A Perfect Storm
They say that when it rains, it pours.
No one is better placed to understand that than a resident of Mallorca, where the Mediterranean climate sees the island’s blistering sun give way to sharp bursts of heavy rainfall.
Mallorca’s season so far has gone from one extreme to the other – from a bright and brilliant start to a cloudy and ominous midpoint – and the club must now weather a storm that has grown in intensity on the back of three successive defeats (or six defeats in eight – ed) and an increasingly turbulent transfer window.
Slipping to an embarrassing loss to Sporting de Gijon this past weekend proved that the players’ minds were elsewhere, many waiting to be swept away by the overflowing current. Virtually half of the entire squad had been linked with moves away from the island, and with the club desperate to cash in wherever they could, it looked like a tidal wave was ready to overcome the club and carry away those who didn’t cling on tight enough.
Mallorca fans, of course, are used to this – perhaps not in such drastic terms, but used to it nonetheless. The island’s ways become predictable and after the rain has gone they know the sun will be waiting.
It came as a complete surprise to learn, then, that after the clouds parted and the rain had faded away, the club had in fact managed to hang onto many of its most prized assets; players whose departures seemed foregone conclusions heading into the transfer period.
Heading this list is Gonzalo Castro, who is widely regarded at present as Mallorca’s ‘best’ player. In truth, it was expected that Castro would be a part of the mass exodus last summer, which included the exits of Borja Valero and Aritz Aduriz. Somehow the club managed to retain his services, and he has been a key part of the side that has largely overachieved in the first half of the season. It seemed certain that he would exit during the January window, however, as clubs from Spain, Russia and his native Uruguay came calling. By the deadline, no solid offer had materialised – although he rejected a transfer to an unnamed Russian club who had met Mallorca’s valuation – and now the club finds itself in a position where they can continue to utilise his invaluable talent.
Unfortunately, because fans become wise to the island’s nature, they know that a storm is never too far away. Unlike those unpredictable outbursts, though, the timing of Castro’s departure is easier to guess: it is highly likely that the remaining months of the season will be his final ones wearing the shirt of Los Bermellones, and the summer sun will inevitably call time on his Mallorca career. Many believe Valencia have a deal in place to take him to the Mestalla for the start of next season, though given the unpredictability of the January transfer window, nothing is certain.
One thing is for sure, though: whilst he’s been here, nobody could question his commitment to the team. With the burden of his impending departure weighing heavy on his back, he remained determined to make an impact on the club’s fortunes, and the speculation never prevented him from trying his best. And whilst he remained open to offers from other clubs, he never tried to deceitfully engineer a move away from the island. He may be on his way out in the near future, but as long as his commitment continues, he deserves the continued support of the Mallorca faithful.
Ironically, some see the fact that Mallorca have managed to retain the services of their best player in a much more negative light. Indeed, for some the failed departure of Castro is a huge blow for the club, who will not gain financially from his sale – and the worry is that his value by the summer will have declined as his contract will be entering its final year. It’s been claimed that the club are unhappy that he rejected the transfer to Russia as they wanted to cash in on him, but such sentiment appears to be completely misguided and, in many ways, immoral.
Castro, a player who has given the club excellent service over the past couple of seasons, doesn’t deserve to be forced out unceremoniously over fiscal matters, and he certainly shouldn’t be forced to move to a completely foreign culture in the name of the club’s economic problems. Much is said about players having no loyalty to their clubs or contracts in the modern game, but this is a case of a club conversely having no loyalty to the player’s contract. The club are well within their rights to cash in on him while they can, but only as long as it’s a deal that benefits both parties: my hope is that the matter is left alone and Castro is able to move on in the summer in a more dignified manner than most.
By contrast, the club will certainly be overjoyed that no move materialised for centre back Iván Ramis, who has been integral to the first team so far this season, and indeed over the past few years as a whole. Slight rumours had popped up throughout January, but as the transfer window came to a close they grew more intense and there looked to be a real chance that he would be heading for the exit door. As things turned out, the club and its fans can breathe a sigh of relief, at least until the summer, where more speculation is likely to grow.
It wasn’t all an anticlimax as the window slammed shut, however, with players either finalising their deals or finding themselves frozen out of the squad. Fernando Cavenaghi’s miserable time warming the bench has come to an end as he makes his way to Brazil, whilst Brazilian right-back Ratinho has found himself out of luck: Castro’s deferred departure means that he retains one of the non-EU places in the squad, and the imported Akihiro Ienaga has taken up the final one. Ratinho will be forced to move on, and despite this not being a massive loss for the team given his inconsistent and often under-par performances week by week, it’s certainly a blow to the depth of an already small squad.
Indeed, the size of the squad is a major issue heading out of the transfer window. The club tried in vain to sign Nigerian striker Anthony Ujah from Norweigan side Lillestrom, and the Mallorca board were left frustrated by the actions of the player’s club. It’s not clear exactly what happened, but the consensus from Mallorca’s perspective is that Lillestrom attempted to hike up the price at the last moment, leaving Los Bermellones with no choice but to withdraw from the negotiations. Whether this is entirely true may never be known, but in the wake of these failed negotiations Mallorca had no time left to manufacture a deal for any alternative striking options, and the squad is left with just one real option up front: Pierre Webó. Víctor Casadesús, of course, will be out injured for another two months or so, whilst Sergi Enrich has yet to prove that he is a player of La Liga quality.
It’s a situation that has all eyes pointing to Michael Laudrup, as fans try in vain to comprehend why he marginalised a real striking talent, Fernando Cavenaghi, to the point where the club has removed him from the equation altogether.
This marginalisation applies to other areas of the squad, too. Laudrup has mentioned on more than one occasion how he must make the most of what little resources he has at a club that is riddled with financial troubles, yet he doesn’t seem to take heed of his own words. The aforementioned Cavenaghi and Ratinho are just two names in an absurd list that also includes left-back pairing Ayoze and Corrales, who have both been left out in the cold by the manager. Earlier in the transfer window Tuni, after a decade of service to the club, was forced to pack his bags in an undignified manner after Laudrup neglected to give him a single chance of breaking into his squad.
One wonders if the manager’s unfair treatment of his playing staff is going to come back to haunt him.
As a whole, then, the winter transfer window has proved somewhat enigmatic for Mallorca. Some exits were certainly anticipated, but in managing to avoid losing several key players it seemed like the squad may have come out on top, looking positively ahead to a brighter future. Ironically, this doesn’t seem to be the case. The simple fact that there have been a number of departures and zero replacements means that the squad looks to be in worse condition than it did when the club entered the window, and it all points to one resounding fact: the club hasn’t weathered the storm yet.
Up next they travel to Pamplona to face the resourceful Osasuna, who gained a famous win last week as they hosted Real Madrid and perhaps all but ended their fading title aspirations. The Reyno de Navarra is always an extremely tough and hostile venue, and Los Bermellones will have to take a strong mentality with them if they expect to come away with anything.
There is something beyond the clouds for Mallorca, though. It may sound counterintuitive, but in many ways this may be the perfect time to travel to Pamplona. Osasuna will be full of confidence after beating Real, yes, but this may give way to a little complacency and it’s entirely possible that their luck will run out. What’s more, it’s possible that last weekend’s match tells us more about Madrid’s deficiencies than it does Osasuna’s strengths; Mallorca, too, came very close to scalping one of the world’s elite clubs, and the recurring theme is the poorness of Real’s showings. In gaining their victory it’s no secret that Osasuna raised their game above its normal level, trying to grab headlines with an impactful performance; one would expect that they will revert to their usual selves this coming weekend.
But that’s not to take anything for granted. If Mallorca don’t raise their own game, treating Osasuna with the same respect they would grant Madrid, then it may become four defeats in a row. The team needs to dig deep if they want to keep their position under control.
It’s entirely possible that a few more poor results will see Los Bermellones sink into the depths of the table, and, most worryingly, into a relegation battle that they seemed to have steered away from. Laudrup has stated that the next few games will shape the rest of Mallorca’s season. If it truly is that simple, then this weekend may serve as a weather forecast, offering to predict whether the sun’s warmth is just around the corner, or whether the storm is here to stay.
by Phil Montgomery