December, 2015 - Copa del Rey and fixture congestion
First off, the Barcelona game does not feature this month as it was postponed due to the Copa del Rey. Moving on, this was an OK month. We had a few tough games and had to rotate heavily to preserve fitness but ensure that we also advance in the Copa. I want a nice run in the cup this season. We haven't won a major trophy since 2002 and I want to end that soon - although this season is way too soon! Anyhow, before we look at the results, some things have happened:
I agreed to sell Lux in the summer but the deal was postponed until the Argentinian transfer window re-opened. He has now joined his boyhood club. We picked up 240k for him. Lux was on the wrong side of 30, not registered for league games and his stats declined hugely. He was a great servant for the club, so things ended on good terms. I wish him luck at Lanús. We have Fabricio as first-choice with Manu Fernandez playing as back-up. Both are much younger than Lux and better.
Now, onto the important stuff: the results...
Those with keen eyes would have realised that we're through to the next round of the Copa! Only one loss this month and it came to league leaders Sevilla. Without spoiling much, let's take a look at the results in depth:
In my defence, I made 11 full changes to the side. I got cocky and assumed we could win even with a complete second string XI, but I was wrong. They were the better side but, thankfully, we defended well and Jonas' goal before half-time helped us over the line. A draw is OK, we get an away goal for the second leg. I was mightily impressed with Fayçal Fajr once again. He assisted Jonas' goal and created a few other chances. He's starting to become a favourite of mine.
Sevilla at home...
Can't do much against the league leaders. They were dominant, but I'm chuffed with the defensive actions of my side. Navarro helped nullify most of their threatening attacks. Despite the loss, I was happy with what I saw. Fabricio saved a penalty, too. We frustrated them and that's all I could have asked for. Our first and only loss of the month.
Ponferradina second-leg...
We're through to the next round! Ponferradina were not push overs in the slightest. They made it hard to be broken down and, for a while, this looked like going to extra-time. Fede opened the scoring early on, chesting down a gorgeous cross from Fajr. I was hoping to storm the game after that, but we kept missing chances. Early in the second half, they scored from a defensive lapse courtesy of Navarro. We then switched to a counter-attacking style after I realised that they were struggling against my pace. I changed the tempo, pushed full-backs forward and derailed them. Jonathan went on a solo run to make it 2-1 and then latched onto a long ball from Fajr to kill the game off late on. Far from convincing, but these second division sides are always tough to crack down.
Here's who we drew in the Copa 5th round:
Eibar at home...
This game, I fell in love with Oriol Riera. If I'm honest, I've outcasted him this season. He's barely featured because I find him to be really inconsistent. But he won me over. This was a cagey match, with both sides seeing possession swing like a pendulum. Shots were similar, as was the foul count. When we were gifted a penalty early on, it was the perfect chance to grab a hold of the game; set-pieces were always going to make a difference... but Juan Dominguez blasted it over the bar. Things seemed destined for a drab 0-0 draw until Verdi rose above Lopo to knock in a header from a corner. It was demoralising - I didn't want to lose to a team in 17th place. We need to get points in these games. Cometh the man, cometh the hour... we switched to overload, floated crosses, hit early crosses and went route one. I wanted to play to Riera's strengths and, boy, did it pay off. One huge cross from Fede and one sumptuous bicycle kick from the towering striker gave us an equaliser in the final minute of the game. Seeing someone that big produce a bicycle kick was astounding. He instantly won a place in my heart. Don Oriol Riera. Our Lord and Saviour.
Getafe away...
My two darlings combined to deliver us a victory, but let's chronicle the early incidents first. We dominated Getafe, but this was a game clouded by awful defensive errors and heaps of horror tackles from their behalf. After 30 minutes, they were already down to ten. We pushed forward via Fede who beat two defenders, smashed a low cross into the box and had it turned in by Getafe defender Emiliano Velazquez. But, you know what they say: don't laugh at the misfortunes of others. As the half ended, we looked superior and in better stead to win. Our Moroccan assists machine, Fajr, stormed into the Getafe box and won a penalty. Step up our new cult hero, Riera, to effortlessly PUNT the ball in and deliver us the three points. Again, he saves us. That's not to say we didn't struggle for the remainder of the game: the footballing Gods decided to place an own goal against us. Our only summer signing, Deivid (who has been outstanding this season), headed the ball past Fabricio in an attempt to clear it. The saddest thing? HE HAD JUST COME ON! We rode the storm and preserved our three points. Riera's three points. I may as well give him my job. What a man. What a hero.
Here's the league table:
10th with a game in hand. I'll take that.
Maybe Fajr deserved it more, but the reason I sided with Riera was because he has completely turned around a dark patch and helped us get four league points from a possible six with his goals. I now have a dilemma between the pacy Jonathan and the towering Riera. Having said that, it's healthy competition. It's good to have two strikers firing on all cylinders.
Next month is January, where some ins and outs may or may not be revealed. We play another Copa game and Real Madrid (for sure, unless it gets postponed too). We're starting to decide on who is the best player in each position now that the tactics are solid and churning out results. I have a good feeling about the second half of the season! Forza Depor!
