A Rare But Important Win

If you started watching this weekends game and were wondering when was the last time we won a road game, I believe it has been since September. Not a good sign when you are trying to avoid relegation and heading into a road match. But fortunately we got to play Numancia, a team that is facing similar problems to us and is also desperately trying to avoid relegation.

In really what was a must win game, Mallorca, on a well taken first half goal from Aduriz, left town with an important three points. While we are still in the relegation zone, we are now three clear of Espanyol, a point above Numancia, and tied with Osasuna for the final safe spot. But most importantly, we stay within site of some other teams who we dont want to escape to safety too soon. While the three relegated teams are likely to come from the bottom four, those 2-3 clubs just above this group still must look over their shoulder. The more teams in the fight, the better chance we have to get lucky and survive.

With Moya slated to be out another six weeks, and my guess is we have seen the last of him in Mallorca and he will find a way to be out for the season so he can fully recover for a transfer to a big club, new goalie Aoaute will be a big player for this team down the stretch. He held his own in a tough road game and while Numancia could have done better with some of its chances, a clean sheet is still a clean sheet.

So what does one win mean? Not much, especially against a bad team. All it does mean is that it is too early to write us off with the assumption that we will be relegated. Of all the teams in La Liga, we were and maybe are still the team that is most likely to drop too far down to think we can fight for a safe place. We have been on a downward spiral since November. This win just tightens things up a bit but a huge win nonetheless. We must beat our relegation rivals as performances like the one against Valencia are rare.

Despite the win, there are still many issues with this team. They seem to do well at controlling the run of play and look fast and exciting, but they cant seem to finish. Aduriz’s calm demeanor and finishing ability are there, but he cannot be the only one to count on as like with any good but non superstar striker, they are tempermental and can disappear for weeks at a time. Its those great finishes that just leave you drooling but shaking your head wondering why the goals are few and far between. If Aduriz wants to take the next step, he must score more, but his supporting cast probably play a big part in why he has been an overall disappointment with his new team.

With points in two straight games, we now get Racing Santander at home in what should be another must win game. They are solid midtable and come off a fairly impressive draw against Villarreal, but they are not really better then we are and at this point of the season, wins at home against like competition are a must for survival to be a realistic possibility.

For now we can savor a win that was vital but still leaves many questions unanswered and reminds us that our team still needs to raise their game or we will continue to end up disappointed in what is looking like a forgettable season. That being said, we have to be happy about this win as any win on the road in La Liga can turn a bad teams fortunes around quickly. Lets hope we can keep the momentum going as it is still a long way to safety.

Category: Mallorca Team News

Tags: Mallorca Team News

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