Four months into this campaign, having played 17 matches with eight losses, currently sit 14th in La Liga, just five points away from the relegation zone. Villareal had just signed their third coach of the season, Marcelino García Toral. Despite this season being considered part of the transition to being back at the elite, the truth is that the team is underperforming and not meeting the expectations. The worst part is that after Unai Emery’s departure, it seems this team can no longer compete at the highest level. 

This quote come from Unai Emery’s presentation. July 27 of 2020, and in May 26 of 2021. Unai won the first trophy for Villarreal, an Europa League defeating Manchester United 11-10 in a penalty shout. The next following season, they reach the semi-finals of the Champions League.

They beat the likes of Atalanta, Juventus, and Bayern Munich. And in the minute 60 of the second leg against Liverpool, the aggregate scoreline was 2-2. Sadly for Emery’s man, Liverpool took control of the game and finally won the series 5-2. But the spirit and mentality that the team shows was elite, defined against the odds and proving that they can beat just anyone.

However, in the 2022/23 season, Aston Villa knocked on Emery’s door, and on October 24, he left Villarreal for the two-time European Cup winner.

It was a traumatic experience for the fans and the club itself as they lost the man who made them believe they could achieve everything.

Enrique “Quique” Setién Solar was appointed first team manager the following day.

It would always be challenging to replace the excellent work done by Emery, but even then, it was a rough start for the Cantabrian.

Many doubt how someone who has been ‘disconnected’ from world football can continue the club’s growth. They lost their first two games in the league and three of their four initial games. In their four games against Mallorca, the first one in their stadium, the fans start a chant: “Quique, go now!” after conceding a second goal at minute 76 to lost 0-2. 

In that game, Villarreal had 72% of possession but only two shots on target, and the defensive solidification the team showed during Emery’s time gradually faded away. Another huge difference compared to the previous seasons was the European competition campaign, from winning the Europa League and reaching the semi-finals of the Championship League to not winning any of the four matches he was charged with in the Conference League. Villarreal was eliminated from that competition in the round of 16 after a 1-1 draw away and a lost 0-1 in El Madrigal, despite having 63% of possession, 23 shots, and ten on target. Villarreal did not score a single goal. The problems with the team somewhat resemble one of his previous spell at Real Betis: a terrible defense and a lack of imagination and freshness in the final third.

However, the World Cup Break works as a pre-season for the team. It gave him time to find a more cohesive and competitive team, and they won some prestigious friendlies against Napoli, Aston Villa, and Galatasaray. 

From January 2 to January 22, they won five of his seven league matches, including an impressive win over Real Madrid. But after that incredible run, they lost their four straight matches, including being the first team to lose against Elche.

Despite the somewhat inconsistent game plan and result, the truth is that Villareal made an excellent season, finishing 5th in La Liga with 64 points. +5 pts more than the previous season, in which they finished 7th, and +6 pts than the 2020/21, in which they finished 7th. Many youngsters also grow during his watch. Winger Samuel Chukwueze, Yeremy Pino, and striker Nicolas Jackson flourished during the second half of the season.

However, one of the most prominent problems in Setien’s times at Villarreal was the lack of leadership. The players were not confident when Setien was brutally honest about his situation, as he was “out of touch” during two previous seasons. They were especially concerned about the new changes. While Emery had many assistants specialized in different needs, Setien brought only three people of his trust. Setien also modified some privileges and agreements that some players had with Emery. Some of them had even rumored the staff did not know the squad and did not research his rivals. There was a lot of tension between the two parties. 

Furthermore, Villarreal sells their best players like other clubs in La Liga. 

The loss of Gerónimo Rulli means Pepe Reina started for most of the 2022/23 season, and while he had some good days. He was 40 years old, and a replacement was necessary. Filip Jörgensen is the main goalkeeper in this campaign for now. While he has been inconsistent, he looked nervous and lost, like the game against Girona. He also has some great performances, like against Getafe.  Arnaut Danjuma was one of the best-attacking threats during Emery’s time, with a lot of personality, and part of a rotation system that no longer exists. Lo Celso, who was one of the cores in the midfield, also departed. One of the best wingers in La Liga of the 2022/23 season, Samuel Chukwueze, went to Milan, and their top scorer of the previos season, Nicolas Jackson, moved to Chelsea. Pau Torres, who was excellent during his previous three seasons, also went to the Premier League, to Aston Villa. While the sales help maintain positive net spending, it weakens the teams as they usually do not buy replacements. And even then, the clubs had some financial problems. For the 2022-2023 season, Villarreal budgeted €133 million, compared to €187 million for the 2021/22 season. It was a huge difference.

The pre-season for the 2023/24 indicated the team had many weak points in the squad.

They lost 6-0 against St. Fallen, 3-0 against Hannover from Bundesliga 2, a 3-0 loss to Sporting CP, and a 4-0 loss to Newcastle. While they are friendly, the team did not show any promising signs.

Negatives were surrendered to what was always a very family-friendly institution like Villarreal, with many fans upset, the poor result, and a lack of thrush of the squad for the manager. Quique Setien was fired on September five. José Rojo Martín, better known as Pacheta, took charge on September 9. Despite winning his first match against Almeria, currently the dead last in La Liga and still winless, three draws and two losses follow. Pacheta could only win against the two worst teams in La Liga, 2 two matches in the Europa League, and against Chiclana of the sixth level of Spanish football. The fans booed some players, with not much changed from Setien’s era. The Villarreal announced on November 10 that Pacheta had been sacked, with Miguel Ángel Tena working as an interim in the middle. Marcelino García Toral became the new manager of Villarreal on November 13.

Pacheta did not improve or convince the team to follow his ideas, but the reality is that only a few managers would be able to pull off that. One of the few who could do so is Marcelino. A legend of the institution, Marcelino was in charge of El Submarino Amarillo between 2013 and 2016. He was the man who helped Villarreal get promoted to La Liga, a 6th-place finish twice and a 4th-place finish in La Liga, and reach both the semi-finals of La Copa del Rey and Europa League follow. Despite the way he exited the club, days away from their first official match for the 2016/17 season due to some dispute with the board. Marcelino still had a lot of favor from the fans.

Moreover, he became a specialist in giving back competitiveness to clubs, in addition to his marvelous work at Villarreal; Marcelino had an excellent job at Valencia, where after twice 12th place finishes before him. Valencia took 4th twice and won a Copa del Rey against Barcelona in the final under him. And with Athletic Club, he won a Supercopa de España after beating Real Madrid in the semis and Barcelona in the final.

His figure at Villarreal and an excellent curriculum could be vital to reviving El Submarino Amarillo, but he has a lot of work to do.

First of all, the squad is the same. It had many weak points, especially in the defense. Marcelino and his famous 4-4-2 formation could have led to a more balanced and aggressive team.

Some injuries also affected the squad, as he could not utilize Yeremi Pino for the rest of the season. Sørloth, Foyth, and Pedraza also won’t be eligible for his first matches but should return in December. When they return, how is Marcelino going to play? Well, here is my take.

Is that the best Xl I can think of? Not really. Some singing needs to be done. Starting for another center back, as there is a liability with only three players at Marcelino’s disposal. Another midfielder will rotate with Parejo and Capoue, and another wide man to replace Yeremi Pino. The attacks, curious enough, have done an excellent job for the moment. Gerad Moreno is one of the best strikers in La Liga, and Sørloth is meeting expectations. Maybe Marcelino can improve Jose Luis Morales and Ben Brereton’s impact on the game.

Either way, the figure of Marcelino is strong, and he will have a backup from the board and the fans from his previous jobs. Will that be enough this time? Only time will tell.