Villarreal captain Manu Trigueros has welcomed the fact that returning manager Marcelino Garcia Toral will not allow his players any slack, or as he put it more crudely – ‘you have to clench your arse to get by’.
Marcelino brought consistent success to Villarreal over the course of three-and-a-half years, taking them from Segunda to the Champions League, a team which Trigueros played in. He has now been drafted back in to turn the Yellow Submarine around, following a directionless spell under Pacheta.
Speaking to Diario AS, Trigueros was happy to see the discipline Marcelino brings back at La Ceramica.
“I have always said that a coach has to have control and push the player, he has to touch your eggs a little [break your balls]… to be crude. Since he left here, what I have seen of him at other teams is very recognisable, it is something that we all have seen and know. Those of us who have had it already know what his way of working is, while those who have not had it, are already getting to know it.”
It’s a sentiment that Trigueros believes has been transferred to the fans too.
“We get the feeling that it has generated a feeling of relief and excitement for the fans. Marcelino’s teams always compete, in training players are always very sharp, and you always have to clench your arse [grit your teeth] to be able to keep up.”
Marcelino had warned the press on his arrival not to expect too much from him, but Trigueros admitted that the responsibility was with them.
“It’s normal for him to say that. He can do his job, but we players must do a little more.”
And confirmed that his usual system would be implemented when Villarreal returned from the international break.
“We all know his 4-4-2. That doesn’t change. He’s looking for a solid, intense team that always moves forward. A team always looking for the opposition goal.”
There are several questions hanging over the Villarreal side. There is not an abundance of players who seem naturally suited to playing wide in a four-man midfield, while many of the Villarreal squad are approaching their mid-thirties or beyond. Given Marcelino’s high intensity style and pressing, it remains to be seen if he can get enough out of the veterans physically. Nevertheless, Trigueros‘ testimony is evidence that he has already improved the mood at Villarreal.
