Chapter 177: Worth It
Jose was pleasantly surprised to see Matthias holding his own against Drogba in the reserve team's training sessions. Training is always more effective when players of similar levels go up against each other—this is true in any field. Having an opponent of comparable ability pushes both individuals to improve more rapidly.
While Matthias may not match Drogba in other aspects, their physical battles were evenly matched. This dynamic meant that Matthias could refine his defensive skills, while Drogba could sharpen his finishing, both at an accelerated pace.
"Should I promote Matthias to the first team? At least Drogba would have a proper sparring partner in training," Jose mused. Mallorca's current center-backs each had their strengths but struggled to contain Drogba. Gamarra lacked height, Nadal was aging, Van Buyten had the height but not the strength to match Drogba, and Nino faced similar struggles. Drogba couldn't find a real challenge within the first team.
After further consideration, Jose abandoned the idea. Matthias was already a starter in the reserves, gaining valuable match experience against different types of forwards. Rushing his promotion without guaranteed playing time in the first team would do more harm than good.
Developing young players requires careful planning.
Still, it amazed Jose that a player with Matthias' physical gifts had slipped through the cracks from Real Madrid's youth academy to Getafe's without anyone taking notice. His luck in discovering him was undeniable.
"There must be a reason," Jose thought to himself.
With a congested schedule ahead, Jose decided to have a conversation with Matthias during the winter break to understand his past. Player development isn't just about technical ability—psychological factors matter too. If Matthias had been overlooked so many times, could there be personal issues at play? That's what Jose wanted to find out.
After securing two crucial victories, Mallorca's form stabilized heading into the winter break.