Manager Notebook: Burgos FC from the Fourth Stooge... to spanish big?

[Death Ball]

Manager Notebook: Burgos from the Fourth Stooge... to spanish big? [shorter from #24]

((NOTE: from reply #24 the posts will be shorter, the prvious tend to be long, maybe too much))

Manager notebook. What is Burgos
- By Ezequiel Valls

As it turned out, there was another Ezequiel Valls and the japanese job wasn't for me. however I was offered the position for my hometown team. Burgos CF currently laying in Tercera División, after past year's failure to promote.

Before starting with the reports, some history is in order.

Originally Gimnástica Burgalesa, the team enjoyed a run in the top division during the fifites and the name Burgos CF, not doing bad. Until they dropped and spent a long period in 2ªB, where the were named Burgos Promesas until 1983 (actually was the reserve team renamed and main disappear due to debts), when changed name to Real Burgos. From there they emerged to reach Primera with a small budget after the 89/90 season.

Once in the top spanish division they marked some decent season with middle table position and getting draws and wins against the big teams like Barcelona and Real Madrid, better at home thanks to the very cold clomate of Burgos, where you can find 4ºC during... August, every year at least a day, and no more than fifteen days above 32ºC.

Then at their third year, after a huge lot of drawns and a invalidated legal goal in the last match that would have given the victory, the team lost the category. But, since some taxes had been left without payment, were punished to go down to 2B. The team disolved and in season 94/95 was refunded as Burgos CF.

Played in the season 01/02 in 2ªA, with a magnificent first leg and a **** poor second, ending the first third and the the second sixteenth.

And the directive showed the biggest three stooges play (apart from the pitch using hard paper scoreboards). They wanted to gain promotion next season. They spent 400 millions of pesetas signing four ex-Primera players, taken from relegated teams.

One week after, the deadline to become SAD, needed to play above 2ªB expired. One month after, the LFP sentenced that since Burgos didn't pay the 400M pesetas needed to become SAD (the same used to sign the four star players) the team was to be relegated to 2ªB.

If that wasn't enough:

- The four star players said they had signed for a 2ªA team with promises of promotion in a year, not a 2ªB. They called invalid their contracts.

- The usual starting eleven players said they didn't want to ever return to play 2ªB, they left.

- Everyone else followed suit.

- Only two seventeen years old stayed, because they saw their big chance to play in the starting XI.

- The coach I think followed the majority suit and left, angry as everyone.

- Mirandés, the feeder club, said they would not be feeders for such pathetic team and broke ties, looking for another parent club.

Team had to be rebuilt. First 2ªB season was tough but they survived to link a series of qualifitacions for promotion play offs they lost, until 06/07 that lost in the final's second leg extra time to Sevilla Atlético. The next 07/08 they went down to Tercera.

In 08/09 they were first of their group with four matches to go. Apparently they decided to rest the key players to be fit for promotion play offs and with four straight drawns dropped to third. Hence losing the chance of being promoted by winning just one two legged phase against other group champions, having to then win three two leffed phases. Of which they won the first, but lost the second with a 0-1 at home and 1-0 away, for a global 0-2.

Now we're on the second season in Tercera División, with most of the team that performed so well until four matches were left of the regular season. A team that lately distinguishes for the difficulty to score and that has been piling ridicule after ridicule.

 

[SunderlandSam]

Looking forward to following mate

 

[Chris]

Good luck with this.

 

[Danny]

Good Luck.

Your story with Football Manager 2009 was super, So i hope this is the same.

I'll follow for sure.

 

[rrrrrrrrrr]

good luck with this, i didn't know tha burgos had a so interesting history, i saw them play one year against our reserves.

 

[Death Ball]

The manager's notebook. Preseason
- By Ezequiel Valls

What I find upon signing to the team is a squad that is good for the level at which the team is but with some clear spots for improvement, specially ahead.

In the goalkeeper position I find only one goalie that I feel satisfied to field, Aurreko, and make him my first choice. Due to the usual scarcity of goalie injuries I let the task of finding a second for another time.

The defense looks solid, though it lacks speed. Nothing much, since with one one fast defender Bolle managed to get his Crewe from League One to Championship and Tercera would be like saying League Two. Besides, the lack of speed is compensated with other virtues such as good aerial proficiency.

However I like always to have at least a pacey central defender for the ocasional counter attack, I find no one fast and with enough ability for defense and I just go for giving a bit more depth with Gustavo, got in a free transfer from Collado Villalba.

The left full back position was covered with Nené, a creative and talented player Ichaso, my second hand in the team, recommends as playmaker (he can play as left midfielder) good enough defender, fast enough and with talent to help in the attack.

The right has Urbano, who is enough for the position, though there's not too good cover. ((Btw, according to the official Burgos CF webpage Urbano plays in the left, not the right as the game says)).

What I find being more problematic about the team is not the forward, which is been a weak point for the team at least since the season 05/06, but the lack of creative and intelligent midfielders to make the plays, so I opt to think perhaps the scoring trouble comes from the midfield. The team has already one decent striker in Zamora. Only Nel, who is injured until a couple matches into the league has some intelligence. There are a couple of just decent players considering the division, like Maureta, and Álvaro Núñez, who lacks creativity but knows what not to do.

So I delve in the market to fill the middle of the pitch with creative players. I get Fernando in a free transfer, an attacking midfielder with a good eye to organize the game, maybe better than Nel. I also find a player, Carlos Pérez, who is just competent in intelligence, good defender, slow and short for attacks but whom I need to have someone for the left side of the pitch, as I plan to use a 4-4-2.

In looking around I also find two wingers at affordable prices: Mario Pizarraya from Recreativo de Huelva for €8K, mainly for the pace; and €60K gets me Betis' Israel, fast and smart enough to at least create his own chances, potentially a star player for the team-

I also need a partner for Zamora in the forward and also to make sure if Zamora is injured there'll be one good striker. I only look for one who looks good enough, I get one that while being physically average has a very good head: €70K to Swansea for Guillem Bauzá.

And then I want to fill that right full back in case Urbano is injured, though there's enough DCs to settle with a three DC formation.

And then I find, that between the new players and offering full time contracts, I'm almost €7Kp/w over the wage budget. Since I had much transfer budget I fiddle, but only get down to €3.7K above. That means I can't afford the wages decent right backs ask and I can't do any more hiring. Even more: I have to unload unwanted players, and I only manage to give Zazu for free to Eldense and release Lezaun on a fee (€78K costs me, but much cheaper than the total wages left to pay).

That has one consequence I didn't want, since the team's economy is not good, as the balance has gone €100K in the reds: I will have to fight to reach as further in the King's Cup as I can, no fielding reserves to keep strength for the league. I need the money.

The initial XI will look something like:

Burgos CF (4-4-2): Aurreko (GK, D); Nené (WB, D), Colina (DC, Cover), Jonathan castro (DC, Stopper), Urbano (WB, D); Pizarrayya (ML, winger attack), Maureta (MC, ball winning defend), Fernando (MC, Adv playmaker support), Israel (MR winger attack); Zamora (Adv ST attack), Bauzá (deep ST support).


(D I'm glad you liked it.))

 

[Mike]

Good luck mate, definitely following! <)

 

[Death Ball]

Manager Notebook: The friendly matches
- By Ezequiel Valls

As the signings were going on while the matches happened and I wanted to know the players, the friendlies served more to see diferent players at work rather than trying different formations and tactical solutions

The matches were arranged to start with the stronger opposition, continue with weaker and end with a division rival. Before that there was an intra squad friendly with the Under 19, which was disappointing: a goalless draw. This match used a 4-5-1 (DMC, 2MC, 2AMR/L), where captain Álvaro Núñez disappointed with some poor passing.

The first tough, perhaps the toughest, match was done with 2ªB Castilla, the Real Madrid's second team. The expected best squad at the moment was fielded here and they provided a very nice battle. They showed what I hope will be a constant for the season: their capacity to fight back in adversity. It was soon when Castilla scored their first goal after a well placed cross and not two minutes had passed when Zamora scored the equaliser. The first half ended with the same 1-1 result and Castilla unable to show their theorical superiority. The match's face changed during second half, with Burgos changing to a 4-4-2 formation and proving to be the better, not by getting more possesion but by creating the best chances and the better football, however a defensive error led to Castilla's second goal with a quarter hour to go, when the offensive bite was being lost to tiredness, but in a counter attack Espinosa assisted his strike Partner Óscar for a close range goal that settled the final 2-2 drawn, A good result to boost the morale and confirming Burgo's status as favorites for group championship and promotion.

The 4-4-2 appeared to work better than the 4-5-1 (or 4-3-3). The next match was against another 2ªB: Lugo, also at home. Here I made some changes to the starting XI and whie the team's efforts were satisfactory, we couldn't do more than a 0-0.

The next matches were against 2ªB Mirandés, of lesser strength than the previous and gave hopes that with the creative Fernando and Carlos Pérez the problems in the final third might have been helped: 3-1 easy victory.

Match against Burgos Promesas, in Regional Preferente, one division below, was used to make the test for a 4-2-3-1 with two MCs. It was a comfortable 3-0 victory, but it didn't feel satisfactory considering amount of chances, quality of them and quality of the rival.

The next and last friendly match was done against a division rival: Lermeño. Here I returned to the 4-4-2 to see the latest signing at work, so I fielded my chosen starting eleven plus Israel, who likely would be there. The result was a deceptive 2-1. With a lot more possession and more chances, many of them clear cut chances, the end result could have been much bigger.

After that, the season was going to start, and one doubt remained on the coaching staff: would the scoring problem persist?. The pre season friendlies have been giving good signs in that regard: two goals to Castilla, three goals to another 2ªB team. But the 0-0 against Lugo and the several clear chances wasted against Lermeño didn't give too much room to optimism in that side.

There were some clear good signs: despite the goals conceded to Lermeño and Lugo, the defense shows signs of working well, winning everything on the air (the only aerial goal conceded was a cross to a lone striker in the Castilla game) and no one had still broken it by speed, clearing the main worry in the defense department. Not only that: the midfield proved to work well with the defense to recover the ball before danger could be created and did a good job to keep the ball afterward. It also had some sensible movement of the ball and a decent passing, but some excessive liking for long shots which is a problem that could be improved easily and even then it knew to create good chances, many good chances, enough that even if the forward is as loose with the shots at goal grants the assuring feeling that the goals have to come. Still, there will be teams that have some better defense that encountered during preseason and in those matches the lack of aim of my forwards will be a serious problem, if it persists.

We will see, the objective for the season is clear: win the group and win the promotion pay off. Anything less is a failure.

 

[Death Ball]

((Possibly in two posts will get up to the date of play, that's why matches accounted aren't too fresh in memory to comment))

Manager Notebook: The start of the season
- By Ezequiel Valls

The season started with disappointment, getting a mere draw against La Granja, team recently promoted from Regional Preferente that should have been hammered. The final result was a 2-2, at home, confirming one bad feeling in preseason and removing one good:

- The attack is very inefficient, to get those two goals the team needed to create no less than six clear cut chances.

- The defensive work was poor with too many errors. Mainly due to the midfield failing to provide the needed help to the defense.

Those two things provoked a new look at the tactics and the players available and the decision of changing the way of playing completely. The choice was to move to a 4-2-3-1 assymetric.

The ball winning midfielder Maureta in defensive duty was assigned to be supporting and played by Txitxo, who is close in defensive quality and better in the attack.

The other central midfielder, the left one, is moved forward in an advanced playmaker role with attacking duty, played by Fernando, to provide the now lonely deep lying forward in support role Bauzá some help in the attack.

The other striker is traded for an anchor man played by Maureta, closer to the defense where he should be able to better help the defense.

In the right side, Israel is moved forward to the position of winger with attack duty. That gives some extra distance between him and Urbano, giving the latter more ground to cover. Since Urbano isn't that good in the atacking duty I decide to simply change him from fullback defensive to wing back defensive.

In the other side I decide to change the speed and attack talent of Pizarraya with the intelligence and defensive talent of Carlos Pérez, though he lacks attacking bite. Considering that Nené, who is behind him in the defensive line, adds to his intelligence and defensive ability a decent amount of offensie talent I decide to give Pérez defensive duty as wide midfielder and have Nené as a full back with attacking duty, with the intent of having Nené carrying the attack in the left wing and Pérez provide him a back pass option and mainly to watch his back and buy him time to recover his defensive position when the ball is lost.

The pair of central defenders is maintained as it was: one cover and one stopper, as they weren't responsible for the defensive errors during that first match. It wasn't their fault when they didn't get in the best position, it was the midfield whom failing to help forced them out of position, furthermore I liked their job whenever the midfield did his part of work.

In the upcoming matches the change shows to work well enough, at least to solve the defensive problems, as the midfield starts to work right with the defense, keeping the danger away for most of the match and only a few times the rivals will see a chance to shoot at goal. The scoring problem, however, doesn't see a great improvement, as clear chances are wasted again and again, but they're so many that eventually the goals come in every match, leading to wins against Segoviana (1-0 away), Ávila (2-0 home), and Arandina (1-0 away), with Israel starting to shine with goals and assists. In all of them, no less than 5 clear cut chances and up to seven.

The next, bringing the month to a close, Almazán was awaited and home and, for once, the scoring inverted: two clear cut chances, but six goals. Only one complain there: the last goal was not an own goal by aza, but should have been counted for Txitxo, who had a splendid game. Though it was a pity to concede one during one of the only two times the rivals managed to shoot.

As good news, after the morale boosting thrashing of Almazán, the leadership of the group was achieved with the goal difference. At this poing I look forward for a successful season.

 

[Death Ball]

Manager Notebook: Hope rages on
- By Ezquiel Valls

Well, the 6-1 win gave us the lead and we've gone on the run taking the unbeaten run up to fifteen games. Contrary to what was speculated when I was offered the position, there is not at all a bad atmosphere among the players. I can only say all those sayings were affected by the disappointment of past's year failure to promote. Players are happy and training is done in good mood, I can see the players having fun. Yes, we all lamented having to let go Zazu and Lezaun, but the economical situation demanded it, I would be a bad manager if I clinged to sentiment reasons and kept them when the club is indebted.

The good run indeed helps a lot to that atmosphere, with only the upset of returning home with just a 2-2 drawn from Astorga. Some good work of the rivals more than too bad mistakes by defence that I didn't think deserved making major changes to the team. It has proven the right decision. Why did I change so fast after the first day's drawn?. Not only because the midfield failed to help the defense, it's true all came for a small change that could have been reverted to have it work again as in preseason; but that showed me something: that 4-4-2 lacked the flexibility that would be needed in tougher matches. With the 4-2-3-1 assymetric I feel and see we got the needed flexibility, we can make it more defensive or more aggresive according to the situation needs. And it's better to change to other formation with little need to make subs, we can make it a 4-5-1, a 4-3-3 a 4-5-1 flat, a 4-1-4-1 and with some players on the field we could even make it either a 4-4-2 or a 4-2-2-2. And telling you this because I want and rather because fan criticism at the slightest stumble is why I like this team.

I do still regret our apparent lack of accuracy in our shots at goal. Still so many clear chances wasted with a poor heading, a slip before a kick... so many matches we should have won by more than a 1-0 but you know what they say: that's football. They also say he who forgives ends losing. 1-0 against Tordesillas, Santa Marta and Salmantino is disappointing. Even more the 0-0 drawn against Aguilar. We will not go too far with so much missing.

However I'm very pleased with the image and the praises my men earned in some matches, including glimmers of hope for the end of the season.

I love how they kept Santa Marta and Numancia B to not a single shot in all the matches. Even more when beating Numancia B 3-0,

But even more delighting was the Valladolid B encounter. Things went dark with the easly Valladolid goal. That was some overwhelming of the defence and I didn't see anything better when their second goal came in the twentieth minute. That's why I made the team slightly more defensive, I didn't want a third goal and needed to cool a bit the rival's push. I do agree with those who said that was not the solution, but that was not my solution, it was just my first step thinking to keep things for the second half. And the forty minute goal by Israel was indeed a great point to boost the team's morale, however I wouldn't say that marked the turning point. It was just a point for things going better than I planned, but what turned the point was the players motivation, as Maureta pointed, and it couple with my change to the 4-3-3 in a change to the offensive to get them by surprise. So when chances start to come for us and stopped to come for them, I knew it was a matter of time to see Israel's second goal and finally Bauzás last to complete the comeback. A specially sweet result due to the efficiency, the comeback and the fact it was against the theorically strongest team of the group and at their own home!

Life is good in first position and six points (15GP, 12W, 3D, 0L¹) of advantage ahead of Bembibre. I hope I won't see how things are in the bad times, at least this season!


¹See table in the page beside ((Forgot to take screenie)).

((also now the story is up to date))

 

[Jamie F]

Top work mate and brilliant start to the season. Unbeaten in the first 15 games is always a great achievement.

 

[Death Ball]

DIARIO DE BURGOS - INTERNATIONAL VERSION
Mid season report
- By Ramón Tarque

Christmas are near - and I wish you all to have a happy one - and the half of the regular season has just passed. This season that saw some doubts being cast over the Burgos CF team because of the inexperience of their new manager has come to the end of the first leg with those doubts completely vanished and some still showing that even at these levels of football they still can't have any drop of common sense and patience.

It is time to have a look over the league with some words on each team performance. and first, how could it be otherwise?, the leaders will be the ones commented upon.

We know of their manager's constant worrying for the scoring capacity, I think that is one of the places where his naivety in the sport shows. How can be worried for a lack of goals the manager of the team that has the team with the most goals scored? Thirty nine, one more than second position Bembibre. And it's not like he really needs so many scoring when his team is also the one with the least goals against, with ten.

That's about the only negative thing that we can say of him. If we look his work, his results, we see he's getting gold out of his squad. He managed to keep on terms with three 2B teams, beating one of them comfortably. He also beat the toughest rival in a splendid match in which he showed his ability to react, the usual would be his side losing after being two goals below against Valladolid "B" away.

And in the start of the season he demonstrated he's not one of those coaches enamored with a system that they force to any team, as he changed his 4-4-2 to the 4-2-3-1 we've seen thorough the season. And taking the team to break the division's record of unbeaten run to set it at eighteen matches.

Then the big blow came to the team in the shape of his goalkeeper being injured and out for an estimated three weeks. We know Aurreko is the only goalkeeper that holds any guarantee for the team. Yoni may be on to become a good goalkeeper, but he's too young and it's not yet fit to be the first team goalie. And we can not complain about him when he tried to buy Villaralbo's reserve goalkeeper, he's right to be outraged that they asked that much, €109K for a player we know isn't worth more than €10K. Perhaps he should have cut the engotiations sooner, but it's not likely then Montero would have been in time for the important final match of the first leg.

After having beat Huracán Z in the previous to penultimate match by that late 2-0 and was thirteen points ahead of them and nine ahead of Bembibre before the last match, it was a great chance to end the first leg unbeaten, but to end it with a comfortable advantage of more than ten points. But the lack of a quality goalkeeper was decissive, I think it is obvious Aurreko could have stopped at least one of those two goals and get Burgos one or maybe the three points. But that's arguable, both were clear chances. We can say he commited one error in that game, and it was that knowing his goalkeeper wasn't good enough, he should have changed his defensive line to add Medrano, to give the defense a fast man, then he might have get in time to cut those counters.

But I won't give ears to some hooligan journalists who have started to write their pamphlets putting doubts on the team's future. It's too much to make problems of a mere defeat to the second team. I say this team is going to be promoted, his quality has shined as one beyond this division. The goalkeeper position should not be a problem anymore: Aurreko is coming back sooner than expected and they have hired a new goalkeeper of equivalent talent, Montero.

 

[Goooner]

Good luck, doesnt look like you need it though Some good results, promotion should be easy.

 

[Death Ball]

I'd not be too sure. The first four of the eighteen groups that make Tercera División join a two round two legged play offs. most groups have their top team going at the level of mine's second; but there are a few that are cruising as easily as my team, one has reached half season with a record of 18GP, 17W 0D 1L :s. If I get one of them in the playoffs going up can be tough, but nevertheless I think I have quality enough to face them and get out victorious.

 

[Death Ball]

Manager Notebook. Second Leg. After the first defeat.
- By Ezequiel Valls

It is ugly. Very ugly. When in talks you're working to hire a player but they use the tiniest script in a corner that they won't release the player until next season.

Montero has not been signed this season, but two others, Sergio Segura and Jesús Aguirre were added to the squad, Segura alternating starts with Aurreko as both are of equivalent quality, and several unused players have been released on a free or sold: Gabi and Óscar being the most notorius. In the long run this saves money, but in the short it's meant an increase of expenses and a debt that is starting to be serious. The kind of thing that my fellow journalists tend to blame on the board but is ultimately the fault of the manager. I wonder how will Barriocanal act about it; but it's not unlikely next season I'll have to work with no transfer budget because of these decisions. Debt is now upt to six hundred thousand euros and rising. Should not be a big problem, the squad has quality to compete in the next level, may we do it, but I don't believe in a second promotion in a row without some signings.

In the sporting side of things I can now point out the hopelessness of sport press rationality, as some of my old fellows started to call crisis and announcing the fall of the team. Six wins and two vitories to sit now on top with ten points advantage over Bembibre and third qualified Huracán Z far from being a threat. If anything, I should point out for my friend Ramóm Tarque the justification of my worry on the lack of scoring power as four of those six victories have been hard worked 1-0s. Though it is true, as he will surely rightly point, how in this second leg we've finding our rivals are using a bus parking tactics that are tough to break.

That has been the reason that I changed the usual strategy with a DMC 4-5-1 tactic, in the hope of forcing the rivals forward; it wasn't of my liking, specially in the way Cultural Leonesa B managed to create too many chances for what is usual. Specially displeasing was having Arandina score twice. There I can not agree with some supporters that brush it as two bad luck goals. It's easy to say they got lucky with a counterattack and a rebound on a defender's back. That's the kind of attitude that leads to the fall in the decisive phase. Exactly the kind of thing that will be thrown at del Bosque may Spain fail in the Wolrd Championship; all those who now say the defeat agaionst USA in the Confederation Cup was just a matter of motivation or just something that happens and should be forgotten with the sentence "better now that during the WC", will find during WC that it will be lost because the errors that weren't given consideration then, will bite back in the WC.

Therefore, if they stole a ball and found a man in a position that allowed their striker race, then I must work the defense positions during our attack; if one of my defenders cleared the ball into the back of his comrade and it went into goal, I will make the defender to remember that play the rest of the season until he knows clearings must be thought out even in dire circumstances.

If something, I admit some of the new difficulties come from being resting some of the key players, apart from the injuries that have hit some key men like Bauzá, Israel, Nel and Txitxo. But the replacements should have done as well as them. Trigo, Zamora and Núñez have the quality to subsitute them and keep the playing level.

Two options are opened before me now: trying the 4-5-1 again in a more defensive shape or make the 4-2-3-1 more attacking. Lure the opposition more or overloading them. The second puts the focus on the lack of speed of the back, the first the low efficiency of the forwards.

Choosing to make the 4-2-3-1 has not been met with success during the month of march. A battled 1-0 against Salmantino, a 1-1 coming from behind after a stupid mistake by Aurreko at Atlético Tordesillas and finally the end to the ten unbeaten games with a 0-1 defeat to Íscar, after a 30 yard free kick, marks the start for a 4-5-1 test and try get the spirits back up.

The good news is, qualification for promotion play offs has been ensured with eight games to go. Bemibre, though, is closing down and is now at five points distance.

((If you excuse me the out of character notes:
Since Aurreko didn't play the Bembibre match it meant he could keep up a bit longer his unbeaten record.
I feel like apologizing for this entry as I'm feeling I'm not getting to immersive.
In RL Burgos is qualified third in his group, with some poor games run (1-1-1) 8 pts below Valladolid B. People's raging with talk of crisis and asking the coach's head. Lol, seems like Real Madrid.
Also, past season team dropped to third due to a poor play spell, not resting players as I thought))

 

[Death Ball]

First task in april is to set a new tactical approach, and remembering the disappointing of the 4-5-1 in V and the few opportunities generated. I think of pulling back the wingers and make it a 4-1-4-1, but I think that would make the attack even weaker, so I do some changes: I make it a 4-4-1-1, with Fernando as advanced playmaker behind Bauzá and set the central midfield with Maureta and Txitxo, which will make it a very simple matter to make it a 4-1-4-1 if needed. Whether to use AMC or DM, offensive or defensive will depend on the team and the info I'm told about their performances.

In the way there I am met by a small surprise: the board has injected €130K to the team.

The match happens to be against Valladolid B, a strong team, which is I don't expect to be parking the bus.

The result has been a disappointment, though losing to Valladolid was not unexpected after the first leg. A piece of bad defending allowed an offside goal and then another error led to the second. The 4-4-1-1 gave some nice chances, which were missed. Had the team be decent in the last kick, this would have been a match won by 4-2. And Bembibre is now within 2 points. And Txitxo, one of the best midfield players is injured now for seven weeks. Oh I am so happy!.

Next stop, Aguilar away, which will be time to try the 4-1-4-1. And Nel is now unavailable for 4-5 weeks due to injury, one of the best men of the squad to rotate winger and playmaker position.

However in the end, seeing the recommendations about Aguilar I decide to leave the 4-1-4-1 for another match and return to the more offensive version of my 4-2-3-1 assymetric, making it less wide, though, considering the poor crossing the team is showing. The match is the return to the first leg dominance with over 60% of possession and, though not as manu chances, good efficiency for first time in various games, with Bauzá ending his goal draught. With the added good news that Bembibre lost to Valladolid B (the good thing of giving them my opposition is that if I lose they'll meet with a morale boosted team) giving me five points advantage to return some calm in the race for group championship. Bembibre is now the only team that can reach us, marking a great season so far as the objectives set and expected are being met but with greater margins (save for Bembibre) than thought.

The next match is home against Villaralbo. I am pleased to see the lads in high spirits, so I let them in the team, with Pérez in the starting eleven to see if a victory lifts him. I also take note of the available players with worse morale and I send them to the bench, to play the last half hour if things go well and there's no forced changes by injuries or the first red card comes. I still play the 4-2-3-1 that worked so well, as Villaralbo sits in sixth position and shall not be underestimated; with Bembibre rigth behind I don't want experiments. The game goes well, we dominate and create several good chances, with two first half goals by Israel at a cross by Pérez and Fernando after goalkeeper deflects Bauza's close shot. With a small fright about Fernando ending in nothing plans could be ran with and Jacobo Trigo entered for Maureta (yellow card) in the midfield amd Espinosa for Bauzá making a 4-4-2 that worked not too well as then started to come some chances for Villaralbo. When Núñez was seen limping after a foul the he was changed Zamora and a winger 4-3-3 (flat midfield) was set, which worked nicely.

After that match the news that Txitxo has come out of his injury arrive. He will immediately be put to play so he reaches the play offs in full form.

Lermeño, expected to be an easy enough encounter, ends being a problem under the rain. Another match that leaving Fernando in the bench and starting with Trigo and goes tough. Also Zamora is in the place of Bauzá. Finally I decide to set a 4-1-4-1 in the second half and bring Txitxo in for Maureta, which is a good decision as he scores the goal. In better news, Bembibre lost his match, giving us an eight advantage with three matches to end the league phase.

Numancia B gives a new chance to test the V shaped 4-5-1 with a bit sour taste: more chances for the rivals than I'd like, a freekcick goal against and few chances for us, luckily Israel began with a great goal shooting a ball near the goal kick line and after the drawing goal Espinosa set off a great assist for Txitxo to give us victory and put the team one goal from ensuring group championship.

Now if things don't go too bad I may start to test the deep 4-2-3-1 I thought of using some matches ago but didn't want to do while things seemed to be going wrong.

P.S. - Also I forgot to do something that should have been done to make things easier for the reader: add the information about my key players and tactic. Note that usually Maureta is the DM and in the central midfielder position is Txitxo, with Nel in the bench to substitute either Fernando or Israel due to his low stamina.

 

[Jack Fulham]

Loving this story Death Ball, some good players you got in Fernando and Bauza, Promotion is looking good, will that take you into to the Spanish Second League?

 

[Death Ball]

Nope, one below: Second B. Which is four groups of 20 teams, though depending on region of new teams through relegation and promotion can go down to 18 or up to 22, I think. There the four of each group enter a promotion play off that choose the four to be promoted to Second A (now Liga Adelante) and from there the top three go to First League (La Liga BBVA).

And yep, those two, and Israel, are giving me an awesome result, as the stats show. Bauzá 15 goals, Fernando 7 assists, Israel 10 goals, 4 assists and 9 MoM. Their absences are really important, the fall of performance when one of them is missing from the squad is really noticeable; in fact all the spell of lost matches or won in the last minutes of a struggling match have happened with at least one of them in the bench, the two losses in row happened one with the three in the bench or not travelling with the team or two of them.

Israel has been given a new contract with a substantial wage increase despite the financial problems. The others would as soon they asked.

 

[Death Ball]

Manager Notebook: End of Season
- By Ezquiel Valls

The next was a match against Huracán Z, a match dominated, but without luck, lack of efficiency had the team unable to score. Neither a wide 4-2-2-2 or a deep 4-2-3-1 working to break the rival's defense. A goal was scored at the end of the first half, but was disallowed by the referee, claiming Bauzá had fouled the defender. Later a lucky long ball was headed over Aurreko. However, Bembibre lost, which gives us the first position of the group.

The next match is one I'd maybe prefer for last, Venta de Baños, a team in relegation, an easy match to pick spirits before the play offs. I return to the standard tactic during the season, but with an attacking left midfielder and Nené in defense. The game is easy and Venta de Baños is hammered with a 4-0 in absolute dominance. But very bad news happen: my two best fullbacks, Urbano and Nené, are injured for a month and half, which means they won't be available for the play offs.

Later in the week, another €130K are injected by the board.

The last game against Bembibre serves me to test an ultra defensive tactic with a 2 DM line and three midfielders ahead ML-MC-MR. It gives me total possession of the ball and another goal from the edge of the area by Txitxo, who went down with pain while awaiting to sub him. During the game some small changes were made to the tactic and some too many chances were conceded. Fortunately, he'll not be out.

The playoff lottery is not good though, as the first round pits us against Real Sociedad B, leader in group 4. And they've done more alike my team in dominance, so it will be a tough match, on neutral grounds. ((I wish I could have set it to two legs, but saw no option for that in the editor))

The staff tells me before the match that Real Sociedad B struggles against a defensive 4-4-2. I consider going in fact for a defensive tactic, though I'm unsure about it being 4-4-2

I go for a 4-1-4-1, very defensive. Soon in third minute, Jonathan Castro who is the fullback for the match takes a knock, but Garmendia says he should get over, so I keep him on the field. If I sub him is like he's been inured already and may lose margin for reaction. Minute 12 sees Bauzá miss a one on one, stopped by the goalie. Two minutes after a defender takes the ball off him, after the first ten minutes were mostly for the rivals. At 29 the first real chance comes for RS when Bauzá is robbed in midfield and their striker finds a hole left by Medrano, but she shoots above the crossbar.

In the 37 Israle is the one to take a knock, but even lighter than Jonathan, apparently. Shortly after I'm left aghast wondering why my players have to walk when they're close the ball giving time to the rival to get in position to contest the ball.

Min 42, Bauzá kicks off mark a chance from the edge of the area, except for a indirect kick, dominance seems ours, but they can create some chances even if their midfield is being accosted. A cross forces Aurreko to make a hard save.

Half ends and I decide I will push the wings forward.

At 64 Bauzá robs he defender, but pushes the ball ahead, and though reaches it before the goalkeeper, doesn't manage to get it past him. At 68 he is the one to get a knock, again allowing him to go on.

Min 74, I bring Nel for Bauzá and go for the 4-2-3-1. And make them play a bit more offensive. Four minutes later a cross gives Israel a point-blank header chance, but he heads it to the goalie.

The 90 minutes end with a 0-0 so it is extra time.

But despite having a couple chances, no goal is managed to be scored. And penalties are hopeless without any worthy takers.


Considering the expectation of maybe no worth transfer funds and need to offload, perhaps it's not that bad to have another season in Tercera. setting finances right before ascending and build a good squad for 2B.

 

[Danny]

I really like to read your stories as i think they are good. i have not read this one for a bit so will try catch up today.

But i think maybe you should make the updates a little smaller as i don't think many people will read it all and then it has been a waste of your time really.

I think if you make them smaller more people will read it and you will have more be follow and see what super job you are doing.