Julen Lopetegui during the press conference

LOPETEGUI: "VILLARREAL HAVE A DIFFERENT SORT OF QUALITY"

14/12/2019

Lopetegui put the attention on trying to stop Villarreal from controlling the game tomorrow

This Saturday afternoon, Julen Lopetegui gave his habitual press conference on the eve of a La Liga game: "The team have trained well and are really looking forward to the game tomorrow. We know it is going to be very demanding as we're coming up against one of the best teams in the league. We've been trying to prepare ourselves properly for the game because we know they will ask a lot of us both with and without the ball. They have four Spanish internationals and other players that make up a very talented squad".

After facing over the last number of games, opponents who set up more defensively, Villarreal will bring the exact opposite: "It's going to be a different sort of game. They'll want to have the ball, to be on top and they have the players to do this. We have to be prepared for this type of game, against a team who will ask a lot of us. They have this different sort of quality, and are one of the best in the league".

Nervión has become a fortress again, but that can't be taken for granted: "What's certain is that what you have done previously, only counts for the statistics. It won't help us tomorrow and we'll only get out of the game what we put into it". In addtion, he wasn't going to get carried away with Villarreal's recent bad run of form: "Not at all. They have been the better team in many of these games and they have that quality to control games. We really want to play well tomorrow and give the best account of ourselves as possible".

"What's happened before at home doesn't matter tomorrow"

Talking about the opponent, he was asked specifically about Cazorla: "He has trained as normal and we think he'll be playing tomorrow. He's one of the best players in Spain, he's still playing at a high level and that's why he's in the Spain team - that definitely hasn't been gifted to him. But overall, Villarreal have many high quality players in their squad".

Lopetegui went on, as he was asked about the team as the end of the year is drawing to a close: "When I went to school, you got your results in May and that's what counts, what happens at the end of the year. Us coaches are always thinking about what we have to do and we're not looking ahead at all. We're focused on tomorrow".

To finish off, he spoke about Monday's upcoming UEL draw: "These are things that can't be controlled. The team that we will be drawn with will be the one we want. It doesn't matter to us who we get as we'll approach every game with the same attitude". He also refused to speak about signings: "For me, the winter transfer window is still a long way away. Up to and including this point, I have maintained that I am happy with the squad I have; but any talk about transfers would not be made here".