Espanyol's Manolo González fuming after Villarreal hammering: "They killed us"
Espanyol boss Manolo González didn't hold back after his side's 4-1 thrashing at La Cerámica, highlighting defensive frailties as their winless run extends to six matches.
Espanyol’s season continues to unravel as they were absolutely battered at La Cerámica, with Manolo González looking like a man who’d lost his wallet and phone on a night out in Soho after the final whistle.
Six and counting
The Pericos’ winless streak now stretches to six matches after Villarreal handed them their backsides on a plate with a comprehensive 4-1 victory. González, clearly fuming, highlighted how his team’s defensive lapses proved catastrophic.
“When we pushed forward, they killed us,” González admitted in his post-match comments, looking absolutely gutted as he tried to make sense of another defensive collapse.
Defensive nightmare
The Espanyol gaffer didn’t mince his words about his team’s shocking defensive display:
- All four goals were described as “very avoidable”
- Similar defensive frailties were evident in their previous match against Alavés
- González was particularly frustrated with the team’s inability to stop Villarreal’s counter-attacks
- Despite not being outplayed in the first half, they still went in 2-0 down
The coach emphasized that Villarreal’s renowned counter-attacking ability was something they’d specifically prepared for all week, making the capitulation all the more frustrating.
Changes needed
“We need to make a quick change because if not, even though we want to do many things, they won’t happen,” González stressed, clearly at his wit’s end with the defensive shambles.
The gaffer also refused to single out individual players when asked about Salinas’ performance, insisting it was a collective failure rather than down to any one player having a ‘mare.
Silver linings
One small positive was the debut of new signing Ngonge, who González believes will add quality in one-on-one situations – something the team desperately needs given their current form.
The boss also called for a return to the principles that served them well earlier in the season and during last year’s promotion campaign. Right now though, they’re looking less like the dog’s dinner and more like yesterday’s leftovers.