Chapter 85: A Reality More Severe Than Expected
After promoting Mota and Luke to the first team, José proved that he wasn't just making empty promises. Both players were young and had shown great potential. Mota possessed excellent ball control, precise passing, and solid defensive skills, while Luke was an active runner with decent technique. Apart from being a threat in the box, he could also provide assists for teammates. Their talent was already apparent to Mallorca's veterans last season, and this season, they were continuing to improve.
"If Basques didn't use these two young talents, he deserved to be sacked," some Mallorca players secretly thought.
José's actions also reinforced his previous statement about bringing in new players to strengthen the squad. Today, he promoted talents from the youth team. Tomorrow, he could easily sign reinforcements from the transfer market. After all, it was no secret that Mallorca had a budget of $15 million for the winter transfer window. Club president Alemany had made a high-profile announcement about it, aiming to boost team morale and increase fan confidence in the club.
Another crucial reason for this announcement was to put pressure on some of the senior Mallorca players who had grown too comfortable.
José believed this was extremely important. Even clubs that had built dynasties needed to introduce fresh blood to maintain competitiveness and inject new energy. In recent seasons, Mallorca had sold several players, yet the core of the squad remained intact. A strong internal hierarchy had started to form—not fully visible yet, but José was already preparing for the future.
In the following days, José carefully observed his players' condition. This was a critical step. He needed to assess their current form to adjust his tactics accordingly.
His three years of professional coaching studies, combined with over two years of practical experience, had given him a sharp eye for evaluating players. Moreover, having worked with these players before, he had a deep understanding of their abilities, allowing him to make the best choices.
Through his observations, José realized that compared to last season, several players over the age of 30 had experienced a significant decline in form.
The most concerning case was captain N'Gonga. After winning the UEFA Cup last season and representing his national team in the Euros, he seemed to have lost his hunger for competition. His movements in training had slowed considerably—unsurprising for a player approaching 36. Furthermore, the actual age of African players often remained uncertain. His passport claimed he was born in 1965, but José wasn't entirely convinced...