Girona's fair is a disgrace in Vila-real

GironaDuring the first hydration break, Míchel looked completely dejected, the players each going their own way and trying to rub their hands in shame. The game, with a 4-0 scoreline, was already wrapped up. It even ended slightly earlier than the opening game against Rayo Vallecano, where they were losing 2-0 in the twentieth minute. At La Cerámica, the 2-0 lead came in the 16th minute, and before the half-hour mark, any Girona fan was already covering their faces in embarrassment. Finally, Villarreal crushed them 5-0, and Girona is now bottom of the table in the competition because the statistics don't lie. They've lost everything, have zero points, have scored only one goal, and are the team that has conceded the most, with eight. But that's not the worst part; it's the feeling.

Because before the referee blew his whistle, many people already imagined what would happen. For now, Girona isn't transmitting anything positive; neither on the field, where they're playing at nothing, nor off it, where they're also being exposed. The sporting director has barely made any changes to the squad, the coach remains as lost, or even more so, as he was before Stuani worked the miracle of staying in the league last season, and a significant portion of the locker room still doesn't know where he'll continue the season. The transfer window closes next Monday, and it seems anyone can leave, if the price is right. 0 out of 6 isn't surprising: it's a consequence of not having done things correctly.

Nothing remains of the Girona team of two years ago, and not even Míchel is Míchel himself. The leader of the project is experiencing a completely anomalous situation. In fact, some are beginning to seriously doubt his ability to reverse the general mood. The coach, moreover, is getting lost in absurd phrases, as if he were wearing a blindfold. "The pitch was very dry," he said last week, just like Xavi Hernández did before digging his own grave on the Barça bench. "We have a spectacular base," he opined in the summer. People are demanding that he bang his fist on the table. That he show character. That he get angry. But he ends up repeating that he's convinced they'll have "a great season."

A profound reflection

This time, however, at least he can't be held responsible for fielding the same players as always. He made five changes compared to last week, but the trend didn't change in the slightest. Every Villarreal player looked older, stronger, and more talented than any of the Girona players. Games drag on like this.

To add insult to injury, they gave away the first goal, scored by Pépé, after another terrible ball outing. Buchanan had a field day with a hat trick And Rafa Marín completed the move. No one from Girona was up to the standard of the badge. Deep reflection and decision-making are necessary, even if some of them are painful.