Analysis: Michel Sanchez sends out SOS flare as he searches for signs of life in Girona | OneFootball

“It’s not a team that I would say is dead, but I didn’t get the feeling that we competed for anything. I didn’t see a team,” maundered Michel Sanchez, Girona’s manager, nee legend. And with that sirens shuddered into ear-splitting action at Montilivi, and a flare was sent high into the warm night air in Castellon, as Michel sent out the SOS signal.

That came after Girona were pummelled at the hands of an admittedly impressive Villarreal 5-0, having trailed by four goals after 28 minutes. The previous week they had gone down 3-1 to Rayo Vallecano with similar ease, but it was more simple to attribute that to one cause, namely Paulo Gazzaniga’s series of errors in goal, than the ill health of the entire body politic.

Michel appears to be searching for signs of life in his side. Post-match interviews are often hand-writing exercises, polishing the curve of the same letters in repetitive fashion, an attempt to divulge as little information to those on the outside, while simultaneously massaging the pressure points of those within a club. On Sunday, Michel was raw, unguarded, vulnerable.

Nearly five minutes delivered in Catalan from the Vallecas native. Only his pauses and some quiet questions interrupted a solemn soliloquy that could scarcely have been delivered better had he hired Charlie Chaplin to perform it. “As a coach, it is difficult to express your feelings in a press conference in a language you have not mastered. But I’d rather f*** it up than not do it all,” he noted last year, but this was pitch-perfect.

For you could see Michel twisting internally, wrestling with his feelings, eaten up by his own football team. The media picked up on the fact that following Villarreal’s four-goal fireworks, Michel had no flamethrower response for his players during the cooling break. Only a few positional adjustments.

“I didn’t shout, I didn’t scream, at half-time it wasn’t like that,” he said on his team talk 15 minutes later. “I gave tactical instructions, but that’s all. The feeling was that the team was dead on the pitch.”

Image via La Liga

It’s worth remembering that Michel, during the heat of the relegation battle, as he hung onto the wheel for dear life to prevent Girona being shipwrecked by the current, was hospitalised just three months ago in May. Advised by his doctor to rest under supervision, Girona narrowly avoided the cliffs, but Michel doesn’t seem to have regained control.

Following one of the most impressive achievements in 21st century La Liga history, finishing third just two seasons after promotion, Girona and Michel went hand-in-hand through the gates of Hollywood and into the Champions League. It was impossible to achieve anything close to it without a quality of work comparable with anyone in the game. Twelve months later, Michel had no lifebouy to spare for those who were lauded alongside him.

“I think this is everyone’s responsibility, the club’s too. If you give the possibility to speak [to other teams] and open doors, and this feeling is not felt by one player, but by six or seven, then you are not focused on your team. I am very disappointed with everyone, that is the reality.”

Image via AFP7 vía Europa Press

One of the things that has defined Michel’s spell at Girona is not only the organisation and ideas on the pitch, but his connection with players and the whole club on a human level – never does he miss a chance to praise or preach positivity. In a particular interview with Aleix Garcia, his former star gave him the air of an overbearing but ultimately inspiring jazz master working with  musicians, constantly pushing for perfection. Adapting his style last season, cycling through players, he admitted on Sunday that he was ‘unable to strike the right chord.’

“I believe in projects, and every season is a project, but I don’t know if this project has started for anyone,” he said when asked if he felt as if the situation was beyond him. “I’ve started from scratch, like the whole staff; if anyone is thinking about last year or leaving, let them say so. But we can’t have that feeling on the pitch, people don’t deserve it. I don’t like what I’ve seen at all. It’s my worst moment as a coach.”

Having taken aim at both the players and the club, the reaction cannot be long coming for Michel. It’s a last resort for most good managers. Sevilla (H), Celta Vigo away after the international break, and Levante (H) are on the way. If it doesn’t come, then the club will likely feel forced into the conclusion that he is unable to steer them to safety this time round. If Michel cannot resurrect some life in his Girona side, based on his demeanour on Sunday, it would be no surprise if he walked the plank of his own volition.