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

[Death Ball]

Manager Notebook: Trying to Escape the Event Horizon
- By Ezequiel Valls

With Zamora's comfortable victory things looked rosey before the anticipated match against Cultural Leonesa, having two teams that we should beat comfortably: Racing "B", placed below us and Lugo, who were up the table but pundits considered lesser to us.

The matches were along the expected lines, with our team controlling possession, if not for much, and creating chances. But both ended in bitter disappointed and pretty much in the same way. A first goal from a set pieces play we had then to come back with a goal by Bauzá, and after threatening to get ahead, a defender making a penalty in the last fifteen minutes of match to give all the points away and bringing up back to relegation play off position.

With morale dropping and the poor results we were to face the leaders Cultural at home. I felt we would lose and I had to change things to at least keep a point; in the position we're in, every point is vital and we should take a draw rather than throw it aiming for what we can't reach. I met their 4-2-3-1 with a defensive V shaped 4-5-1 with Tasio as anchor man, Fernando as playmaker, as usual, Domingo as ball winning play maker and a counter plan. We gave up the possession and this time the team was up to my wishes, solidly resisting culturalistas' onslaught. Julio rodríguez saw the second yellow card in the 40th minute, leaving us with ten men and expecting the worst. I moved to a 4-1-3-1(ST) and the team kept resisting, then after some changes I moved the striker back to trequartista in midfield, Bauzá out and Carmona there... not only we kept resisting we even created a couple of chances that almost went in at the end!. In the end, a 0-0 to earn us a precious point, that didn't stop us from dropping into relegation positions.

Oddly enough, the next match we lost 2-1 away to Oviedo, with a late goal by them to win the match, and that defeat saw us climbing a position due to bigger defeat by Ourense who had our same points.

They were our next rivals, we'd face them at home. One of the matches we had to win. Scouting told what most times is said: counterattacking 4-4-2. Fortunately, not a side filled with speed, so if you want to win you got to attack. We returned to this season's preferred tactic: 4-3-2-1 and a control tactic, exploiting the flanks this time. Again we dominated the match but this time the team wasn't so ineffective ahead and we got two goals for what looked a comfortable lead during first half, only to give up a goal nearing the end to a counterattack seeing our defense to catch up with their only fast player. Second half started badly with the same player getting a corner in for a 2-2. But as other times, there was Bauzá to get a third goal so we could drop to a more defensive tactic and secure the win.

Next saw us against last qualified Deportivo "B", even if a way I opted to repeat an offensive tactic, and we dominated once more, but inefficiency before goal returned to the team. It was a nice play organized by the two youths I brought up, Padial set in striker even if he's a defensive midfield due to injury of Nel and Bauzá, gave ball from area to Montoya at the edge who passed to lonely Fernando who made the goal in injury time for another vital win.

And then the most anticipated date arrived: player registry period!. We could finally get Cases in our matches, and a couple other signings: Albert Dorca, to give us a needed speed bost in the left wing, as Cases does in the middle, José Antonio Picón to give more solidity to our defense. We could also register Trigo, whom I regretted to have left out.

Downside was that due to rules we'd have to drop some wanted players. We already had left Gustavo out. We unregistered Borja, whom lack of concentration and passing made him the last resort for defender injuries, which was why we signed him. But I had to give up three valuable players, as Domingo and his position polivalency, Velamazáns experience (not that painful, since he used to lose a lot of balls lingering on them) and our past season's best passer Txitxo.

Baró is a long term injury, four months since two weeks ago, but he'll return with a good amount of matches to go and it's worth keeping him, not having him out till 31st january because I want time to try sell the other players as soon as possible due to economy trouble.

But as soon they get into the team, we shall have a big step forward in quality. The signings mean not only that we'll surely get clear of relegation not long through the second sting of the league, but they'll also be a good base to strengthen the team for the next season.

A new wrenching pain may be soon to come, as scouts have pointed me to one Triguero who looks to be a possible solution to our problems before the rival's goal and form a killer pair with Bauzá.

Despite being so recent arrivals and free transfers, I set them for our match against Castilla... was painful match. We got ahead, which set spirits up, only to feel bitter anger at referee's allowance of a clearly offside goal by Castilla, that during second half would be followed by two others, a long shot and a header when in the last ten minutes we had been for a while threatening seriously to draw. But, this team will be on for something great for sure.

 

[Danny]

Not read this for a bit. Think ill catch up tomorrow.

Does not seem like many other people are following.

Keep It Up.

 

[Death Ball]

Diario de Burgos
Middle season.
- By Ramón Tarque

[...]

Segunda División B, grupo 1.

[...]

In the lower part of the table we find newly promoted Burgos, a team in a dire economical situation that has nonetheless seen some deep transformation. Their starting elevn has no less then six new names, not including Cases, who was loaned in the past campaign and has been recovered as a free transfer when register window opened in december.

A team that started the season with some trouble to deal with speedy rivals but that has been improving in that department, though not to levels enough to compete with the top qualified, having only Cases as an example of lightning fast player.

Despite some lost points that their manager feels had to go their way, Burgos sits barely out of relegation places in fourteenth position, only two points ahead from relegation play off and five from relegation.

After expressin ghis optimism for the future with the addition of Cases and Dorca, Burgos have achieved four points in the next three games, seeing them as up as thirteen before their draw against Atlético de Madrid B. Results that don't seem to confirm such optimism but that have not dampen it. In words of Valls: «The team showed great spirit coming back twice to draw Atlético B 2-2 and to even dominate the match to the extent you could read some commentary stating they had been lucky to draw. We lost to Leganés 0-1 but you have to think on how the match went, Leganés was vastly superior to us and we held them for all the match, it was a new last minutes penalty that got us missind the point we earned, if the team wasn't up to the level I see them now, we'd have suffered a comfortable heavy loss and they wouldn't have needed the luck of a penalty. We held Leganés, third qualified, better than we held leaders Cultural, that shows we should now be up to this league's standards and stay comfortably clear, even if the top teams are still some steps ahead».

And while one has to admit the team is now more capable to stay in the division, one wonders whether Regalón stiffness can not be too much of a burden, whether Cases is going to work for them as he did past year after half a year of not playing and whether having failed to secure Reguero as a second striker they can be effective enough in the scoring department as to really take that step forward their manager claims.

What is a good news for the team is the incoming of some new coaching staff that is thought to add a lot of quality to their performance. ((Yay, at last most are 3+ stars instead of 2))

 

[ianholt60]

Hi everyone.
I am buying a new notebook soon having elegant skin so while searching on internet i found a website http://www.decalskin.com/ , Is this website is really good in providing notebooks with nice skins?

 

[Death Ball]

((Sorry, ianholt, I got no idea about notebooks, also I think you clicked the wrong button in the wrong tab ))

Manager Notebook: Transfer window
-By Ezequiel Valls

The second round of the season has been found with heavy injury problems. Baró injured himself again the same he returned to full training for another week, Picón, the other good centreback, picked a long injury, Israel had a not so short one, our two goalies picked injuries for several weeks, no less than four, Julio Rodríguez recently came out from one and Cases had a small injury too, along some among the younger players.

We could deal with most of the injuries, we had enough in the midfield to cover for Cases and Israel, besides Cases is not performing nearly like past season. Rodríguez absence was covered easily with González who has learnt to play in the left. The centreback position is a problem though, as we're left with Gaffoor and Medrano. The latter not being optimal for the division though he is useful, however in case of need we have only a inexperienced youngster that looks nonetheless promising or placing Tasio out of position.

The worst, however, is the injury of both goalkeepers, that has forced us to field the U19 goalie, Bermejo, who seemed barely enough for a first team. He has been a grateful surprise, though, performing nicely, at the level of the starting to the point I might start to use him in some matches to try give him faster improvement.

Except that we've just received word Bermejo is out for four weeks, and I made the goalies' load lesser a couple months ago. Luckily it seems Aurreko is to be able to return soon enough.

Despite the economical problems we still made two signings to add to those of Picón and Cases with the transfer window close to an end. And we brought two strikers: 23 young Carlos Trujillo and experienced Yordi. The former not so good mentally or phisically but that we hoped would provide some moreefficiency to our forward play, and he has done so, scoring in three of the four matches he's played since his addition. Yordi, on the other hand, has all the know how given by his long experience and with great aerial ability, though he suffers from a severe lack of pace. He should be useful to our team.

In the league, we've continued on a hard run of up to six matches without a win since our defeat against Leganés. We fougth bravely against Alcorcón, getting to a 1-1 draw, top Pontevedra passed over us at their home 4-1, we nearly came back against a 0-3 before top Pontevedra to end with a 2-3.

Then we suffered an outrageous defeat to Gimnástica, 2-4, a match that saw one goal disallowed and a denied penalty for us and two goals for Gimnástica that were made in more than blatant offsides. Their striker was no less than a car's length beyond our defense‼ There's no way they could not see that.

We kinda bounced back to Guadalajara, dominating the match at their stadium and being 1-0 for all the match and creating all the chances, including two woodwork hits, only to have a goal scored against in the last half minute. 1-1. Also the first match where we used the 4-4-2 to add the new signings, so far Bauzá with Trujillo.

New tactic that has given good fruit with the next two victories, 2-0 against Arandina and a comfortable 4-0 win against Celta B in what was expected to be closely fought match.

We're now fourteenth, four points behind thirteenth, five behind twelfth and six ahead of sixteenth, which marks the relegation play off.

And next will be time to test Yordi.

 

[Jack Fulham]

I love this story mate, as well as your Crewe one on 09, no one is more extensive or as articulate as you are on your stories, they are brilliant and descriptive.

 

[Death Ball]

Manager Notebook. Salvation: End of Season
- By Ezequiel Valls

Oh, were the tactical changes working. We found a jewel in the pairing Bauzá-Trujillo, the later scoring in every match and the one he didn't he provided two assists to Bauzá. We were for a bit a goal making machine. A great improvement in our efficiency before goal that took us to a six straight wins and tenth position!. Some even started to write in their columns that should we had found Trujillo at the start of the season and adopted the 4-4-2 we could have stood a chance to fight for promotion places.

But I knew such ideas were the fantastical kind that journalists like so much to write. As did my assistant, knowing we are still far from the quality standards needed to fight in this league, despite all the advancs done. Our defense is sturdy in the air and can't be tagged as slow anymore, but they still lack the pace needed to counter some of the fast players at this level, which to be honest was a big surprise to me. In preseason I still thought Gustavo could have something to give to the team in some matches now and then, but seeing the rivals he would have been massacred in every counter. Our current defense still had some trouble with those.

The hammering of Celta's second team, we went to hammer Cerceda and beat Lugo and Zamora. But Zamora saw a unfortunate disgrace for the team: Bauzá and Trujillo injured for two months, leaving us with only Yordi and Vilajosana as true strikers.

Initially thought to go with Cases' experience rather than Vilajosana's youth, we moved between a 4-4-2 with Cases up there and a 4-4-1-1 with Cases in the advanced midfield; but Cases didn't work and Yordi was a disappointment. The short injuries later suffered by Trigo and Cases made us go finally for Yordi - Vilajosana partnership that didn't get to work at any point, though Vilajosana started to do something in the two games before the return of Bauzá.

The absence of the brilliant couple costed us defeat to Oviedo and inability to get over Orense.

But even after the heavy defeat to Cultural Leonesa in a game that we didn't ever get into, we were almost mathematically guaranteed our permanency, as the sixteenth team could only tie with us and neither us losing everything or them winning all the five next matches seemed a real possibility. If that wasn't enough we had the bottom Deportivo B team next, whom we comfortably beat despite their two goals for a 4-2. After that, three tough rivals that we could do nothing, expect for Leganés, who we beat once more, showing how really we are not yet up to fight for reaching next level.

We have a decent goalkeeper, so we can keep with Montero, though it would do no good to get a replacement for Aurreko who would likely then be first choice before Montero.

In defense, Julio Rodríguez has suffered a low of performance in the last eight games and it's time to think of changing him. He's not that good either as defender or help to the attack, to the point that Daniel González with his 18 years has been our first choice in several matches in Rodríguez's place.

Gaffoor, Picón and Baró are good enough on the air and in ellaborated plays, but are not enough to deal with counterattacks here. They could work as stoppers if there was a quick mate as cover. Medrano has the speed but he is not smart enough.

Then in the midfield we got pace with Dorca, Carmona and Cases; but Cases has never put a performance like past year and I doubt he's deserving to continue with us, I'd rather recover Fernando and his privileged mind. Trigo and Fernando would give us the intelligence to organize play and Tasio is really gifted in defense to make our center up to the league. It is the part of the team that I hold as most responsible for our performance.

Ahead, Trujillo and Bauzá have proven to be a dream combination that I'll do the best to keep. But Yordi isn't up to what scout Blázquez had told us. Vilajosana hasn't reached the levels needed to be a valid replacement, though he can serve in times of need.

That means that for the next season our transfer activity must be focused on:

- Find at least a striker that can work satisfactorily with either of our starting men.

- Some central defender, preferably two, with the speeds that are found in this league.

- Find a fullback.

- Offload Cases, Yordi, Borja, Domingo, maybe Rodríguez. And try to get some payment out of them to held finances, though with some just not having to pay their wages any more can be good enough.

- As secondary, a left winger to have a back up to Dorca would be good, as Montoya isn't yet quite there.

 

[Death Ball]

Manager Notebook. Sour preseason
- By Ezequiel Valls

With the season finished, it was time to start to look at the transfer market for new players. Unfortunately, there was not a single centreback of worth with the required speed, neither fullbacks. All we could get was a backup leftback, Carlos Valverde, who could become the first choice and a few youngsters to develop for the future, of which are of note the goalie Juan Carlos Ortega and the centreback and midfielder Paacual Casado.

Young Adrover and J. R. López left the club at the end of their cotnracts; on addition to them we offloaded Yordi, Domingo, Julio Rodríguez and managed to get 8,000€ and 50,000€ for Borja and Cases respectively.

However, in early july came a message I didn't want to hear, but that was to be expected with debt reaching or very close to a million euros: the team is back to semi professional status. From now on only part time contracts will be offered upon any renewal.

Which in turn brings to me the possibility of having to take a very tough decission: cashing on our best asset now that there's reported interest. Half a million should be possible to get for Bauzá.

In the three preseason matches played so far, Vilajosana has showed some better performance and a valid option as a sub and young Joan has something to give to the team as well, so we could have a chance without Guillem. I certainly want Bauzá in our team with all my strength, but the economical situation of the team is such that I might have to do so, even if since the turn to semi-professional we've cut the debt in no less than three hundred thousands.

As for the preseason, this year we're having a longer one, not too much longer, no less than seven matches. The highlight has been our match against Deportivo de La Coruña, we took a defensive tactic and we dominated possession creating the most clear opportunities and getting 1-0 at the end of the first half, only to lose the victory in the last minutes in a one on one with our young goalie Ortega. The two plays of the game I would pick are the ones from our younger strikers. First was Vilajosana receiving an assist when he got himself clear, shot being stopped by the goalie. But the one I liked most was Joan receiving marked by a defender and getting off him with the ball for a shot alone, though the goalie managed to stop it; a play I was yet to see made by my team.

 

[Death Ball]

Manager Notebook. Wretching Pain.
- By Ezequiel Valls

I looked the value of the player, I looked his contract, I asked how much would he ask to renew it, I looked at the club's debt, I remember the balance of the past season. I had to do it.

Even more: I asked the staff a report about the interest on my players and possible incomes and went on to cash on those others I could squeeze some money from.

In a new wave of player exodus from the team, I saw Bauzá off to Peterbrough by €550K, 100 up front and 450 in eighteen months, they were even sold Picón for €250K, one of the few centrebacks I've found and considered good for the team, and finally Ponferradina were given Daniel González for another €250K, these last two in a single payment.

Of the remaining additions only one was for the first team: Carlos Ruiz, a rigth fullback/midfielder to have a back up beside Medrano to the rigth fullback occupied by Regalón. Maybe in time Ruiz can become the first choice: he's more agile and can keep ball better, also is more intelligent in his play. The rest are youths I hope to develop for the future, to play in the U19 league and urgent patches in case of injury of our senior players: a striker, a right wing/striker and a central defender.

For our usual system of play we'll keep the 4-4-2 that worked well in the end of past season, with Fernando recovered for the team as the main playmaker, deep instead of advanced. Valverde taking the place that was shared between González and Rodríguez and Trigo playing in the place of Bauzá, now a deep/advanced pairing instead of target man/poacher.

The matches so far don't perfectly correspond to my preset plans, as the congestion of matches has made me use Carmona in the last two games instead of Israel, who's still my first choice there. Though I'm considering making the wings shared between Israel, Carmona and Dorca, with Israel being the one who may be placed in either side, considering the proneness of Dorca to tire easly, as Israel has. At least once Campillo recovers from his injury and I'm more likely to place him in the bench instead of Montoya. Joan will be a regular for the bench and he's been rather pleasing, scoring four goals against Villaralbo and scoring in most of the games he's been in.

To finish the part on the transfer market, I took good care to loan the young players that were unregistered and can't play in either squad, senior or U19: Guillermo, Fermín, Paradinas, Santana and Ramón were loaned off. More loans will come when the loaners can register them.

As for the season that has begun, I can't say it's not thrilling me. Three wins in a row by 3-0 to Zamora, Langreo and Fuenlabrada; but while the fact we were expected to be losing to Zamora, I shall hold back any overreaction to this great start, as the other rivals were clearly inferior to us, no matter we weren't expected to beat Fuenlabrada like that. With the small size that our squad has shrunk to because of the financial problems the most likely prospect is that even if we were to keep this level of performances, as soon as injuries hit us we're going to start losing points, eventually te most likely outcome of the league is us achieving a safe mid table finish, likely in the top half side of the middle.

At least, the player sellings has put us in a positive balance and with the monthly installments it seems we'll have economically a better season than the past one.

 

[Death Ball]

Manager Notebook: A small update, a more real pain
- By Ezequiel Valls

Wonderful start of season that makes me feel the necessity to dose down the enthusiasm about the league. We visited the difficult stadium that is the Calderón and achieved to be the ones with better control, scoring an early penalty by Dorca and creating the chances. And the same they drew in the final minutes we managed to get another ball in, thanks to Fernando freakishly long indirect free kick shot right to the rival's net.

That followed by the hammering of Talavera, whom we defeated by a comfortable 5-0, with goal by Joan, five goals that could have been twenty as well, with absolute control of the match, made us the only side that counts matches as victories.

After that a big pain fell upon us, as our signing Carlos Ruiz suffered a injury that's keeping him out for seven or eight months, which means he's out for the rest of the season. A tough injury for us, as we've lost the back up we wanted for the right full back position and a good choice to cover for Tasio might he get injured. Nonetheless it's obviously a pity primarily for the player, who's going to suffer a painful recovery and a lot of time away from what is his profession.

Seeing how we ran over Zamora and then we defeated Atlético de Madrid B at their home, having some hope for this season may be reasonable; but I must express that I consider any hope to keep in top like we are now for the rest of the season is completelly blowing things out of proportion. Only two of the rivals we've encountered so far were among the teams of quality of this division. The other four were weak and I would not be surprised to see them relegated. Talavera is, or was, the last qualified when we met them, Langreo is low. In fact, Zamora is down there just above Langreo, but they were favourites and being this soon I may admit that they're better than their position shows.

What should cool down the excessive celebration has been given to us by Coruxo. They're there in the edge of relegation, with a poor squad and, why not say a truth, a poor manager at their bench. They scored two goals to us and could have even won, considering they got ahead of us. We come back to win 1-2, but then they had that clear chance they used to draw 2-2, oportunity that was possible thanks to my orders, I admit; but after that in the half of the first half, we couldn't get ahead until the last ten minutes with some important changes as it was to bring Israel in for Carmona and moved ahead as inside forward to get it. Their goals weren't just luck, they're goals made by their play and if we were really up to keep our top position we wouldn't have conceded goals to them.

There's a reason why I've said their manager is bad. Maybe I'm being too harsh and it was just a one bad day decission, but to me, making two substitutions when barely twenty minutes of match have been played, to change the 3-5-2 into a 5-3-2, is a rather poor decision, leaving the team without room for reaction may the score change and it's just giving away the match and telling to the rival manager. Absolute lack of ambition.

In conclusion, it's my expectation that soon as we'll start to meet the strong sides of the league, we'll start to drop points and we'll get out from promotion play offs. However, given this start with the high scoring that past season would have been a dream - sure, we could get an ocasional 4-0 but never three goals in several matches in a row - I can see as reasonable the idea of being there contesting the places for some time and maybe, just maybe, if the winter transfers go well to allow us to fill the holes we couldn't in summer, we might attain one at season's end.

((I took the Ruiz screenshot before the injury, because I realized I forgot to add it in the previous post and was approppriate to add it, being the only worthy signing from the second batch of the window))

 

[Jake]

woop, top of the league!

hope you make adelante.

im preparing my mid season cultural update now <)

 

[Jack Fulham]

Nice to see you top of the League Death Ball, hopefully you can sustain this form without Ruiz.

Look forward to your update as well Jake.

 

[Death Ball]

((Hope your hand recovers fast and with the minimal pain possible, Jake.))

Manager Notebook. Midseason. See? See?
- By Ezequiel Valls

I said, don't go celebrating so fast and time has given me the reason.

After beating Lugo and Sporting B more or less comfortably, we met the first of a series of matches against the strong teams, and we lost, a painful 1-3 against Oviedo, more painful because they're our traditional archrivals more than because of the result, as it was only the space created in our attempts to go for the win that made it possible for them to score three goals. With a more conservative tactic it could have gone either way, though still more likely for Real Oviedo.

A new defeat followed against Gimnástica, then two 0-0 against Ponferradina and my personal awaited match against Cultural Leonesa. In both we showed as the weaker team, though a weak team with chances to come on top.

These four games revealed how we are too dependant on Trujillo. The four matches we didn't won were matches where he didn't score. Jacobo Trigo can bring us some goals, and he's a creative player, but he's simply not at the level of Bauzá when it comes to play as striker, he's really a creative midfielder. I certainly remember with great nostalgia our wonderful player and think that if we still had him we'd have gone over these rivals and would be on top of the league with top chances to go up to Adelante. However, if I had not taken that painful decision, instead of having a €+300K balance on the bank account and increasing (except december) we'd be beyond €-500K (if we had sold the other players) and losing every month. Eventually we'd be unable to keep any valuable player and couldn't even stay in 2B.

At any rate, it is obvious that apart from seeking a back up fullback we need a competent striker to work with Trujillo, specially now that Joan got off in a long injury, and Vilajosana recently did for a not too short one. If we find just that striker, we could contest the promotion and maybe even the group title by the end of the season. However, my staff has been unable to provide me with viable options. I only have found two old strikers, but they're employed and their clubs ask for three times their values. While it's not terribly much, I'm reluctant to spend more than I think it's the actual worth of a player. However, getting the €30K benefit per month as average, getting that better chance to attain promotion play off can well be worth it; still, my gut says despite the reports tell one of those strikers could give what we need, he'll be a case like Arias, promising on paper, but not productive on the pitch.

A rather annoying defeat came in the stadium of Alcorcón, as the referee didn't concede a rather clear penalty on Fernando, causing our side to come out in defeat. I made clear my mind to the press. A defeat that preceded the break of bad form when we met two sides of lesser potency like Racing B and Toledo. Then two new defeats to two of the big sides: Palencia and Ourense.

With the two victories that close the first round of the league, I hope to chain with a repetition of the good start in the second, though Zamora and Atlético de madrid B won't be easy victories.

And as expected, as we met the stronger sides, we started to drop points at high speed. From the matches against Cultural, Oviedo, Palencia, Ponferradina, Ourense and Alcorcón and Gimnástica if we count they were among the first four when we met them, from twenty one possible points, we only got two; a very poor balance that we can't repeat if we want to aspire to anything. If we don't get that striker and injuries don't respect us, I don't see us improving that. With that, we're lucky to be sixth and only one point from promotion play off. The top teams taking points off each other will be our main hope. And even if they get the right results among themselves, we'll need to repeat the wonderful results against the rest, with all matches count as wins, which is not likely, specially against Zamora and Atlético B.

 

[Jake]

0-0 draw with cultural, a fair result in my eyes, wouldnt have wanted my boys to have put 5 past you!

posted my mid season update last night, and im struggling....

 

[Joshh]

definately going to follow this.

 

[Death Ball]

Manager Notebook: Third fourth of season.
- By Ezequiel Valls

I could have entitled this A New Hope, but it would be premature. The half of the second round has gone more or less like the first, but I'm more satisfied: while we lost four points on getting draws against Zamora and Fuenlabrada, we won three beating Real Oviedo for first time since we share division. A big moment for the fans and myself, as winning Real Oviedo is a proof that there's a chance, however small, to improve our results against the stronger teams relative to the first round. Not something to take too much optimism, because dominance was theirs.

We had previously beat Atlético B, the other strong team among the ones around the middle, which was an important mark to keep our small chances alive.

The best points for optimism has been seen through the injury of Tasio and Carmona, now recovered, which was pretty bad news but in the end showed that our young players to replace them can get the job done. Young Casado has the expected solidity as a defensive midfielder as I wanted and is also able in the centreback position. Javier Valle has to learn, but is good enough to do the job in the wings and create goal chances, and Miguel is not much behind for the left side of the pitch. Another discovery made possible by the injuries, was the validity of Regalón in the midfield performing the duties usually taken by Tasio without being the liability I feared, though his latter game against Lugo was a bit weak.

And now we're close to be able to play Carlos Ruiz, who will be a good leap for our right fullback position. An important player that can make the difference for the run of this second league round.

Nevertheless, I still am of the opinion that promotion play offs are not our real position and that the most likely final result is to drop to somewhere between fifth and seventh position.

Ahead of us, Cultural Leonesa has proven again to be the strongest team of the league and have taken a comfortable advantage in first position. It is my wish they gain promotion, that would make our next session easier!.

On the down side, our research of the market for players that end contract this season and we could possibly pay, have given no satisfactory results. It doesn't seem like we'll be able to strengthen our weak spots for next season and that will be a serious issue for us.

 

[Jake]

((Hope your hand recovers fast and with the minimal pain possible, Jake.))

only just saw this. my hand is on the mend now, thank you for wishing me a speedy recovery. you're up there with the big clubs still, hopefully you can negotiate the complicated playoffs and make it to Adelante!

 

[Death Ball]

Manager Notebook. Fleshing of hopes. Gunshop somewhere?
- By Ezequiel Valls

We left our last issue with Trigo getting on speed with Trujillo as the team's top goalscorer with eleven notches, after Trujillo has been unable to get the ball into the net since before the second round started. Bad luck I guess, I'll keep trusting Trujillo, he's given us a lot.

As we kept the victories coming, press started to tout us as possible shock champions, which would be a possibility after we met two more strong teams and bet them. First with two matches in a row that had us coming back from a 0-1 or losing our 1-0 advantage through a defensive error and Israel coming out of the bench to make the winning goal, which makes me consider make him a bench starter to shake tough matches. The possibility, however, is removed by Carmona's long injury of about two or three months, that finally is looking that short enough to return with the promotion play offs.

So we achieved a win against Gimnástica after beating Sporting B. Then we were to face of Ponferradina, the second qualified just three points ahead of us. We thought of it as a tough game to be looked carefully at. It would be important to avoid the centrebacks from losing position considering the rival strikers' speed, so I wanted an anchor man and him being more or less free to help the defense, so we moved for a V shaped 4-5-1 with Tasio as the anchor man and Trigo acting as supporting midfielder. Israel to the right as inside forward supporting and Dorca in the left as defensive winger for support. It worked better than expected and we not only controlled the match, we beat them 2-0 and got the upper hand in our particular goal difference, carrying us up to the second position.

That joined with a lump of form by Cultural placed us only eight points below and nine matches to go, plus seven points ahead of fifth position; making top four a credible aspiration and group championship a mathematically possible dream.

One thing had annoyed me greatly: in the two matches before Ponferradina, Alan Baró commited a penalty that allowed the goal in the case of Sporting B and could have meant a simple draw against Gimnástica. I criticized his form and kept him. That would be my undoing as next game against Alcorcón when we had got one goal ahead in a delightful play by Trigo, Baró had no better thing to do than two penalties, to be completed by another by Gaffoor to make it a 1-3 defeat, going back to third position and Cultural moving eleven points ahead.

I fined him, he thought to be treated injustly and then at least he accepted my criticism when I said he sucks big time. What I didn't say is I wish I had a gun to get him out of my sight. Anyway, unless injuries force me, he'll be out of Burgos.

Then next we could fortunately have Racing B to beat up and recover morale, though Fernando made a back pass that costed us the 0-1, Trigo and Joan - who had to enter for injured Trujillo - were sensational and worked for a final 4-1 win, with Joan first robbing the defense to assist Trigo and then intercepting a clearance close to goal to push the ball into the net. a victory that gives us the second place back and puts us nine points from Cultural after yet another draw by the leoneses.

The best news, though, that Trujillo hasn't picked any injury that will keep him out of any match so far.

We'll also have a match against the fifth placed, which will be decisive: winning will put us likely out of any rational option to get out of promotion, losing may put the fifth place too close to us.


((I don't know why here the attached images show so small))

 

[Jake]

attachemnts have been made smaller to help the keep the site from crashing due to serv er overlaod, we can still click them to enlarge them though.

2nd place, really hope you make adelante!

 

[Death Ball]

((ok, that's good.))

Manager Notebook: Satisfaction
- By Ezequiel Valls

Our first test! Cultural - Burgos. Past season we held them to a 0-0 like this year only to be beat 5-1 in their field. We went back there with the will of trying not to give the three points, with a defensive 4-5-1 and with Casado in Baró's place, we got a good hold of the ball and the new starting player made a long distance assist behind the enemy defense that Trujillo used to score and put us ahead. The game continued with streaks of Cultural dominance, specially the last ten minutes were agonizing, with a chain of five corners in the very last minute and half, but their pushes served nothing, so we got the three points and six points from them!. We were the second team able to defeat them this season, maybe the only team that didn't lose to them. And with that we also got nine points ahead Ourense.

The next match was an easy one against Toledo, though we had some trouble and we drew thanks to Joan's good job, as Trujillo had a knock of no importance but that made me sit him in the bench for tranquility.

Then one of the most exciting games of my career took place!. I wish I had won it too, but at least it was so fun!. We had our most important match against Ourense, a team vastly superior in the air that I set to try avoid playng in the air. But the 4-4-2 didn't work right as they quickly scored twice in two aerial opportunities. A good counterattack had Trigo placed the ball on the net. Feeling the superiority of them I took on to apply a thought on one tactic book pointing the superiority of the old germany 3-5-2 against 4-4-2 and I decided our only chance lied there; having a team that could easily be swapped to that, I set Regalón in the defense, Casado in the middle of the back three as ball playing cover, Valverde was subbed for Carlos Ruiz to make the midfielder pair with Tasio, Fernando moved up as advanced playmaker. Shortly before the sub could be done Ourense had their third aerial ball. That means their third goal. At the dying minutes of first half Fernando set us one goal behind. Second half continued so and despite some dangerous plays by the galicians I persisted on it, with the prize of drawing goal, 3-3 and second by Trigo. It would last short as next they got once more ahead. But not for long as finally it was Tasio who drew 4-4. It was certainly a groaner to see how they put a thirty yard free kick in the net with just two minutes to reach reglamentary time. That set Cultural six points ahead, fifth place only six behind and us in third position.

Then even if we continued the bad run losing 2-0 to Palencia and going down to fourth place, it was two matches to go and two easy matches for us. First I gave some time to Eipitié for his confidence in case he's needed in play offs and in the last I fielded the men of low morale or young age, though not going overboard as losing would be very bad thing to do before play off matches. They all did well, with the bad news of Israel getting out for the first play off match in an early injury. I also fielded Baró, after he apologized, so he could have some cheerful spirit if injuries made me need him later. Bad news: he got sidelined for several months; good news: that was Baró, who I rather didn't want to use in any important match.

Of note of those two matches was Epitié making the best performance I've ever seen of one of my strikers with a hat trick.

For our first promotion round, two legs, for once some promotion properly set up by these league mor- I mean for another great promotion system by our magnificent masters we get Villarreal B, whom promisingly are tipped as the non favourites to win. However I'd rather keep down expectatives, getting in the top four was already more than we expected, going beyond would be a lot more, and while we've been able to fend with our top teams in this second round, there's no telling about the others. Villarreal, for starters, may not be tipped as favourites, but they've been second of their group with a set of results I'd qualify better than us and I'm not going to consider their group an easier one.