by José Rojo ‘Pacheta”s Villarreal returns this Thursday to European League visiting the Maccabi Haifa in his forced exile from Larnaca and behind closed doors. A return to this competition after the bad feelings after the last LaLIga EA Sports match against Athletic. In the ‘groguet’ environment the continuity of the coach is beginning to be questioned, so this game and Sunday’s at Atlético’s fieldThe two before the umpteenth FIFA break, are presented as two finals for Salas de los Infantes.
“I know there are many people who want my job,” Pacheta said. with a mixture of realism and irony in the press conference prior to the trip to Cyprus. It is still a reality. When you start to lose patience at a club, there are always suitors. In fact, the name of Marcelino García Toral has come to the fore this week. The current Villarreal coach is used to living with this: “I am 55 years old and have 35 years of experience in football. I try to isolate myself from everything and I get my confidence from the players’ faces when I speak to them.”
Ends in sight
The truth is that in the world of football, results rule. And the next two can change everything. This Thursday, the ‘groguet’ team returns to the Europa League after the armed conflict in Israel and Palestine caused the suspension of the Villarreal-Maccabi Haifa matchday 3. Both teams now face each other in the Cypriot town of Larnaca, where the The Israelis act as locals. Villarreal has one win and one defeat so far. A setback could complicate their passage to the next round, with Rennes and Panathinaikos ahead in group F.
Three days later it will be time to pay a visit at the Civitas Metropolitano Atlético grew after the 6-0 in the Champions League against Celtic. The colchoneros will also return to LaLIga EA Sports after the KO in Las Palmas, but In their stadium they have fourteen consecutive victories in the league competition and they have not lost since January 8 of this year, against FC Barcelona.
Pacheta, on the day of his presentation, together with the president of Villarreal, Fernando Roig /EFE
“Here you are always under the microscope and you have final exams every three days,” said Pacheta. He is aware that he cannot fail, but before traveling to Cyprus he issued a statement: “I am obliged to win, but I know that the confidence of the players and my coaching staff will pay off. “I am optimistic and I think we are going to win in Cyprus and on Sunday.”.
An optimism that he believes will only bear fruit if they support him from the locker room. And the coach, beyond the discouragement that what happened at La Cerámica last Sunday against Athletic, believes that his players send him “truly wonderful details. This is my strength and what gives me all the tranquility and passion If they turned my face I would feel like they didn’t believe me. I feel that the locker room loves me and they are not going to see me cry. This is part of my job.”
Support for Parejo
And the one from Salas de los Infantes returns that affection at all times. An example: the criticism from Parejo’s fans for his performance. Pacheta wants to change that dynamic with his assessment: “He is a very good footballer. I’m not going to discover it now. We all have moments, but Parejo gives you a criterion and a balance with and without a huge ball. He can’t always play, because he must rest, but he is a player who gives, both off and on the field. Always on my team.”
You’re not going to see me cry. This is part of the job and they are not going to take my hobby away from me.
Parejo is in a call in which he does not enter Juan Foyth, Francis Coquelin, Alfonso Pedraza and Denis Suárez. Nor will it be Gerardo Moreno, but in his case as a precaution, taking into account that he recently came out of an injury. “We have a plan for him in which at the moment it makes it difficult for us to play every three days, but for Sunday it will be“, warned Pacheta, while trusting that Yeremy Pino “can play a few minutes, but not as a starter.”
They are setbacks that join the stormy air in the Plana Baixa, but for the technician they are no excuse: “I want the players to continue believing in me and improve what we do wrong. “We must be braver, more aggressive and more daring.”
