All About Timing
I don’t know about you, but for me, international breaks are nothing more than distractions; they are constant annoyances that pop up at the worst possible times and destroy any momentum that the season begins to create. The plight of the national team means far less to me than that of my club – both in Spain and in England – and whilst it may be interesting to track the nation’s progress through one of the major tournaments, the hindrance that getting there creates to the domestic leagues makes me wonder whether any of it is worthwhile in the first place.
The international break underway at present is the most annoying of all, for it is the one that disrupts the very start of the season, grinding matters to a halt before they even begin. For those of us who had been waiting all summer for La Liga to kick back into action, the strike – though understandable and necessary – was a heavy pill to swallow, and that only lasted for a week. So then finally, after all of that waiting, the season’s opening round of fixtures was played – but just like that, the rug was pulled from underneath us once again, the international calendar dictating that we should wait another two long weeks before quenching our thirst for more club games.
The good news, of course, is that the wait is almost at an end – we’re a few days away from La Liga’s long-overdue second round of fixtures. The bad news? Well, a lot has changed since Mallorca clinched victory on the opening day.
With the transfer window still open after picking up those vitally important first three points, most fans were optimistic that Llorenç Serra Ferrer, Mallorca’s Sporting Director, would overcome the club’s financial constraints to pull another signing out of the bag – namely a striker. Rumours floating round about the arrival of Seba Fernandez from Malaga were welcomed warmly, but in the end his transfer seemed to be nothing more than dust blowing in the wind. A few other names persisted, but didn’t seem to come to anything.
Then Marvin Ogunjimi’s name was thrown into the mix.
For all intents and purposes, Serra Ferrer does appear to have pulled one out of the bag – Ogunjimi looks to be a young, promising striker, perhaps of the mould to replace the outgoing Pierre Webó, and his status as a Belgium international certainly lends his quality some credence. But in a world where timing is everything, seven minutes can make a big difference – and Mallorca, having been informed that the Belgian FA received the paperwork seven minutes too late, are now facing an anxious wait, an entire week after the transfer window slammed shut, to see if UEFA will allow the transfer to go through.
It’s a case of crossed signals, with the Spanish FA – and the player himself – believing the move to be all but complete; a fact that the Belgian FA are all too keen to contest. And whilst many of the parties may be acting like it is a done deal, pending UEFA’s decision, it has echoes of the failed bid for striker Anthony Ujah back in January, where Lillestrom upped the price at the last moment, leaving Mallorca with no option but to back down – and with no chance of signing a different player.
By leaving transfer dealings until the last minute, Serra Ferrer has not only put the signings in jeopardy, but has drawn criticism from coach Michael Laudrup, who is upset with a variety of the board’s strategies. But whilst his frustration at the team’s lack of transfer power is understandable, one can’t help but think Laudrup should focus on showing faith in the players he has, and using them to achieve the best possible results week in, week out. Questioning their ability and undermining their confidence will do no favours to anyone.
The worst news, of course, comes in the form of the conclusion to the long-running Jonathan de Guzman saga – where Villarreal, having met Mallorca’s total asking price, have successfully pried away the club’s key playmaker. There’s no denying that de Guzman was a central part of the team’s strategy, and that without him we are certainly worse off. The one slice of good news related to it, though, is that the club held out for the highest sum possible – and, providing that the Mallorca hierarchy’s dodgy dealings are in the past, this will no doubt help repair the club’s finances immeasurably.
In Fernando Tissone, Serra Ferrer did have an arrival in mind to replace de Guzman in the centre of midfield – although it must be noted that the Argentinean is not a straight swap, being more defensive-minded as opposed to a playmaker in the mould of the Dutchman. But Tissone is a player with a decent pedigree in the Italian Serie A, and may be able to add some stability to central midfield in the wake of de Guzman’s exit.
The real question on everyone’s mind, of course, is who is going to step up to provide some attacking intent from the midfield in a squad that is already short of firepower up front. Does Tejera have what it takes – or will we have to look elsewhere?
It’s not all bad news, though. De Guzman may have abandoned the island, but players such as Ivan Ramis and, amazingly, Chori Castro, remain. Castro in particular has long been linked with moves away and a year ago, when he seemed almost certain to be heading for the exit, it was almost unimaginable to think that he would still be here a year on. He didn’t have a great season last time around, but if he can recover his form from the years prior to that, then he could prove to be a vital piece of Los Bermellones’ attacking puzzle.
To find some more good news, we must backtrack for a moment – so let’s focus on the highlight of the past couple weeks: Mallorca’s opening day victory against Espanyol. Three points on the first day – a rare occurrence for Los Bermellones – was the perfect way to get the season up and running, and though they were won more with luck than anything else, they have put the club into a good early position and will likely fill the players with a lot of belief. At first glance seeing de Guzman on the 1-0 scoresheet seems to highlight his importance to the club, but it’s a little bit of an exaggeration – his tame shot took a heavy deflection before rolling slowly into the net, and again, the goal was born more out of luck than skill.
The positive aspect of this is that many would say you make your own luck – and that’s certainly what Los Bermellones did at the Iberostar Estadi. Indeed, on the balance of play Mallorca probably deserved all three points, and some of the team’s play in midfield was neat and slick, but there are still question marks in defence, especially when crosses are zipped in from the wings – the team just don’t seem to be able to deal with them comfortably. Let’s hope Laudrup has been investing his training time wisely.
The biggest question marks, of course, remain up front. Mallorca were hardly on fire in the chance-creating department, but they created enough for the team to have scored more than the one deflected goal, and this is a worry – because finishing (or not finishing, as may be the case) those chances is what determines victory, and in the long run, league position. It seems basic, but it’s true – and Mallorca need to improve.
Los Bermellones do seem to have the ability, though: Tomer Hemed looked lively throughout the game and certainly seems promising – I’d wager that it’s only a matter of time before he gets onto the scoresheet – and whilst Víctor Casadesús fluffed a few decent chances towards the end of the Espanyol game, he always seems to be at his best and most confident when given a decent run in the side, and with the shortage of options up front, he’s likely to be given the chance to prove himself. In the same vein, Emilio Nsue’s missed a few good opportunities of his own, but his pace and ability to play from the wings add something different and dynamic to the squad. Add to the mix – hopefully – the arriving Ogunjimi and things are looking brighter in the attacking department… and all of this is without mentioning the return of the injured Michael Pereira, who is often another lively threat from the wing.
Up next Mallorca travel to Sevilla to take on newly-promoted Real Betis. Betis scraped a slender victory of their own on the first day, and heading to Andalusia for their first home game of the season will be an extremely tough encounter, especially given that sides new to the division always seem to play with something to prove at the outset of their campaign. It’s a tricky fixture, and if Los Bermellones want to emerge with something to show for their efforts, they’re going to have to improve on the sluggish attacking performance they showed at home to Espanyol.
Fortunately, Mallorca have a few things of their own to prove, and with a healthy combination of luck and ability should be able to take one of their chances. Either way, we’ve been starved of action for too long – the timing of Sunday’s midday kickoff can’t come soon enough.
by Phil Montgomery