Real Mallorca 0 - Real Sociedad 1
Real Mallorca succumbed to their fourth successive league defeat and the seventh in their last nine games after a 0-1 defeat to mid-table Real Sociedad on Saturday night. It’s also nine games since they last kept a clean sheet, and on this display relegation to the Spanish second division looks even closer.
The Palma side seemed determined to relegate themselves, as this present team are lacking in confidence and have no heart and soul, spending most of the game running around aimlessly all over the pitch. They continue to defend poorly and their attack was non-existent. Ex-PSG and West Ham player Carlos Soler put the much slicker visitors ahead in the 36th minute when a defensive error from the normally reliable Martin Valjent saw the Sociedad attacker bundle in the game’s only goal.
This Mallorca display was an embarrassment for the 17,120 crowd who, long before the end, had the white hankies out shouting “Directiva, dimisión” (sack the board!). It’s been a long time since I heard that being shouted at a Mallorca home game.
After 45 minutes of tedium personified, in which Mallorca constantly passed the ball back to goalkeeper Leo Roman and had no idea what to do when we crossed the halfway line. We showed little commitment that would have helped us get out of the precarious relegation position in which we find ourselves.
On-loan Angolan forward Zito Luvumbo’s introduction near the end woke the crowd up and gave Mallorca a lease of life, bringing a spark into the home attack that had been totally absent. Stand-in “B” team coach Gustavo Siviero, who had filled the void left by the previous incumbent Jagoba Arrasate’s dismissal looked out of his depth and failed to bring on any replacements until it was too late in the game.
Near the end there were five Mallorca substitutes who instead of warming up were standing watching the game from the touchline. Our midfielder Sergi Darder had another poor game and found passing the ball to a red shirt difficult. Sociedad with a Copa del Rey second leg game against Bilbao next week had seven players from the club’s academy, and they still looked light years ahead of the home side. The end of the match showed that any love between the squad and the fans is now broken as the Son Moix vented their feelings, waving the dreaded white handkerchiefs and whistling.
You could have heard a pin drop as the fans left the ground, they couldn’t believe how bad we were. Mallorca after their fourth defeat in a row look to be heading for the second division. Newly arrived Argentinian coach Martin Demichelis (who’s never coached in Spain before) has a mountain to climb to keep Mallorca in La Liga over the next few weeks. Pictures showed him sitting high in the stands with his daughter and one TV picture showed him sitting with his head in his hands. Demichelis now knows what he’s let himself in for! Next up we’re away at Osasuna on Saturday at 2pm.