After a week when British prime minister Sir Keir Starmer read out “sausages” instead of “hostages” from his autocue – so much for his expensively-sponsored spectacles, should have gone to his local Specsavers! – Real Mallorca supporters are in dreamland after just seven games (only 31 to go!), as the team lie in the top six of La Liga EA Sports 2024/25. In his first week in charge back in August, new coach Jagoba Arrasate said his aim was to “excite” the fans. There’s no doubt at the moment that he’s doing just that, after a brilliant away win at Real Betis last Monday night in their fortress Benito Villamarin stadium in front of over 40,000 fanatical “Beticos.”
Last season under ultra defensive Mexican coach Javier Aguirre, if Mallorca had gone a goal down away from home after just six minutes (as they did last Monday night), we’d have seen 10 Mallorca players knuckle down to defence mode. To equalise 85 seconds later was unbelievable, something we wouldn’t even have dreamed of last season. Mallorca have already won twice on the road, as they did in the whole of the 23/24 campaign. To say the 94th minute winner was welcomed by the fans would have been an understatement. I witnessed the euphoria of Valery Fernandez’s late-late winner in a “rammed” Mallorca Sports Bar, which went ballistic. Before and after the game there was a real buzz about the place as fans are excited about the way the new coach has improved the playing system and the players’ mentality.
I know it’s early doors in the season but the one thing that’s stood out for me so far is the way Arrasate rotates his squad. In just a month Arrasate has used 21 players, four less than Aguirre used in the whole of last season. Against Betis, I for one was worried that the absence, through injury, of Muriqi and Asano would be detrimental to the cause on Monday night – but neither were missed. Players who have improved this time under Arrasate are making all the difference. Samu Costa and Omar Mascarell have been crucial in the engine room with the latter looking like a different player as he’s adopted more of a “sweeper” role. Costa continues to do the mileage and he regularly leads the amount of kilometres run during a game. He also is one of the fittest in the squad. Sergi Darder is at last showing the silky skills he produced two years ago at Espanyol and once again Dani Rodriguez is demonstrating just how versatile a player he is.
None of the rotation changes Arrasate has introduced have made the slightest difference to the team’s performances and with regular right back Pablo Maffeo ready to return after injury, things can only get better. Defenders like Lato and Copete have more than adequately slotted in at the back when needed and super captain Antonio Raillo has played every minute of every game so far. Even the enigmatic Cyle Larin is playing much better under Arrasate. His lay off in assisting Dani Rodriguez’s equaliser on Monday was brilliant. Larin for me is a great athlete who goes down too easily every time he’s tackled and I’m sure all that’s missing is a goal. If he scores tonight (Friday at 9pm) against his old club Valladolid, it could be a season-changer for the Canadian international.
Our pre-season arrivals look key for the club’s aspirations. Left back, Colombian internationalist Johan Mojica, has a wealth of experience in Spanish football and is a class act. Nobody (until Monday night) knew anything about the Girona loanee defender Valery Fernandez who came in just as the Summer transfer window was closing. He was propelled to near hero status when he belted in the 94th minute winner that beat Betis 1-2.
Japanese winger Takuma Asano looks a real crowd pleaser as he’s like a “rat up a drainpipe” with his speed down the wing. Portuguese loan player (from Wolves) Chiquinho is another flying winger who needs more game time but assisted in our winning goal on Monday.
One player who’s arrived on a season-long loan from Real Sociedad and has a great future is 22-year-old right winger Robert Navarro. Although born in Barcelona, he moved to Pamplona at a young age so he’s now available to play next season at Athletic club Bilbao. Navarro has played for Spain at the Under 16/17/18 and 21 levels, as well as a spell at Monaco.
PS Ex Mallorca boss Luis Garcia Plaza is doing a fantastic job at one of La Liga’s lowest budget clubs Alaves. The normally restrained Garcia Plaza was incensed towards the end of his team’s 3-2 defeat against Real Madrid on Tuesday night in the Bernabeu. Madrid’s 18-year-old Brazilian starlet Endrick clearly kneed an Alaves player in his “goolies.” Everybody who saw the incident agreed a red card should have been shown, apart from Real’s manager Ancelotti, who said “I can’t give an opinion, I didn’t see it!!” There was no way the referee was going to give Alaves a penalty because (a) they could have been pulled back to 3-3 and (b) the referee wouldn’t have got out of the Bernabeu alive.
And finally
Sam died and left £50,000 in his will for an elaborate funeral. As the last mourners left, Sam’s wife Rose turned to her oldest friend, Sadie and said “Well, I’m sure Sam would be pleased.” “Yes, I suppose you’re right,” Sadie replied, “Tell me how much it really cost?” “All of it,” answered Rose, “fifty thousand.” “No!” Sadie exclaimed, “I mean it was very nice but really….£50,000?!” Rose nodded. “The funeral was £6,500. I donated £500 to the church for the vicar’s services. The food and drinks were another £500 and the rest went towards the memorial stone.” Sadie computed quickly, “£42,500 for a memorial stone? Exactly how big is it?” “Seven and a half carats!”