Athletic supporters blast low intensity after string of defeats

Bilbao Athletic are getting it from their own supporters now — and not in the vague, grumbly way fans complain after any bad afternoon. This is sharper than that. After the 4-0 defeat away to Pontevedra on Saturday, May 9, the reaction around Athletic’s reserve side hardened into a simple accusation: the team looked flat, slow, and short on edge. That matters because the season is almost over, and there is not much time left to fix the feeling around this group. ### What actually happened at Pontevedra? Pontevedra beat Bilbao Athletic 4-0 at Pasarón, with goals from Miguel Cuesta in the 19th minute, Resende just before halftime, Yelko in the 61st, and Expósito in the 90th. Athletic’s own match report was blunt — Pontevedra were more decisive and more forceful in the final third, while Bilbao Athletic barely had a route back once the game got away from them. ### Why did this one sting so much? Because the shape of the loss looked bad before the final whistle ever arrived. Bilbao Athletic were already 2-0 down at the break, and the second half changes did not shift the match. There was one big chance that hit the post through Barandalla, and Athletic also felt Johaneko should have had a penalty, but those moments read more like isolated escapes than signs of control. (athletic-club.eus) ### Why are fans talking about intensity? Basically, supporters are reading the performance as a mentality problem as much as a football problem. When a reserve side loses heavily late in the season, fans will usually tolerate technical mistakes or youth-level inconsistency. What they do not forgive is a team that looks second to duels, late to pressure, or mentally drained. The backlash online focused on exactly that — not just the score, but the sense that Bilbao Athletic were outworked. (athletic-club.eus) ### Is this about one bad day? Not really. One heavy defeat can happen. But a 4-0 loss this late in the campaign becomes a summary of broader worries. The criticism lands harder when supporters already think the team has been running low on spark, and when individual displays start getting singled out, that usually means patience is gone. At that point, fans are not debating tactics in the abstract — they are judging whether the side still looks alive. ### Where does this leave Bilbao Athletic now? The calendar is tight. Athletic’s official schedule shows Bilbao Athletic hosting CD Guadalajara on Sunday, May 17, and the Pontevedra report says the final league game comes away to Ponferradina at El Toralín. So this is not a long crisis with room for a reset. It is two matches, very little margin, and a fan base that has clearly moved from concern to open irritation. ### Why does the manager feel the heat? Because reserve-team football is always judged on two tracks at once. You need results, but you also need visible growth, energy, and players who look ready for the next level. If supporters think the team is fading physically or emotionally, that cuts against the whole point of Bilbao Athletic. Jokin Aranbarri is not just being judged on the table — he is being judged on whether the group still looks like Athletic material. (athletic-club.eus) ### What should we watch next? Watch the first 20 minutes against Guadalajara. That is the cleanest test. If Bilbao Athletic press with bite, win second balls, and play with some urgency, the noise cools quickly. But if the game starts in the same passive register as Pontevedra, the criticism will only get louder. ### Bottom line This is not really a story about one angry patch of social media. It is about a reserve side taking a bad defeat at exactly the moment when supporters expect maximum edge. (athletic-club.eus) The score made the backlash visible. The underlying worry is that Bilbao Athletic may be finishing the season with empty legs and an even emptier feel.