Setién: “It’s a shame, we were excited and eager to win here”
Press conference
Quique Setién has addressed the media at Estadio de la Cerámica after the game against Villarreal CF.
Match analysis: "We had the game under control in the first half. We were imprecise in attack, though. They had a clear chance that Pau saved with a great intervention. We controlled the game well in general, but then those two occasions came. They are a good team in set plays. We knew it and we talked about it. It's a shame. It's the first goal we've conceded in set pieces so far this season. It startled us and straight away the second goal game, and I think there's a foul on Junior in that play. The referee could have seen it. We've changed things and players to attack a bit more. We knew they were going to take a step back. We had enough chances to, at least, tie the game. The defeat is not fair. It's a shame, we were excited and eager to win here."
VAR: "It should make things easier for the referees. It's true that they don't judge interpretable plays. There was a play, though, in the first half, when Loren was elbowed inside the box. That's a foul, a card and penalty. The referee was just in front as we all did. He also had the chance to go and check it. I still have trust in the VAR, it will make things easier. I guess it's still early. We'll keep advancing to get the best out of it."
Table: "I'd be worried if the team played bad or send a negative feeling. The result is one thing and the feelings are different, and the feelings are good. Today we made a good game against a rival that has 50 million more in their budget than us. You can do it better, go to Barcelona and win, and then go home and lose against Valladolid. This is football. They most important thing is doing things the right way, fix mistakes and do a good game like today but we didn0t have the accuracy we had in Barcelona. We had chances to make a good last pass and we did not. Sometimes you make it, sometimes you don't, but this is the game. You try to keep a line, have an idea like we do but sometimes you can't control everything."
It seems that the team needs to be perfect to win: "We can think that the game was really even today. It's true that we need extra effectivity and sharpness, not only in this game, but in the whole season so far. If we were able to finish everything we create we would be much higher in the table. This is a symptom that we are a team in the making, that we still lack some things and that we are going on. I have a lot of confidence in this team, they are growing, we have a good performance rate. You go through streaks. Some teams get a lot doing so little. The season is really long and we have faith in what we do, in the players too."