I Am Jose-Chapter 183 - : The New Power vs. The Traditional Forces

Drogba was ecstatic after scoring the goal. Although he had scored in his first official match for Mallorca, he had barely seen any playing time over the following half-season. He understood that José was doing it for his own good, but as a professional player, going too long without matches made him feel like his body was rusting away.

Now, coming off the bench and scoring immediately, Drogba was overwhelmed with excitement. What thrilled him even more was how instinctively he had placed his header on target—without even consciously aiming. This made him realize that all the hard training over the past six months had paid off!

That feeling of growth was even more satisfying than the goal itself.

"I'm not just a target man up front; I'm a striker who can score goals!"

The difference between a workhorse striker and a goal-scoring striker was massive. While many teams needed hardworking strikers, they were never as valuable as those who could consistently find the net. The disparity in importance translated directly into status and salary.

Drogba had originally been more of a workhorse striker, as his stats from Le Mans showed—just seven goals in over fifty matches. His goal-scoring efficiency was comparable to Emile Heskey, who was often mocked by English fans in later years. However, if a player like Drogba could evolve into a prolific goal-scorer while still retaining his workhorse qualities, his value would skyrocket. That was exactly the kind of player Drogba became at Chelsea—both a tactical focal point and a clinical finisher, essentially doing the work of two players.

José's vision was for Drogba to surpass even that future version of himself. He pictured a frontline of Drogba and Eto'o, with Ronaldinho dancing behind them—a terrifying attacking trio that made his mouth water just thinking about it.

The match ended in a resounding 4-0 victory for Mallorca, marking their most dominant away performance of the season. After a shaky start to the campaign, they were now roaring back into form, scoring seven goals in two matches without conceding.

Over the past few seasons, Alavés had been one of Mallorca's biggest victims. Last season, they had suffered a double defeat to Mallorca, conceding four goals in each match. This season, history repeated itself—another double loss, another four-goal beating at home. By now, Alavés had developed a psychological block whenever they faced Mallorca.

Meanwhile, Real Madrid was beginning to show signs of inconsistency. After being held to a draw in the previous round, they again failed to win, drawing 1-1 at home against Real Betis. This allowed Mallorca to reclaim the top spot in the league with a two-point lead while also opening up a five-point gap over third and fourth place.

"Whenever Mallorca faces a crucial match, they always seem to rise to the occasion. This has become part of the team's identity. In consecutive matches, they've faced the third-placed team in the standings and won convincingly both times! This proves that Mallorca is no longer just a dark horse but a legitimate powerhouse. They may still have moments of inconsistency, but that only means they have even more room for growth!"

"Before playing Mallorca, Athletic Bilbao was third in the standings. Now, they've dropped to seventh. Before playing Mallorca, Alavés was third. Now, they've fallen to sixth. Mallorca has knocked two third-placed teams off their perch in consecutive matches, and their next opponent in the league is Celta Vigo. Interestingly, Celta currently holds third place as well, tied on points with Deportivo La Coruña but ahead on goal difference. Will Mallorca crush them too? If they do, maybe we should start calling them 'The Third-Place Killers'..."

By sheer coincidence, Mallorca kept running into teams ranked third in the standings. It was by stepping over the corpses of Athletic Bilbao and Alavés that they had reclaimed the top spot. Now, they faced yet another third-placed team—Celta Vigo.

Last season, Celta had a rough start, dropping as low as 16th place midway through the campaign and even enduring a ten-game winless streak. However, a resurgence from the 22nd round onwards saw them secure a European spot with a sixth-place finish. Along the way, they had beaten Real Madrid, Deportivo La Coruña, and Valencia while holding Barcelona to a draw. But despite their strong second half of the season, they had been swept by Mallorca, a humiliation that still lingered.

This season, Celta had shed last year's struggles and remained firmly in the top six. Their attack was spearheaded by the duo of Edú and Catanha, supported by a midfield featuring Karpin, Mostovoi, and promising French youngster Luccin. Their firepower was on par with the league's best.

Celta had even made a high-profile signing—AC Milan legend Zvonimir Boban. However, the Croatian playmaker was nearing retirement, managing only four appearances so far.

"Great players are like beautiful women—time does not allow them to age gracefully in the public eye," José mused. Boban had left him with many fond memories, but at nearly 34 years old, his decline was evident.

"We don't need to worry about him in this match," José thought. "But Celta's attack is another story. Edú, Catanha, Gustavo López, Karpin, Mostovoi... they've got plenty of threats."

Celta's strong performances weren't just down to their attack; they also had an anchor in midfield—French defensive midfielder Luccin. He had shone in last year's U-20 World Cup as an attacking midfielder but had since transitioned into a deeper role, using his stamina, strength, and technical skills to solidify Celta's midfield.

Follow current novels on freewebnσvel.cѳm.

"Technically, all six of their front players are attack-minded," José analyzed. "Their full-backs, Velasco and Juanfran, love to push forward too. This might be something we can exploit."

Unlike Athletic Bilbao and Alavés, whose weaknesses were easy to pinpoint, Celta was a more well-rounded side. Their attack was sharper than Alavés', and their teamwork was superior to Bilbao's. Throughout the 1990s, Celta had been a force in La Liga. Unlike some mid-table teams that froze when facing Real Madrid or Barcelona, Celta never backed down. In the 90s, they were one of the teams that stood toe-to-toe with Spain's giants, alongside Atlético Madrid. While Atlético had since fallen into the Segunda División, and Celta had been overshadowed by Valencia, Deportivo, and Mallorca, they still had a fearless mentality.

Compared to them, Mallorca was still a new power in Spanish football.

José was confident in Mallorca's future. With the island's booming tourism industry and economic growth, Mallorca had the financial foundation to surpass most La Liga clubs. But for now, Celta remained a formidable opponent.

"Celta's forwards are all quick and agile," José told his players. "We can't play a high line against them, or we'll be playing into their strengths. We need to stay compact, focus on protecting our backline, and avoid getting caught out. Our full-backs should only push up one at a time, and we must exploit the spaces left behind when their full-backs attack. The moment we lose possession, press immediately to win the ball back. Got it?"

"Got it!" the Mallorca squad responded in unison.