Julen Guerrero was a Spanish wonderkid in the early 1990's. He was a one club man and managed to earn 41 caps for Spain and scored 13 goals in the process.
An entertaining 2nd leg where we were controlling it before throwing it away but not as bad as the Real Madrid match. When we got our 2nd away goal we were all but in the final so I was pretty relaxed.
--
v
Athletic Bilbao 1 (B.Zubillaga 90) Valencia 0
Lineup - Simon, Segura, A.Lopez, Zabalza*, Melgarejo, Nunez, Montes (U.Zubillaga), X.Lopez, Saizar (Castano), Adria, Goni (B.Zubillaga)
Borja Zubillaga's last minute goal not only gave us the win but saved us from failing to score in the league for the first time this season.
We were terrible here and Valencia fully deserved their victory. Jose Manuel made his debut while Lasa who has been a stalwart for the B team got a rare first team appearance despite being good enough for the first team.
3 games without a win for my backups now - not acceptable. I expect better from the likes of B.Zubillaga, Adria and X.Lopez. The defence is doing their bit.
We get revenge on our defeat in the league against Real by claiming the cup and it was fitting that it was one of my backups - Saizar - that got the winning goal as my backups played every match up to the final.
--
UEFA Champions League Final v
AC Milan 1 (Kessie 46) Athletic Bilbao 1 (Sancet 89) (AET - Athletic Bilbao win 4-2 on penalties) Lineup - Simon, Odriozola, Iturrino, Laporte, Jimenez (Melgarejo), Nolaskoain, Sancet*, Williams, Morilla (Saizar), Bengoetxea (Muniain), Gonzalez (B.Zubillaga)
Who would have thought that when we were in the group stages together we would meet again in the final? It was a very tight affair and we were seconds away from losing but Sancet fired in from the edge of the area to take us into extra-time. It went to penalties and we scored all ours with Iker Muniain scoring the decisive penalty.
--
SUMMARY
Our end to the season was successful if not exciting. I pitched in my backups for the last 6 games of the league campaign and while they got a great victory over Valencia and signed off with a 3-1 win over Valencia - they were disappointing in the other matches.
In the Copa del Rey we got a late winner to beat Real Madrid and in the Champions League we were moments away from losing but thankfully we levelled and won it on penalties.
Argote was a forward who suffered from injuries later on in his career. He played twice for Spain and actually won national championships playing the accordion and actually released an album!!!
--
END OF SEASON POST
Another season where we won every single competition that we were in but it was worse than the year before all told. We lost 2 league games compared to 0 the year before and the way we lost our first game when we were 3-0 up with less than half an hour to go was just unacceptable.
Having said that despite getting less points than last season we won the league by a far bigger margin than the year before as we ended up being 17pts clear and that's after I played my backups and they went 3 games without a win.
In the Copa del Rey once again we reached the final by playing my backups and in the final we edged it 1-0 thanks to Alberto Saizar's late winner. In the Champions League we negotiated our group easily enough and just pipped AC Milan to top the group. We then knocked out Arsenal, Chelsea and Juventus before we were reunited with AC Milan in the final and there we came out on top on penalties but only after we managed to equalise in the final minute of normal time.
All the Super Cups were won easily enough too.
Credit goes to my B team who with 1 game to play are 2nd in Liga 1 2 3. They are 3pts behind Getafe but they have the better head to head record. With the likes of Borrega, Lasa, U.Zubillaga, Segarra, Sanchez, Antonio David and Oyono they really do have a strong team.
--
FIRST TEAM SQUAD View attachment 20751View attachment 20750
Goalkeepers - Alex Remiro rejoined the club in the summer and was rewarded by being the starting keeper for the first couple of months of the season due to Unai Simon's injury but after that Simon held on to the journey as usual.
Defenders - At right back Odriozola was exceptional and Segura, who would walk into just about every other side, did well too. Melgarejo started the season well at left back but midway through the season Jimenez came in and made the position his own at only 18y/o.
As for the central defenders Alex Iturrino was amazing and scored 8 goals while Laporte was his imperious best. Alfonso Lopez did well but the surprise package was Zabalza who really impressed and has even forced himself into international reckoning.
Midfielders - Sancet and Nolaskoain were in fine form in the centre. Both got double figures in goals which is what I always want while Montes also impressed. On the RW Williams didn't score near as much goals as he usually does which was a disappointment while young Bengoetxea had an ok debut season but I would expect him to score more than 6 goals next year as he continues to develop.
In AMC Pelayo Morilla probably had his best season for us and netted 14 times while Alberto Saizar did well as his backup and came to the fore towards the end of the season and got into the Spain side.
Forwards - Imanol Gonzalez had 37 goals in 41 games which is a great record but he was just doing average until the turn of the year and then he scored 20 goals in 8 games which really boosted his numbers. Borja Zubillaga did OK as backup while Inaki Goni got a few games to show me what he could do.
My Player of the Year - Alex Iturrino My Young Player of the Year - Kepa Bengoetxea Must Do Better - Inaki Williams Donkey of the Year - Adria
--
AIMS FOR PRE-SEASON
I have such a wealth of talent bubbling under the first team that this summer will all be about finding the right loan moves for my youngsters. I of course have a minimum £530m to spend but I don't envisage much of that being spent.
I have also loaded up the English leagues as playable as I am going to take over Newcastle and just manage them during the transfer windows - try and make Athletic have a foreign challenger lol.
France 3 (O.Dembele 22, M.Dembele 35, Pogba 36pen) Spain 1 (Martin 19) Lineup - De Gea, Bellerin, Iturrino, Mere (Zabalza), Gaya (Aaron Martin), Saul, Rodri, Morilla, Asensio (Saizar), Gonzalez, Martin
We took the lead here and then just had a crazy 20min or so where we just collapsed. Sure it wasn't my first choice side but I expect better. I think I am cursed in the Nations League!!!
Aritz Zabalza made his Spain debut here.
--
UEFA Nations League 3rd Place Play-Off
v
Italy 2 (Chiesa 7, Belotti 17) Spain 4 (Asensio 52, Martin 58, Nolaskoain 75, Sancet 87) Lineup - De Gea, Odriozola, Zabalza, Mere (Cuenca), Gaya, Nolaskoain, Sancet, Williams (Suso), Saizar (Mayoral), Asensio*, Martin
A remarkable comeback as we come from 2-0 down without a hope to win 4-2. My Bilbao CM partnership Nolaskoain and Sancet scored the winning goals which was nice to see.
Now for the Confederations Cup!!!
--
Confederations Cup Group B
v
Spain 4 (Gonzalez 1, 80, Martin 52, Iturrino 55) Canada 0
Lineup - De Gea, Odriozola, Iturrino, Mere, Gaya, Saul, Sancet (Nolaskoain), Williams (Suso), Asensio (Saizar), Gonzalez*, Martin
A comfortable victory. Martin's goal was a weird one as he looped a header in from the edge of the area.
--
Confederations Cup Group B
v
Argentina 1 (Zaracho 83) Spain 1 (Iturrino 54) Lineup - De Gea, Odriozola, Iturrino, Zabalza, Aaron Martin, Nolaskoain (Rodri), Sancet, Williams (Suso), Asensio, Gonzalez, Mayoral (Morilla)
Meh. We did enough to win but alas it was not to be. Iturrino's goal was a beauty as he volleyed home from 15 yards.
--
Confederations Cup Group B
v
South Korea 1 (Son Heung-Min 49) Spain 4 (Martin 26, 84, Gonzalez 40, 45)
Lineup - De Gea, Odriozola (Bellerin), Iturrino, Mere, Gaya, Saul, Sancet (Rodri), Williams, Morilla (Saizar), Gonzalez*, Martin
This win means we top the group. Martin and Gonzalez both have great goalscoring records for Spain - Gonzalez's record is more impressive considering he plays out of position on the wing!
--
Confederations Cup Semi-Final
v
USA 0 Spain 2 (Williams 8, Suso 90)
Lineup - De Gea, Odriozola (Bellerin), Lopez, Zabalza, Aaron Martin, Rodri, Saizar*, Williams (Suso), Morilla, Asensio (Gaya), Mayoral
I was forced to rest most of my team here but the players that came in did well especially Saizar who played in an unfamiliar deeper position.
--
Confederations Cup Final
v
Argentina 1 (Dybala 16) Spain 4 (Gonzalez 4, 56, 61pen, Martin 19)
Lineup - De Gea, Odriozola, Iturrino, Mere, Gaya, Saul, Sancet (Nolaskoain), Williams (Suso), Saizar, Gonzalez*, Martin
We win the Confederations Cup with a convincing victory over Argentina. Imanol Gonzalez was immense and his hat-trick moves him onto 22 goals in just 25 caps.
I had an action packed summer what with managing Spain in the Nations League and the Confederations Cup, sorting out my Bilbao sides and of course sorting out the Newcastle squad (which was a nightmare!).
I was certainly busy in the transfer market and I even spent £10m in strengthening my B side and I hope they can now win the Liga 123 title after finishing runners-up last season.
Many of my staff were approached by English clubs to leave me but most stayed however I let a coach go to bring in former Athletic forward, Fernando Llorente, back to the club as part of my backroom team.
So here is what I have done in the transfer market so far...…..
--
PLAYERS OUT
I haven't actually sold anyone from the first team but I have loaned several prospects out. I did sell B team players Jose Antonio and Ander Guevara for just over £2m in total.
Adria has been loaned out for a £1m fee as has David Nunez, Aimar Nunez and Marti Segarra. Adria really needs first team football to kick on with his development while Segarra and Aimar Nunez are really talented players and I hope the loan spells can improve them like they have done with Juan Carlos.
As for David Nunez I decided to call up Unai Zubillaga to finally give him a season with the first team and thought it would be beneficial for Nunez to play every week in the top division and with Sevilla he will be at a high standard.
Alberto Castano has also been loaned out to get regular minutes at the top level while Mikel Goni, Jon Goiria, Inigo Perez, Aitor Martinez and David Martinez are all out on loan too. All 5 are decent players and prospects that are good enough for La Liga but not near my first team.
--
PLAYERS IN
Firstly the £10m I spent on the B team. For no money I brought in 2 of my old players back from Inter Milan. Jon Fernandez arrived on a free and Unai Nunez (a regen full back) came in on a 2 year loan. View attachment 20565View attachment 20564
Then I spent £3.4m to bring back a one time loanee Daniel Bacaicoa in from Real Betis. He has been a regular in their side for the last 3 seasons. At 22y/o he should be a key player for the B team with years to go. Also coming back is Unai Martinez who I sold to Napoli for £5.5m and I brought him back for £3.5m and he will be my B teams keeper. View attachment 20563View attachment 20562
Finally I brought in a 16y/o striker who will jump straight into the B team as he is far too good for the U19s. I paid Celta Vigo £2m for Brais and he is apparently good enough for the top division but we shall see how he gets on this season in the 2nd tier. View attachment 20561
I signed a decent looking 16y/o from Albacete for the U19s. Santiago be his name and we shall see how he develops. View attachment 20560
And then I went and broke my transfer record...………….
Yep he is back!!!!!!!! I paid £150m to bring Ignacio Martin back to the club after getting him poached off us for £139m last summer. He did well with PSG but it was Gonzalez who won the European Golden Boot so to bring him back should really strengthen our side. It means Gonzalez will have to go back to being a left winger but it works well for Spain so I have no worries.
--
FIRST TEAM SQUAD
Daniel Jimenez is my left back. He went ahead of Melgarejo halfway through last season but now its official lol. Unai Zubillaga is called up into the first team to be my backup CM while Nolaskoain is just, just, holding off Montes at the moment.
Gonzalez will be my LW while Juan Carlos, after 2 years out on loan, is back and looks like a great player but with Saizar and Morilla ahead of him game time could be tricky.
Martin naturally will play up front but Borja Zubillaga is now unhappy despite him not being any further down the pecking order. I may loan him out and call up one of my youngsters from the B team and Inaki Goni may get more game time. We shall see.
Urzaiz started his career at Real Madrid and played for a couple of clubs before finding a home at Athletic. He finished his career at Ajax and scored 8 goals in 25 games for Spain.
AUGUST UEFA European Super Cup
v
Real Madrid 1 (Vinicius Junior 12) Athletic Bilbao 2 (Martin 53, Gonzalez 80)
I was surprised at the final whistle here as I thought we were going into extra-time but I didn't realise that the 2nd goal that was scored by Real Madrid was disallowed. Ignacio Martin scored on his comeback match and Gonzalez impressed despite being back on the left wing.
--
Supercopa
v
Real Madrid 1 (Korotkov 61) Athletic Bilbao 3 (Bengoetxea 3, Gonzalez 27, 74) Lineup - Simon, Odriozola, Iturrino, Laporte, Melgarejo (Zabalza), Nolaskoain, Sancet, Martin (Muniain) (Saizar), Morilla, Bengoetxea, Gonzalez*
Another victory over Real Madrid that hands us another trophy. I went into this game without Williams and Xabi Lopez so Ignacio Martin had to play RW for a change.
--
v
Barcelona 2 (Coutinho 13, Ilic 61) Athletic Bilbao 4 (Gonzalez 49, 74pen, Nolaskoain 63, Martin 85) Lineup - Simon, Odriozola, Iturrino, Laporte, Melgarejo, Nolaskoain, Sancet (Montes), Williams (Goni), Morilla (Zabalza), Gonzalez*, Martin
I am so proud of my players here (apart from Melgarejo). We were 1 nil down and then 2-1 down with 10 men after Melgarejo's early sending off but we bounced back to somehow score 4 goals at the Nou Camp and get all 3pts.
--
v Athletic Bilbao 1 (Williams 18pen)
Valencia 0
Lineup - Simon, Odriozola*, Iturrino, Laporte, Zabalza, Nolaskoain, Sancet (Montes), Williams (Juan Carlos), Morilla, Bengoetxea, Martin (Goni)
Gonzalez got injured during training and is out for over a month so it gives Bengoetxea a run in the side and a shot at the Spain squad.
--
SUMMARY
We had a horrid first set of fixtures this season with 2 cup finals against Real Madrid, an away match with Barcelona and a home game against Valencia. Both cups were won fairly comfortably but it was the 4-2 away victory over Barcelona when we had a man sent-off after 25min that really impressed. Barcelona have actually lost their first 2 games this season.
There was one other transfer of note as Borja Zubillaga left. I offered him out on loan and nobody was willing to pay £150k a month and cover his wages but when I offered him out for an extortionate £30m (he was valued at £14m) RB Leipzig decided to pay that and give us 50% of any future fee!!!!! Despite being a backup player Zubillaga made 127 apps and scored 36 goals. 83 of his appearances were as a sub.
Inaki Goni now becomes our backup forward and I have called up Antonio David to be the backups backup lol.
Jose Panizo
1938-1955
Midfielder
413 apps, 169 goals
Panizo was part of the title winning side in 1942-43 and also won a few Spanish Cups while at Athletic. He played 14 times for Spain and scored 2 goals.
--
SEPTEMBER
v
Malaga 0 Athletic Bilbao 3 (Iturrino 45, Martin 48, 89) Lineup - Simon, Odriozola, Iturrino, Laporte, Melgarejo, Nolaskoain, Zubillaga, Williams (X.Lopez), Morilla (Saizar), Bengoetxea, Martin*
Disaster struck before the game as Montes got injured in training and is out for 4-5 months so it opens up a chance for Unai Zubillaga who did ok here.
--
UEFA Champions League Group A
v
Athletic Bilbao 2 (Williams 19pen, Odriozola 21) Juventus 1 (Kean 52)
Lineup - Simon, Odriozola*, Iturrino, Laporte, Melgarejo, Lasa, Sancet, Williams (X.Lopez), Morilla (Juan Carlos), Bengoetxea, Martin (Goni)
I am happy with this result as we were without a couple of players. Jon Lasa stepped up from the B team to do very well and it was a rare Odriozola goal that was the eventful winner.
--
v
Athletic Bilbao 1 (Bengoetxea 71) Atletico Madrid 0
I am very happy with this win and I am delighted that young Bengoetxea popped up with the goal.
--
v
Athletic Bilbao 3 (Nolaskoain 11, Martin 19, Sancet 43) Real Oviedo 0
Lineup - Simon, Odriozola, Iturrino, Laporte, Melgarejo, Nolaskoain, Sancet*, Williams, Morilla (Saizar), Bengoetxea, Martin
We were excellent in the first half here and it was just a shame we couldn't score anymore in the 2nd half.
--
v
Real Zaragoza 0 Athletic Bilbao 2 (Martin 15, Williams 52pen) Lineup - Simon, Odriozola, Iturrino* (Zabalza), Laporte, Melgarejo (Jimenez), Nolaskoain, Sancet (Zubillaga), Williams, Morilla, Muniain, Martin
Another win and another clean sheet.
--
SUMMARY
We won every match this month despite having some injury and fitness problems. The highlights were the victories over Juventus and Atletico Madrid with youngster Bengoetxea scoring the winner against Atletico. Next month we should have Gonzalez and Jimenez back fit so lets see how we do. Gonzalez has missed out on a few goals already as Williams has taken over the penalty taking duties and has 3 to his name.
Cedrun won 1 league title and 3 Copa del Rey's while at Athletic and his son and grandson were also goalkeepers who had appearances for Athletic. He played 13 times for Spain.
--
OCTOBER
UEFA Champions League Group A v
FC Basel 0 Athletic Bilbao 2 (Saizar 36, X.Lopez 75)
Out came the backups and they got the job done. Both Saizar and Juan Carlos complained about the lack of playing time a few days ago and both got a start here and did well.
--
v
Athletic Bilbao 3 (Muniain 13, Morilla 20, Zabalza 26) Real Betis 0 Lineup - Simon, Odriozola*, Zabalza, Laporte, Jimenez, Nolaskoain (Zubillaga), Sancet, Williams (X.Lopez), Morilla, Muniain, Martin (Goni)
Our 7th game of the league campaign brought our 7th win and we have had 6 clean sheets in a row to boot.
A fine victory and even more pleasing - another clean sheet.
--
UEFA Champions League Group A
v Athletic Bilbao 3 (Goni 11, Antonio David 83, 90) Sporting Lisbon 0 Lineup - Simon, Segura, A.Lopez (Etxaniz), Zabalza, Melgarejo, Zubillaga, Saizar, X.Lopez, Juan Carlos, Bengoetxea (Muniain), Goni (Antonio David*)
I put my faith in my backups and they didn't let me down. We dominated throughout and Antonio David really impressed when he came on and his 2nd goal was a great finish.
Tarragona 0 Athletic Bilbao 2 (Goni 58, X.Lopez 76) Lineup - Simon, Segura, A.Lopez (Etxaniz), Zabalza, Melgarejo*, Zubillaga, Saizar, X.Lopez, Juan Carlos (Lasa),Bengoetxea, Goni (Antonio David)
Comfortable enough but I am annoyed with Bengoetxea getting sent-off late on. I suppose it will give Muniain a rare start in the 2nd leg. Tarragona play my B team next lol.
--
SUMMARY
This month was all about our defence in the end as we didn't concede a single goal which is a great achievement and its 8 clean sheets in a row in the league and 9 overall. How long can the run go?
Moldova 0 Spain 5 (Saul 5, 29, Mayoral 73, Iturrino 87, Williams 90)
Lineup - De Gea, Odriozola, Iturrino, Mere, Aaron Martin, Nolaskoain, Saul*, Williams, Morilla (Saizar), Asensio (Bengoetxea), Martin (Mayoral)
Saul scored his 8th and 9th goals for Spain here and they were possibly his greatest ever goals. The first was a 25 yarder and the second was from even further out!!
Raul Segura made his long awaited international debut here and became the latest Athletic player to make an appearance. Bellerin and Maffeo were injured so he wasn't put in due to me being biased.
In the early 1980s Athletic were winning trophies and Dani won 2 league titles, 1 cup, 1 super cup and was a runner-up in the UEFA Cup to boot. He played 25 times for Spain and scored 10 goals.
--
NOVEMBER
v
Athletic Bilbao 4 (Williams 5, 53, Martin 36, 74) Getafe 0
Lineup - Simon, Odriozola, Iturrino, Laporte, Jimenez, Nolaskoain, Sancet, Williams*, Morilla, Gonzalez, Martin
A great performance shown by the fact that I didn't make a substitution. Another clean sheet too!!!
--
UEFA Champions League Group A
v
Sporting Lisbon 0 Athletic Bilbao 1 (Muniain 78)
Lineup - Simon, Segura, A.Lopez, Zabalza, Melgarejo, Zubillaga, Saizar, X.Lopez, Juan Carlos (Lasa), Bengoetxea (Muniain*), Goni (Antonio David)
Once again I trusted my backups and not only did they get the win to secure our passage into the next stage but they kept the run of clean sheets going too. Old man Muniain scored the winner shortly after coming off the bench.
Saying they are my backups - 6 current Spain internationals (would be 7 if Montes hadn't broken his leg) and 1 former (Muniain) - not bad lol.
--
v
Espanyol 0 Athletic Bilbao 5 (Sancet 8, Martin 26, 32, 52, Williams 89)
Lineup - Simon, Odriozola, Iturrino, Laporte, Jimenez, Nolaskoain (Zubillaga), Sancet, Williams, Morilla (Saizar), Gonzalez, Martin*
Espanyol have been the surprise package so far (they have Adria from ourselves and are managed by Pochettino) but we demolished them here. We got yet another clean sheet and Martin got a hat-trick. Gonzalez isn't scoring though which is a worry.
--
v
Athletic Bilbao 5 (Gonzalez 41, 48, 57, 72pen, 87) Huesca 0 Lineup - Simon, Odriozola, Iturrino, Laporte, Jimenez, Nolaskoain, Sancet, Williams, Morilla, Gonzalez*, Martin (Goni)
Welcome back Gonzalez!!! He scored all 5 goals here as he single handedly destroyed Huesca. Another clean sheet lol
--
UEFA Champions League Group A
v
Juventus 0 Athletic Bilbao 4 (Gonzalez 39, Nolaskoain 63, Sancet 68, Williams 74)
Lineup - Simon, Segura, Iturrino, Laporte, Jimenez (Melgarejo), Nolaskoain, Sancet, Williams, Morilla, Gonzalez*, Martin (Goni)
WOW!!! Not only did we get yet another clean sheet but we humiliate Juventus in their own ground to secure the group and put their qualification hopes in progress.
After scoring 14 goals in our last 3 league games I am a bit surprised that we struggled so badly here however we got another clean sheet.
--
SUMMARY
We really hit top form this month as we were banging in the goals and once again didn't concede any for the 2nd month in a row which means we have kept 15 clean sheets in a row. We scored 4 past Juventus and Getafe and 5 past Huesca and Espanyol with the standout individual performance being Imanol Gonzalez's 5 goal haul against Huesca.
We are amazingly 12pts clear at the top of the table after only 13 league games and have the title all but wrapped up already it seems.
--
PLAYER OF THE MONTH
UNAI SIMON
View attachment 19780
(Harsh on Gonzalez or Martin but I cannot ignore the man keeping all these clean sheets)
Finland 0 Spain 4 (Mere 35, Williams 60, 73, 84pen)
Lineup - De Gea, Odriozola, Iturrino, Mere, Aaron Martin, Saul, Sancet, Williams*, Asensio, Gonzalez, Martin (Mayoral)
8 of my starting XI were a booking away from suspension here - and only 2 (Mere & Sancet) got booked. This win secures qualification.
--
UEFA World Cup Qualifiers Group 10
v
Spain 3 (Nolaskoain 60, Martin 62, 72) Romania 1 (De Gea og23) Lineup - De Gea, Bellerin, Iturrino, Zabalza, Gaya, Rodri, Nolaskoain, Suso, Saizar, Morilla (Mayoral), Martin*
We were really struggling here until Romania had a man sent-off early in the 2nd half and after that we took control and won the match.
In the early 1980s Athletic were winning trophies and Dani won 2 league titles, 1 cup, 1 super cup and was a runner-up in the UEFA Cup to boot. He played 25 times for Spain and scored 10 goals.
--
NOVEMBER
v
Athletic Bilbao 4 (Williams 5, 53, Martin 36, 74) Getafe 0
Lineup - Simon, Odriozola, Iturrino, Laporte, Jimenez, Nolaskoain, Sancet, Williams*, Morilla, Gonzalez, Martin
A great performance shown by the fact that I didn't make a substitution. Another clean sheet too!!!
--
UEFA Champions League Group A
v
Sporting Lisbon 0 Athletic Bilbao 1 (Muniain 78)
Lineup - Simon, Segura, A.Lopez, Zabalza, Melgarejo, Zubillaga, Saizar, X.Lopez, Juan Carlos (Lasa), Bengoetxea (Muniain*), Goni (Antonio David)
Once again I trusted my backups and not only did they get the win to secure our passage into the next stage but they kept the run of clean sheets going too. Old man Muniain scored the winner shortly after coming off the bench.
Saying they are my backups - 6 current Spain internationals (would be 7 if Montes hadn't broken his leg) and 1 former (Muniain) - not bad lol.
--
v
Espanyol 0 Athletic Bilbao 5 (Sancet 8, Martin 26, 32, 52, Williams 89)
Lineup - Simon, Odriozola, Iturrino, Laporte, Jimenez, Nolaskoain (Zubillaga), Sancet, Williams, Morilla (Saizar), Gonzalez, Martin*
Espanyol have been the surprise package so far (they have Adria from ourselves and are managed by Pochettino) but we demolished them here. We got yet another clean sheet and Martin got a hat-trick. Gonzalez isn't scoring though which is a worry.
--
v
Athletic Bilbao 5 (Gonzalez 41, 48, 57, 72pen, 87) Huesca 0 Lineup - Simon, Odriozola, Iturrino, Laporte, Jimenez, Nolaskoain, Sancet, Williams, Morilla, Gonzalez*, Martin (Goni)
Welcome back Gonzalez!!! He scored all 5 goals here as he single handedly destroyed Huesca. Another clean sheet lol
--
UEFA Champions League Group A
v
Juventus 0 Athletic Bilbao 4 (Gonzalez 39, Nolaskoain 63, Sancet 68, Williams 74)
Lineup - Simon, Segura, Iturrino, Laporte, Jimenez (Melgarejo), Nolaskoain, Sancet, Williams, Morilla, Gonzalez*, Martin (Goni)
WOW!!! Not only did we get yet another clean sheet but we humiliate Juventus in their own ground to secure the group and put their qualification hopes in progress.
After scoring 14 goals in our last 3 league games I am a bit surprised that we struggled so badly here however we got another clean sheet.
--
SUMMARY
We really hit top form this month as we were banging in the goals and once again didn't concede any for the 2nd month in a row which means we have kept 15 clean sheets in a row. We scored 4 past Juventus and Getafe and 5 past Huesca and Espanyol with the standout individual performance being Imanol Gonzalez's 5 goal haul against Huesca.
We are amazingly 12pts clear at the top of the table after only 13 league games and have the title all but wrapped up already it seems.
--
PLAYER OF THE MONTH
UNAI SIMON
View attachment 1197515
(Harsh on Gonzalez or Martin but I cannot ignore the man keeping all these clean sheets)
Finland 0 Spain 4 (Mere 35, Williams 60, 73, 84pen)
Lineup - De Gea, Odriozola, Iturrino, Mere, Aaron Martin, Saul, Sancet, Williams*, Asensio, Gonzalez, Martin (Mayoral)
8 of my starting XI were a booking away from suspension here - and only 2 (Mere & Sancet) got booked. This win secures qualification.
--
UEFA World Cup Qualifiers Group 10
v
Spain 3 (Nolaskoain 60, Martin 62, 72) Romania 1 (De Gea og23) Lineup - De Gea, Bellerin, Iturrino, Zabalza, Gaya, Rodri, Nolaskoain, Suso, Saizar, Morilla (Mayoral), Martin*
We were really struggling here until Romania had a man sent-off early in the 2nd half and after that we took control and won the match.
Urrutia spent his whole career with Athletic and was a true one club man even more so as he was president of the club between 2011 until last November.
--
DECEMBER
Copa del Rey 4th Round 2nd Leg
v Athletic Bilbao 2 (Saizar 27, Goni 56) Tarragona 0 (Agg: 4-0)
Lineup - Simon, Segura, A.Lopez, Zabalza (Etxaniz), Melgarejo, Zubillaga, Saizar*, X.Lopez, Juan Carlos (Lasa), Muniain, Goni (Antonio David)
Tarragona were never likely to end our run of clean sheets although I would have expected us to have scored more goals.
--
v
Athletic Bilbao 4 (Laporte 20, Martin 60, 69, Bengoetxea 90) Real Madrid 1 (Isco 45)
I cant believe that I am gutted that we thumped Real Madrid 4-1 but I am as we lost our clean sheet record thanks to an injury time goal in the 1st half. It ended up being 12 clean sheets in a row in the league and 18 overall.
Martin played most of the game as a RW after Williams' injury so for him to star was pleasing.
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UEFA Champions League Group A
v Athletic Bilbao 2 (X.Lopez 14, Goni 26) FC Basel 0
We went into this derby match without 6 players (Odriozola, Gonzalez, Williams, Iturrino, Goni and Montes) so I am naturally delighted that we still came out with the victory.
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SUMMARY
Lots of news this month with us winning the Club World Cup, thrashing Real Madrid, defeating Real Sociedad in the first leg of the Copa del Rey and progressing in the Champions League. However the biggest piece of news regarding on field matters was the fact that we actually conceded a goal in the match versus Real Madrid.
Off the field we have news too as Imanol Gonzalez won all the world player of the year awards which is a great achievement and becomes the first Athletic player to do so. He was also named in the team of the year alongside Iturrino, Laporte and Odriozola while Martin was on the bench.
Uriarte won 2 Copa del Reys while at Athletic and also won the Pichichi trophy once for being the top scorer in a season. He played 9 times for Spain and scored 1 goal.
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JANUARY
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Athletic Bilbao 4 (Iturrino 17, Martin 25, Morilla 29, Bengoetxea 58) Villarreal 0 Lineup - Simon, Segura, Iturrino, Laporte, Jimenez, Nolaskoain (Zubillaga), Sancet (Juan Carlos), X.Lopez, Morilla*, Bengoetxea, Martin (Goni)
A very nice win indeed and Pelayo Morilla put in his first great performance in a while as he scored his 2nd goal of the season and got 2 assists to boot. Oh and whisper it quietly but we have kept 6 clean sheets in a row now lol.
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Copa del Rey 5th Round 2nd Leg
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Real Sociedad 0 Athletic Bilbao 1 (Sanchez 3) (Agg: 0-4) Lineup - Simon, Segura, A.Lopez (Etxaniz), Zabalza, Melgarejo, Zubillaga (Montes), Saizar, Julia*, Juan Carlos, Sanchez, Goni (Anotonio David)
Pity Real Sociedad. They couldn't even beat my weakened backup team and it was 2 players who got their first appearance of the season (Julia and Sanchez) who combined for our goal. Pleasing to see Montes return from his bad injury.
Yes its a win but I am ****** off that we conceded 2 goals from only 3 shots. Bengoetxea had a late goal disallowed and they had a man sent-off in injury time.
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Copa del Rey Quarter-Final 1st Leg
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Athletic Bilbao 1 (Melgarejo 78) Leganes 0 Lineup - Simon, S.Zabalza, A.Lopez (Etxaniz), A.Zabalza, Melgarejo*, Zubillaga, Saizar (Montes), X.Lopez, Juan Carlos, Bengoetxea, Goni (Antonio David)
I put my faith in the backups here and they did OK with Melgarejo scoring the only goal via a free-kick. Sergio Zabalza from the B team made his debut here.
2 draws in a row!!! We almost lost as well as Real Madrid had a last minute goal disallowed.
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SUMMARY
January as ever was a busy month with our league and cup commitments but overall we did very well. We thumped Villarreal 4-0, beat our bitter rivals Real Sociedad in the cup, beat Leganes 3 times in a row and also drew with Barcelona and Real Madrid although that was our first games we haven't won all season.
In the league we are still miles ahead at the top with a game in hand to boot so we are just going to plug away and see how quickly we can secure the title.
In the transfer market we said goodbye to a true Athletic legend in Iker Muniain. He wanted a new challenge and joined Sampdoria for £1.4m. He made 289 apps for me and scored 77 goals for me so he did really well.
Carlos Gurpegi
2002-2016
Midfielder
393 apps, 22 goals
Gurpegi was part of the great Marcelo Bielsa side a few years back and would have made more appearances but for a 2 year ban for failing a drugs test in 2006.
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FEBRUARY
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Athletic Bilbao 2 (Morilla 43, Gonzalez 85) Malaga 0 Lineup - Simon, Odriozola, Iturrino (Zabalza), Laporte, Jimenez, Nolaskoain (Montes), Sancet, X.Lopez, Morilla, Gonzalez*, Martin (Goni)
Not our greatest performance but we got a couple of goals and a clean sheet so I cant complain.
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Copa del Rey Semi-Final 2nd Leg
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Athletic Bilbao 4 (Iturrino 11, Sancet 13, Gonzalez 15, Martin 34) Real Madrid 2 (Bailey 45, Vinicius Junior 75) (Agg: 5-3) Lineup - Simon, Odriozola, Iturrino, Laporte, Jimenez, Nolaskoain, Sancet, X.Lopez, Morilla (Saizar), Gonzalez*, Martin
We were magnificent in the 1st half and surged into a 4 goal lead. We got pegged back but naturally I am delighted that we reach another final.
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Valencia 2 (Guedes 44, Thauvin 89) Athletic Bilbao 2 (Iturrino 58, Martin 59)
We got away with that here as we were a goal behind and struggling until they had a man sent-off just after the hour mark and after that we took control and managed to edge the match.
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Atletico Madrid 2 (Griezmann 4, Vivaldo 17) Athletic Bilbao 2 (Martin 37, Morilla 71)
Lineup - Simon, Odriozola (Segura), Iturrino, Laporte, Jimenez, Nolaskoain, Sancet (Montes), Williams (X.Lopez), Morilla*, Gonzalez, Martin
Another draw!!!! Tbh I am happy that we fought back from 2 goals down to salvage a point. Morilla equalised with a beauty from 25 yards.
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Celta Vigo 1 (Santamaria 17) Athletic Bilbao 3 (Iturrino 8, Gonzalez 28pen, Martin 42)
Lineup - Simon, Odriozola, Iturrino, Laporte, Jimenez, Nolaskoain, Sancet, Williams (X.Lopez), Morilla, Gonzalez*, Martin
A good win but it could have been even better as Gonzalez had 2 goals disallowed which denied him a hat-trick.
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Athletic Bilbao 5 (Martin 29, Iturrino 39, Morilla 40, 90, Sancet 50) Real Zaragoza 0 Lineup - Simon, Odriozola, Iturrino, Laporte, Jimenez, Nolaskoain, Sancet, Williams (X.Lopez), Morilla*, Gonzalez, Martin (Goni)
A superb win and performance but I am left frustrated as Imanol Gonzalez missed 2 penalties which would have made it an even more emphatic victory had he scored.
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Real Betis 2 (Sesma 61, Llorente 86) Athletic Bilbao 2 (Martin 5, Iturrino 10) Lineup - Simon, Odriozola (Segura), Iturrino*, Laporte, Jimenez, Zubillaga, Montes, Williams (Bengoetxea), Saizar (Ruiz), Gonzalez, Martin
Not good enough. Even though I was missing a few players it was not acceptable that we threw away a 2 goal lead and it could have been worse as they even had a goal disallowed. Saizar got injured and will be out for 2 months while Gaspar Ruiz made his 1st team debut.
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Real Oviedo 0 Athletic Bilbao 3 (Iturrino 5, Martin 31, Nyland og62)
Lineup - Simon, Odriozola, Iturrino*, Laporte, Jimenez, Nolaskoain (Montes), Sancet, Williams, Morilla (Juan Carlos), Gonzalez, Martin
Iturrino has scored in his last 4 league games and 5 out of his last 6 while Martin has scored in each of his last 6 league games.
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SUMMARY
February was another hectic month as we had so many league games to fit in as well as the 2nd leg of the Copa del Rey semi and our 1st leg of our match with Benfica. In the league we won most of our games apart from 2 draws with Atletico Madrid and Real Betis and we are 14pts clear so all is good.
A special mention goes to Alex Iturrino. With the departure of Muniain Iturrino is now our captain (as he is with Spain) and at only 19 years of age he is truly exceptional. He scored 5 goals this month as he led by example.
Iraizoz came through Athletic's youth system but really made his name at Espanyol before he returned to Athletic where he became the No 1 for a decade. He once scored a last minute equaliser in a match which was wrongly disallowed.
A comfortable win. Alfonso Lopez amazingly made his first league appearance of the season here while Xabi Lopez scored the goal of the game as he volleyed in from 15 yards. Morilla got injured and is out for a month or so.
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Getafe 1 (Mina 57) Athletic Bilbao 2 (Williams 10pen, Martin 26) Lineup - Simon, Odriozola, Iturrino, Zabalza*, Jimenez, Nolaskoain (Zubillaga), Montes, Williams (X.Lopez), Juan Carlos, Bengoetxea (Goni), Martin
We went into a 2 goal lead and that was fine but after that we were awful and I am not particularly happy with that performance. This win secures Champions League qualification so I am given my initial transfer budget - £381m.
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SUMMARY
On the field this month we did well this month as we won every match so I cant have too many complaints!!! The league campaign is all but over and I am just waiting to secure the title before resting my first team although I may try a new formation with my 1st team just to experiment when things are settled. That being said I could play my B team for the rest of the season and the title would still be ours.
In the Champions League we knocked out Benfica and have Barcelona in the next round.
As for the youth intake we got a few average players but 2 players really stood out. One will be my backup keeper for next season. View attachment 18878View attachment 18877
Manuel Sarabia
1978-1988
Forward
382 apps, 118 goals
Sarabia was part of the golden Athletic side of the early 1980s which won 2 league titles and a Copa del Rey. He played 15 times for Spain and scored 2 goals.
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APRIL
v
Huesca 0 Athletic Bilbao 3 (Zabalza 10, Williams 37, Goni 74)
Lineup - Simon, Odriozola, Iturrino (A.Lopez), Zabalza*, Jimenez, Nolaskoain (Zubillaga), Sancet, Williams, Juan Carlos, Bengoetxea, Martin (Goni)
A comfortable victory. Zabalza scored a great free-kick while Inaki Goni continues to impress as a super sub as he got his 16th goal of the season.
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UEFA Champions League Quarter-Final 1st Leg v
Barcelona 1 (Manga 24) Athletic Bilbao 1 (Nolaskoain 78) Lineup - Simon, Odriozola (Segura), Iturrino, Zabalza, Jimenez, Nolaskoain*, Sancet, Williams, Juan Carlos, Gonzalez (Bengoetxea), Martin (Goni)
We got away with a score draw here as we were pretty poor in truth. Manga put them in front but he got sent-off in the 2nd half and from there we were able to equalise when Nolaskoain scored from the edge of the area. A good result but a poor performance.
Juan Carlos has finally been getting a string of starts due to injuries to Saizar and Morilla but tbh he has been pretty poor so far and he hasn't been training well either.
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Athletic Bilbao 2 (Gonzalez 73, Goni 79) Levante 1 (Sergi 62) Lineup - Simon, Odriozola, Iturrino, Zabalza, Jimenez, Nolaskoain (Zubillaga), Montes, Williams (X.Lopez), Juan Carlos, Gonzalez, Martin (Goni)
This win secures our 7th consecutive La Liga title. We weren't at our best here and fell behind but goals from Gonzalez and supersub Goni won us the match.
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UEFA Champions League Quarter-Final 2nd Leg
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Athletic Bilbao 4 (Pogba og23, Montes 56, Gonzalez 63, Williams 68) Barcelona 3 (Joshua 9, Pogba 32, Schick 71) (Agg: 5-4)
Lineup - Simon, Segura, Iturrino, Laporte (A.Lopez), Melgarejo, Nolaskoain, Sancet (Zubillaga), Williams, Montes*, Gonzalez, Martin (Goni)
This was an entertaining affair with 7 goals and fortunately we just edged it. Manolo Montes isn't a natural AMC but he was the best player on the park here.
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Athletic Bilbao 1 (Goni 58pen) Real Sociedad 0
Lineup - Simon, Segura, A.Lopez (Etxaniz), Zabalza*, Melgarejo, Zubillaga, Lasa, X.Lopez, Juan Carlos, Bengoetxea (Sanchez), Goni (Antonio David)
I entrusted my backups to keep our unbeaten league campaign going and they just did enough here. Goni scored his 9th league goal of the season and his 18th overall to earn us all 3pts.
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Real Madrid 0 Athletic Bilbao 1 (Sancet 76) Lineup - Simon, Odriozola*, Iturrino, Laporte, Jimenez, Nolaskoain (Montes), Sancet, Williams (X.Lopez), Juan Carlos, Gonzalez, Martin (Goni)
I am delighted with this win as it keeps our unbeaten campaign going. They had a goal disallowed in the 1st half and had other chances but we got the goal and held on.
A nothing match although Simon kept his 25th clean sheet in the league this season which is a record. Barandiaran and Santiago made their debuts here with Barandiaran becoming the clubs youngest ever player at 15 years and 315 days.
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UEFA Champions League Semi-Final 1st Leg
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Athletic Bilbao 1 (Juan Carlos 25) Bayern Munich 1 (Arp 3) Lineup - Simon, Odriozola (Segura), Iturrino, Laporte, Jimenez, Nolaskoain, Sancet, Williams (Saizar), Juan Carlos, Gonzalez, Martin (Goni)
We have a tough job on our hands to qualify now as we failed to take advantage of Bayern having a man sent-off in the 2nd half. Saizar returned from injury and Juan Carlos celebrated signing a new contract by finally getting his first goal of the season.
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SUMMARY
We go into the final month of the season with a bit of work still to do. Sure the league is all wrapped up and I will play my backups in the final 3 games but we are aiming to go the entire league (and cup) campaign unbeaten so there is pressure on. We also have the Copa del Rey final to play but the biggest challenge will be to get a result away to Bayern Munich to reach the Champions League final.
Known as "The Butcher of Bilbao", Goikoetxea famously broke Diego Maradona's ankle with a shocking challenge. He was a key figure in the successful side of the early 1980s and won 39 caps for Spain, scoring 4 times.
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MAY
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Athletic Bilbao 2 (Zabalza 6, Antonio David 78pen) Celta Vigo 1 (Moreno 25)
Lineup - Simon, Segura, Etxaniz, Zabalza, Melgarejo, Zubillaga, Montes, X.Lopez, Saizar (Ruiz), Bengoetxea (Sanchez), Goni (Antonio David)
This was a tough match and Celta had a goal disallowed too but we got the win thanks to Antonio David's first league goal for us.
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UEFA Champions League Semi-Final 2nd Leg v
Bayern Munich 3 (Bruun Larsen 55, Arp 98, 116) Athletic Bilbao 3 (Williams 21, Goni 107, 110) (AET - Agg: 4-4, Athletic Bilbao win on away goals) Lineup - Simon, Odriozola, Iturrino, Laporte, Jimenez, Nolaskoain (Montes), Sancet, Williams, Juan Carlos (Saizar), Gonzalez, Martin (Goni)
What a match this was and it really exploded into life in extra-time. Inaki Goni was our hero as he scored twice but he missed a chance for his hat-trick. They had chances to win it too but we rode our luck and just clung on.
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Eibar 0 Athletic Bilbao 1 (Saizar 73)
Lineup - Simon, Segura, A.Lopez, Zabalza, Melgarejo, Zubillaga, Montes, X.Lopez, Juan Carlos (Saizar*), Bengoetxea (Sanchez), Goni (Antonio David)
We were pretty poor here and had to rely on a moment of magic from Saizar as he struck from 25 yards to give us the 3pts. The win takes us up to 101pts for the season.
We retain the Copa del Rey with victory over Valencia here. Morilla made his comeback from injury off the bench which was a boost while Segura stepped in for the suspended Odriozola.
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UEFA Champions League Final v
Inter Milan 2 (Gatto 49, Joveljic 65) Athletic Bilbao 6 (Martin 4, 75, Sancet 24, Gonzalez 52, Laporte 60, X.Lopez 89) Lineup - Simon, Odriozola (Segura), Iturrino, Laporte, Jimenez, Nolaskoain (Montes), Sancet, Williams (X.Lopez), Saizar, Gonzalez*, Martin
What a way to win a final!!! We were superb here and blew Inter away with 6 goals as they couldn't cope with us. An amazing performance on the biggest of stages although conceding 2 goals isn't good lol.
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SUMMARY
We ended the season in fine fashion as we ended up seeing out the entire campaign being unbeaten in all competitions. There were some magical moments from Inaki Goni's double to see us through against Bayern Munich and the thumping we gave Inter Milan in the final of the Champions League as we beat them 6-2.
Aduriz is still playing for Athletic at the ripe old age of 38. He has had 3 spells with Athletic and played 11 times for Spain, scoring 2 goals.
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END OF SEASON POST
Another year and another heap of trophies as yet again we won everything available to us and this time we managed to be unbeaten throughout the whole campaign which is quite incredible. It is a bit too easy but it is still fun. Maybe I should take over some Spanish sides when they lose their manager and just arrange some transfers for them - I dunno lol.
In the league we ended up with 104pts and finished 25pts ahead of the 2nd placed side. We scored 92 goals and only conceded 16 with us at one stage of the season keeping 18 clean sheets in a row. What we aim to achieve next is to win every match although that may be unrealistic.
The minor cups were won easily both at home and abroad while in the Copa del Rey we defeated Valencia in the final after knocking out our rivals Real Sociedad and Real Madrid amongst others. In the Champions League we also found it tough after the group stage as Barcelona and especially Bayern Munich ran us close but we managed to sneak through and then we hit Inter for 6 in the final.
Not much else to say about what happened on the pitch but I suppose off it I broke our transfer record to bring Ignacio Martin back to the club.
Goalkeepers - Unai Simon played all 64 games for us and kept 39 clean sheets in all competitions with 27 coming in the league. Not much else to say really lol.
Defenders - Of course Unai Simon cant get all the credit for the clean sheet record as my defence were at times unbeatable. They have such high standards that it is hard to single out a single player but Alex Iturrino's 11 goals was impressive. Aritz Zabalza once again improved and would walk into just about any other side.
Midfielders - Nolaskoain and Sancet were solid as usual but they didn't get the amount of goals that they did last time out. Manolo Montes suffered from injuries but Unai Zubillaga came into the squad and impressed. Inaki Williams was decent on the right with his backup, Xabi Lopez, came onto a game this term while in AMC we struggled with injuries and inconsistency tbh with Morilla and Saizar suffering from both while Juan Carlos was largely disappointing when he got a chance.
Forwards - Imanol Gonzalez was great although he was always played on the left wing but he still managed to score 5 goals in one match. Ignacio Martin came back to the club and top scored with 35 goals while all credit goes to Inaki Goni as my backup striker was our super sub and changed the course of many games and ended up with 20 goals for the season.
My Player of the Season - Alex Iturrino My Young Player of the Season - Inaki Goni Must Do Better - Pelayo Morilla Donkey of the Season - Juan Carlos
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OTHER TEAMS
My B side are either going to finish 2nd or 3rd in Liga 123 as there is one game left. They have done so well once again and have some terrific talents in there such as Lasa, Sanchez, Brais, Oyono, Borrega and Bacaicoa. Considering the 2nd top scorer in Liga 123 was out on loan from my B side shows the strength of my B team!!!
As for Newcastle well we just had to avoid relegation and going into the winter transfer window we were mired in a relegation battle but after overhauling the squad they managed to finish 10th so I am happy with that. (I only take over when there is a transfer window).
Costa Rica 0
Spain 3 (Gonzalez 19, Asensio 29, 36)
Lineup - De Gea, Odriozola, Iturrino, Mere, Gaya (Aaron Martin), Rodri, Joshua, Williams (Suso), Asensio*, Gonzalez (Morilla), Martin (Manga)
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Friendly
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Spain 12 (Martin 9, Williams 19, 52, 65, 79, Asensio 23, 32pen, Gonzalez 25, Iturrino 29, Joshua 50, 64, Manga 83) San Marino 0
Lineup - De Gea, Odriozola (Bellerin), Iturrino, Mere (Zabalza), Gaya (Aaron Martin), Rodri (Saizar), Joshua, Williams*, Asensio, Gonzalez, Martin (Manga)
This is my usual pre-tournament friendly against minnows to boost my players confidence and they should be flying after a 12-0 win. They had a man sent-off while we had 62 efforts on goal!!
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