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| photo by Nicolai |
- by Adam Huntington, writing from Dundee, Scotland
Jesualdo Ferreira, who had been sacked by Porto after a poor season, was brought in to head this revolution. The Portuguese coach's managerial performance slump carried on and after nine league games, with only seven points, Ferreira was sacked. After being sacked by Real Madrid despite achieving 96 points in 09/10, their best points total in La Liga history, Manuel Pellegrini was approached and appointed the new manager of Malaga, immediately improving the struggling Bosquerones. Pellegrini signed Enzo Maresca, Martin Demichelis and Julio Baptista in the January transfer window, three names that may not be considered large, but nonetheless signified the start of a revolution. Baptista's nine goals in eleven games, coupled with the experience of Demichelis and Maresca helped lift Malaga to a very respectable 11th place finish in La Liga. At the end of last season, fans were understandably positive. With Pellegrini in place, a manager capable of getting the best out of their existing players and who could buy the right type of players, and a lot of money, Malaga suddenly became a big point of interest.
Already this summer, Malaga have made eight signings; Joris Mathijsen, Jeremy Toulalan, Ruud van Nistelrooy, Ignacio Camacho, Nacho Monreal, Joaquin, Isco and most recently Santi Cazorla. These may not be household names, with the exception of Van Nistelrooy, but Pellegrini isn't buying flash-in-the-pan players that have had one good season, he's buying experience and knowledge. Joaquin and Cazorla, bought in from Valencia and Villarreal respectively, are two players with 17 years of La Liga under their belts. Toulalan was a regular starter for France before last year's World Cup explosion. Mathijsen looks to have been brought in to form a partnership with Demichelis, and Monreal should find himself starting at left back. Camacho might not start straight away, but at only 21, he's likely to learn a lot from Toulalan, Joaquin and Cazorla. Young signing Isco was taken from Valencia, where he was thought of as David Silva's natural replacement. Again a youth prospect, still only 19, will be surrounded by experience, specifically from Van Nistelrooy. Costing nothing, Malaga could have achieved the signing of the season in the veteran Dutch striker. A proven goalscoring in every league he's been in, van Nistelrooy's goals this season could easily propel Malaga into the higher, more coveted positions.
Before the Cazorla transfer was finalised, Malaga sporting director Antonio Fernandez hinted that their summer spending spree was almost over, but that they were open to more signings. Even now, with Cazorla a Malaga player, I wouldn't rule out any more signings. Pellegrini now has the difficult task of blending all these new players into his current side; replacing the spine of the team will take time to readjust, and if they continue to spend, I would expect to see a fair amount of dropped points at the start of the season. However, as previously mentioned, the Malaga manager hasn't bought big names with big egos, he's bought hard working players that should improve the clubs position. This is surely the right way to establish a club with money, rather than hastily buying in the world's elite and providing them with huge wages. Pellegrin and Fernandez are patient builders, looking at Malaga's long-term future. They fully understand that to take on Barcelona, Real Madrid, Valencia, Villarreal and Atletico Madrid takes more than money, it takes time. This sensible approach should be applauded and revered. However, it's well known that when things don't go their way, fans can become impatient, frustrated and very vocal. I hope Sheik Al Thani doesn't listen, as Pellegrini's intelligent approach, given time, could lead Malaga to previously unthinkable heights.
