Extra life for Pacheta
Villarreal refuses to make a decision. José Rojo Pacheta has not been able to get the team going since he arrived on the groguet bench and, although the risk for the club is evident, his dismissal is not consummated.. It seemed that a defeat against Maccabi Haifa was going to accelerate it after missing a penalty that Sorloth and Trigueros had the opportunity to take, both of them in the body of goalkeeper Kaluf, but after the 80th minute Alex Baena and the Norwegian appeared to close a comeback (1- 2) that gives an extra life to the trainer.
«We are suffering a lot, we are not enjoying it and we are too tight. We play with a lot of obligation and things that are done out of obligation…. We will work to get more right,” Pacheta admitted after the meeting.. The question is how much more time he will have.
Five points from relegation in LaLiga and with the visit to Atlético at the Metropolitano on the horizon, the defeat in the Europa League could have been the final blow of reality for the Roig family to accept that they must make a decision. The second bet since Unai Emery left is not working out as expected either. For this reason, the focus is on Marcelino García Toral, who could return to Ceramics seven years after that abrupt departure in August 2016.
The open wound between the coach and Fernando Roig was healed and both have resumed a cordial relationship. After the defeats against Granada and Athletic, with the Asturian out of Olympique de Marseille, the exchange of messages has been intense, although the negotiations had not yet taken sufficient shape.. Marcelino would like to outline a medium-term project that recovers the constants of the Submarine, which now shows an unknown image.
Detecting what has caused the equipment to break down is not easy. The exit from the Champions League forced a budget cut that caused the departure of footballers such as Pau Torres, Samu Chukwueze, Nico Jackson, Lo Celso and goalkeeper Gero Rulli. They were compensated with the signing of Sorloth and the arrival with the freedom letter of Comesaña and Denis Suárez. Except for the Norwegian, the rest have had limited minutes and physical problems. Added to this is the drop in performance of veterans like Albiol, Capoue and Parejo and the intermittent injuries of Jeremy Pino and Juan Foyth.. Gerard Moreno appears in flashes, like Álex Baena.
Added to the lack of a recognizable game idea recognized by the players themselves is a discussed physical condition.. Pacheta has not been able to activate the squad. In his 12 games he has only won four: two in the League, one against Rennes in the Europa League and another in the Cup against Chiclana. Add to that two draws and five defeats, three of which have been in the Cerámica and have provoked protests from the fans.. Athletic scored very painfully, with three goals in the first half.. The final 3-2 did not prevent Fernando Roig from having a 15-minute talk on the pitch with Raúl Albiol to understand and analyze what the locker room feels and what solutions they see.
Pacheta's proposal, like Setién's, has not fit into the squad. The Cantabrian survived last season by qualifying for the Europa League, but the credit quickly ran out. With a record of one victory and three defeats, in addition to an average of two goals conceded per game, he was dismissed taking advantage of the first LaLiga break. Not since the 18/19 season did the yellow team have such worrying goals conceded records. The defensive bleeding has not stopped and Villarreal is the third most scored team in LaLiga with 21 against, only surpassed by bottom teams Almería and Granada.
The extra life that he gained in Larnaca can be settled by Atlético next Sunday at the Metropolitano. Just before the competition break, the moments that Villarreal will use to reset failed projects.