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January third 2016. Previous to Saturday, that was the date of Rafa Benitez’s final LaLiga go to to Mestalla, the stadium the place he ceaselessly etched his identify into Spanish soccer historical past as a two-time league champion within the early 2000’s.
It was additionally the date of Benitez’s final sport as Actual Madrid coach and ultimate match in Spain earlier than a shock return for a brand new problem in Vigo this summer time.
A disappointing 2-2 draw in opposition to Gary Neville’s Valencia facet proved the ultimate straw for Benitez’s short-lived stint as boss of Los Blancos. Practically eight years on, the skilled boss discovered himself beneath strain as soon as extra as he returned to Mestalla with one among his former gamers within the opposing dugout this time round within the form of Ruben Baraja, a key midfielder within the Valencia sides that conquered Spain 20 years in the past.
Whereas the celebrities of each Valencia and Benitez could have light since these heady days, the latter nonetheless retains a considerable amount of clout because the final coach to win LaLiga with a membership exterior of the present “huge three”.
1 win from 14 video games, however Benitez set to outlive “November curse”
Apart from that ill-fated half season in Madrid, Benitez had not managed in Spain since departing Valencia after profitable the second of these league titles in 2004. That solely added to the intrigue that greeted his appointment as Celta Vigo boss this summer time, however greater than a 3rd of the way in which by means of LaLiga 2023/24, it’s protected to say issues haven’t gone to plan.
Certainly, it’s maybe solely Benitez’s repute and standing as one of many nice modern-day Spanish coaches that ensured he even survived the third worldwide break of the season to absorb the nice and cozy applause of his former public on his return to Mestalla.
It was a sport that served up 21 makes an attempt (13 of which have been by visiting gamers) however just one shot on course and no objectives, guaranteeing Benitez’s report is now one win from 14 as Celta boss in LaLiga. It’s the type of report that few latest occupants of the Balaidos hotseat might have dreamt of surviving.
Antonio Mohamed was sacked after two fewer video games in November 2018, having chalked up two extra victories. His alternative, Miguel Cardoso, received three out of 14 earlier than he too was dismissed.
Fran Escriba was ousted in November 2019 with the membership, as they’re right this moment, within the relegation zone. November was the month of one other Celta sacking the next 12 months as Oscar Garcia departed having began the season with one win from 9.
Chacho Coudet’s reign did provide promise and a component of longevity, however he too fell sufferer to the November curse, departing after two years in 2022 with Celta two locations larger than they presently are beneath Benitez.
The stats behind Celta’s struggles
Primarily based on latest historical past, Rafa Benitez can depend himself greater than a bit of lucky to nonetheless be in a job. Nevertheless there’s a diploma of logic to Celta’s reluctance to go for change once more this November, which fits past the spectacular monitor report of their boss, to not point out the hefty pay-off that Celta would want to fork out have been they to chop ties with the 63 12 months outdated.
Celta’s underlying stats are under no circumstances horrific and with higher ending and maybe a bit extra luck, they might simply be sitting in a far larger place within the league.
In line with FBREF, Celta have created extra xG than their opponents in 5 of their 14 fixtures. Along with these video games, there was a negligible distinction within the high quality of probabilities created of their matches in opposition to Osasuna, Actual Madrid, Barcelona and Las Palmas.
Celta misplaced all 4 of these video games, by some means letting a 2-0 lead disappear within the ultimate ten minutes in Barcelona whereas it was the same story in Gran Canaria once they led a low-scoring Las Palmas facet 1-0 heading into the ultimate ten minutes, but ended up with no factors to indicate for his or her efforts.
Their Anticipated Targets Distinction of -2.9 sees them rank tenth in LaLiga and suggests they’re presently conceding extra objectives than would ordinarily be anticipated primarily based on the possibilities they’re giving up. When it comes to complete xG for the season, they rank joint sixth with 18.9, the identical quantity as Actual Sociedad and greater than Actual Betis.
A failure to transform probabilities has been a recurring theme. Lengthy-serving talisman Iago Aspas is enduring by far his hardest spell as a Celta Vigo participant with only one objective in his final 25 appearances in LaLiga. Given the tightness of nearly all of their video games, it’s not onerous to think about how in another way the desk could look had Benitez been in a position to rely upon the prolific Aspas of seasons passed by.
Nevertheless, with the ahead now 36, the time was at all times going to come back when Celta might now not rely upon their long-serving native hero to maintain being their difference-maker.
Apart from their wastefulness in entrance of objective, Celta Vigo are additionally satisfied {that a} host of refereeing errors go an extended technique to explaining why they’re nonetheless loitering within the relegation zone.
Issues got here to a head three weeks in the past in opposition to Sevilla when a livid Aspas threw the VAR monitor to the bottom after a Stoppage Time resolution to overturn a Celta penalty that may have served up the prospect for the Galicians to say simply their second win of the season.
Benitez was equally damning of VAR in his post-match feedback claiming “I can’t perceive it.”
“The matches should be referred to as from the sphere. We might have eight, 9 or ten extra factors.”
A decisive December and money to splash in January?
Regardless of the poor outcomes, there may be little signal presently that Celta Vigo are contemplating dismissing Rafa Benitez. Whereas pre-season discuss of them even being darkish horses for a European push has lengthy since light, the subsequent two months will go a good distance in direction of defining their season.
Celta’s subsequent two house video games are in opposition to Cadiz and Granada. Two fellow strugglers and two sides that they actually have to be beating at Balaidos if they’re to keep away from getting embroiled in a real relegation battle this season.
Win each, and a few gentle on the finish of the tunnel will emerge for Rafa Benitez and this Celta Vigo facet and so they can then method the January switch window with a better diploma of optimism and ambition.
Ought to the poor kind proceed by means of a kinder December fixture record, solely then will what is about to be a new-look Celta board have an actual resolution to make concerning Benitez and in addition as to how finest to assault a switch window when they may have cash to spend.
Celta Vigo’s summer time plans to bolster Benitez’s squad have been severely hampered by Gabri Veiga’s on-off switch saga with a transfer to Napoli falling by means of earlier than the academy product, who lit up Balaidos final time period, lastly joined Saudi facet Al-Ahli on August twenty sixth for €30m.
Whereas the likes of Carl Starfelt, Carles Perez and Anastasios Douvikas did arrive on everlasting offers, Celta nonetheless made a web switch revenue of round €20m in the summertime and needs to be ready to strengthen in January with out the time strain of working within the ultimate week of a window.
The query for the membership’s hierarchy can be whether or not to completely put money into Benitez and a few type of long-term imaginative and prescient, or whether or not to focus on short-term signings who’re able to making a direct impression to make sure Celta keep within the league.
#Rafas #sad #return #gentle #tunnel #Celta
