Villarreal-Copa Mallorca

By: Jeremy | January 16th, 2009

If its La Liga game time, it must be asswhipping time for the boys from Palma. We are winding our way through the hurricane part of the schedule that is slowly taking us to the bottom of La Liga. What makes things more frustrating as in between these beatings, we are easily making our way through the Copa and are now in the final eight after the systematic beating of Almeria.

For some reason we were hoping that the home performance in the Copa against Almeria would lead to a mindset that would cause us to challenge a Real Madrid side for points the following weekend. Just an unrealistic pipe dream as Madrid laid it on us from the opening minute goal to the final 3-0 scoreline. While praying for a draw at home was overreaching, getting beat so easily at home was just a reminder that no matter what they say otherwise, this is a team in serious crisis, a crisis not helped by a badly balanced schedule where any hint of confidence gets destroyed and may never be found again.

This week is just another game in a season that has been destroyed by the prior years success and the loss of our core players with no real replacements. So who is the lucky beneficiary of our problems this week? Its Villarreal who is having their own top level crisis as they have dropped down in the standings with some bad results lately. Oh to be at 30 points and in the race for the Champions League. Serious crisis. But all kidding aside, the mental outlook of the sides shows that expectations are so different between these two clubs.

Even with Nihat and Gonzalo out, this team far outclasses us. Even with our good result on the road to Almeria in the Copa, Villarreal is a serious step up. While not as good as Barcelona, the result for us should be the same.

As with most games against top clubs, we get to see a player who was critical to our success and identity who now plays for a bigger club. This week its Mallorca hero Ariel Ibagaza. He loves Mallorca just like Sam Etoo, but these guys want Champions League football so they move on. When you have no money like Mallorca, you crap on your history regularly and then step in it when you see your players in another uniform. Atleast Guiza is in Turkey.

With a new permanent President in place for Mallorca, the goal has been to stabilize the fanbase and assure the players that things will happen to lead us to safety. I guess the club is no longer for sale and in an effort to bring back some history President Alemany returns to lead us as he did from 2000-05 when we had some success including a Champions League appearance and a Copa title.

With a game on the road to Villarreal on Sunday, followed by a home match in the Copa on Thursday and a home game to begin the second half against Valencia, we should be tired and in last place in just over a week. The new President must bring in some significant players to stop the bleeding.

We arent going to beat Villarreal this weekend and no analysis, poorly done or not, can justify a win to be expected. A draw would be cause for celebration.
After we get through this wave of games, which hopefully leads to the next round of games in the Copa, the test will come as we see Osasuna and other clubs we should beat. We need to dominate games beginning with that match as even if players arent added, we should be able to beat any team not in the top eight of La Liga. It may be mental, who knows, but seeing what will happen with this season will not begin for two weeks. Until then its just a couple of more losses to teams who moan because they arent as close to the top of La Liga as they expect to be.

Lets atleast hope its Ibagaza who scores the goals as he is total class and deserves all the success and praise he gets.

Prediction

Villarreal 4-1 Mallorca