Gary Neville has insisted that “it’s time for us to show the real Valencia” ahead of Thursday’s derby against Villarreal in La Liga.
The Englishman faces a tough task in securing his first League win, with the Yellow Submarine being followed by Real Madrid at the weekend, but he is confident his side are heading in the right direction.
“There’s no doubt about the importance of our next two games,” he said at a Press conference.
“We have a lot of games coming up, but these two games won’t define our season.
“There are two games coming up, which we have to prepare for in the best way possible.
“We must ensure we achieve good results, but they’re not finals.
“We’ve had many injuries and played in the Champions League, with matches every three days.
“We have many games in January, and the previous Coach didn’t pay attention [to fitness].
“You must allow players time to recover and not rush them.
“We must be patient with Enzo [Perez] and Rodrigo [Moreno], for example. We’ll give them another three or four days.
“Christmas has come at just the right time for us. We have two challenges and must be very positive in them
“It’s time for us to show the real Valencia and results of the efforts we’ve made.
“We’ve developed a high level of concentration to avoid giving away counterattacks.
“We’ve improved. Physically, we’ll be better than before Christmas.
“[Villarreal] play a well-defined game, with two forwards and wingers, and are well trained.
“We must be totally focused, work hard and have 11 fighters in Valencia’s colours, and we want to play with authority.
“Right now, there are no market developments. We still have [Shkodran] Mustafi, [Jose Luis] Gaya and Enzo to come back.
“We must ensure those players return [in good shape], but we’re ready and strong for Villarreal]. I want a comeback.
“In England, we play on Christmas Eve, Boxing Day and New Years’ Day. There’s no break.
“[This year’s] been the first time that I’ve been home on Christmas Day. I’m used to playing all season.”
