Two FA Cups, two European Championships and two Community Shields: for most footballers that would be considered an excellent return of trophies, but for someone of Santi Cazorla’s supreme talent it still somehow feels lacking.
Lacking the league title or European club honour that a player of the Asturian’s exceptional ability deserves. Lacking too is the World Cup medal that as an important member of the greatest Spanish generation of all time, he would surely have claimed, were it not for an awfully timed back injury that disrupted his 2010.
Cazorla could ultimately do nothing about those issues in the build-up to South Africa 2010. Just as he could do nothing about Real Madrid failing to put the final stamp on his transfer in 2008. The Spanish giants’ move to sign him from Villarreal that summer was so close to being completed that a nervous Cazorla was even caught on camera talking about it over the phone to Iker Casillas. “Treat me well there, eh? Support me a bit because I’m the new guy…” the unassuming midfielder asked his international team-mate.
Madrid inexplicably hesitated at the final hurdle long enough for Cazorla to reconsider, and he ultimately signed a new contract with humble Villarreal. In doing so he furthered his legend as a cult player, but at the same time signed away silverware. Had fate instead brought him to the Bernabéu his honours list would surely be far longer than it is today.
Watching Cazorla’s performances in the present, despite going through a near career-ending injury nightmare, he still looks like the class of footballer who could do a job for one of Europe’s giants. At 34, he wouldn’t start regularly at Barcelona or Madrid, but at teams where there is room for Arturo Vidal or Dani Ceballos, the magician from northern Spain could surely play a squad role. No disrespect intended towards the aforementioned duo, but ask yourself how often you would pick them ahead of a fully-fit, inspired Cazorla.
And that’s the thing: Cazorla has long since proved his physical conditioning is back up to scratch. The 90 minutes played against Atlético Madrid at the Wanda Metropolitano on Sunday was his ninth LaLiga start in a row for Villarreal. He isn’t a romantic, nostalgic pick based on the good times of years gone by for coach Javi Calleja. He’s the first name on the team sheet for a side that is in a desperate situation, and place much of their hopes of survival in the genius their playmaker possesses.
If Cazorla can somehow keep this Villarreal up it may be a bigger achievement than any trophy he could have lifted elsewhere. The Yellow Submarine are having a dreadful season, set to spend another week in the relegation zone following a 2-0 defeat to Atleti. Once a source of constant frustration for Diego Simeone – until last weekend Villarreal were undefeated in seven league games against El Cholo’s Atleti – on Sunday they were deserved losers.
For half of the game Calleja’s team defended with eight and attacked with only two, a degree of tactical simplicity that suited the well-drilled home team. When Cazorla was positioned to play the first ball, the options in front of him tended to be limited, one or two runners at the most. When the playmaker was further up the pitch where he can truly cause damage, there was rarely any quality around him. Conservative, often disjointed and lacking creative quality, at times it looked like Villarreal would have needed two Cazorlas rather than one to win against the Colchoneros.
When Cazorla did manage to get on the ball there was always an Atleti player pursuing him – a sign of the respect with which Simeone still considers him. Even then, the veteran managed to complete 83 percent of his passes, a still immaculate first touch taking him away from pressure, and a still ice-cool head allowing him to calmly deliver the ball to a team-mate “in good condition”, as the Spanish say. In other words, the kind of pass that puts the ball just in front of the man and gives him a better chance of doing something useful with it.
Not that those chances to do something useful were taken. Despite switching possession from one flank to the other, or popping the ball off then driving forward in an attempt to change the pace of play, Cazorla’s team-mates rarely showed the same speed of thought. In the occasions where the move did result in a chance – often coming from a set-piece delivered off Cazorla’s boot – Jan Oblak was always capable of dealing with the sluggish attempts to finish.
In a season where Villarreal have sacked their coach, replaced him for just over a month, then sacked the replacement and brought the original boss back, it is hardly surprising that they look confused. The brief, three game unbeaten bounce in the league sparked with Calleja’s return is over, and the hardest phase is only just beginning.
Thirteen games remain for Cazorla to salvage a ship that has no obvious course, and is perilously close to sinking. For his unparalleled vision on the pitch to somehow give Villarreal enough clarity to avoid a repeat of their traumatic relegation in 2012. He wasn’t at the club to stop the nightmare back then. If he can do it now, they may as well give him a medal.