Mallorca is mostly filled with seasoned veterans, and these veterans' skills are well-defined at this point, with no more potential for major growth. If José tried to implement an entirely new, dazzling strategy, it would likely be disastrous—these old guys would probably crumble before the strategy even had a chance to work. And if these veterans decided they didn't want to run around too much, or took it easy on the field, José's so-called tactics would be useless. No matter how talented he was, José would have to go back to coaching the B team in the second division…
After all, he wasn't like Li Fantung, who had the miraculous ability to alter reality, and he wasn't like Xiao Ming, who had an almost infinite amount of money to replace every player he wanted!
José was just José, an ordinary football fan in his past life. After being reincarnated, he completed coaching courses and had a bit of cash on hand and some knowledge in his head. Yet, no matter how José thought about it, he still felt frustrated…
"I want to invest in Google! I want to modify players!"
And then, somewhere in the distance, a mysterious voice sang back: "That's not allowed, dear~~"
"Damn it!"
Because of these restrictions, José could only proceed cautiously, step by step with his plans. With two hundred million dollars in hand, he didn't dare purchase Mallorca outright, fearing he wouldn't have enough money left for further investments. Maintaining a club was costly, even with frugality, and José's cash could only support the team for a few more years. Of course, if Mallorca were still under the Asensio family's management, there would be dividends to rely on each year…
It was precisely for this reason that José only made minor adjustments to the team instead of major changes. Mallorca's management wouldn't be supporting any radical shifts.
Due to many external factors, José adopted a more conservative strategy. The older players in defense didn't have to run too much; they could rely on their experience and stability, which was exactly what they preferred. Up front, he focused on younger players, and after devising a few effective offensive strategies, he let the energetic youngsters create scoring opportunities. Whether old or young, everyone was happy—with the current Mallorca setup, this tactic was enough!
Of course, Mallorca's fans didn't know what was going through their coach's mind. They were just excited about the team's two-goal lead. Consecutive wins had fans going crazy. Though Mallorca had won three in a row last season, it was clear that, given their poor performance earlier in the season, this recent streak made the fans even more ecstatic!
José's tactics, meanwhile, made the fans even more thrilled—though, fundamentally, José's strategy was not much different from the previous season. Whether through luck or other factors, his current Mallorca side had scored far more goals than under Cooper.
As long as they kept seeing goals, the fans couldn't care less about the specific tactics José was using!
At halftime, José didn't make many changes, just emphasizing the need to maintain a solid defense and take any chances to counter-attack. With a two-goal lead, José had the confidence to make adjustments.
It seemed like luck was on Mallorca's side as well. Despite having fewer chances, just six minutes into the second half, they scored again!
Ibáñez made a powerful run down the wing, shaking off the opposing fullback before sending in a perfect cross. Tristan, in the right place at the right time, finished with a beautiful and forceful header!
"GOOOOOOOOOOOOOAL! It's in! 3-0! Mallorca leads at home!"
The commentator's voice rang out, and the 20,000 Mallorca fans shouted in unison, "Tristan!"
The Spanish TV commentator didn't hold back either: "Three goals in three matches, Tristan is on fire! This was his ninth goal of the season! With his current form, hitting double digits is just a matter of time. A new star is rising…"
"At a club like Mallorca, Tristan benefits from staying, especially in tough times. This kind of experience will be invaluable for him, and it seems José knows exactly how to use him. Ever since José took over, Tristan has been scoring consistently. Perhaps soon Mallorca will face a problem: can they keep Tristan after this season?"
Many fans watching the broadcast at home began angrily cursing the commentators—why bring up his possible departure? Sure, maybe Mallorca wouldn't be able to keep him by the end of the season, but why mention it now? It just ruined the mood!
José didn't hear the commentators or the angry fans. With a 3-0 lead, he nodded and signaled to the bench. He called up Eto'o, gave him a few instructions, and substituted him for Carlos.
José wasn't using Eto'o as a "firefighter" substitute—someone who comes on only in emergencies and is used until their legs fall off. Instead, José's careful management of Eto'o proved how much he valued the player.
If Eto'o were someone like Balotelli, he might not have understood, but José was confident Eto'o would see the benefits of this cautious approach. He would understand that this was for his own good.
"3-1! Mallorca defeats Real Sociedad at home, securing their third consecutive win. N'Gonga, Nino, and Tristan helped Mallorca take a three-goal lead within the first 50 minutes. Real Sociedad's only response came in the 85th minute when Alamburu scored one back, but it couldn't spoil the celebrations for Mallorca's fans…"
"Despite this winning streak, Mallorca's resurgence seemed to spur other relegation-threatened teams. In this round, apart from Real Betis losing to Valencia, Sevilla beat Santander 1-0, Atlético Madrid drew 2-2 with Zaragoza, and Oviedo won 1-0 against Espanyol. Mallorca still finds itself at the bottom with 21 points, though the situation is much better than before…"
"In another high-profile match, La Coruña thrashed Real Madrid 5-2, and Barcelona shockingly lost 1-0 at home to Alavés. La Coruña has now extended its lead by four points, and they might win their first-ever La Liga title!"
After this round of matches, there were mixed feelings, but Mallorca fans didn't care about other teams. Their team was on fire, and though relegation still seemed a long shot, the gap between them and second-to-last place Betis had shrunk from 15 points to 12. Progress brought hope…
The whole club was thrilled. President Alemany praised the team's performance, and the players were happy, too. The new coach's tactics were well-received, and the results were promising…
But Eto'o, who had been substituted into the game, didn't seem as happy. Unlike the previous match when he assisted immediately after coming on, this time, his performance was lackluster, and he hadn't scored. In fact, he was partially to blame for Real Sociedad's lone goal…
José noticed, of course, but he didn't try to console Eto'o. He'd already said and done enough for him, and too much attention could lead to complacency. There was a fine line to walk here.
Next up, another week of tactical drills. The next match was away against Athletic Bilbao, and José needed to adjust the players' fitness and mental state while helping them adapt to the new tactics…
José was fortunate that the upcoming opponents weren't particularly strong, but he knew that, aside from Real Madrid, La Coruña, Barcelona, and Valencia were teams Mallorca hadn't faced yet. In those matches, Mallorca would need to be fully adjusted to José's tactics.
On February 11, the whole team departed, flying to the Basque region. Though it was a small town, Mallorca Island had its own airport, making travel very convenient…
Athletic Bilbao was a special team—not only was it one of the four membership-based clubs in Spain, but it was also one of the most stubborn and traditional clubs. Maybe only here could you find a club where not all players were Spanish, but only those with Basque roots were allowed to play—French national team left-back Lizarazu once played for Bilbao, despite being French, because he had Basque ancestry and a Basque passport.
Though this season Bilbao's results weren't spectacular, they were still a team that had played in the Champions League last season. Their striker Urrutia, winger Echeberría, and midfielder Guerrero were all members of the Spanish national team, with Urrutia and Echeberría coming from Real Madrid and Real Sociedad's youth teams, while Guerrero was a true Bilbao product, staying with the club his whole career…
In many ways, Athletic Bilbao was one of the hardest teams to manage. Because they couldn't buy players outside the Basque region, it was hard to recruit new talent, making coaching there incredibly difficult. Football manager game players often considered managing Bilbao a form of self-inflicted torture. However, the club's strong traditions meant the fans were usually patient and understood that the team might not win many trophies.
Recently, however, Bilbao fans were upset, not because of their mid-table position, but because of how their coach, Fernández, had been substituting their captain, the beloved Hulen Guerrero. In several recent matches, the coach had pulled Guerrero off in the second half, no matter his performance, and the fans wouldn't tolerate such disrespect towards their captain…