Joaquin Munoz has called for patience at Malaga after seven rounds without a victory, insisting the club’s young squad can still compete in LaLiga despite a difficult start to the season.
The winger acknowledged that results had fallen short of expectations but said the team must remain composed while adjusting to the demands of one of the world’s strongest competitions.
“Things aren't going as we expected, but we need to stay calm and composed,” Munoz told Canal Sur Radio and Flashscore. “If it's not the best, it's one of the best leagues in the world, with so many great players, which makes everything more difficult.”
Malaga have already faced Atletico Madrid at the Metropolitano and Real Madrid at the Bernabeu, while Villarreal were also among the Champions League-level opponents to visit them. Munoz, however, says those fixtures cannot be used to explain away the lack of wins.
“We can't use the teams we've faced as an excuse,” he said. “It's true we've played against several sides that compete in Europe, and at home some games have slipped away from us. This is a long road, and we knew it wouldn't be a walk in the park.”
Although he accepts that winning is ultimately what matters, Munoz believes Malaga’s performances have shown they belong at this level. He pointed to missed opportunities against Levante and Deportivo, as well as a strong first half against Getafe, as evidence that small details have cost them.
“I think that LaLiga is not too much for us,” he said. “Against Levante, we were better than them, and against Depor, we lost it at the end because of a shot that hit the crossbar.
“These are the kinds of things in football where the ball either goes in or it doesn't. Against Getafe, I think we played a fantastic first half, but it slipped away at the end. I believe that if we fine-tune those details over the next couple of weeks, things will go better for all of us.”
International break offers time to recover
Malaga’s physical condition has also come under scrutiny after several late setbacks. The squad played the entire promotion play-off campaign, leaving the players with limited holiday time and fewer weeks of pre-season preparation than many of their rivals.
Munoz believes the international break could provide an important opportunity to address those problems, with Malaga the only team in the division not to lose players to international duty.
“It’s going to be like a mini-preseason to keep working on concepts and getting ourselves in shape,” he said. “It'll be fantastic for us to meet the highest demands. It'll do everyone some good, because that drive and desire to prove we can win was starting to take its toll a bit. It'll be good for us to reflect and see what each of us can do better.”
Munoz also offered his support to fellow winger Julen Lobete, who underwent surgery on Tuesday after tearing the anterior cruciate ligament and external meniscus in his right knee.
“When it happened in training, there was a general sense of sadness; everyone was down, because Julen is a wonderful person, a top teammate, and it's a real shame when things like this happen to someone who always gives his all,” he said.
“It's part of the job, we wish him the best recovery and hope he comes back as soon as possible; we're waiting for him.”