| One
of our old favourites is back in the news again, none other than Deportivo's
Djalminha. He was almost thrown out of the squad last season by Irureta after
his erratic behaviour got him sent off in vital moments, but eventually he was
pardoned and carried on to delight the crowds with his skills. However the red
mist still comes down sometimes, and it happened again this weekend against
Zaragoza. With only three minutes gone in the second half José Ignacio
went in hard on the Brazilian star, who came out of the tackle limping. You
only needed to see his eyes to understand what he was thinking, and sure enough
in the next play he lunged in with a leg breaking tackle on the player from
behind which left the Zaragoza midfielder temporarily off the field of play
receiving attention and Djalminha on the long lonely walk to the changing
rooms. Deportivo went on to lose and the disciplinary committee could throw the
book at him this time. He wasn't the only one to get sent off for the second
time this season though this weekend, Mallorca's Fernando Niño picking
up a second yellow card in the 54th minute against Numancia to move up to
second equal in our chart. His team were inspired after that though, and
although Luis Aragonés pulled off a forward to put on defender Siviero,
Mallorca went on to score twice and take the three points. One other sending
off, Oviedo's Gaspar for a second bookable offence, and with the club leaving
out Keita from the squad with possible passport problems, Antic will have to
cobble together a new defence again next weekend. Elsewhere a few more yellow
cards for our table toppers, including Arzeno and the Las Palmas pair Samways
and Schurrer, although very few suspensions for accumulation of cards, with
only Posse and Jankauskas by our reckoning due to sit it out.
(09.04.01) |
