Chapter 57: The Hope of the B Team

For José, setting even a short-term goal for the team is incredibly beneficial. With a significant number of veteran players on the squad, there are clear advantages such as stability and experience. However, these same players can sometimes develop a tendency to coast along and be content with maintaining their position—it's an inevitable side effect of veteran players. To counter this, José believes it's necessary to always keep the team focused on a goal. Previously, the goal had been survival in the league, but now, having only the League Cup final as a goal is insufficient—there's a risk that players might slack off in the league matches just to secure a place in the final. This is something José cannot tolerate. He has sacrificed certain matches before, but never has he allowed his players to not give their best during a game. Strategic sacrifices and not giving effort in matches are two completely different things!

Moreover, motivating players to stay focused on matches serves a tactical purpose. Long breaks can certainly help players recover physically, but they don't help their overall form. Only by playing in matches and adapting to the rhythm of competition can players perform at their best. Even the best players, if they don't play regular matches, will struggle on the field, no matter how well they train. Take Eto'o, for example—when he was loaned to Mallorca, José gradually increased his playtime, and only then did his form improve.

So, no matter what, José needs to set a short-term goal to ensure the players maintain their form and drive. Given the difficulty of securing both survival and a place in European competition, a realistic and achievable goal would be to finish in the upper half of the table, specifically the top ten. This is a goal that requires full effort but is still within reach.

Achieving a top-ten finish would also enhance the image of Mallorca, showing that the team is ambitious and won't throw in the towel when things are tough. After all, why did Atlético Madrid's golden boy, Torres, become disillusioned and leave the club where he started? Wasn't it because Atlético, with no real pressure, practically threw the game against Barcelona, losing 6-0 just to prevent Real Madrid from winning the title? That match made Torres lose hope, and he eventually moved to Liverpool. Ambitious players can tolerate long periods without titles as long as they feel loved by the club, but when they see their team lacking ambition and playing negatively just to spite rivals, they can't stand it anymore.

Building an image of ambition doesn't happen overnight, but with consistent displays of determination, the effect will eventually be noticeable.

In the coming period, José's schedule will be relatively light—one match per week, with daily training mostly focused on recovery, and tactical training won't be as demanding. This gives José some breathing room, so aside from focusing on the first team's training, he'll often visit the B team training ground to check on two players he hasn't observed in a while…

Since becoming the interim head coach of the first team, José has rarely visited the B team's training ground. The main reason for this is simply a lack of time. While it might seem like his job is just managing the first team's matches and overseeing training, the reality is that, given the state of the first team, José has to dedicate a lot of time to it—getting to know the players, arranging lineups, dealing with Eto'o's loan situation, analyzing opponents, and setting tactics. He's often on the pitch guiding the players during training, so there's no time to watch the B team.

After José took over the first team, João Mesquida became the head coach of the B team. Both Mota and Luke understood that José wouldn't be able to pay much attention to the B team, and although they were disappointed, they knew they had to wait for an opportunity. Mota, however, was confident that José wouldn't forget about him, especially since José had given him extra training before, which made Mota feel valued.

In José's mind, Mota is no ordinary B team player—and Mota believes this too.

Luke, on the other hand, doesn't share the same deep bond with José as Mota does. Mota was brought to Mallorca from Brazil during his most uncertain time, so naturally, their relationship is different.

But today, when they saw José appear at the B team's training ground, their excitement was the same.

Both Mota and Luke have been following José's coaching success, and they know that after this season, José's position will be unshakable. With José heavily favoring Franco and Tristan in the first team, they understand that if they perform well, they will get their chance.

Luke may have to compete with Tristan and Eto'o for a spot in the forward line, but Mota believes his chances will be greater. After seeing how José has used N'Gonga, Mota has an idea of why José made him switch to a central midfield role. Much like Guardiola's "number 4" holding midfielder, that's his future role.

And now that he's shifted to the middle, Mota feels this position suits him well—no long sprints, no need to dribble past several players, just orchestrating the attack and intercepting in defense. His technical ability and tall frame are perfect for this role. Or to put it another way, Thiago Mota is the white, younger version of Vicente N'Gonga.

With N'Gonga now 35, how much longer can he play? It's clear that this position is reserved for Mota.

"José, what brings you to the B team today?" Mesquida asked, greeting him with a smile.

"I finally have a lighter schedule, so I thought I'd drop by," José smiled and nodded towards the training field. "How are those two doing? Are they slacking off?"

"No, as usual, they're working hard. And Thiago is almost following the training plan you left behind to the letter. This Brazilian kid is different from the typical lazy ones," Mesquida said with a smile.

There are many South American players in La Liga, but most are from Argentina rather than Brazil, especially among mid-table teams, which prefer Argentine players due to language and cultural compatibility. Moreover, Argentine players are often more professional than their Brazilian counterparts. Mota, being of Italian descent, is a hardworking exception among Brazilian players.

"Hard work is great, but we need to make sure he doesn't overwork himself," José nodded, reminding him. Mota was known for his injury-prone nature in the future, often dealing with hamstring injuries—something José had to be cautious about.

After chatting with Mesquida for a while, José watched as the B team's training session came to an end. He waved goodbye to Mesquida and walked onto the pitch.

He was familiar with this training ground. During his two and a half years at Mallorca, José spent nearly two years here with the B team, so the place and the players weren't unfamiliar to him.

However, José wasn't just the assistant coach or the B team's head coach anymore. Now, he was the interim head coach of the first team and, to the Mallorca fans, the obvious future coach for the next decade!

As a result, when the B team players saw José, the familiar warmth they once felt turned into respect. They began to look at him with admiration.

But José didn't put on airs. As he entered the training ground, he casually chatted with the B team players. When the next training phase began, he took part in directing it—just like before, José still had that expressionless face but paid close attention to the training results, stepping in to correct any mistakes or missed details.

After correcting Mota's sloppy turn-and-pass, Mota felt that same sense of gratitude he had experienced in the past.

The B team's training session didn't last long. After a little over an hour, it concluded.

José clapped his hands and addressed the players, who still seemed a bit reluctant to leave. "Guys, you should know that Mallorca has always had a tradition of promoting players from the B team to the first team. I've been keeping an eye on your performances this season. 11th in the second division is pretty good, and many of you have impressed me. I believe that soon, many of you will wear the Mallorca shirt and fight for the team and the fans at the Son Moix Stadium."

Mesquida smiled as he stood beside José, not at all bothered by José's somewhat dominant speech. After all, he was José's assistant, and given José's position, it was entirely normal for him to speak to the B team like this.

Looking at the players' excited faces, José smiled and waved at two of them in the crowd.

"Thiago, Albert, starting tomorrow, you'll join the first team for training."

Mota and Luke exchanged a glance, and in their eyes, joy was hard to suppress.

Mota was sure his instincts had been right, and José really did trust him. Luke's slight dissatisfaction with José vanished in that instant.

The other B team players watched Mota and Luke with envy, but José's next words made them all excited too.

"As for the rest of you, if you perform well, I'll give you a chance as well."

The B team players erupted in cheers.

José smiled at them. His words were a bit of a pleasant lie. In reality, most of the B team players wouldn't have the ability to make it into the first team. But José wasn't entirely lying—if someone truly impressed him, he wouldn't hesitate to promote them.

Even Mota and Luke wouldn't be heavily relied upon just yet. His main reason for bringing them up was simply to let them experience the atmosphere of a major final in the League Cup.