Marcelino refused to mince his words as he branded Villarreal’s 3-0 home defeat to Espanyol on Thursday their “worst game of the season”.
A brace from Felipe Caicedo either side of half-time, coupled by Victor Sanchez’s late strike, earned the Catalans a huge scalp at El Madrigal, leaving the Coach to rue the limp manner of Yellow Submarine’s performance.
“There was a horrible team on the pitch and it was Villarreal. We were totally alien,” he said after the match.
“We had our worst game of the season and Espanyol were deserved winners.
“It’s hard to explain what happened because we had a great game four days ago at Mestalla.
“We played bad from start to finish. We were absolutely flat and vulnerable against a defensive team.
“I wasn’t able to convince the players of the importance of this match. What’s clear is that we were wrong on all counts.
“It’s impossible to beat any team in La Liga without paying well. It was a huge opportunity missed [referring to Malaga’s defeat by Eibar].
“The way we lost reflects the manner in which we participated in this sorry spectacle.
“It wasn’t a physical problem but rather a matter of approach to the game. We didn’t play with the utmost enthusiasm, ambition and effort to win.
“I thought we’d approach the game with a winning mentality but we only had a five-minute spell. We’ll see what happens in the next game.”
