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Great looking signings, especially the Serbian striker! Good luck for the season, with a bit of good fortune you could win all seven trophies!
Reviving Deportivo La Coruña
- Thread starter RCDAguiar
- Start date
- Replies 256
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Yeah, Krmar is someone I'm very excited about! Seven trophies would be utterly crazy!
Very excited to read about the season mate! All the best
Thanks! I hope the content satiates your excitement!
August 2021 - First month, already earning some silverware
And so the 7th season begins. My main target is to win the Copa del Rey as it is our final season in pursuit of the one trophy that has evaded us in my tenure! Ideally, we win absolutely everything and terminate this save on a high.
A new signing:
View attachment 171473
With Lucas becoming more of a backup this year, I wanted to have a much better winger available in case Iturbe/Halilovic pick up some injuries. Nahuel is young, extremely talented, suits our system and he was available for a mere 7.25m. I couldn't pass up on that opportunity.
Nahuel has some pretty good stats for a backup winger and will only improve with a regular string of games. Delighted to have him here. That finalises the 23-man squad going in to the new season.
Results:
An outrageously good month. Let's begin with the great news:
First game of the season and WE LIFT THE EUROPEAN SUPER CUP!!!! This was a fairly even contest against a resolute Leverkusen side. Luckily for us, we opened scoring early on and were allowed to play a more comfortable game. Krmar - our Serbian regen - scored on his debut, tapping in a San Emeterio whipped cross. Not many players can say that their goal, on their debut, granted their new club a trophy. I'm delighted for Krmar and have high hopes for him going into the new season.
That's a new trophy for the club! Our successful run of trophies continues!
Real Madrid away, 1st leg of the Spanish Super Cup:
A disappointing result against an utterly dominant Real Madrid side. Despite Krmar's best efforts to grant us another victory, his early headed goal was wiped out by a Ronaldo equaliser 5 minutes later. From there on out, it was all about how long we could withstand the pressure. Our defence coped well until Bale smashed in a free-kick on the 77th minute. Hope is not lost, though. We have a 2nd leg awaiting on home soil...
Real Madrid at home, 2nd leg of the Spanish Super Cup...
AND WE DID IT! A SUPER CUP DOUBLE! This was a delightful performance against a side we so often slip up against. Morata gave Real Madrid the lead, and a two goal cushion on aggregate, a 10 minutes before half-time. That could have been the point where the players gave up, but they didn't. 6 minutes after Morata's goal, Corredera hovered over a free-kick and placed it past Scuffet in the Real Madrid goal. On the stroke of half-time, Krmar scored his third goal in as many games when he won the battle of wits in a one-on-one situation with Scuffet following Correa's splitting through ball. As the half-time whistle went, the game was level - not only on score, but in performance too. Both sides were evenly matched. When all seemed too tight and headed for extra-time, up stepped our Argentinian wing wizard on the 82nd minute to put our hands firmly on that trophy. Iturbe latched onto a great Krmar long ball and finished with pure finesse. 3-1, game over. Another trophy!
Double, double, double...
Now, onto the league games:
Celta at home...
Not the team we had expected to play on the first game of the league season but, yet again, we defeated our eternal rivals. This one was, perhaps, one of the easiest fixtures against them. They hardly ever troubled us. Abel Hernandez scored on the stroke of half-time when San Emeterio was brought down in the box; the Uruguayan calmly placed the penalty for 1-0. 20 minutes from time, Iturbe was at it again! Correa's pass was inch-perfect, the finish even better! Iturbe drove a shot from all of 25 yards past Moreira to secure the 3 points and victory over Celta. A great way to open the season!
Rayo away...
29 minutes was all it took to sink Rayo. Abel Hernandez's 7th minute header, courtesy of a sumptuous Saúl cross, opened the floodgates early on. 15 minutes later, Iturbe doubled the score with a phenomenal free-kick. On the 29th minute, Hernandez sealed the deal with a fine finish on the edge of the box after Corredera's simple short pass exploited the space Hernandez found himself in. Unfortunately, the clean-sheet was not to be as Herrera scored for Rayo 5 minutes from time. Still, a very good 3 points to cap off an outstanding month. Can we sweep all the trophies?
Champions League group revealed:
Back-to-back years in a CL group with Lyon. Leverkusen will be seeking revenge after our triumph over them in the Euro Super Cup final. Feyenoord are the weakest team in the group but will still pose a threat for sure. Not the toughest group but certainly not a weak one by any stretch of the imagination.
League table:
Well, we certainly don't want to be in that position come the end of the season!
Iturbe assisted Krmar's very important goal in the 1st leg vs Real Madrid, scored the winner to grant us that trophy in the 2nd leg, wrapped up the 3 points against Celta and then scored the goal of the month away at Rayo. This guy is, quite simply, our best player. He is unstoppable. We're very lucky to have him.
Next month, two Champions League clashes and more league games! Unfortunately, I can't promise any trophies
FORZA DEPOR!
And so the 7th season begins. My main target is to win the Copa del Rey as it is our final season in pursuit of the one trophy that has evaded us in my tenure! Ideally, we win absolutely everything and terminate this save on a high.
A new signing:
View attachment 171473
With Lucas becoming more of a backup this year, I wanted to have a much better winger available in case Iturbe/Halilovic pick up some injuries. Nahuel is young, extremely talented, suits our system and he was available for a mere 7.25m. I couldn't pass up on that opportunity.
Nahuel has some pretty good stats for a backup winger and will only improve with a regular string of games. Delighted to have him here. That finalises the 23-man squad going in to the new season.
Results:
An outrageously good month. Let's begin with the great news:
First game of the season and WE LIFT THE EUROPEAN SUPER CUP!!!! This was a fairly even contest against a resolute Leverkusen side. Luckily for us, we opened scoring early on and were allowed to play a more comfortable game. Krmar - our Serbian regen - scored on his debut, tapping in a San Emeterio whipped cross. Not many players can say that their goal, on their debut, granted their new club a trophy. I'm delighted for Krmar and have high hopes for him going into the new season.
That's a new trophy for the club! Our successful run of trophies continues!
Real Madrid away, 1st leg of the Spanish Super Cup:
A disappointing result against an utterly dominant Real Madrid side. Despite Krmar's best efforts to grant us another victory, his early headed goal was wiped out by a Ronaldo equaliser 5 minutes later. From there on out, it was all about how long we could withstand the pressure. Our defence coped well until Bale smashed in a free-kick on the 77th minute. Hope is not lost, though. We have a 2nd leg awaiting on home soil...
Real Madrid at home, 2nd leg of the Spanish Super Cup...
AND WE DID IT! A SUPER CUP DOUBLE! This was a delightful performance against a side we so often slip up against. Morata gave Real Madrid the lead, and a two goal cushion on aggregate, a 10 minutes before half-time. That could have been the point where the players gave up, but they didn't. 6 minutes after Morata's goal, Corredera hovered over a free-kick and placed it past Scuffet in the Real Madrid goal. On the stroke of half-time, Krmar scored his third goal in as many games when he won the battle of wits in a one-on-one situation with Scuffet following Correa's splitting through ball. As the half-time whistle went, the game was level - not only on score, but in performance too. Both sides were evenly matched. When all seemed too tight and headed for extra-time, up stepped our Argentinian wing wizard on the 82nd minute to put our hands firmly on that trophy. Iturbe latched onto a great Krmar long ball and finished with pure finesse. 3-1, game over. Another trophy!
Double, double, double...
Now, onto the league games:
Celta at home...
Not the team we had expected to play on the first game of the league season but, yet again, we defeated our eternal rivals. This one was, perhaps, one of the easiest fixtures against them. They hardly ever troubled us. Abel Hernandez scored on the stroke of half-time when San Emeterio was brought down in the box; the Uruguayan calmly placed the penalty for 1-0. 20 minutes from time, Iturbe was at it again! Correa's pass was inch-perfect, the finish even better! Iturbe drove a shot from all of 25 yards past Moreira to secure the 3 points and victory over Celta. A great way to open the season!
Rayo away...
29 minutes was all it took to sink Rayo. Abel Hernandez's 7th minute header, courtesy of a sumptuous Saúl cross, opened the floodgates early on. 15 minutes later, Iturbe doubled the score with a phenomenal free-kick. On the 29th minute, Hernandez sealed the deal with a fine finish on the edge of the box after Corredera's simple short pass exploited the space Hernandez found himself in. Unfortunately, the clean-sheet was not to be as Herrera scored for Rayo 5 minutes from time. Still, a very good 3 points to cap off an outstanding month. Can we sweep all the trophies?
Champions League group revealed:
Back-to-back years in a CL group with Lyon. Leverkusen will be seeking revenge after our triumph over them in the Euro Super Cup final. Feyenoord are the weakest team in the group but will still pose a threat for sure. Not the toughest group but certainly not a weak one by any stretch of the imagination.
League table:
Well, we certainly don't want to be in that position come the end of the season!
Iturbe assisted Krmar's very important goal in the 1st leg vs Real Madrid, scored the winner to grant us that trophy in the 2nd leg, wrapped up the 3 points against Celta and then scored the goal of the month away at Rayo. This guy is, quite simply, our best player. He is unstoppable. We're very lucky to have him.
Next month, two Champions League clashes and more league games! Unfortunately, I can't promise any trophies
FORZA DEPOR!September 2021 - the clean-sheets begin...
A month full of clean-sheets aside from the one Champions League game vs Lyon. Our defence have been mesmerising early on.
Injuries:
Arribas and Insua out injured meant we had to make do with Lindelof and youngster Zanocchi as the centre-back pairing for the entirety of this month. They did not disappoint.
Malaga at home:
It could, and should, have been more. Malaga were utterly useless in the final third and were hanging on by the skin of their teeth defensively. This should have been a mauling. Hernandez opened the scoring with a penalty on the 6th minute and then missed the next penalty 9 minutes later. Luckily, Iturbe swept through in the 2nd half to seal the three points when the game appeared to be heading toward a disappointing 1-0 victory. The Argentine - who won the penalty for Abel in the 1st half - found the Uruguayan turning provider with a great pass across the box; Iturbe simply tapped it in for 2-0 and game over.
Lyon away...
Abel Hernandez - our hero. Twice the Uruguayan pulled us away from the jaws of defeat. We went 1-0 down midway through the first-half and, when it seemed like the half would end that way, Hernandez prospered from a Pereira cross to equalise on the stroke of half-time. Lyon duly scored again 10 minutes after the restart. As the game seemed to be headed toward a victory, Hernandez was at it again: 3 minutes from the final whistle, the forward received a Correa through ball, pushed his way past the remaining Lyon defender and finished one-on-one. A raucous way to end a game that really should have resulted in a Lyon win. Luckily, Hernandez was on fire.
Almeria at home...
Another poor attacking performance, but another game where we completely repelled the opposition from our half. Almeria created absolutely nothing. Krmar was forced off in the 12th minute with a head injury, resulting in the red-hot Hernandez entering the fray. While he did very little for the majority of the game, it was his goal yet again that saved us from disappointment and, quite frankly, embarrassment. Saúl's cross found the Uruguayan lurking just outside the box - he applied a great half volley that rocketed into the Almeria goal. 1-0, 3 points.
Sevilla away...
A foul-heavy game with very little prolificacy from either side in the final third. We both squandered chances, although our defensive performance saw Lindelof clear off the line twice! I suppose it's another clean-sheet and there's no harm in drawing away at Sevilla. Unfortunately, Zanocchi got himself sent off which meant we had just one natural centre-back available for the following game:
Tenerife away...
Defensive-midfielder, Rani Khedira, stepped in to play as an auxiliary centre-back. His performance was outstanding next to Lindelof. I was hugely impressed. Unfortunately, this was another game where the scoreline did not reflect our dominance. 26 shots but just one goal. We need to sharpen our tools in attack. Whisper it quietly, though, I love 1-0 wins a lot. Tenerife took a long while to break down. In fact, it took 76 minutes to do so. Luckily for us, Iturbe tends to always shine when the game is on its final minutes. Powering into the box, the Argentine met San Emeterio's whipped cross with a glancing header that looped over the goalkeeper and in. That was all it took and all that was needed to cement yet another win this month!
Leverkusen at home...
Our first CL victory of the season, another win and another clean-sheet. I could get used to this! Lindelof, yet again, was marvellous at the heart of the defence. He won various headers, made crucial blocks and kept the defence superbly organised. At the other end, we simply took our chance early on and ran with it. Leverkusen had us on the ropes for a while. Abel Hernandez added another to his tally for the season when he applied a beautiful scissor kick to a San Emeterio cross. Our 2nd sending off in 3 games occurred as youngster DMC, Gabriele Ricci, found a second yellow card in the 93rd minute. A disappointing note to end on but what matters most is the victory!
League and CL table:
Already opening up a lead at the top of 1 point in both competitions! We'll take that!
This guy just gets better and better. He was the key behind our defensive excellence this month and, if we are to sweep all trophies on all fronts this season, he will be tantamount to that success. An absolute wall in our defence that contributes to 3 points without having to put the ball in the back of the net. My most expensive signing (22m), but well worth the money and then some!
Next month, tune in as we take on Barcelona, find out who our first Copa del Rey opponents will be and hopefully waltz through all of the fixtures! 'Til then, as ever, FORZA DEPOR!
A month full of clean-sheets aside from the one Champions League game vs Lyon. Our defence have been mesmerising early on.
Injuries:
Arribas and Insua out injured meant we had to make do with Lindelof and youngster Zanocchi as the centre-back pairing for the entirety of this month. They did not disappoint.
Malaga at home:
It could, and should, have been more. Malaga were utterly useless in the final third and were hanging on by the skin of their teeth defensively. This should have been a mauling. Hernandez opened the scoring with a penalty on the 6th minute and then missed the next penalty 9 minutes later. Luckily, Iturbe swept through in the 2nd half to seal the three points when the game appeared to be heading toward a disappointing 1-0 victory. The Argentine - who won the penalty for Abel in the 1st half - found the Uruguayan turning provider with a great pass across the box; Iturbe simply tapped it in for 2-0 and game over.
Lyon away...
Abel Hernandez - our hero. Twice the Uruguayan pulled us away from the jaws of defeat. We went 1-0 down midway through the first-half and, when it seemed like the half would end that way, Hernandez prospered from a Pereira cross to equalise on the stroke of half-time. Lyon duly scored again 10 minutes after the restart. As the game seemed to be headed toward a victory, Hernandez was at it again: 3 minutes from the final whistle, the forward received a Correa through ball, pushed his way past the remaining Lyon defender and finished one-on-one. A raucous way to end a game that really should have resulted in a Lyon win. Luckily, Hernandez was on fire.
Almeria at home...
Another poor attacking performance, but another game where we completely repelled the opposition from our half. Almeria created absolutely nothing. Krmar was forced off in the 12th minute with a head injury, resulting in the red-hot Hernandez entering the fray. While he did very little for the majority of the game, it was his goal yet again that saved us from disappointment and, quite frankly, embarrassment. Saúl's cross found the Uruguayan lurking just outside the box - he applied a great half volley that rocketed into the Almeria goal. 1-0, 3 points.
Sevilla away...
A foul-heavy game with very little prolificacy from either side in the final third. We both squandered chances, although our defensive performance saw Lindelof clear off the line twice! I suppose it's another clean-sheet and there's no harm in drawing away at Sevilla. Unfortunately, Zanocchi got himself sent off which meant we had just one natural centre-back available for the following game:
Tenerife away...
Defensive-midfielder, Rani Khedira, stepped in to play as an auxiliary centre-back. His performance was outstanding next to Lindelof. I was hugely impressed. Unfortunately, this was another game where the scoreline did not reflect our dominance. 26 shots but just one goal. We need to sharpen our tools in attack. Whisper it quietly, though, I love 1-0 wins a lot. Tenerife took a long while to break down. In fact, it took 76 minutes to do so. Luckily for us, Iturbe tends to always shine when the game is on its final minutes. Powering into the box, the Argentine met San Emeterio's whipped cross with a glancing header that looped over the goalkeeper and in. That was all it took and all that was needed to cement yet another win this month!
Leverkusen at home...
Our first CL victory of the season, another win and another clean-sheet. I could get used to this! Lindelof, yet again, was marvellous at the heart of the defence. He won various headers, made crucial blocks and kept the defence superbly organised. At the other end, we simply took our chance early on and ran with it. Leverkusen had us on the ropes for a while. Abel Hernandez added another to his tally for the season when he applied a beautiful scissor kick to a San Emeterio cross. Our 2nd sending off in 3 games occurred as youngster DMC, Gabriele Ricci, found a second yellow card in the 93rd minute. A disappointing note to end on but what matters most is the victory!
League and CL table:
Already opening up a lead at the top of 1 point in both competitions! We'll take that!
This guy just gets better and better. He was the key behind our defensive excellence this month and, if we are to sweep all trophies on all fronts this season, he will be tantamount to that success. An absolute wall in our defence that contributes to 3 points without having to put the ball in the back of the net. My most expensive signing (22m), but well worth the money and then some!
Next month, tune in as we take on Barcelona, find out who our first Copa del Rey opponents will be and hopefully waltz through all of the fixtures! 'Til then, as ever, FORZA DEPOR!
I have a very, very good feeling about this season. We feel like a complete squad finally.
October 2021 - The clean-sheets just keep on coming in!
Perhaps the one resounding and repetitive theme in this series is our excellent defence. It's something I wanted to implement the minute I took over. It was always going to take us several seasons before becoming a world class side. But it's nice to see that, even with goals flying in, we're still that same side that prioritises defending over all else. And I feel like we've reached our greatest moment in defence. San Emeterio and Saúl are no longer kids on the flanks; they know how to defend and shut down their wings. Insua is now 28 and a great leader. The kids have matured, become men and found their calling in defence. The signing of Lindelof has added a wealth of quality to our organisational skills. And, most recently, placing Pau Lopez between the sticks has been a masterstroke. I have a very good feeling about our defensive record this season. Anyhow, onto the results this month:
6 games, 6 wins. 13 goals scored, 0 conceded. Consistency at its finest. Let's dive straight into the first game:
Villarreal at home...
We started our exceptional month at home to Villarreal - a side which we used to struggle against a few seasons ago. This really cemented how far, and quickly, we have progressed as a club. We swept them aside with ease. No struggle whatsoever. Stefan Krmar continued his fine vein of goal scoring by adding two to his seasonal tally. The first goal came early on when he waltzed past three defenders before placing a firm shot past the goalkeeper. We quickly assumed a more controlling system, looking to tire out a Villarreal side which clearly came to play relentlessly. We kept them at arm's length throughout the game. In the 49th minute, Krmar added the winning blow when he applied a half volley to Saúl's fledgling cross. 3 points to start things off!
Levante away...
2-0 again. This time, though, our opposition were far more daring. Levante kept approaching our third of the pitch, yet we continuously repelled them from entering the box. They fired 12 shots off target because we were forcing them to. They simply could not crack us down. On the other hand, we were clinical and took our two clear cut chances when they presented themselves. The first came courtesy of Juan Iturbe whose slick interchange with San Emeterio culminated in him rifling a shot past Sotres in the Levante goal. The Argentine winger ensured that we would enter half-time with a lead. Halfway through the second-half, Correa sealed the deal. Our exceptional, young midfielder stood over a free-kick, saw it cannon off the wall and then took the ball past the by-standing opposition players and rolled the ball into a half-empty net. It was a freak goal but one we'll take.
Feyenoord at home...
It took a while to crack Feyenoord down but, once the first goal flew in, we were on hand to record our third successive 2-0 win and clean-sheet to boot. Substitute Alen Halilovic had an eventful 19 minutes on the pitch. He broke the deadlock after 6 minutes of arriving on the pitch, lacing a strike that flew past a wall of Feyenoord defenders. Halilovic then turned provider in the 93rd minute, playing a gorgeous splitting through ball to Krmar who could not miss one-on-one. 3 points in Europe single-handedly delivered by Halilovic.
Real Sociedad away...
I absolutely love the consistency of this side. We know just how to score goals and keep things tight at the back. It's fun and pleasing to watch everything come together. The side feels complete, the depth is great too. Halilovic opened the scoring with a great finish following Pereira's short pass. Pereira himself then decided that assisting simply wasn't enough... so he found himself on the end of a Saúl cross to head in for 2-0. Unfortunately, the result would be overshadowed by Halilovic being stretchered off...
Some horrendous news:
After his outstanding end to last season - playing a crucial part in our successes - Halilovic will be out for a minimum of 3 months. This will be a huge blow to the way we play but, thankfully, we did sign Nahuel in anticipation of something like this.
Cordoba at home...
If we won every single game 2-0 for the rest of the season, it would be aesthetically pleasing beyond belief. We wrapped this one up real early and then sat back, ensuring that our players would be nice and rested for the upcoming Barcelona game. We gave Cordoba all the possession and relied on our defensive qualities. It worked. But before that, of course, we had to seal the victory. Iturbe continued his rampant month by scoring from a free-kick 6 minutes into the game. He then decided to assist Pereira's tap-in for 2-0. A nice little victory orchestrated by the magic of Iturbe's right boot.
Barcelona at home...
Those with OCD, please look away. We didn't win 2-0. In fact, we went up a notch for the visiting Barcelona. It's always great measuring up against the giants, especially when we surpass their current level. We are now Spain's flagship side. This game proved why. Not only did we hold their star-studded attack to zero goals, we carved them open with ease and prolificacy. And all it took was 42 minutes of football to do so. Hernandez scored his first and last goal of the month when he received a Krmar short pass that opened up heaps of space. The Uruguayan drilled the ball past ter Stegen for 1-0 after 18 minutes of play. It then became, as it often has been, The Iturbe Show. The diminutive Argentinian scored a header in the 30th minute after some great play from San Emeterio on the wings. Without much deliberation, Iturbe smashed home his second free-kick in as many games. This one, though, was pure magic. From 34 yards out, he cannoned the ball in off the crossbar. It was emphatic, brutal and wholly representative of what we were doing to Barcelona: pummelling them. 3 points, 3-0. Month over.
A renewal?
I know, I know. Fabri won't play much at all anymore because of Pau Lopez. But I am going to play him in every single Copa del Rey game out of respect to the man. He's still a good goalkeeper but makes a few too many errors at the age of 33. He's important to this side because he's a natural leader, is tutoring Lopez and is one of the few remaining players that was at Depor when I arrived. I want him to retire here along with the others: Lucas, Insua, Saúl and Corredera. These guys were all at Depor when I arrived and I want them to end their careers here. I will renew their contracts until they do so. Additionally, Fabri was happy to take the backup role and lesser wages.
We broke another record:
Eight clean-sheets in a row. Can we make it ten for that Steam achievement?
COPA DEL REY OPPONENTS CONFIRMED
Cartagena are the lowest entry club in the competition and we drew them. This should be fairly easy and allows us to rotate ahead of the high influx of competitions including the Club World Championship.
League and CL tables:
4 points clear already after 11 games? Something's telling me this season will be a bit of a breeze! Also, top of the CL group. There's no way we will drop down to 2nd.
Just because this guy pulls magic out of his backside every **** game. I've never seen anything like it. And it's always something incredible: a free-kick, a flurry of goals, a great assist... he is the best player at this club and quite simply my greatest signing. He was part of that time where we were constantly forced to sign players on a free! What a purchase that was!
Next month, tune in to see how long this clean-sheet streak can go on for! And if that's not enough, we play both Madrid giants in the league as well as two more CL games. Will we finish top of the group? 'Til then, FORZA DEPOR!
Perhaps the one resounding and repetitive theme in this series is our excellent defence. It's something I wanted to implement the minute I took over. It was always going to take us several seasons before becoming a world class side. But it's nice to see that, even with goals flying in, we're still that same side that prioritises defending over all else. And I feel like we've reached our greatest moment in defence. San Emeterio and Saúl are no longer kids on the flanks; they know how to defend and shut down their wings. Insua is now 28 and a great leader. The kids have matured, become men and found their calling in defence. The signing of Lindelof has added a wealth of quality to our organisational skills. And, most recently, placing Pau Lopez between the sticks has been a masterstroke. I have a very good feeling about our defensive record this season. Anyhow, onto the results this month:
6 games, 6 wins. 13 goals scored, 0 conceded. Consistency at its finest. Let's dive straight into the first game:
Villarreal at home...
We started our exceptional month at home to Villarreal - a side which we used to struggle against a few seasons ago. This really cemented how far, and quickly, we have progressed as a club. We swept them aside with ease. No struggle whatsoever. Stefan Krmar continued his fine vein of goal scoring by adding two to his seasonal tally. The first goal came early on when he waltzed past three defenders before placing a firm shot past the goalkeeper. We quickly assumed a more controlling system, looking to tire out a Villarreal side which clearly came to play relentlessly. We kept them at arm's length throughout the game. In the 49th minute, Krmar added the winning blow when he applied a half volley to Saúl's fledgling cross. 3 points to start things off!
Levante away...
2-0 again. This time, though, our opposition were far more daring. Levante kept approaching our third of the pitch, yet we continuously repelled them from entering the box. They fired 12 shots off target because we were forcing them to. They simply could not crack us down. On the other hand, we were clinical and took our two clear cut chances when they presented themselves. The first came courtesy of Juan Iturbe whose slick interchange with San Emeterio culminated in him rifling a shot past Sotres in the Levante goal. The Argentine winger ensured that we would enter half-time with a lead. Halfway through the second-half, Correa sealed the deal. Our exceptional, young midfielder stood over a free-kick, saw it cannon off the wall and then took the ball past the by-standing opposition players and rolled the ball into a half-empty net. It was a freak goal but one we'll take.
Feyenoord at home...
It took a while to crack Feyenoord down but, once the first goal flew in, we were on hand to record our third successive 2-0 win and clean-sheet to boot. Substitute Alen Halilovic had an eventful 19 minutes on the pitch. He broke the deadlock after 6 minutes of arriving on the pitch, lacing a strike that flew past a wall of Feyenoord defenders. Halilovic then turned provider in the 93rd minute, playing a gorgeous splitting through ball to Krmar who could not miss one-on-one. 3 points in Europe single-handedly delivered by Halilovic.
Real Sociedad away...
I absolutely love the consistency of this side. We know just how to score goals and keep things tight at the back. It's fun and pleasing to watch everything come together. The side feels complete, the depth is great too. Halilovic opened the scoring with a great finish following Pereira's short pass. Pereira himself then decided that assisting simply wasn't enough... so he found himself on the end of a Saúl cross to head in for 2-0. Unfortunately, the result would be overshadowed by Halilovic being stretchered off...
Some horrendous news:
After his outstanding end to last season - playing a crucial part in our successes - Halilovic will be out for a minimum of 3 months. This will be a huge blow to the way we play but, thankfully, we did sign Nahuel in anticipation of something like this.
Cordoba at home...
If we won every single game 2-0 for the rest of the season, it would be aesthetically pleasing beyond belief. We wrapped this one up real early and then sat back, ensuring that our players would be nice and rested for the upcoming Barcelona game. We gave Cordoba all the possession and relied on our defensive qualities. It worked. But before that, of course, we had to seal the victory. Iturbe continued his rampant month by scoring from a free-kick 6 minutes into the game. He then decided to assist Pereira's tap-in for 2-0. A nice little victory orchestrated by the magic of Iturbe's right boot.
Barcelona at home...
Those with OCD, please look away. We didn't win 2-0. In fact, we went up a notch for the visiting Barcelona. It's always great measuring up against the giants, especially when we surpass their current level. We are now Spain's flagship side. This game proved why. Not only did we hold their star-studded attack to zero goals, we carved them open with ease and prolificacy. And all it took was 42 minutes of football to do so. Hernandez scored his first and last goal of the month when he received a Krmar short pass that opened up heaps of space. The Uruguayan drilled the ball past ter Stegen for 1-0 after 18 minutes of play. It then became, as it often has been, The Iturbe Show. The diminutive Argentinian scored a header in the 30th minute after some great play from San Emeterio on the wings. Without much deliberation, Iturbe smashed home his second free-kick in as many games. This one, though, was pure magic. From 34 yards out, he cannoned the ball in off the crossbar. It was emphatic, brutal and wholly representative of what we were doing to Barcelona: pummelling them. 3 points, 3-0. Month over.
A renewal?
I know, I know. Fabri won't play much at all anymore because of Pau Lopez. But I am going to play him in every single Copa del Rey game out of respect to the man. He's still a good goalkeeper but makes a few too many errors at the age of 33. He's important to this side because he's a natural leader, is tutoring Lopez and is one of the few remaining players that was at Depor when I arrived. I want him to retire here along with the others: Lucas, Insua, Saúl and Corredera. These guys were all at Depor when I arrived and I want them to end their careers here. I will renew their contracts until they do so. Additionally, Fabri was happy to take the backup role and lesser wages.
We broke another record:
Eight clean-sheets in a row. Can we make it ten for that Steam achievement?
COPA DEL REY OPPONENTS CONFIRMED
Cartagena are the lowest entry club in the competition and we drew them. This should be fairly easy and allows us to rotate ahead of the high influx of competitions including the Club World Championship.
League and CL tables:
4 points clear already after 11 games? Something's telling me this season will be a bit of a breeze! Also, top of the CL group. There's no way we will drop down to 2nd.
Just because this guy pulls magic out of his backside every **** game. I've never seen anything like it. And it's always something incredible: a free-kick, a flurry of goals, a great assist... he is the best player at this club and quite simply my greatest signing. He was part of that time where we were constantly forced to sign players on a free! What a purchase that was!
Next month, tune in to see how long this clean-sheet streak can go on for! And if that's not enough, we play both Madrid giants in the league as well as two more CL games. Will we finish top of the group? 'Til then, FORZA DEPOR!
November 2021 - A short but oh-so sweet month!
Another ridiculously strong month, especially in the defensive aspect of things. Really enjoying this, if it is to be our final season, as potentially the greatest season ever. We want to win everything. And the signs I'm getting is that we are borderline unstoppable right now.
Results:
Unbeaten month, once again. That's 4 in a row.
Feyenoord away...
A quick smash and grab of the three points. It took just 38 minutes to secure the victory against a mediocre Feyenoord side. Krmar opened the scoring with a strong finish from Lindelof's cross (covering at right-back due to fitness issues plaguing Pillado and San Emeterio). 22 minutes later, Pereira doubled the score when an opposition player passed the ball into his path to leave him one-on-one; he did not miss. Feyenoord pulled one back - a consolation from a set-piece - but Correa rendered it useless 3 minutes later when he glanced a cheap header, from Saúl's cross, past the goalkeeper. 3 points and that's pretty much qualification sealed.
Sporting at home...
A nice little rotated side pull out yet another league clean-sheet against a powerless Sporting. They resorted to constantly fouling our players but that did not stop them from conceding three goals! Lucas put in a fantastic performance, scoring the opening goal with a nice finish from San Emeterio's cross. The 33-year-old captain then turned provider when he whipped in a cross that Rani Khedira headed past the goalkeeper. Khedira would be at it again, registering his first ever brace for the club. From another Lucas corner, Zanocchi flicked the ball onto the German midfielder's head who simply had to just tap it to direct it in. A simple goal in a very laid-back evening at the Riazor. A point for each goal!
Real Madrid away...
Our rivals for the title completely decimated by our prolificacy in the final third. They had more than double our shots but simply could not find a way past Pau Lopez and our defence. Even when we went down to ten. Madrid had the chance to open the scoring but Ronaldo's penalty in the 50th minute was saved beautifully by Lopez. That's when we turned the game on its head. Six minutes later, it was Iturbe who once again was producing something out of nothing to give us the lead. The Argentine winger received a cross from San Emeterio, brought it down, dribbled past tow players and then rifled the shot past Scuffet. Shortly after that opening goal, Insua was shown a red card for a silly tackle. It left us down to ten - Madrid proceeded to swarm us. Yet, as we were expecting to lose the lead, something beyond imagination happened. We soaked up their pressure and then sealed the win with 13 minutes to go as Victor Lindelof headed in from a gorgeous Pereira corner. 2-0, 3 points. Clean-sheets against Barcelona and Real Madrid this season. Excellent stuff.
Lyon at home...
Another dominant, laid-back display and another clean-sheet. The one disappointment was how wasteful we were in front of goal. Of our 16 shots, only 3 were on target. Luckily, two of those were goals. Krmar prospered with his head from yet another San Emeterio assist on the 41st minute. It gave us a hard-fought lead going into half-time. Halfway through the second-half, Lucas sealed the victory by tucking away a penalty that Labyad provoked. That's 1st place in the group secured with a game to spare.
Atleti away...
This could easily have been our first loss of the season. We were within seconds of losing - and rightly so. This was a horrendous attacking performance from start to finish. We resorted to meaningless fouls. Atleti weren't perfect, but they got their goal early on from a set-piece and sat on it. In the 75th minute, Hernandez exited the field of play and on entered Krmar. In the 90th minute, our Serbian regen saved us from disappointment. With seconds running down the clock, Pereira launched a ball forward on my recommendations (overload, go route-one, pump ball into box). Krmar brought down that ball, shimmied past the final defender and blasted a powerful strike past Jan Oblak. An ecstatic and great end to a game that I'd accepted would end in disappointment. I love Krmar.
View attachment 170455
Before that Atleti draw, we broke a record: 12 wins in a row. It's a shame it ended but I love the fact we're breaking these big records. Maybe we can break it again this season?
League and CL tables:
5 points clear after 14 games. This season is going to be quite the rampant one, eh?
That's pretty much 1st place secured - we just need to avoid defeat against Leverkusen in the final game, which I'm sure we'll do.
Pau Lopez was excellent this month. He truly was. Not only did he detain a Ronaldo penalty, he kept another 3 clean-sheets and also ensured that Atleti didn't score more than one. He's an upgrade on Fabricio while also still learning from the veteran shot-stopper. For only 7m, he was an absolute steal.
Next month is a crazy one. Why? We play our final CL game, fly over to Korea for the Club World Championship, return for two legs against Cartagena and there's also a league game somewhere in between. It's one you definitely do not want to miss. Do we win the club's first ever CWC title? Does the hunt for every single trophy continue? FORZA DEPOR!
Another ridiculously strong month, especially in the defensive aspect of things. Really enjoying this, if it is to be our final season, as potentially the greatest season ever. We want to win everything. And the signs I'm getting is that we are borderline unstoppable right now.
Results:
Unbeaten month, once again. That's 4 in a row.
Feyenoord away...
A quick smash and grab of the three points. It took just 38 minutes to secure the victory against a mediocre Feyenoord side. Krmar opened the scoring with a strong finish from Lindelof's cross (covering at right-back due to fitness issues plaguing Pillado and San Emeterio). 22 minutes later, Pereira doubled the score when an opposition player passed the ball into his path to leave him one-on-one; he did not miss. Feyenoord pulled one back - a consolation from a set-piece - but Correa rendered it useless 3 minutes later when he glanced a cheap header, from Saúl's cross, past the goalkeeper. 3 points and that's pretty much qualification sealed.
Sporting at home...
A nice little rotated side pull out yet another league clean-sheet against a powerless Sporting. They resorted to constantly fouling our players but that did not stop them from conceding three goals! Lucas put in a fantastic performance, scoring the opening goal with a nice finish from San Emeterio's cross. The 33-year-old captain then turned provider when he whipped in a cross that Rani Khedira headed past the goalkeeper. Khedira would be at it again, registering his first ever brace for the club. From another Lucas corner, Zanocchi flicked the ball onto the German midfielder's head who simply had to just tap it to direct it in. A simple goal in a very laid-back evening at the Riazor. A point for each goal!
Real Madrid away...
Our rivals for the title completely decimated by our prolificacy in the final third. They had more than double our shots but simply could not find a way past Pau Lopez and our defence. Even when we went down to ten. Madrid had the chance to open the scoring but Ronaldo's penalty in the 50th minute was saved beautifully by Lopez. That's when we turned the game on its head. Six minutes later, it was Iturbe who once again was producing something out of nothing to give us the lead. The Argentine winger received a cross from San Emeterio, brought it down, dribbled past tow players and then rifled the shot past Scuffet. Shortly after that opening goal, Insua was shown a red card for a silly tackle. It left us down to ten - Madrid proceeded to swarm us. Yet, as we were expecting to lose the lead, something beyond imagination happened. We soaked up their pressure and then sealed the win with 13 minutes to go as Victor Lindelof headed in from a gorgeous Pereira corner. 2-0, 3 points. Clean-sheets against Barcelona and Real Madrid this season. Excellent stuff.
Lyon at home...
Another dominant, laid-back display and another clean-sheet. The one disappointment was how wasteful we were in front of goal. Of our 16 shots, only 3 were on target. Luckily, two of those were goals. Krmar prospered with his head from yet another San Emeterio assist on the 41st minute. It gave us a hard-fought lead going into half-time. Halfway through the second-half, Lucas sealed the victory by tucking away a penalty that Labyad provoked. That's 1st place in the group secured with a game to spare.
Atleti away...
This could easily have been our first loss of the season. We were within seconds of losing - and rightly so. This was a horrendous attacking performance from start to finish. We resorted to meaningless fouls. Atleti weren't perfect, but they got their goal early on from a set-piece and sat on it. In the 75th minute, Hernandez exited the field of play and on entered Krmar. In the 90th minute, our Serbian regen saved us from disappointment. With seconds running down the clock, Pereira launched a ball forward on my recommendations (overload, go route-one, pump ball into box). Krmar brought down that ball, shimmied past the final defender and blasted a powerful strike past Jan Oblak. An ecstatic and great end to a game that I'd accepted would end in disappointment. I love Krmar.
View attachment 170455
Before that Atleti draw, we broke a record: 12 wins in a row. It's a shame it ended but I love the fact we're breaking these big records. Maybe we can break it again this season?
League and CL tables:
5 points clear after 14 games. This season is going to be quite the rampant one, eh?
That's pretty much 1st place secured - we just need to avoid defeat against Leverkusen in the final game, which I'm sure we'll do.
Pau Lopez was excellent this month. He truly was. Not only did he detain a Ronaldo penalty, he kept another 3 clean-sheets and also ensured that Atleti didn't score more than one. He's an upgrade on Fabricio while also still learning from the veteran shot-stopper. For only 7m, he was an absolute steal.
Next month is a crazy one. Why? We play our final CL game, fly over to Korea for the Club World Championship, return for two legs against Cartagena and there's also a league game somewhere in between. It's one you definitely do not want to miss. Do we win the club's first ever CWC title? Does the hunt for every single trophy continue? FORZA DEPOR!
December 2021 - Another trophy?!
This month was all about persevering and retaining fitness. We plucked out some seriously strong results despite having to play with very few breaks in between games. One minute we were in Spain, the next we were in Korea competing for that Club World Championship. The question is, did we win it? Are we still unbeaten this season?
Results:
Four more clean-sheets in the six games played. Six straight wins.
It all started away at Cartagena in the first leg of the Copa del Rey...
Fully rotated XI and a very strong victory to boot. Typically, rotating in the first leg leads to us winning by a one goal margin. This just confirms how strong our depth now is. Krmar knocked down Cartagena's defensive wall in the 30th minute when he laced Correa's through-ball past Moya in the Cartagena goal. It was a finish of immense quality. The Serbian forward then turned provider 5 minutes later when he lifted a pass in to the path of Correa who applied a cool half-volley for 2-0. We took the pedal off and allowed the players to just comfortably stroke the ball around. With two minutes remaining of the game, Krmar sealed the victory, practically over both legs, when he headed in from Pillado's fine cross. A good win and all-round performance.
Osasuna at home...
This was yet another comfortable game but the frustrating thing was the silly conceded goal with two minutes to go. I'm becoming rather obsessed with the clean-sheets! Regardless, we absolutely thumped Osasuna with ease. Our first goal arrived courtesy of an own-goal that saw Saúl's cross turned in by an Osasuna defender. That was all we could do to penetrate their defence in the first-half. The second-half, however, was one where we blitzed them. Krmar scored in the opening 30 seconds of the second half. His headed strike, from another Saúl cross, ensured that his streak of goals would continue running. 20 minutes later, the Serb was at it again. This time, he headed in from a Pereira corner. Our forwards love a headed goal.
Leverkusen away...
This was the absolute pinnacle of outstanding defending and clinical nature in the final third. Not only did we claim another clean-sheet, we had just one shot on target all game. And with that shot on target, we scored. Pereira's long-range rocket, after Iturbe's lay-off, was one that will remain as a goal of the season candidate. A phenomenal way to end the Champions League group stages and cement our place at the top of the table. Pereira loves turning up in Europe.
CL table:
This group was a lot easier than I had expected. Six points clear after qualification. That entitles us to easy opposition, perhaps? Let's find out who we drew:
PAOK! We played them in our first ever European group stages, if I recall correctly. Lucas scored twice against his former club. Maybe he'll do it again? Regardless, we were drawn against the weakest side remaining in the competition. I'll take that!
Jeonbuk, Club World Championship semi-final:
Hard-fought victory in unknown territory. This club has never played in this competition - it was an absolute delight playing a team competitively outside of Europe. Jeonbuk defended extremely well - so much so that it took us 82 minutes to even break them down. Insua was the man who put the game in our hands when he applied a towering header to a Lucas Perez cross for 1-0. With 8 minutes to go, the temptation was to sit back. But Jeonbuk weren't bothering us; we had to seek a second for the sake of killing the game off. 3 minutes later, a breathtaking goal: Antonio Luna marauded down the flank and delivered a mouthwatering cross that saw Krmar lift his entire frame off the ground for a bicycle kick. It was emphatic and beautiful. A great way to confirm our passage into the final where we will face off against Boca Juniors.
Boca Juniors, Club World Championship Final...
WE WON THE CLUB WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP!!!! This was the most mindblowing game I think I've ever played. At least the most mindblowing final. Because, at one point, it looked as though we were going to suffer a loss. In fact, it seemed inevitable. Nahuel opened the scoring with a scuffed finish from San Emeterio's cross that simply trickled past the goalkeeper. 26 minutes later, Boca were celebrating an equaliser. The game then became cagey, both in possession, shots and fouls. Everything was extremely even. When things seemed to be headed for extra-time, Boca drove a dagger into our hearts. Salomon Rondon beat the offside trap and deceived Fabricio one-on-one. With 5 minutes to go, things looked lost. We were on the verge of losing out on a trophy we have never won; it would have also ended our challenge of winning every trophy available to us. And then, in the 87th minute, I decided to bring on Krmar and overload. In the 92nd minute, the unimaginable happened. Luna traced down the wing, lifted a ball with serious pace into the box that deceived several Boca players... and there was Krmar at the far post to knock in. Seconds away from disappointment, Krmar pulled us out of the dirt. This kid is living one **** of a debut season. And off we went into extra-time. At half-time, it just seemed like both sides were waiting for penalties. Everyone was tired, fouls were being committed left, right and centre. And then it happened. Seven minutes from penalties, we scored. Krmar received the ball on the halfway line, spotted a run beyond him by Nahuel and launched a ball forward. Nahuel latched onto the pass, raced clean through on goal and finished with precision. Two dramatic goals from our boys and the Club World Championship became ours. What an unforgettable experience!
That's one half of the treble secured! The other treble: La Liga, Copa del Rey and Champions League is still alive. Will we be able to claim all trophies as our own? Surely not?!
Luna wins player of the tournament and dedicated it to me. I love this guy. He rarely plays but he's always happy to assume the role of leader in the changing room. His performance levels, when he does play, are extremely high. He never disappoints. I'm delighted for him.
Back in Spain, Cartagena at home in the 2nd leg of the Copa:
Just days after scoring one of the most dramatic goals of our season, and then assisting another, Krmar was at it again. The tie was already sealed after the first-leg, so mirroring the result (3-0) was just shooting practice for us. Krmar scored a nice curled strike from outside of the box for 1-0, 10 minutes before half-time. It then took him all the way until the 63rd to score again, this time a timely header from Pillado's cross. Minutes from the whistle, academy boy Nacho Alonso scored his first Depor goal - on his debut - as he tapped in from Krmar's backheel inside the box.
And we drew...
Real Madrid. This could either see us lose out on our challenge, or practically grant us free passage into the final. If we can knock them out, we avoid Barcelona completely until the final. I think we can do it. Real Madrid have fallen to us twice already this season, including the Spanish Super Cup 2nd leg final.
League table:
Jesus. 1 point clear with two games in hand. This season is turning out to be a walk in the park, eh? Only 3 league goals conceded in 15 games, too. Love that.
View attachment 170203
24 undefeated? We'll take that. Let's see how long we can stretch this record!
7 goals and 3 assists in six games for the Serbian striker. One of the assists secured us the Club World Championship, one of the goals kept us in it with seconds to go. He was in great form, nailing all of his shots past the goalkeeper with ease. He's already an upgrade on Seferovic and definitely someone who will only improve as the seasons go by. Can't believe we snagged him for 10m. He's already playing a crucial part in what could be an unprecedented season.
Next month, we play a heap of games: twice against Real Madrid in the Copa - if we beat them, twice against the next opponents too - as well as plenty of league games, including Celta Vigo. Should be an action-packed month. See you then, FORZA DEPOR!
This month was all about persevering and retaining fitness. We plucked out some seriously strong results despite having to play with very few breaks in between games. One minute we were in Spain, the next we were in Korea competing for that Club World Championship. The question is, did we win it? Are we still unbeaten this season?
Results:
Four more clean-sheets in the six games played. Six straight wins.
It all started away at Cartagena in the first leg of the Copa del Rey...
Fully rotated XI and a very strong victory to boot. Typically, rotating in the first leg leads to us winning by a one goal margin. This just confirms how strong our depth now is. Krmar knocked down Cartagena's defensive wall in the 30th minute when he laced Correa's through-ball past Moya in the Cartagena goal. It was a finish of immense quality. The Serbian forward then turned provider 5 minutes later when he lifted a pass in to the path of Correa who applied a cool half-volley for 2-0. We took the pedal off and allowed the players to just comfortably stroke the ball around. With two minutes remaining of the game, Krmar sealed the victory, practically over both legs, when he headed in from Pillado's fine cross. A good win and all-round performance.
Osasuna at home...
This was yet another comfortable game but the frustrating thing was the silly conceded goal with two minutes to go. I'm becoming rather obsessed with the clean-sheets! Regardless, we absolutely thumped Osasuna with ease. Our first goal arrived courtesy of an own-goal that saw Saúl's cross turned in by an Osasuna defender. That was all we could do to penetrate their defence in the first-half. The second-half, however, was one where we blitzed them. Krmar scored in the opening 30 seconds of the second half. His headed strike, from another Saúl cross, ensured that his streak of goals would continue running. 20 minutes later, the Serb was at it again. This time, he headed in from a Pereira corner. Our forwards love a headed goal.
Leverkusen away...
This was the absolute pinnacle of outstanding defending and clinical nature in the final third. Not only did we claim another clean-sheet, we had just one shot on target all game. And with that shot on target, we scored. Pereira's long-range rocket, after Iturbe's lay-off, was one that will remain as a goal of the season candidate. A phenomenal way to end the Champions League group stages and cement our place at the top of the table. Pereira loves turning up in Europe.
CL table:
This group was a lot easier than I had expected. Six points clear after qualification. That entitles us to easy opposition, perhaps? Let's find out who we drew:
PAOK! We played them in our first ever European group stages, if I recall correctly. Lucas scored twice against his former club. Maybe he'll do it again? Regardless, we were drawn against the weakest side remaining in the competition. I'll take that!
Jeonbuk, Club World Championship semi-final:
Hard-fought victory in unknown territory. This club has never played in this competition - it was an absolute delight playing a team competitively outside of Europe. Jeonbuk defended extremely well - so much so that it took us 82 minutes to even break them down. Insua was the man who put the game in our hands when he applied a towering header to a Lucas Perez cross for 1-0. With 8 minutes to go, the temptation was to sit back. But Jeonbuk weren't bothering us; we had to seek a second for the sake of killing the game off. 3 minutes later, a breathtaking goal: Antonio Luna marauded down the flank and delivered a mouthwatering cross that saw Krmar lift his entire frame off the ground for a bicycle kick. It was emphatic and beautiful. A great way to confirm our passage into the final where we will face off against Boca Juniors.
Boca Juniors, Club World Championship Final...
WE WON THE CLUB WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP!!!! This was the most mindblowing game I think I've ever played. At least the most mindblowing final. Because, at one point, it looked as though we were going to suffer a loss. In fact, it seemed inevitable. Nahuel opened the scoring with a scuffed finish from San Emeterio's cross that simply trickled past the goalkeeper. 26 minutes later, Boca were celebrating an equaliser. The game then became cagey, both in possession, shots and fouls. Everything was extremely even. When things seemed to be headed for extra-time, Boca drove a dagger into our hearts. Salomon Rondon beat the offside trap and deceived Fabricio one-on-one. With 5 minutes to go, things looked lost. We were on the verge of losing out on a trophy we have never won; it would have also ended our challenge of winning every trophy available to us. And then, in the 87th minute, I decided to bring on Krmar and overload. In the 92nd minute, the unimaginable happened. Luna traced down the wing, lifted a ball with serious pace into the box that deceived several Boca players... and there was Krmar at the far post to knock in. Seconds away from disappointment, Krmar pulled us out of the dirt. This kid is living one **** of a debut season. And off we went into extra-time. At half-time, it just seemed like both sides were waiting for penalties. Everyone was tired, fouls were being committed left, right and centre. And then it happened. Seven minutes from penalties, we scored. Krmar received the ball on the halfway line, spotted a run beyond him by Nahuel and launched a ball forward. Nahuel latched onto the pass, raced clean through on goal and finished with precision. Two dramatic goals from our boys and the Club World Championship became ours. What an unforgettable experience!
That's one half of the treble secured! The other treble: La Liga, Copa del Rey and Champions League is still alive. Will we be able to claim all trophies as our own? Surely not?!
Luna wins player of the tournament and dedicated it to me. I love this guy. He rarely plays but he's always happy to assume the role of leader in the changing room. His performance levels, when he does play, are extremely high. He never disappoints. I'm delighted for him.
Back in Spain, Cartagena at home in the 2nd leg of the Copa:
Just days after scoring one of the most dramatic goals of our season, and then assisting another, Krmar was at it again. The tie was already sealed after the first-leg, so mirroring the result (3-0) was just shooting practice for us. Krmar scored a nice curled strike from outside of the box for 1-0, 10 minutes before half-time. It then took him all the way until the 63rd to score again, this time a timely header from Pillado's cross. Minutes from the whistle, academy boy Nacho Alonso scored his first Depor goal - on his debut - as he tapped in from Krmar's backheel inside the box.
And we drew...
Real Madrid. This could either see us lose out on our challenge, or practically grant us free passage into the final. If we can knock them out, we avoid Barcelona completely until the final. I think we can do it. Real Madrid have fallen to us twice already this season, including the Spanish Super Cup 2nd leg final.
League table:
Jesus. 1 point clear with two games in hand. This season is turning out to be a walk in the park, eh? Only 3 league goals conceded in 15 games, too. Love that.
View attachment 170203
24 undefeated? We'll take that. Let's see how long we can stretch this record!
7 goals and 3 assists in six games for the Serbian striker. One of the assists secured us the Club World Championship, one of the goals kept us in it with seconds to go. He was in great form, nailing all of his shots past the goalkeeper with ease. He's already an upgrade on Seferovic and definitely someone who will only improve as the seasons go by. Can't believe we snagged him for 10m. He's already playing a crucial part in what could be an unprecedented season.
Next month, we play a heap of games: twice against Real Madrid in the Copa - if we beat them, twice against the next opponents too - as well as plenty of league games, including Celta Vigo. Should be an action-packed month. See you then, FORZA DEPOR!
PatrickLFC
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What an incredible way to win the Final!! Amazing stuff, and still on track. Your defensive record is out of this world!
Yeah, it was a crazy game for sure! And thanks, I really love this defence. Two academy kids turned into experienced stars. Aside from Lindelof, the entire defence + GK is homegrown too.
January 2022 - A stacked month
This was a month where a lot happened, but it was all positive. This is on course to be our greatest season yet, I believe.
RENEWALS
View attachment 169920
Corredera deserved an extension. One of the academy kids that were bled through the first-team. Ever since 2015, he has been a mainstay in midfield. Great set-piece taker, phenomenal vision... he's a key part of how we play. Glad to have tied him down on a 3-year contract.
Low wages, happy to play second choice. Luna is a perfect backup option to Saúl. Not only is he happy to play second fiddle to Saúl, he's actually a superb footballer when given the minutes. 2-year deal should be enough until he needs replacing.
The perfect utility man. He can cover either wing and the entirety of the midfield. I wasn't ready to let go of the Moroccan magician, especially because he's still proving to be important in the grand scheme of things. I'll be replacing him soon with a very young player, I'd imagine. For now, glad he's sticking around.
9 games in 4 weeks. This was a ridiculous month where we were forced to rotate regularly, yet still we remained undefeated. We picked up some phenomenal results. Let's dive right into it
Cadiz away...
Rotation was needed with the Real Madrid 1st leg only 3 days away. We didn't do anything too heavy, but there was a clear difference between the starters. Cadiz's Raul Navas scored an own-goal to give us the lead when we had been creating absolutely nothing. Then, out of nowhere, the same player brings down Krmar inside the box. Lucas tucks away the penalty. 2 fortuitous goals in a game where, without them, we probably would have lost. Cadiz pulled one back early in the second-half but our resolute defending and grip on possession meant they couldn't score another. 3 lucky points, but it doesn't matter how they come. Nice to see Krmar involved in both goals.
Real Madrid at home, 1st leg Copa del Rey...
We avoided conceding the dreaded away goal. This was a very tight and even game with neither side creating anything of note. Defensively, though, we were absolutely fantastic. We kept a lid on their star-studded attack, frustrated them with their superior possession and never gave them an inch. Lindelof and San Emeterio were otherworldly. A very strong result to take to the 2nd leg.
Athletic Bilbao away...
This was a BIG second-half performance, orchestrated by the magic of Andreas Pereira. Both sides were level on possession and shots. Athletic were just about edging it with their set-piece goal... until the 60th minute. Andreas Pereira received a San Emeterio cross, just outside of the box, and smashed a powerful shot past the goalkeeper for 1-1. 10 minutes later, after having been on the pitch for only 3 minutes, Hernandez was prospering from some more Pereira magic. The Belgian waltzed past two players before slipping a through-ball into the path of the Uruguayan who finished with ease. 2-1. Game turned on its head. But we weren't done there. 3 minutes later, Hernandez was brought down inside the box and proceeded to tuck away the resulting penalty. 3 goals, 3 points. Super substitution.
View attachment 169913
That's incredibly impressive. We're only in January but Pereira has now received more man of the match awards than any other player in my tenure. The previous was Cartabia - the old school guys on this thread will know all about the little Argentine's importance in the first season. Regardless, what a stunning feat for Pereira.
Real Madrid away, 2nd leg Copa del Rey...
Drama. Drama. Drama. We're through to the next round! What a game this was. Seriously. Real Madrid mauled us, were all over us and could easily have scored more than just one. Lindelof cleared a shot off the line that would have buried us after Real Madrid had taken a late first-half lead courtesy of a cheap header. We were having no shots at goal; nothing. We weren't creating. We couldn't even get the ball. In the 72nd minute, on came Juan Iturbe. And the Argentine would go on to do what he always does: create something out of nothing and win us the tie. In the 90th minute, when we seemed destined for defeat and the Copa del Rey looked once again out of our reach, Iturbe struck gold. Pereira launched a ball forward, in overload mode, and Iturbe's fresh legs allowed him to beat the offside trap and race clean through on goal. With seconds remaining on the clock, Iturbe stroked the ball past Scuffet. 1-1, through on away goals we go. What a dramatic end to the tie!
And we draw...
Rayo are always a tough team to play in cup competitions, but we'll get past them.
Celta away...
Can't blame the players for dropping points here. At least we didn't lose. That Real Madrid game took a lot out of our players' fitness. This was a big defensive performance against a Celta side looking for revenge from the previous game against them. We kept the clean-sheet and added another point to our growing tally for the season. Nothing else to note here.
Rayo at home, 1st leg Copa del Rey quarter-final...
31 shots, yet we only scored twice. This was ridiculously disappointing, particularly because the victory was only by a one goal margin. We were 2-0 up after 11 minutes, with Krmar heading in a San Emeterio cross and then an own-goal going our way. Just when things seemed destined for a 2-0 win, Rayo pulled one back. This complicated the 2nd leg because they now had an away goal. They were extremely clinical and took their chance. We should have scored five or six.
Malaga away...
Another game where we dominate in the shooting department yet still find ourselves lacking in goals. Back-to-back league draws, too, which might just allow Real Madrid to creep up behind us. But this is the sacrifice we have to make for Copa del Rey success. Rotation ruins the flow of the side. Luckily for us, since we weren't doing anything from open play, our goal came from the penalty spot. Hernandez duly finished. Unfortunately, Malaga had a goal up there sleeve and equalised the game just before half-time. And that's how it ended.
Rayo away, 2nd leg Copa del Rey...
A more comfortable game than I had expected, in all honesty. We were all over Rayo, rejecting their attacks with excellent defending and then pouring forward on the counter when we got the chance. The game was all-but done in the space of 9 minutes. All by the hand of Juan Iturbe, once again. He nodded in a San Emeterio cross to put us 3-1 up on aggregate and then struck the final nail in Rayo's coffin when he scored directly from a close-range free-kick. 2-0, 4-1 on aggregate. Off to the semi-finals we go!
And we draw...
180 minutes of football against Levante stands between us and a Copa del Rey final. The one trophy we have yet to conquer in my tenure as Deportivo manager.
Rayo at home...
View attachment 169904
Poor Rayo. 3 chances to beat us this month and they lost on every single occasion. This game was a tighter one than the previous clashes but partly due to more rotation. Luckily for us, it was yet another victory and clean-sheet. And yet again an Iturbe goal that delivered us the victory. The Argentine slammed home a penalty and secured the three points. A lovely way to end the month. Another unbeaten month.
Guess who's back...
Finally, Halilovic is back! In those pesky 0-0 draws, he would have made a difference. He always has done. It's great to have the main right-winger of this side back to fitness.
The streak goes on...
30 games undefeated. 30! This is unprecedented. Can we beat Arsenal's 49?
League table:
Level on points with Real Madrid, ahead on head-to-head PLUS two games in hand. I'm happy with that.
San Emeterio got some important assists this month, played a key part in the clean-sheets and was just all-round superb yet again. I love this guy. Ever since he arrived, aged 18, he's been playing at a consistently high level without fail. Best right-back in the league by a mile.
Next month, we take on Levante in the Copa, more league games and PAOK in the Champions League. It's a big one, especially with Halilovic back from injury. Can we continue the season undefeated? FORZA DEPOR
This was a month where a lot happened, but it was all positive. This is on course to be our greatest season yet, I believe.
RENEWALS
View attachment 169920
Corredera deserved an extension. One of the academy kids that were bled through the first-team. Ever since 2015, he has been a mainstay in midfield. Great set-piece taker, phenomenal vision... he's a key part of how we play. Glad to have tied him down on a 3-year contract.
Low wages, happy to play second choice. Luna is a perfect backup option to Saúl. Not only is he happy to play second fiddle to Saúl, he's actually a superb footballer when given the minutes. 2-year deal should be enough until he needs replacing.
The perfect utility man. He can cover either wing and the entirety of the midfield. I wasn't ready to let go of the Moroccan magician, especially because he's still proving to be important in the grand scheme of things. I'll be replacing him soon with a very young player, I'd imagine. For now, glad he's sticking around.
9 games in 4 weeks. This was a ridiculous month where we were forced to rotate regularly, yet still we remained undefeated. We picked up some phenomenal results. Let's dive right into it
Cadiz away...
Rotation was needed with the Real Madrid 1st leg only 3 days away. We didn't do anything too heavy, but there was a clear difference between the starters. Cadiz's Raul Navas scored an own-goal to give us the lead when we had been creating absolutely nothing. Then, out of nowhere, the same player brings down Krmar inside the box. Lucas tucks away the penalty. 2 fortuitous goals in a game where, without them, we probably would have lost. Cadiz pulled one back early in the second-half but our resolute defending and grip on possession meant they couldn't score another. 3 lucky points, but it doesn't matter how they come. Nice to see Krmar involved in both goals.
Real Madrid at home, 1st leg Copa del Rey...
We avoided conceding the dreaded away goal. This was a very tight and even game with neither side creating anything of note. Defensively, though, we were absolutely fantastic. We kept a lid on their star-studded attack, frustrated them with their superior possession and never gave them an inch. Lindelof and San Emeterio were otherworldly. A very strong result to take to the 2nd leg.
Athletic Bilbao away...
This was a BIG second-half performance, orchestrated by the magic of Andreas Pereira. Both sides were level on possession and shots. Athletic were just about edging it with their set-piece goal... until the 60th minute. Andreas Pereira received a San Emeterio cross, just outside of the box, and smashed a powerful shot past the goalkeeper for 1-1. 10 minutes later, after having been on the pitch for only 3 minutes, Hernandez was prospering from some more Pereira magic. The Belgian waltzed past two players before slipping a through-ball into the path of the Uruguayan who finished with ease. 2-1. Game turned on its head. But we weren't done there. 3 minutes later, Hernandez was brought down inside the box and proceeded to tuck away the resulting penalty. 3 goals, 3 points. Super substitution.
View attachment 169913
That's incredibly impressive. We're only in January but Pereira has now received more man of the match awards than any other player in my tenure. The previous was Cartabia - the old school guys on this thread will know all about the little Argentine's importance in the first season. Regardless, what a stunning feat for Pereira.
Real Madrid away, 2nd leg Copa del Rey...
Drama. Drama. Drama. We're through to the next round! What a game this was. Seriously. Real Madrid mauled us, were all over us and could easily have scored more than just one. Lindelof cleared a shot off the line that would have buried us after Real Madrid had taken a late first-half lead courtesy of a cheap header. We were having no shots at goal; nothing. We weren't creating. We couldn't even get the ball. In the 72nd minute, on came Juan Iturbe. And the Argentine would go on to do what he always does: create something out of nothing and win us the tie. In the 90th minute, when we seemed destined for defeat and the Copa del Rey looked once again out of our reach, Iturbe struck gold. Pereira launched a ball forward, in overload mode, and Iturbe's fresh legs allowed him to beat the offside trap and race clean through on goal. With seconds remaining on the clock, Iturbe stroked the ball past Scuffet. 1-1, through on away goals we go. What a dramatic end to the tie!
And we draw...
Rayo are always a tough team to play in cup competitions, but we'll get past them.
Celta away...
Can't blame the players for dropping points here. At least we didn't lose. That Real Madrid game took a lot out of our players' fitness. This was a big defensive performance against a Celta side looking for revenge from the previous game against them. We kept the clean-sheet and added another point to our growing tally for the season. Nothing else to note here.
Rayo at home, 1st leg Copa del Rey quarter-final...
31 shots, yet we only scored twice. This was ridiculously disappointing, particularly because the victory was only by a one goal margin. We were 2-0 up after 11 minutes, with Krmar heading in a San Emeterio cross and then an own-goal going our way. Just when things seemed destined for a 2-0 win, Rayo pulled one back. This complicated the 2nd leg because they now had an away goal. They were extremely clinical and took their chance. We should have scored five or six.
Malaga away...
Another game where we dominate in the shooting department yet still find ourselves lacking in goals. Back-to-back league draws, too, which might just allow Real Madrid to creep up behind us. But this is the sacrifice we have to make for Copa del Rey success. Rotation ruins the flow of the side. Luckily for us, since we weren't doing anything from open play, our goal came from the penalty spot. Hernandez duly finished. Unfortunately, Malaga had a goal up there sleeve and equalised the game just before half-time. And that's how it ended.
Rayo away, 2nd leg Copa del Rey...
A more comfortable game than I had expected, in all honesty. We were all over Rayo, rejecting their attacks with excellent defending and then pouring forward on the counter when we got the chance. The game was all-but done in the space of 9 minutes. All by the hand of Juan Iturbe, once again. He nodded in a San Emeterio cross to put us 3-1 up on aggregate and then struck the final nail in Rayo's coffin when he scored directly from a close-range free-kick. 2-0, 4-1 on aggregate. Off to the semi-finals we go!
And we draw...
180 minutes of football against Levante stands between us and a Copa del Rey final. The one trophy we have yet to conquer in my tenure as Deportivo manager.
Rayo at home...
View attachment 169904
Poor Rayo. 3 chances to beat us this month and they lost on every single occasion. This game was a tighter one than the previous clashes but partly due to more rotation. Luckily for us, it was yet another victory and clean-sheet. And yet again an Iturbe goal that delivered us the victory. The Argentine slammed home a penalty and secured the three points. A lovely way to end the month. Another unbeaten month.
Guess who's back...
Finally, Halilovic is back! In those pesky 0-0 draws, he would have made a difference. He always has done. It's great to have the main right-winger of this side back to fitness.
The streak goes on...
30 games undefeated. 30! This is unprecedented. Can we beat Arsenal's 49?
League table:
Level on points with Real Madrid, ahead on head-to-head PLUS two games in hand. I'm happy with that.
San Emeterio got some important assists this month, played a key part in the clean-sheets and was just all-round superb yet again. I love this guy. Ever since he arrived, aged 18, he's been playing at a consistently high level without fail. Best right-back in the league by a mile.
Next month, we take on Levante in the Copa, more league games and PAOK in the Champions League. It's a big one, especially with Halilovic back from injury. Can we continue the season undefeated? FORZA DEPOR
Death Ball
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LOL, at the first instant of glance I didn't see the t of stake and I read "... sacked... month". WHAT?! Then I saw the t. Phew, board's not been assymilated by Celtist aliens.
Haha, can you imagine that? Thanks for reading!
February 2022 - In Cruise Control
This month cemented one thing: we are definitely in contention for every single trophy. The way we played, the results we picked up. I don't see where we slip up, especially as we're already in February.
Still undefeated. Some cracking results in there, too. But we start at home to Levante in the 1st leg of the Copa del Rey semi-final:
Levante are a very tough side. After all, there's a reason as to why they're in the semi-finals. This was never going to be a walk in the park. And yet, we could have beaten them. We had enough shots for it, but very little were actually hitting the target. Meanwhile, Levante took their chance. They opened the scoring through Samuel, which left us scrambling for a quick equaliser. This was their away goal. Luckily for us, very soon after the restart, Nahuel tied the game up with a fine shot across the goalkeeper after Hernandez's assist. 1-1 in the end, with little happening after that goal. We need a positive result away from home. It will be a tough one, for sure.
Sevilla at home...
Always great beating Sevilla because they tend to be a team that can always cause an upset against us when we're in great form. The same issue continued, though. 23 shots and merely two goals; Sevilla had three and scored one of those. It's worrying, but luckily we're scraping through with the bare minimum. Halilovic, in his first game back after a 3 month injury, scored a tap-in after Iturbe smashed the ball across the box. The Argentine doubled our lead in the second-half when he hit a half-volley, from a tight angle, past the goalkeeper. 2-0, and the game wrapped up. Sevilla pulled one back late on, but it stood as a mere equaliser. Still, 3 points in the bag.
Levante away, 2nd leg Copa del Rey...
WE ARE THROUGH TO THE COPA DEL REY FINAL!!!! This was one of the toughest Copa del Rey ties I've played to date. Levante defend excellently and are stupidly tough to break down. As always, though, it was an Iturbe goal that saw us through. That man scores important goals for fun. This time, it was a very nice finish from just outside the box following Halilovic's eye-of-the-needle pass. Levante rarely threatened, and so it became a game of "how long can we hold onto this lead" for us. We relinquished a lot of possession to hit them on the counter but they rarely moved. Off to the final we go!
Our opponents in the final...
As suspected, Barcelona are the finalists. They stand between us and the one trophy I have never won as Deportivo manager. We need to win it. In fact, we have to win it.
Almeria away...
The worst result of the month. It's always hard to turn in great league performances after draining cup games in midweek. This was no different. Labyad's red card summed up the game for us: frustrating and ineffective. This was a very foul-heavy game, with 35 between both sides. Almeria dominated possession but did nothing with it. When we had chances, they were purely speculative strikes with no substance. Dropped points, but I suppose that's the sacrifice we have to make for competing on all fronts.
Villarreal away...
Big, big, big performance. An outstanding victory, all things considered. This is the part of the month when goals start flying in; and it didn't take long for the first goal to be registered in this game. 32 seconds into the first-half, Abel Hernandez rose above two Villarreal defenders to head in a Nahuel cross. Villarreal equalised minutes before half-time. In the 67th minute, Nahuel added his a goal of his own to put us in the lead. Lindelof was sent off seconds after this goal, leaving us down to ten men to defend a narrow lead. When all seemed destined for a 2-1 victory, Villarreal equalised with 4 minutes to go. And it looked set to be another unwanted draw this month. 2-2 was not a fair reflection of our dominance. And, just when things seemed bad, Nahuel stepped up with a hugely important goal - similar to the one in the CWC final. He latched onto a long ball from Luna and drove a shot from a ridiculously tight angle for 3-2 and game over. I love Nahuel. Not only is he gifted, he loves scoring late goals. A great option for when we need to rotate. This was a huge 3 points.
PAOK away, Champions League Round of 32 1st leg...
Our biggest victory in my tenure, as well as our biggest ever European victory. This was a complete and utter decimation of PAOK. We opened the scoring inside the first minute of the game when Iturbe slammed in a Saúl cross. Despite PAOK's equaliser soon after, they were struck down with a red card. And that red card opened the floodgates with the game poised at 1-1. First came an own-goal, 13 minutes from half-time. And then Krmar arrived, scoring a six-minute hat-trick before half-time. The first was a headed goal from Saúl's cross, the second a nice finish from Iturbe's assist and the third a solo goal. As the half-time whistle went, we were 5-1 up. And we added two more in the second half. Krmar registered his 4th of the game when he tapped in from a rebounded Iturbe shot. The Serbian then turned provider for Abel Hernandez who sealed the seventh goal. One of our greatest performances to date.
Tenerife at home...
Another high-scoring win and the best way to end a positive month. By the 4th minute of the first-half, we were already up by two goals. In fact, those two goals were scored within 60 seconds of one another. Abel and Insua's goals were assisted by Halilovic corners - both headers were simple, with Abel and Insua completely unmarked inside the box. Unfortunately for us, that wasn't a sign of Tenerife rolling over. By the 50th minute, they had tied up the game at 2-2. What seemed like an emphatic victory now looked like a disappointing draw; a 2 goal lead blown away. In the 74th minute, Krmar entered the fray. Hot off his 4 goals vs PAOK, we were hoping he would find the winner. And find a winner he did. In the 82nd minute, Krmar delivered us the victory. He beat a couple of players on the edge of the box and curled a shot past the goalkeeper. Krmar wasn't done there. 2 minutes later, he secured the victory. This time, it was his heading ability that caused Tenerife to suffer the victory blow. 4-2, 3 points. What a way to end an excellent month!
View attachment 169610
42 games undefeated. 7 away from Arsenal's record. Will we do it?
League table...
View attachment 169608
3 points clear, two games in hand. Easy.
Krmar was on another planet this month. Not only were his goals ridiculously important, they were also of the highest quality. Six goals in two games. Outstanding. How is he only 22?
Next month, we take on Barcelona, PAOK in the 2nd leg and a 1st leg against whoever our quarter-final opponents turn out to be. Amidst that, some more league games. FORZA DEPOR!
This month cemented one thing: we are definitely in contention for every single trophy. The way we played, the results we picked up. I don't see where we slip up, especially as we're already in February.
Still undefeated. Some cracking results in there, too. But we start at home to Levante in the 1st leg of the Copa del Rey semi-final:
Levante are a very tough side. After all, there's a reason as to why they're in the semi-finals. This was never going to be a walk in the park. And yet, we could have beaten them. We had enough shots for it, but very little were actually hitting the target. Meanwhile, Levante took their chance. They opened the scoring through Samuel, which left us scrambling for a quick equaliser. This was their away goal. Luckily for us, very soon after the restart, Nahuel tied the game up with a fine shot across the goalkeeper after Hernandez's assist. 1-1 in the end, with little happening after that goal. We need a positive result away from home. It will be a tough one, for sure.
Sevilla at home...
Always great beating Sevilla because they tend to be a team that can always cause an upset against us when we're in great form. The same issue continued, though. 23 shots and merely two goals; Sevilla had three and scored one of those. It's worrying, but luckily we're scraping through with the bare minimum. Halilovic, in his first game back after a 3 month injury, scored a tap-in after Iturbe smashed the ball across the box. The Argentine doubled our lead in the second-half when he hit a half-volley, from a tight angle, past the goalkeeper. 2-0, and the game wrapped up. Sevilla pulled one back late on, but it stood as a mere equaliser. Still, 3 points in the bag.
Levante away, 2nd leg Copa del Rey...
WE ARE THROUGH TO THE COPA DEL REY FINAL!!!! This was one of the toughest Copa del Rey ties I've played to date. Levante defend excellently and are stupidly tough to break down. As always, though, it was an Iturbe goal that saw us through. That man scores important goals for fun. This time, it was a very nice finish from just outside the box following Halilovic's eye-of-the-needle pass. Levante rarely threatened, and so it became a game of "how long can we hold onto this lead" for us. We relinquished a lot of possession to hit them on the counter but they rarely moved. Off to the final we go!
Our opponents in the final...
As suspected, Barcelona are the finalists. They stand between us and the one trophy I have never won as Deportivo manager. We need to win it. In fact, we have to win it.
Almeria away...
The worst result of the month. It's always hard to turn in great league performances after draining cup games in midweek. This was no different. Labyad's red card summed up the game for us: frustrating and ineffective. This was a very foul-heavy game, with 35 between both sides. Almeria dominated possession but did nothing with it. When we had chances, they were purely speculative strikes with no substance. Dropped points, but I suppose that's the sacrifice we have to make for competing on all fronts.
Villarreal away...
Big, big, big performance. An outstanding victory, all things considered. This is the part of the month when goals start flying in; and it didn't take long for the first goal to be registered in this game. 32 seconds into the first-half, Abel Hernandez rose above two Villarreal defenders to head in a Nahuel cross. Villarreal equalised minutes before half-time. In the 67th minute, Nahuel added his a goal of his own to put us in the lead. Lindelof was sent off seconds after this goal, leaving us down to ten men to defend a narrow lead. When all seemed destined for a 2-1 victory, Villarreal equalised with 4 minutes to go. And it looked set to be another unwanted draw this month. 2-2 was not a fair reflection of our dominance. And, just when things seemed bad, Nahuel stepped up with a hugely important goal - similar to the one in the CWC final. He latched onto a long ball from Luna and drove a shot from a ridiculously tight angle for 3-2 and game over. I love Nahuel. Not only is he gifted, he loves scoring late goals. A great option for when we need to rotate. This was a huge 3 points.
PAOK away, Champions League Round of 32 1st leg...
Our biggest victory in my tenure, as well as our biggest ever European victory. This was a complete and utter decimation of PAOK. We opened the scoring inside the first minute of the game when Iturbe slammed in a Saúl cross. Despite PAOK's equaliser soon after, they were struck down with a red card. And that red card opened the floodgates with the game poised at 1-1. First came an own-goal, 13 minutes from half-time. And then Krmar arrived, scoring a six-minute hat-trick before half-time. The first was a headed goal from Saúl's cross, the second a nice finish from Iturbe's assist and the third a solo goal. As the half-time whistle went, we were 5-1 up. And we added two more in the second half. Krmar registered his 4th of the game when he tapped in from a rebounded Iturbe shot. The Serbian then turned provider for Abel Hernandez who sealed the seventh goal. One of our greatest performances to date.
Tenerife at home...
Another high-scoring win and the best way to end a positive month. By the 4th minute of the first-half, we were already up by two goals. In fact, those two goals were scored within 60 seconds of one another. Abel and Insua's goals were assisted by Halilovic corners - both headers were simple, with Abel and Insua completely unmarked inside the box. Unfortunately for us, that wasn't a sign of Tenerife rolling over. By the 50th minute, they had tied up the game at 2-2. What seemed like an emphatic victory now looked like a disappointing draw; a 2 goal lead blown away. In the 74th minute, Krmar entered the fray. Hot off his 4 goals vs PAOK, we were hoping he would find the winner. And find a winner he did. In the 82nd minute, Krmar delivered us the victory. He beat a couple of players on the edge of the box and curled a shot past the goalkeeper. Krmar wasn't done there. 2 minutes later, he secured the victory. This time, it was his heading ability that caused Tenerife to suffer the victory blow. 4-2, 3 points. What a way to end an excellent month!
View attachment 169610
42 games undefeated. 7 away from Arsenal's record. Will we do it?
League table...
View attachment 169608
3 points clear, two games in hand. Easy.
Krmar was on another planet this month. Not only were his goals ridiculously important, they were also of the highest quality. Six goals in two games. Outstanding. How is he only 22?
Next month, we take on Barcelona, PAOK in the 2nd leg and a 1st leg against whoever our quarter-final opponents turn out to be. Amidst that, some more league games. FORZA DEPOR!
Yeah, it was a great win. So much fun watching Krmar run riot against them!