Moneybags Malaga forced to play catch-up
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/ Michael Lintorn / 28 October 2011 / Leave a comment Bet Now View Market
After six games, Malaga had 13 points. The problem is that three matches on, they are still stuck on 13, having conceded nine goals without reply.
Having briefly touched the top of the table at the start of the month, a loss of form has left big-spending Malaga five points shy of the Champions League pace.
Manuel Pellegrini is a very likable coach. He advocates attractive football, avoids controversy, scaled great heights with Villarreal, maintained his dignity at Real Madrid and, instead of wallowing in bitterness after his exit, headed to Malaga to try to turn them into a major force.
Whether the Chilean tactician will be successful remains open to debate though. His first season was unremarkable, as the seaside side wound up just three points above the drop zone, where they were stranded prior to Pellegrini's November arrival.
A strong finish ensured that faith in the boss was high entering the summer transfer window, when their Qatari owners really got to work, recruiting the likes of Santi Cazorla, Joaquin, Jeremy Toulalan and Ruud van Nistelrooy.
As a result, Malaga flew out of the blocks, with Cazorla in particular impressing with four goals in his first four appearances. After six games, they had 13 points. The problem is that three matches on, they are still stuck on 13, having conceded nine goals without reply.
The first two defeats in that streak were excusable, even if the margins weren't, as they fell to shock La Liga leaders Levante and Real Madrid, however the third against promoted Rayo Vallecano offered a clear indication that all is not right at La Rosadela.
The punishment for their miserable recent results has been severe, as from a position of strength, Malaga suddenly find themselves five points adrift of the fourth and final Champions League place.
Odds of [3.0] on them hitting the big time show that many punters suspect that this is just a blip, and the chance to prove that is the case is presented by a run in which they host Espanyol, Villarreal and Osasuna and visit out-of-sorts Real Betis, Racing Santander and Real Sociedad.
They are [1.79] to pass the first of those tests against Espanyol on Sunday, yet if the gap between them and the top four grows wider by Christmas, changes are likely not only in the transfer market but possibly in the dugout too.
