Who will be the first to fall in la Liga?
Wednesday 05 August 2009 10:00
August in Spain means three things.
La Liga Loca’s pale, delicate, Victorian child miner skin turns that one shade redder in the sun.
The holiday-bound locals finally clear out of the blog’s city and let it get some much needed peace and quiet.
And bored club presidents in la Liga check their calendars and realise there is still plenty of time for a cheeky sacking or two before the season kicks off at the end of the month.
So far, there has been no activity in the firing or quitting department in Spain’s top flight, but August is still oh-so young.
However, this has not stopped La Liga Loca being all with the proactive and predicting which Primera prime-movers will be Primera paté either before or after the start of the new season.
Although it has been coming out with the same tired prediction for a good year now, it is hard to dislodge Sevilla’s Manolo Jiménez as one of the front-runners to be dispatched to the dole queue.
Yes, Juande Ramos’ former number two led Sevilla to a third-place finish in the last campaign. And boy, it was a torturous experience to watch, and yes, he has only just had his contract renewed.
But the feeling from club president José Maria del Nido on announcing his extension came with a heavy 'can’t be arsed to replace him' vibe.
Sevilla’s early exit from July’s Peace Cup tournament was enough to trigger another round of rumours that Jiménez was to be moved out, with Del Nido calling for everyone to “not start the whole debate about the coach, already.”
Sorry, but old habits die hard, José.
As one colleague of La Liga Loca noted, Atlético Madrid’s Abel Resino has a “dead man walking” look about him.
The club’s former goalkeeper was only supposed to lead the side until the end of last season after the firing of Javier Aguirre, but accidentally and with enormous flukiness led the rojiblancos into fourth spot.
However, a failure in the Champions League qualifiers and another squabble between those oddballs running the show at the Vicente Calderón could see Resino told to sling his hook and replaced by a considerably sexier managerial model like a Quique Sánchez Flores or a Juande Ramos.
Or, if there really is a merciful god out there, Luis Aragónes.
Xerez coach, Cuco Ziganda, may not be fired before the season’s start
His club’s bosses may be mad, but not that mad, but the former Osasuna man could well look at his threadbare four-man squad of misfits he looks set to be leading and leg it before he is pushed.
Or shot at, if the club’s former president and his chauffeur has anything to do with it.
An outside bet for someone to quit his post prematurely could be Unai Emery at Valencia.
A late decision to flog a bunch of his big stars despite the promises of the Mestalla bosses - and a total financial meltdown in Mestalla - may well see him take his ball and play somewhere else.
But for decent longshot, it’s always worth looking in the direction of Castle Greyskull and Real Madrid.
After all, the club has only had the three managers this year, which still leaves plenty of time for one more.
Poor results, early infighting and an arms-folded, pouty lip rebellion from Raúl could well see Manuel Pellegrini ousted with the third choice Chilean replaced by a ringer until Arsene Wenger and José Mourinho move next summer.
But with the blog having faith in the great man’s abilities, it suspects that the Chilean may just wake up in the morning, scream “oh God! What have I done!” and head for the hills.
He may not be alone in doing so, as the new season approaches like a giant jellyfish of doom.
Someone has to be the first to go, so who will it be?
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About Tim Stannard and Simon Talbot
When he isn't fighting the evil forces of flamenco or attracting libel actions for La Liga Loca,
Tim Stannard is building his media empire in Madrid. As well as contributing to Football365 and doing odd jobs elsewhere, Tim also works in the glamorous world of television as a producer, script writer, news editor, coffee boy and stand-in fluffer.
Simon Talbot? Well, he's a man of mystery.