After a week when a Mallorcan friend of mine was boasting about the tricks his dog can do – when Mallorca lose in La Liga, it sits down, when they draw it rolls over, and when I asked him what it does when Mallorca win, he replied “Don’t know yet, I’ve only had him five weeks!” – Real Mallorca, after a terrific end to last season when we finished a highly creditable ninth, once again find themselves swirling around the plug-hole of relegation!
The one thing Mallorca wanted to avoid at all costs has become a reality. Following a very disappointing “Primera” league campaign where at first we looked likely to finish comfortably just above the relegation zone, the team find themselves in a scenario where a win tomorrow (Saturday, May 11 at 2pm in Son Moix) against imploding Las Palmas is sacrosanct. The big question being asked by fans now is “Just how on earth have we managed to get into this mess again?”
Tomorrow’s game will be played 24 hours before third bottom Cadiz (six points below us with four games left to play) face “nothing to play for” Getafe in Andalucia on Sunday at 2pm.
Stunned fans exited the Son Moix last Saturday night in a state of shock after our 0-1 defeat to Atletico Madrid.
There was no shame in losing to a team of their stature but it was the way we capitulated after an early goal that has upset the Son Moix faithful. We looked like a team that was visibly worn out, mentally and physically, the side were unrecognisable. Players like Nastasic, Maffeo, Dani Rodriguez and even Vedat Muriqi looked to have lost their vital spark. In the first half our three central defenders spent long periods passing the ball amongst themselves, as if a foray into enemy territory could have induced nose bleeds!
Looking at the Las Palmas game, a win for Mallorca, together with Getafe getting a result at Cadiz on Sunday night, would give virtual salvation to the Palma side leaving them nine points above Cadiz. It’s a sorry state of affairs when we have to rely on other sides doing us favours.
Since their euphoric cup final participation, Mallorca have only added one point out of a possible 12. In reality we’ve been fortunate that Almeria, Granada and Cadiz have posted the worst points total recorded in one season in La Liga’s history, otherwise we would be in real trouble. Each game we play in the run in to the end of the season has been an ordeal to sit through, and for the first time in ages there was a cacophony of booing and whistling after the Atletico defeat. When the visitors scored their early goal it was curtains for Real Mallorca as we couldn’t put the away defence under any pressure.
There was a slight improvement towards the end when Radonjic had a run at “Los Colchoneros” defence and the young Binissalmer Javi Llabres showed hunger down the wing.
Things on the pitch aren’t helped by a “will he, won’t he leave” situation regarding 65-year-old Mexican coach Javier Aguirre.
It appears he won’t make any commitment until the team’s position in La Liga for a fourth successive season is confirmed. Mallorquinistas are divided about Aguirre’s future. For me, I think the club needs pointing in a new direction on the pitch. It’s all very well the fantastic prematch razzamatazz with the fire-eating dimonios, flag wavers and pyrotechnics shooting up into the sky, but us fans want to see fireworks in the performance on the pitch!
Tomorrow’s visitors Las Palmas, after a great start to the season, have become a basket case club. Since they reached safety back in February with 35 points, they’ve picked up just two out of a 30 possible further points. They’ve lost seven consecutive game in which they’ve scored just once and have conceded 23 goals in 10 games.
Las Palmas’ morale has been shot to pieces and they should be cannon fodder for most La Liga teams. However, their opponents are Real Mallorca who need a 100% improvement from last Saturday’s debacle. Surely they’ll win this game and put us fans out of our misery?
One Mallorca player who seems to have been ostracised by Aguirre is Belgian international defender Siebe van der Heyden. Despite the 25-year-old’s undoubted pedigree at his previous club, Union Saint Galloisea, he’s hardly played at all after coming here last Summer for three million euros. He cuts a frustrated figure as he comes on at half time to have a kickabout with the other subs. Siebe wants to remain on the island but it looks likely he’ll have to accept an exit to get necessary playing time. Of course if Aguirre decides to leave in a few days time, things could all change.
Congratulations to our club captain, 32-year-old Antonio Raillo, who was presented with an award last Saturday night for having played 250 games for the club. He joined in 2016 from Espanyol and was, alongside Abdon Prats, part of the squad that won two consecutive promotions reaching the big time in 2019.
Coming up in quick succession for Mallorca as La Liga comes to an end for another season, fixtures are as follows : (1) Osasuna (A) next Tuesday at 7.30pm; (2) Almeria (H) Sunday 19 at 7pm and (3) Getafe (A) Saturday 25 at 9pm.
AND FINALLY
After a week when Dame Julie Andrews said she would no longer be endorsing cheap lipstick, saying “It crumbles easily and makes my breath smell – the super-fragile lipstick gives me halitosis!”