Coach Marcelino praises Valencia ‘collective identity’

Valencia boss Marcelino Garcia Toral has highlighted the importance of ‘identity’ and a ‘collective idea’ behind his side’s success in the past year.

The 53-year-old took the helm at the Mestalla last summer and guided the club back into the Champions League after consecutive 12th-placed La Liga finishes.

Despite a slow start to the campaign – just one win in seven La Liga games and a Champions League defeat against Juventus – a win at Real Sociedad has boosted confidence ahead of a trip to Manchester United on Tuesday.

“First of all, I met the directors and they told me, as a manager, they want to try refresh and reorganise, to analyse the causes and attempt to put in solutions,” Marcelino told an interview with English outlet The Independent.

“I think, for the most part, we’ve done that. We identified the causes why Valencia didn’t function, and we’ve put in solutions with this squad, without totally changing it… I knew to take important decisions, and we did that.

“I think the best stages of Valencia have always coincided with a determined football style. And, well, the people accept very well this style of play, they identify with it, and above all, it has produced good results.

“For us, it’s important there isn’t any doubt that the people are with us, and if we are capable of playing a style of football that the people identify with, that will be beneficial for all of us as it shows our support. In the Mestalla, with that support, it can be very difficult for opposition.

“The first thing is to have good footballers and a collective idea of the play, and so everyone understands the player beside them.

“After that, you work. It’s ability, and then a series of values, that I think are very important. To think as a group, as a collective, to have to help your teammate.

“So, in all, we have to be capable of uniting these individual talents. Or a similar idea, then we’re on the right track.”

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