Dubai: Al Shabab's Chilean playmaker Carlos Villanueva believes that only a winning start will give his side an early advantage as they prepare for the new football season.
"It is very important to get a lot of points in the first matches itself. We should be leaving this part of collecting points for the end of the league like we did last year. Then it becomes more of a struggle for survival. If we start on a positive note then we can go ahead with a lot of confidence as the season progresses," Villanueva told Gulf News.
Villanueva, who was on a one-year loan with Premiership side Blackburn Rovers, moved to Al Shabab last year. However, his performances were considered tentative by then coach Toninho Cerezo, who assigned the playmaker's role to Carlos Renato instead.
Invaluable experience
But with a year of invaluable experience under his belt, Villanueva knows he can make a bigger impact with ‘The Slashers' from Al Mamzar.
"This past year has helped me a lot. I will continue doing my best with the team and for the success of the team. This one year has helped me understand my teammates and the surroundings here and this experience can only aspire for a better season ahead," Villanueva said.
The diminutive Chilean, who turned 24 this year, feels Al Shabab has a much better squad this season. "We are a much more compact unit this time. Every player is now aware of what is expected of them. We know what the coach has in mind and I think the cue will be to stay focused from the start of the season. We suffered last season due to some real bad results at the beginning and we hope to avoid these mistakes this time," he added.
