Well, it has been one of those weeks. Sometimes everything seems to suddenly go wrong, right in the midst of everything going right. The Almeria match was disappointing, but the Celta loss was heartbreaking and mentality-crushing. Everything feels a little different on this side of that match. Call me over-dramatic, but I feel that the whole season might have taken a turn towards mediocrity over the last week.
And, if the season is shot (for purposes of getting into Europe, advancing significantly in the Europa League (momentum, people, we ain't got it), and obviously the Copa del Rey), it might be time to begin to use this season to get the best possible results from it. And I am not talking about results on the field (although, of course, finishing in the top half of La Liga is mandatory). I am talking about the results that could be gained from getting in some serious playing time for some current-B-soon-to-be-A-teamers in La Liga when they will have essentially a pressure-free chance to enter a Primera mindset.
Because one thing we have to realize, by the beginning of next season, this team could look very different from how it does today. Talisman Robert Pires has essentially made clear that he will be on his way out in the summer. Ibagaza seems to be falling out of favor quickly, primarily due to age and injury (despite an impressive start to the season). Stalwarts such as Javi Venta and Marcos Senna are moving from the twilight of their careers towards midnight. Newbies such as Jony Pereira never really got the chance to settle in. Our defense is simply horrid, with the likes of Angel, Gonzalo, and to a degree Marcano making sub-par forwards look like Wayne Rooney, which means that any of them could be out. And don't forget the rumors linking Diego Lopez and Santi Cazorla away from the squad to big time clubs.
And now this. It was to be expected, but Giuseppe Rossi is all but certain to be moving to Italy over the summer. Villarreal should be able to demand a good price, but at the same time they are somewhat weakened in the fact that it will be clear that he is ready to move on.
So what will we look like next year? I have a pretty strong feeling that if you took a look at the B-team roster, you would have a pretty good idea.