The new Villarreal manager says ‘going through as group winners should make us very happy’
Villarreal manager Luis Garcia was satisfied after his team’s important win over Spartak Moscow (2-0), a result which allows the Yellows to qualify from the Group Stage of the UEFA Europa League as group winners. “We did a lot of things well. The important thing is that we’ve won, and that should make us very happy. We’ve finished off the Group Stage, of which most of the hard work was carried out by the old coaching team. It’s a success to go through as group winners and we should be happy. I hope it’s the start of something special and we can underline that in Huesca,” he commented.
For García, the win boosts the group’s morale: “The team needed joy to celebrate their hard work. It’s important to recuperate the morale. Feeling good mentally was key for the players. We have to work on creating goalscoring opportunities, while conceding fewer chances. It isn’t easy to play a perfect match.”
Regarding the team’s style of play, García paid special attention to the defensive work of the team: “I’ve nearly always played with two midfielders together. We try and have the ball, and to do that, we need to defend better and be more focused. There’s a lot left to do, but I think the players have the idea.”
The head coach praised Santi Cáseres’ performance: “Today, Cáseres played a spectacular game. He’s great physically and showed that he can do other things rather than just win the ball back. Before, he was playing alone in the middle of the pitch. Furthermore, I think [Manu] Trigueros is going to be very important for us in the future. We’ve got good players and that’s the most important thing. Now, we need to form a structure in which these players can show their quality.”
Finally, García underlined how the team is already focused in their next match with SD Huesca: “I’m not thinking about the draw on Monday. The only thing I’m worried about right now is the Huesca match and the players getting ready for that. That game at Huesca is a vital match for us. We need to give our all. Ending 2018 with a good result is very important for the club.”
