Bordalás at breaking point: 'I don't deserve what's happening this season'
Getafe boss José Bordalás delivers emotional plea for reinforcements after gut-wrenching defeat to Real Sociedad, claiming his squad situation is unsustainable.
Getafe manager José Bordalás has reached his wits’ end after watching his depleted squad concede a last-gasp winner to Real Sociedad, leaving him lamenting his current predicament in unusually emotional terms.
‘The pencil has no point left’
The usually stoic Bordalás couldn’t hide his frustration following another defeat that leaves Getafe in a precarious position. In a rare display of vulnerability, the 59-year-old tactician delivered what amounted to an SOS call to the club’s hierarchy.
“I’m sad, I don’t deserve what’s happening,” Bordalás confessed in his post-match comments, before using a striking metaphor about his famously resourceful coaching approach: “I’m a manager who’s always been labelled as someone who gets performance, but when you sharpen a pencil, eventually it runs out – and we’ve eaten the pencil, there’s no pencil left.”
Makeshift squad on its last legs
Getafe’s situation has become increasingly dire, with Bordalás forced to field academy players and senior squad members in unfamiliar positions. The match against Real Sociedad highlighted these limitations:
- The team finished with multiple youth team players on the pitch
- Several first-teamers playing out of position
- No natural centre-backs available
Despite these challenges, Getafe had briefly equalised through Juanmi Latasa in the closing stages, only to concede from a corner in the dying moments – a sequence Bordalás described as “a tough moment” that “hurt more” because it came so late.
January reinforcements desperately needed
While avoiding specifics about potential signings, Bordalás made it crystal clear that winter additions are non-negotiable if Getafe are to avoid the drop.
“The situation is what it is, everyone can see it, and the team needs help because otherwise, we won’t be able to compete,” he stated bluntly.
He also expressed concern for players like David Soria, Luis Milla and Mauro Arambarri, who have been pushed to their physical limits due to the lack of alternatives, forcing them to make “superhuman efforts” that are taking their toll.
Valencia showdown looms
With little time to dwell on this setback, Getafe must now prepare for a crucial six-pointer against Valencia, whom Bordalás described as “direct rivals in the classification.”
However, without reinforcements, the manager’s stark assessment suggests another Getafe great escape might be beyond even his renowned tactical acumen. As he put it himself: “I don’t deserve this – I wouldn’t wish it on anyone.”