The bar giveth and the bar taketh away
As Munir El Haddadi crashed his picturesque volley off the bar, Quique Setién must have been thanking his deity of choice or thinking of acquiring one. Had Munir’s shot dipped just a few inches lower, it might well have sunk the Cantabrian’s voyage with Villarreal.
For second time in his 18-game Villarreal career, Setién was reportedly in danger of the sack had Villarreal not beaten Getafe 2-1 at home. What stood out at Estadio de la Cerámica was the sea of yellow - there were an awful lot of empty seats. That may well have been the case anyway on a cold Monday against second-bottom Getafe. Yet it was also a show of the waning belief in Villarreal.
After just five games, he was already under pressure following a winless start. Supposedly confusing Yeremy Pino with a waiter from a bar in his native surroundings, instead referring to him as ‘Yeray’, that was one of multiple reports that hinted that he had not started off on the right foot. That this anecdote made it into the public domain was sure sign that the fans’ doubts were echoed within the squad.
It appeared as if the squad had hit a turning point against Real Madrid, eating the Champions of Europe alive. Yet the point of inflection appeared to come almost a month later against Elche. The first side to be beaten by Los Franjiverdes all the season in La Liga, it is an infamous title they still hold on their own. It wasn’t just that they were beaten, they were swatted aside.
Disorganised, flat and vulnerable, it confirmed that things were going wrong again for Setién, contributing to four straight defeats ahead of the Getafe victory. Against Real Mallorca two weeks later, Villarreal were dispatched 4-2. Fighting back well after going a goal and a man down, it was the rare show of indiscipline from Manu Trigueros that stood out as most improper, lashing out while being hassled with the ball. So often an unselfish, disciplined example, Trigueros was just as out of sorts as the side itself.
Setién’s record reads 8 wins, 2 draws and 8 defeats, which is a long way off their ambitions. Subtract the three Copa del Rey wins against lower league opposition, you’re left with just 16 (half) goals in 15 games, and a win rate of 33.%. The fitness of Gerard Moreno may be more decisive than any manager, but it isn’t an argument likely to settle the nerves of President Fernando Roig.
Villarreal hung on for victory against Getafe, but there isn’t too much more to hang onto right now. With Europa Conference League ties against Anderlecht coming up, Setién’s squad will be stretched even more thinly in March. Unless both the results and the side improve dramatically, it will look like a confirmation of those early fears about Setién’s relationship with the dressing room. This time the bar saved Setién, but he has little more margin for error if he wants to be in Castellón next season.