Fortunately for Manolo Jiménez, La Liga LocaâÂÂs opinion holds very little sway with SevillaâÂÂs big-wigs - or the big-wigs of any organisation you care to name - so the blogâÂÂs urgings for time to be called on their trainerâÂÂs tenure probably went unheard.
FEATURE:Sevilla need the return of Juande Ramos
However, the same does not apply to the Sevilla home support, who jeered and hankie-waved their manager off the pitch on Tuesday night as their feckless football team âÂÂdid a Real Madridâ by being ejected from the Champions League before the party has really started.
The 2-1 defeat to CSKA Moscow that was provoked by Sevilla starting with just one striker and suffering an absolute howler from the normally dependable goalkeeper Andrés Palop sees Jiménez hanging onto his job by his goolies.
Whilst the Sevilla manager may well keep his car park space at the Sánchez Pizjuán until the end of the season, the time has surely come for a replacement to be found â although club president José Maria del Nido claimed that he was still standing by his man. Until June, at least.
âÂÂJiménez will continue until end of season because he has a contract and because he has our confidence,â quoth Del Nido, without confidence.
Kanoute & Co. KOd
SevillaâÂÂs sorry slip-up now leaves Barcelona as the last man standing from la LigaâÂÂs Champions League contingent. So the pressure is definitely on the holders with Stuttgart more than fancying their chances of grabbing a goal in the Camp Nou and Pep Guardiola showing yet more signs of cracking up.
Having aged 15 years in 15 months, the Dream Boys trainer has allowed his inner self to fall apart too with his uncharacteristic weekend rant over his sending-off during the AlmerÃÂa clash for dissent.
âÂÂThe referee knows that he lied in the report,â said a stern-faced Pep, denying any wrongdoing. âÂÂHe knows it. The assistant as well.âÂÂ
The leagueâÂÂs competition committee are now thought to be opening an investigation on the affair, although Guardiola should not be too worried considering âÂÂopening an investigationâ in la Liga means burying the problem and hoping that it goes away - a favoured approach to dealing with match-fixing allegations.
Because of the staggered staging of this last 16 round of the Champions League, which has been been robbed of all footballing narrative by UEFA, there has been very little opportunity for pee-taking at Real MadridâÂÂs expense in the Barcelona ranks due to their unfinished business against Stuttgart. And if there has been, the players certainly arenâÂÂt telling.
âÂÂWhat happens in the dressing room stays in the dressing room,â said Rafa Marquéz when quizzed on the post-Lyon reaction in the Barça boot-room. âÂÂItâÂÂs like Las Vegas.âÂÂ
Smugness is the theme of the day. Sport are up in their ivory tower of morality, with WednesdayâÂÂs front page mocking MarcaâÂÂs Lyon-baiting approach to last weekâÂÂs Champions League clash.
âÂÂWe are not demanding a big score,â announces the paper. âÂÂWe are not demanding that every title is won and we are not demanding that the side plays their final in the Bernabeu before the quartersâ - all with front pages from their Madridista rival calling for the complete opposite.
âÂÂMadrid believed that the Olympique game was a done deal and in the end they cried blood,â writes the slightly over-stimulated Josep MarÃÂa Casanavos.
The message from Catalunya ahead of WednesdayâÂÂs game, which should see Barcelona comfortably passing through to the quarter-finals, is âÂÂCareful NowâÂÂ.
Any other approach could see a very sorry situation for the Spanish league, indeed, with âÂÂdoing a Real Madridâ becoming a nation-wide craze.
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