Analysis: The dullness of Villarreal’s game calls for Marcelino Garcia Toral

Villarreal are fourth in La Liga, eight points clear of Real Betis. They are tied with Atletico Madrid for third place. They recorded their best points total at this stage of the league campaign. So why is there so much disrespect among fans?

Champions League football looks set to return to the Estadi de la Ceramica next season, something that has not happened in recent years at Villarreal. However, the important question on everyone’s lips is: will Marcelino still be in the dugout the next time the famous anthem is played in the stadium?

On paper, Villarreal is well positioned for next season. Pape Gueye aside, they look likely to keep most of their main stars, which was far from the case last summer. The financial benefits of two seasons in the Champions League will be huge, and another productive summer window could be imminent.

However, summer transfer plans cannot be made until the situation with manager Marcelino Garcia Toral is resolved. As it happens, his contract expires at the end of the season, and although it seems that negotiations on a new contract have started, there is no guarantee that he will return. Despite the impressive league form, games have come under the microscope, with successive regional derby victories for Levante and Valencia underpinned by poor performances and a huge lack of creativity.

The biggest problem this season has been playing big games. Villarreal have historically been underdogs at the end; a club from a small town capable of overthrowing any major football empire. In Europe, this is the spirit that made them beat Arsenal and Manchester United on the way to the Europa League, and they also reached the semi-finals of the Champions League with Bayern Munich and Juventus.

However, the return to Europe’s elite competition this season after a four-year absence has been a disaster, with one point in eight games, several defensive disasters and an unforgettable moment going forward. There have been warnings about this poor performance, which may explain why it went so badly, but there can be no valid excuse to justify finishing 35th in the 36-team table, given the quality in the group.

Villarreal really won tonight. Such a poor performance throughout, and it was Levante who called for it rather than Villarreal scoring the win. Good to see Mikautadze on the score sheet again. The end of the place looked fantastic. pic.twitter.com/6hS4HzYU4d

— La Liga London (@LaLigaLondon) February 18, 2026

Villarreal didn’t get a match against Manchester City or Tottenham Hotspur, they were separated by Bayer Leverkusen and Borussia Dortmund. Surprised by Pafos, Copenhagen (31) and Ajax (32) were also able to put them to the sword. Again, some of these results were not catastrophic given the level of opposition, but the lack of attack, or belief in those games, was a major concern. This changed the way they played in the league, despite their good record on paper. They won the games they were expected to win, with impressive home attacks against Espanyol, Girona and Rayo Vallecano. This was not the case.

Against the top four, Villarreal have looked like the European version of themselves: very defensive, slow to play the ball out, ridiculous mistakes and red cards, and never bothering the opposition as they have lost all five games against Barcelona, ​​Real Madrid and Atletico so far. Even against their top four rivals, Villarreal dropped a two-goal lead at home to Real Betis, before losing away.

Will Villarreal get the top four this season? Maybe. Is this sustainable over more than one season? Probably not. There are a few things that can try to explain this record. One important thing is that in these five games against the top three, Gerard Moreno appeared in one of them. Despite the investment of many other attackers, when he played this season, he showed that, at his best, he is still the top dog at Villarreal.

The offensive statistics in these games make for poor reading. Five games, one open play goal, 10 shots on target and 10 missed chances. Villarreal failed to create much, and when they did, they failed to take their chances. The trip to Camp Nou was a microcosm of these poor displays. Villarreal managed one shot on target: Gueye’s goal from a corner. Ayoze Perez missed an open goal, but apart from that, there was no point in the game when Villarreal looked threatening.

Results are not the problem in these games; the unstoppable Lamine Yamal scoring a hat-trick in a non-Champions game is not exactly a disaster, but the way Villarreal surrendered to defeat without a fight, is what is causing frustration among sections of the fans. It’s uplifting question marks over Marcelino’s future: can Villarreal kick on and establish itself as one of the ‘big boys’? Or will they be forced to settle as ‘the best of the rest?’

Marcelino’s renewal would be good for stability, and as the winningest manager in Villarreal’s history, perhaps no one is better suited for the job. The positives far outweigh the negatives, but if they are to last, there needs to be a change in attack next season. This season should be a platform rather than a model for Villarreal, even if the balance sheet says its approval.