All at once. Easy to say, not hard to do. It sounds good. He commands power. For a holder, its value is priceless. To spark applause, nothing beats it. Yet mere words fall short. It is extraordinarily rare. The instinct to seek safety when trouble arrives is human. The will to survive tends to outmatch most forces pulling a person toward risk.
Related
-
Hércules coach points to culprits of defeat against Mestalla
It tends to develop on its own, always under scrutiny, in wagons that endure constant questioning, and it grows whenever the first tremor is felt.
RESPONSIBILITY
►Turning a blind eye does not fix problems, it makes them worse.
Hércules fell suddenly. Nothing has changed. The same players, the same manager. The pattern repeats, almost tied to the system itself. So what will happen next? Ángel Rodríguez pointed out that the issue lies in the summer physical preparation, shaped by late planning. The late signings that followed helped fuel the sense of a fragile start to the season.
General criticism of football can be unfair when it grants a coach the benefit of the doubt. Yet a quick glance at what happened in Elda shows that excuses dissolve like sugar in hot tea. The only difference between the summer at Pepico Amat and Rico Pérez is media attention; otherwise the core elements remain very similar.
Defensive weakness in the first 30 minutes is more about temperament on the field than the pre-season work in summer.
There, players who started competing only a week earlier began to show leadership eight days later. In Alicante, promotion looked uncertain and the team seemed to dip. This type of reductionism helps explain some things, but it does not fix the deeper lessons, which require more complex reasoning.
Hércules earlier looked ready on Fontwarming but then stumbled in Paterna. The blue and white coach described the week honestly, noting that sometimes one of the two training sessions, or the final practice before a match, might involve exertion beyond what the squad can sustain. To uncover the true vulnerabilities in the project, more self-critique is needed.
BALANCE
►Midfielders stood out less than before.
The squad had emphasized the best defensive pivots, yet the combination of creative minds and deep runners remained uneven. The group featured Maxi as a defensive anchor, Michel and Sergio Marcos as the primary creative engines, plus two versatile players, Tuscany and Manuel Navarro, who complemented the others well.
With these six components, losing battles in the midfield becomes costly. If the team cannot press and create from the center, attempts to salvage outcomes look strained. Hércules began the first four days with strong energy, which allowed for competitive duels against Espanyol’s reserve—yet that spark could fade if summer planning remains lax, especially in long stretches behind the ball.
When the team faced Pontevedra, the distance to the league leader widened from seven points by matchday ten to thirteen after a defeat at Paterna. By match day eight of the new phase, high-pressure schemes demanded intense unity and precise execution. The approach is demanding, and not every squad can sustain it, as Pepe Bordalas’s system demonstrates: a clear blueprint, yet not universally effective in every locker room.
Everything worsens when a fuel shortage appears in the opening half hour after conceding early progress. Counterattacks emerge from a fragmented defense, forcing risky plays. It is not pure fatigue; it is misplacement and a flawed interpretation of the game.
DETERMINE POSITIONS
►Clarity about goals and who can deliver them is essential.
Seven days later, decisions must be made, the block defined, newcomers distinguished from veterans. A found rhythm on the pitch, with Victor Eimil facing sideways and Raul Ruiz ahead, seemed crucial given Nico’s absence and Villacanas’s reluctance to help the defense. On the other wing, Alvarito needed to know how to contribute by running back, supporting teammates, and being generous with his effort. The list of attackers remains long in this club’s recent history; some players could send a ball forward only with difficulty, insisting on sloppiness. It is not solely summer fatigue that harms the team; tiredness can appear ugly and dangerous when the team loses its way after contact.