Javi Gracia is out

A home match for Villarreal B against a fellow struggler. The Ciudad Deportiva filled with free patrons. A rare game on national TV (GolT in Spain). The result? A 1-4 drubbing at the hands of Alcorcón, the little team that could.

The B team went 3 goals down in 33 minutes, prompting manager Javi Gracia to bring on Danish forward Nicki Bille Nielsen for a defender. Marcos Gullón quickly pulled a goal back, and we then earned a penalty. Promising.

Unfortunately, Iago Falqué fluffed his lines, and 10-man Alcorcón then scored to restore a 3-goal advantage going into halftime. Thiago Dutra earned his marching orders after the restart, picking up 2 yellow cards within a minute, and the match petered out. Pathetic.

As a result, the club has relieved Javi Gracia of his duties. Enter José Francisco Molina, formerly the manager of Villarreal C in the Tercera Regional. Molina had a distinguished career as a goalkeeper, primarily with Atlético and Depor, and he earned 9 caps with La Furia Roja. He is also a cancer survivor, so saving a team from relegation will be a cakewalk in comparison.

The B team needs new blood, and Javi Gracia's player management has been incorrigible. As Kenez has noted, Airam Cabrera led Segunda B in scoring last season. With goals at a premium, the ex-Tenerife forward deserves a real opportunity. And why does Marquitos keep playing?

Our remaining schedule is unforgiving: at Elche (4th), at Granada (3rd), vs. Recreativo (10th), at Betis (1st). Yikes. But hopefully Recre is out of the running for the playoffs by then, and Betis should have nothing to play for.

With only a 5-point cushion above the drop zone, Molina has some work to do. 4 more points should be enough, so our final home game will be vital. Good luck, Sr. Molina, and we hope that you can pull off a "Garrido" with the B team. Endavant minisubmarino!