Iñigo Pérez praises his team’s patience after victory

“The team’s patience deserves praise,” Iñigo Pérez said after his side’s victory. The coach said he was happy with the result and pointed to his players’ mental strength after a difficult week. He also felt they had shown more energy than in their previous matches.

Against Getafe, his team had to be patient. Pérez acknowledged that the performance was not brilliant and that chances had been hard to find, in part because of the opposition’s defensive quality. “We knew the kind of game we would face. […] The team’s patience in waiting for the right moment and getting it right is worthy of praise,” he said, adding that managing emotions had been particularly difficult in recent days. He also warned that stress could lead to mistakes that Getafe might punish.

The Villarreal coach said it was essential not to become impatient. Pérez felt the greater fluency and increased number of chances late in the game reflected Getafe’s resistance, as well as his own team’s work. In his view, the opposition could not sustain its defensive effort indefinitely against Villarreal’s attacking play. He nevertheless rejected focusing only on the closing stages, stressing instead the need to be accurate and avoid errors.

Pérez also explained his approach against Getafe. His plan was not to rely solely on possession and short passing to break down the opposition’s defensive shape. He also wanted to use direct balls to target space behind the defence, then make use of second balls to find openings.

The coach also defended his handling of Carlos Maciá, whom he has entrusted with directing the play. He described a development process that needed careful management emotionally, while insisting the player had more than enough ability. Pérez believes Maciá earned the responsibility and helps keep the team organised.

The victory offers relief, but Pérez does not want it to bring overconfidence. He said he feels defeats as deeply as wins, while trying to maintain a degree of stability. “This victory was very necessary for us, but losing our balance because of it would be a mistake,” he warned. After the break, with players leaving to join their national teams, he hopes the group can continue moving up the table.

Mundo Deportivo reports that Pérez acknowledged Villarreal were not where they had hoped to be in the standings, while arguing that there was still time to improve over the course of the season. He said he hoped the team would find greater balance after the break. The coach also referred to the upcoming match at Camp Nou, where the result could once again bring emotional swings. His aim, he said, is to strengthen a clear playing idea without being swept along by the highs and lows.