnerable away from home and professional football is all about not being vulnerable.”
The opposition’s squad
“They are similar to us because of the young players, but they have some very interesting players, from good academies such as Real Madrid, Celta and Real Sociedad. Gabri and Chayra did very well in Primera RFEF. Whoever puts together the squad has a lot of merit and they have a very interesting young head coach.”
The keys to getting points
“They are a very intense team that provoke a lot of things. They are very vertical and get to the opposition goal with just a few passes. In transitions it’s difficult to control them because they have pace and good one-on-one play. We have to minimise those strengths and bring out their weaknesses. We have to be a stronger team and not give anything away. We have to control the areas.”
A key moment in the season
“The squad and I are clear about it. This is a very difficult division and we want to stay here for a third year. I don’t think any of the B teams have managed it and we’re going to give it everything we’ve got and everything that depends on us. The matches are all difficult. If you don’t win them, they become more important. Now they are, but not as important as they were on Matchday 37. I can’t reproach the lads for the way they work on a day-to-day basis. The second half of the season is going to be more difficult because all the teams have strengthened a lot and we are reinforced by the improvement of the players. We will fight until the end to keep the team in the second division for another year, but it won’t be easy.”
