The wolf is here. Like in the fable of the boy who scared the village by crying wolf by constantly mentioning the potential relegation, its ghost begins to appear with its terrifying silhouette. Sevilla players would do well not to look at the table or the calendar because what is coming in February in the form of matches is terrifying. That’s why Quique Sanchez Flores’ team must go to Vallecas with the blindfold of faith and the courage of the brave against the monster, without looking at the size of its jaws. But in these times of immediate digital information, it is practically impossible for the players not to take a look at the standings.I hope Sevilla have a plan…Selling Rakitic, your 2nd most used player and his wealth of experience (100+ caps, 13 years in Spain, 4 La Ligas, 1 UCL, 2 UEL) and replacing him with the loan signing of Hannibal…When you are 1 point clear of relegation… HUGE RISK! pic.twitter.com/kdVMjayBsK— Dougie Critchley (@DougieCritchley) January 30, 2024 Celta’s triumph in Pamplona and Cadiz’s draw in Villarreal over the weekend again place Sevilla on the edge of the abyss. Well, this team, this club, has been wobbling on the brink for several years. Last season, Los Nervionenses managed to escape the scare with the miraculous epiphany of interim coach Jose Luis Mendilibar, who was eventually swept away by the arrogance of a club that has long been looking at itself in a mirror that distorts reality. Since head coach Julen Lopetegui and sporting director Monchi left the club in 2022, Sevilla is in a state of limbo. Eight months ago, Sevilla beat Roma to win their favourite UEFA Europa League trophy, but it was just papering over the cracks – cracks that kept widening. The club is stuck in a quicksand pit that sucks downwards with the relentless tempo. All the mistakes the club has made are accumulating and threatening the club’s finances, reputation and La Liga place.##NAJAVA_MECA_7845137##But it’s not time to name many people who are to blame. For their fans, it’s time to find solutions with the urgency of someone stopping the downward slide. In Vallecas, Sevilla will only have two centre-backs from their first team. Tanguy Nianzou is injured again, Kike Salas has not yet recovered from his, and Sergio Ramos is suspended after receiving his fifth yellow card against Osasuna. Thus, Quique Flores, if he wants to stick to his 5-3-2 system, would have to place a player who is not a recognised centre-back there unless he wants to take a risk with untested Diego Hormigo, the only player from the B team he has called up for that position. Marcos Acuna could be a solution to reinforce the left side with Pedrosa playing freely ahead, considering that the lively Isi and Trejo could be roaming there from the attacking midfield position. Another option is to return to a back four.The Madrid-born coach does have some good news, expressing his joy at having the team’s top scorer Youssef En-Nesyri back in the fold. In midfield, after the departures of Fernando and Ivan Rakitic, Agoume, at 21 years old, is expected to take on the role of defensive midfielder in a situation of extreme need. In the first half against Osasuna, he performed well there and allowed Boubakary Soumare to move up more to press and distribute. And the team, also gripped by panic after the equaliser, collapsed when Agoume was substituted because he didn’t yet have the fitness to last full matches. There isn’t much more either. Quique admitted he’s not a cheerleader and once again aimed jabs at Adnan Januzaj and Rafa Mir. He should at least demonstrate that he is a coach who knows how to manage the panic within his squad as relegation looms after a 22-year stay in the top tier.Comparte el San Diego de la Suerte para que ganemos al Rayo Vallecano. #sevillafc pic.twitter.com/ubDbGfriT2— Orgullobiri.com Sevilla FC 🏆🇵🇱🇮🇩 (@orgullobiri_sfc) February 5, 2024 Rayo Vallecano faced a heartbreaking defeat against city rivals Atletico Madrid, conceding a 90th-minute winner and seeing their manager, Francisco Javier Rodriguez Vilchez, receive a red card. This loss extended Rayo’s winless streak in league games to three, putting them at risk of slipping into mid-table obscurity as they currently sit eight points above the relegation zone and 12 points away from European qualification. One of Rayo’s main issues this season has been their poor home form, as they enter this match on an eight-game winless streak in Vallecas. Sanchez Flores has a perfect record of draws in personal clashes against Rayo, with three draws in three encounters. However, he’ll be eager to secure a win this time, especially since all three of Sevilla’s competitive wins since his appointment in December have come away from home. It’s getting desperate for the Andalusians. They need to stop crying wolf and start winning.LA LIGA – MATCHDAY 23FridayAthletic Club – Mallorca 4-0 (2-0)/Berchiche 3, 16, Guruzeta 62, Muniain 89/SaturdayValencia – Almeria 2-1 (2-0)/Duro 14, Yaremchuk 23 – Arribas 50/Granada – Las Palmas 1-1 (1-0)/Mendez 43 – Pejino 68/Alaves – Barcelona 1-3 (0-1)/Omorodion 51 – Lewandowski 23, Gundogan 49, Roque 63/Girona – Sociedad 0-0SundayVillarreal – Cadiz 0-0Osasuna – Celta 0-3 (0-2)/Larsen 24, De La Torre 25, Douvikas 90/Betis – Getafe 1-1 (1-1)/Isco 35 pen – Greenwood 8 pen/Real Madrid – Atl. Madrid 1-1 (1-0)/Diaz 20 – Llorente 90+3/Monday23:00: (2.25) Rayo Vallecano (3.35) Sevilla (3.50)***odds are subject to change***
