Eyes off the Ball
There is something inherently disheartening about emerging with nothing from a game in which you were by far the better team. In the world of football it happens often, and anytime it does, the losing side can console itself with claims of unluckiness, of it simply being ‘one of those days’, of deserving more. After their performance against Racing Santander at the weekend, though, Mallorca would only be lying to themselves if they made these claims.
In truth, they deserved nothing.
These are harsh words but there should be zero excuses when playing at home against a side that perennially struggles on the road, and has found itself in a very poor position this season. Mallorca may have been the better side, but it isn’t hard to be better than a team like this, and as the result proves, simply being better isn’t enough. It’s about taking your chances and with it taking all three points, and Los Bermellones failed on both counts. If this weren’t bad enough, they completely switched off at the death, allowing Racing to steal all three points, a reward for their perseverance if nothing else.
Certainly, the root of Mallorca’s problems is a lack of consistency and incisiveness in the final third: they simply aren’t scoring enough goals. Part of this is perhaps down to not creating enough chances, but when they are created, the team simply aren’t ruthless enough. Both Pierre Webó and Víctor Casadesús had excellent chances to score – Víctor especially – and yet neither could find the net. It’s unfortunate that deciding the result should come down to such a small matter, but that’s the sport.
At present Michael Laudrup seems to have little faith in the strikers at his disposal, and it’s not hard to see why. However, one can but wonder why Fernando Cavenaghi was overlooked yet again. In the summer he seemed to be the answer – a dependable player with a solid goal-scoring pedigree – and yet he still hasn’t really been given his chance to star. Laudrup clearly favours Webó over everyone else at the moment, but it’s baffling that Cavenaghi is still being left on the bench in matches the club desperately needs to win.
The manager’s tactics have been perfect on numerous occasions this season, but the common link between all of those high points has been a reliance upon fluid, counter-attacking football: by contrast, the team simply loses focus when they have to control the game and make something out of nothing. Mallorca dominated possession against Racing, but couldn’t do anything with it, and their complacency came back to haunt them come the final whistle.
Perhaps the finger of blame can be pointed squarely at Laudrup’s approach. He started with Webó alone up front, and by the time he brought Víctor on to partner him the pressure was already intense. It didn’t help that, in bringing Víctor and Nsue on, he replaced De Guzman and Chori Castro, perhaps the team’s two most influential and creative players. The fans chanted Castro’s name but he was sorely missed on the pitch, and that’s a concerning thought considering his potential impending departure.
Tactics aside, what is most worrying about the result is the frequency with which Mallorca are starting to surrender points in games they should win comfortably. Against Espanyol earlier in the season Mallorca found themselves in the exact same situation: having to break down a team that was exceedingly poor away from home, only to let them leave the island with all three points. This attitude of complacency when the expectations are high must be eradicated if Mallorca are to bounce back and start notching up points where they matter most.
Given the context of this match, it was the worst possible time for a cheap defeat, and it leaves Mallorca in an extremely precarious position. They were already expected to get something against Getafe, so back to back losses really piles the pressure on. What’s even worse is that Mallorca’s next match sees them head to a Villarreal who have made a brilliant start to the season, against a Borja Valero who will be motivated to prove his value to his old club. This is a game, in contrast to the previous two, where expectations will be low.
Ironically, this may actually help Mallorca, and it truly wouldn’t be a surprise if they managed to bring something back to the island. The team’s downfall in the defeats against Racing and Getafe occurred because Mallorca were taken out of their underdog position – a role at which they excel – and the mounting pressure, coupled with the change in game-plan, resulted in a lack of coherence within the squad. If Los Bermellones can get recover the mentality that has helped them see off the challenges of La Liga’s elite thus far this season, then the trip to Villarreal may not be as daunting as it first appears. So far, they’re living up to the cliché of upping their game against tougher opposition and easing off against the weaker teams: one can only hope they continue in this vain come the weekend.
Unfortunately, there is an added worry for Mallorca: that they may have peaked too soon. It’s been apparent so far that many of Mallorca’s victories are down to their attitude and approach, the determination they have had to upset the odds and fight against the injustices of the summer, proving that they deserved their place in Europe. But those injustices are long gone now, and they are being quickly forgotten. The concern is that with their disappearance, the players’ attitudes may fade equally. The longer the season goes on the less Mallorca may feel they have to prove, and without this determination, the team may not have what it takes to edge a contest that goes down to the wire, the way they did against Sevilla, for example.
Indeed, nothing can be taken for granted yet. To analyse this weekend’s result further: Racing were spoken of as a weak team, not performing well, having endured a poor start to the season. Mallorca were seen as overachieving, perhaps even being contenders for Europe, having made a brilliant start. But the reality now is that only four points separate the two teams, and Mallorca are only eight points away from the relegation spots.
The gap is small, and it becomes narrower every time Los Bermellones slip up. The blitzing start the team have made has been deceiving, and it’s only served to make the players and fans alike get a little ahead of themselves with ideas of Europe, completely disregarding the reality that the season began with: the potential of a relegation fight. There is a long way to go yet, and the team has to pick itself up and get back to basics, and that all starts with attitude.
- Phil M.