Nuno Santo has admitted that “the fans are always right” but demanded “respect for my work” after Valencia were booed for their 3-1 defeat to Roma.
Los Che lost their fifth straight friendly in the Trofeo Naranja on Sunday, but the Coach staunchly believes the result did not do his side justice and saw enough to suggest they were on the right tracks ahead of the new season.
“It’s not a fair result because it doesn’t reflect the run of play,” he told Superdeporte.
“We created chances but also made mistakes by allowing Roma to counterattack and hurt us.
“The team continued pressing high up the pitch, recovering possession and going forward, but no goal came.
“In the second half, Roma put us under the pressure and made life more difficult. We wanted to compete at this level in order for us to improve on last season.
“[Despite the score], the team did what I wanted them to.
“We knew Roma’s strengths, but our philosophy has always been to play football.
“We still have time [to improve] and the players know that the result wasn’t fair.
“We wanted to win the Trofeo Naranja for the fans and I hope we push on from this game.
“I’m not worried [about the defeats] because we have been competing at a high level and must know where to improve.
“I’d have been worried if we had another pre-season, but now I know what to change and have the confidence to carry out these changes.
“[On the boos], the fans are always right. My work will always be booed or applauded and you can’t please everyone but I’d like respect for my work.
“I’m happy with the squad. The continuity of our players is key to this project, but you can never say never in the transfer market.
“These are players who work in solidarity, and this is what great teams are built on.”
