After a week when radio presenter Jeremy Vine had to apologise to listeners after a discussion on schools’ crumbling concrete crisis was followed by a Beyonce track including the words “Those walls we built they’re tumbling down” – Oops! – Real Mallorca have made their fourth worst start in 31 seasons in the First Division and us fans haven’t seen a goal in the Son Moix for almost 200 minutes.
With two points from a possible 12, things don’t look good at the moment. However, history offers a modicum of hope with the precedent of season 2000/01 when we only got 1 point at the same stage. Then we had the legendary Luis Aragones at the helm and the single point was achieved against Valladolid (1-1). We had suffered three setbacks, losing to Valencia, Malaga and Bilbao.
The team were missing two fundamental pieces in attack, Samuel Eto’o and Albert Luque who were off competing for Cameroon and Spain respectively in the Sydney Olympics of 2000. They both arrived back on the island in October to rescue a Mallorca team who were bottom of La Liga. The metamorphosis of that Mallorca side was unbelievable, allowing them to eventually reach third place with a record 71 points.
So far Mallorca convey a message of disorder and don’t seem to have any creative game plan other than to lump it up to the two front men; which didn’t really work last Sunday in the Son Moix as a force 6 gale was swirling around.
64-year-old Mexican coach Javier Aguirre is coming under fire from irate Mallorquinistas on social media for his negative tactics. He seems more concerned about not conceding than about scoring goals.
With record transfer fees splashed out on new players, we have to be more ambitious, especially at home. It’s way too early in the campaign for Aguirre to instigate such overly defensive tactics. The spectacle that the team has shown to Son Moix fans against Villareal and Bilbao was totally unworthy of La Liga footballers.
Teams on the same level as us like Cadiz, Las Palmas, Granada, Girona and Osasuna go hell for leather in attack every time they play which is the complete opposite of Real Mallorca. After a great financial effort we now have one of the best squads we’ve ever had and Aguirre has at his disposal all the players he requested during the Summer.
Mallorca are desperately missing Kang In Lee now turning it on in Paris with PSG. He was able to change the course of a game by filtering balls through to the attackers. Sergi Darder arrived from Espanyol to a hero’s welcome – he was one of the best midfielders in La Liga and was set to be our Messiah, our leader. Sadly at the moment he’s been hugely disappointing, not his fault, but the system he’s been told to play by the coach.
On Sunday he hardly had a touch and spent his time watching the ball being pumped up the pitch towards Muriqi and Larin. We need a player like Salva Sevilla (40 years old and now playing for Deportivo La Coruña in the Third division) who can pass the ball through the eye of a needle for the front men. Last season our wing backs Maffeo and Jaume Costa regularly got to the opposition bye line before crossing for Muriqi to head in.
The only player that looked to have a connection with the strikers was 20-year-old home debutant Javi Llabres from Inca who came on last Sunday in the second half and looked sharp.
With the international break now taking over the top European leagues this weekend we’ll lose Rajkovic, Valjent and Muriqi to their respective countries. Coach Aguirre has more than a week to improve all facets of our play on the Son Bibiloni training ground.
The success stories for me have been Llabres, Samu Costa and Siebe van der Heyden but our biggest malaise is up front. The two most expensive strikers in the history of the club aren’t even firing blanks.
Muriqi is indisputable and he’ll overcome his present dip in form. Canadian/Jamaican striker Cyle Larin is, according to Aguirre, up to 60% fitness.
Larin arrived here from Valladolid with a great resume but as yet he’s also finding it hard to play Aguirre’s system. So much so that against Bilbao he made a couple of runs then spent the rest of the game shouting at his team-mates and getting in the referee’s face.
Mallorca have to get back to winning ways as soon as possible with Celta Vigo (under Rafa Benitez) (A), Girona (A) and Barcelona (H) coming up over the next month. Let’s get back to entertaining the fans as Aguirre’s tactics so far have been an ordeal to watch. If we don’t come out of these next three games with at least a win and two draws, Aguirre could well be picking up his P45.
PS At a press conference on Wednesday, CEO Alfonso Diaz said they were studying an idea to create a women’s team and season ticket sales have reached a new record of 18,633. The visit of Barcelona has been scheduled for Tuesday, September 26 at 9:30pm.
AND FINALLY, Mrs Donovan was walking down O’Connell Street in Dublin when she met Father O’Flaherty, who greeted her with “Top of the morning, Mrs Donovan. Didn’t I marry you and your husband a few short years ago?” “You did, to be sure, Father,” she replied. The clergyman went on “And are there any little Donovans yet?” “No, not yet,” she answered. He continued “In that case, I’ll light a fertility candle as I’m off to Rome tomorrow.” Some years later they met again and he asked if they had yet had any wee ones. She told him “Not half, Father, two sets of twins and six singles, ten in all.” The Father commented “That’s wonderful, Mrs Donovan, and how is your loving husband doing?” “He’s gone to Rome, Father, to blow out your f**king fertility candle!!”