Juan Ignacio Martinez has reflected that Levante’s inconsistent end to the season is the only reason they aren’t in European contention once more.
After last year’s success in achieving Europa League qualification, Los Granotes have endured a difficult second half to this term and have dropped to 12th in the table.
On from last week’s reports that some of the club’s players face an investigation into fixing Week 31’s 4-0 defeat at home to Deportivo, Martinez reflected today on the value Levante earned in breaking a run of defeats at the weekend.
“We cannot hide from the reality and losing in Mallorca for five consecutive defeats would have been very hard,” commented Martinez to reporters today.
“We were accumulating misfortunes, with Barkero, then Juanfran [who remains under observation in hospital following a clash of heads against Mallorca], so a point was very good.
“We must acknowledge the effort made by the players to get the point at Mallorca.
“Perhaps it was the most difficult week since I have been here, for all that happened, but it went through my head that five defeats in a row would have made things complicated.
“Survival? I believe that 41 points is a good number for safety. But it is too tight and we have gone several weeks without a win. We shall see if we can win at home to Zaragoza and then forget this scenario.
“We will have to try and pick up as many points as we can. It is true that it is a shame that with a bit more consistency we could have been talking again about Europe. Now come two home games and we shall see what happens.
“Our inconsistency? There is evidence that when you start to thing about other things then you get distracted. You can see that it has also happened to Espanyol.”
