After a week when Tottenham Hotspur signed an Italian player called Destiny Udogie in the transfer window – Spurs fans now want to know how much was Udogie in the window? – Real Mallorca play last season’s La Segunda winners Granada in their Estadio Nuevo Los Carmenes tomorrow (Saturday 26th) at 19:30. Granada lost 0-2 to Rayo Vallecano on Monday night which was their first defeat in 22 games.
After two games RCD Mallorca have started season 2023/24 exactly like they did last campaign, a draw and a defeat. We started last season with a 0-0 draw at Bilbao (thanks to an impressive debut from our, then, new Serbian ‘keeper Predrag Rajkovic). The second game in Son Moix against Betis was highly controversial with the visitors getting two “invisible” penalties in a 1-2 win.
Two weeks ago Mallorca arrived at Las Palmas full of confidence after we’d clinched a deal to sign exciting Arta-born game-changer Sergi Darder from Espanyol, 24 hours before the game. After a poor first half when we went behind from a penalty, coach Javier Aguirre ditched his usual five at the back and introduced Darder. His contribution got us a draw and we returned to Palma with the feeling of having dropped two points.
Last Friday against Villareal Aguirre picked the same starting XI that struggled first half at Las Palmas with Darder (our most expensive ever signing) on the bench. In what was a poor game played in “calor sofocante” temperatures, we were lackadaisical at best, and an almost full “new” Son Moix crowd trooped out bathed in sweat thoroughly disappointed.
During the game, our talismanic captain Antonio Raillo appeared to twist his ankle in a tackle but he went down and stayed down for several minutes. It turned out to be a recurrence of an injury he’d sustained in a pre-season friendly against French club Brest two years ago when he missed a huge chunk of the season.
Deciding to consult top specialist Dr Ramon Cugat in Barcelona on Tuesday the diagnosis was that Raillo needed ankle ligament reconstruction which has a recovery period of around three months. Raillo had an operation on Tuesday night which means we’ll miss his leadership for some time. Ironically both goals we’ve conceded this season have been scored while he was off the pitch, and he headed in our equaliser in Las Palmas.
With only hours left of the transfer window, we are now looking for a defender who has a very specific profile. We have to sign a player with top league experience and someone who’s gone through a pre-season. Several names are in the mix so we’ll wait and see what happens. Whoever gets the job has big boots to fill and Fan’s View wishes Antonio a speedy recovery - Animo Capitan!
In other news Mallorca have “signed” NBA legend and Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr in a minority shareholder capacity. Kerr is currently coach of the US basketball team that are preparing for the World Cup.
Mallorca fans seemed pretty pleased with the “new” Son Moix last weekend, although quite a few complained about the price of a water at 2.50€ for 50cl and the lack of anything to eat. There were also long delays at some of the turnstiles with one supporter telling me “It was so busy there was a queue just to join a queue,” mostly caused by latecomers who couldn’t get parked.
Our home game against Bilbao on Sunday September 3 is still scheduled for a 16:15 kick off. On Wednesday, a Rayo Vallecano fan collapsed with heat stroke while queuing up for a season ticket. Unbelievably Rayo don’t sell theirs online, which has forced fans to stand in long queues to collect their entradas in Madrid’s scorching heat. It beggars belief in this day and age that people still have to queue up for a season ticket.
AND FINALLY, with the biggest ever surface search ongoing for the Loch Ness monster since 1972, using drones and acoustic equipment, I was reminded of this story.
An atheist was spending a quiet day trout fishing on Loch Ness when his boat was flipped over by “Nessie.”
The beast tossed him and his boat high into the air then it opened its mouth, ready to swallow both.
As the man sailed head over heels, he cried out “Oh my God, help me please.”
At once, the ferocious attack scene froze in place and, as the atheist hung in mid-air, a booming voice came down from the clouds “I thought you didn't believe in me ?”
“Come on God, gimmee a break,” the man pleaded. “Two minutes ago I didn't believe in the Loch Ness Monster either !”
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