Reviving Deportivo La Coruña
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October 2016 - Sustaining an unbeaten league run
Our league run, despite the lack of glamorous results, has nonetheless been one in which we have yet to lose. This month was no different, despite facing off against Barcelona and our eternal rivals Celta Vigo. The results:
Again, largely draw-heavy but we can't complain. The opposition have been tough and our youngsters are still gelling into the side. We started off the month at home to Barça...
Our first positive result vs Barcelona since my arrival and, boy, was it an impressive one! Despite conceding in the 36th minute, we defended breathtakingly well. Barcelona were reduced to passing the ball around without once penetrating our box (aside from that goal). They had no clear-cut chances, but neither did we. It was all set up for another valiant loss and end to our unbeaten run until substitute Rafael Borré whacked in a half-volley from an incredible Mosquera whipped cross. IN THE 91ST MINUTE! It was a gorgeous finish to rescue a point in a game where we more than proved ourselves capable of improving from last season. We are now unbeaten vs Real Madrid and Barça this season.
Malaga away...
Another 1-1 draw, another late goal. I can't begrudge these draws when we continuously rescue them from being losses. It's a double-edged sword: amassing points is great but you don't want to get caught in the vicious cycle of accepting draws every weekend. Malaga were the superior side - we spent more time committing fouls than actually stringing passes along. It took one lung-busting run from Borges to draw a penalty for the Costa Rican to subsequently smash it past Ochoa with one minute remaining of normal time.
Away to Dynamo Kyiv...
We have had a terrible start to life in Europe but, then again, our group was always going to be difficult to shine in. We created nothing in this game, yet neither did Kyiv. Their ridiculously early goal courtesy of Iturbe was enough to put us to the sword.
Celta away...
I've still yet to lose against Celta (2W1D). This was a game where Celta attempted to swarm us, but our resolute defence constantly swatted them away; Iago Aspas' equaliser a mere lapse in concentration from Sidnei. Medunjanin scored early on - clearly inspired by Iturbe in the previous game. He volleyed home a corner from Lucas. Another 1-1 draw, another singular point.
Athletic at home...
WE WON A GAME OF FOOTBALL! In all honesty, this is an important part to the save. I've been toying around with a new formation (hence the draws), but it's starting to all come together. What I've done is switch to a midfield three in order to accommodate my array of central midfielders. I then have both my wingers operating as inside forwards in order to give my wing-backs the entire wing to themselves. Saul and San Emeterio are brilliant and productive wing-backs, so I thought: why not make them the focal creative point of this side? I hope that, throughout the coming games, our new tactic helps us turn those pesky draws into wins. Now, back onto the game! It was a largely uneventful one with plenty of shots off-target, but we'll take the win however it comes. Athletic are a tough nut to crack on this save. Our Mexican winger, Marco Fabián, produced a stunning cross for Borré to head in the game's only real clear-cut chance. Three points!
Real Sociedad away...
Back-to-back league wins for the first time this season against the two Basque clubs! If the Athletic game was uneventful, then this was a snorefest. Once we scored the early goal via a Lucas free-kick, we decided to sit back and preserve the lead. Did it work? Yes. I love having a resolute defence because we can always sit back and rely on them to remain solid. It's one of the key foundations of my philosophy at Depor.
Copa del Rey draw:
Guijuelo - a Segunda B side. This means that we can comfortably rotate and save some legs for when fixtures start to fly in soon.
The league & Europa tables:
League positives: we're unbeaten and finally starting to reap the benefits from a new tactic. Negatives: SEVEN DRAWS FROM 11 GAMES. In Europe, there are no positives. We are simply not good enough for Europe just yet.
This month was one where we saw the side undergo some changes, thus the erratic nature of the results. I'm mightily impressed with the collective performance of the team - in particular, defensively. Next month we see whether or not this new tactic works. 'Til next time! Forza Depor!
Our league run, despite the lack of glamorous results, has nonetheless been one in which we have yet to lose. This month was no different, despite facing off against Barcelona and our eternal rivals Celta Vigo. The results:
Again, largely draw-heavy but we can't complain. The opposition have been tough and our youngsters are still gelling into the side. We started off the month at home to Barça...
Our first positive result vs Barcelona since my arrival and, boy, was it an impressive one! Despite conceding in the 36th minute, we defended breathtakingly well. Barcelona were reduced to passing the ball around without once penetrating our box (aside from that goal). They had no clear-cut chances, but neither did we. It was all set up for another valiant loss and end to our unbeaten run until substitute Rafael Borré whacked in a half-volley from an incredible Mosquera whipped cross. IN THE 91ST MINUTE! It was a gorgeous finish to rescue a point in a game where we more than proved ourselves capable of improving from last season. We are now unbeaten vs Real Madrid and Barça this season.
Malaga away...
Another 1-1 draw, another late goal. I can't begrudge these draws when we continuously rescue them from being losses. It's a double-edged sword: amassing points is great but you don't want to get caught in the vicious cycle of accepting draws every weekend. Malaga were the superior side - we spent more time committing fouls than actually stringing passes along. It took one lung-busting run from Borges to draw a penalty for the Costa Rican to subsequently smash it past Ochoa with one minute remaining of normal time.
Away to Dynamo Kyiv...
We have had a terrible start to life in Europe but, then again, our group was always going to be difficult to shine in. We created nothing in this game, yet neither did Kyiv. Their ridiculously early goal courtesy of Iturbe was enough to put us to the sword.
Celta away...
I've still yet to lose against Celta (2W1D). This was a game where Celta attempted to swarm us, but our resolute defence constantly swatted them away; Iago Aspas' equaliser a mere lapse in concentration from Sidnei. Medunjanin scored early on - clearly inspired by Iturbe in the previous game. He volleyed home a corner from Lucas. Another 1-1 draw, another singular point.
Athletic at home...
WE WON A GAME OF FOOTBALL! In all honesty, this is an important part to the save. I've been toying around with a new formation (hence the draws), but it's starting to all come together. What I've done is switch to a midfield three in order to accommodate my array of central midfielders. I then have both my wingers operating as inside forwards in order to give my wing-backs the entire wing to themselves. Saul and San Emeterio are brilliant and productive wing-backs, so I thought: why not make them the focal creative point of this side? I hope that, throughout the coming games, our new tactic helps us turn those pesky draws into wins. Now, back onto the game! It was a largely uneventful one with plenty of shots off-target, but we'll take the win however it comes. Athletic are a tough nut to crack on this save. Our Mexican winger, Marco Fabián, produced a stunning cross for Borré to head in the game's only real clear-cut chance. Three points!
Real Sociedad away...
Back-to-back league wins for the first time this season against the two Basque clubs! If the Athletic game was uneventful, then this was a snorefest. Once we scored the early goal via a Lucas free-kick, we decided to sit back and preserve the lead. Did it work? Yes. I love having a resolute defence because we can always sit back and rely on them to remain solid. It's one of the key foundations of my philosophy at Depor.
Copa del Rey draw:
Guijuelo - a Segunda B side. This means that we can comfortably rotate and save some legs for when fixtures start to fly in soon.
The league & Europa tables:
League positives: we're unbeaten and finally starting to reap the benefits from a new tactic. Negatives: SEVEN DRAWS FROM 11 GAMES. In Europe, there are no positives. We are simply not good enough for Europe just yet.
This month was one where we saw the side undergo some changes, thus the erratic nature of the results. I'm mightily impressed with the collective performance of the team - in particular, defensively. Next month we see whether or not this new tactic works. 'Til next time! Forza Depor!
Conn
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Excellent Story!
Reminds me of my Atletico Story in last years edition of FM
Makign up the formatio nand tactic, tweaking and adjusting like a real manager and getting these resoults with THAT squad?
Expect a call from Roman one of these days pal
Reminds me of my Atletico Story in last years edition of FM
Makign up the formatio nand tactic, tweaking and adjusting like a real manager and getting these resoults with THAT squad?
Expect a call from Roman one of these days pal
Excellent Story!
Reminds me of my Atletico Story in last years edition of FM
Makign up the formatio nand tactic, tweaking and adjusting like a real manager and getting these resoults with THAT squad?
Expect a call from Roman one of these days pal
Haha, thank you very much buddy!
November 2016 - things are looking up...
This month, we sustained our league unbeaten run. Admittedly, there were more draws but we have to factor in who we were up against: one is our bogey side, the other is one of the league's strongest teams. In Europe, we sealed our fate...
View attachment 201096
If your math is good, then you will have figured out that we've been knocked out of the Europa League. We needed to beat Wolfsburg to be in with a chance; it wasn't to be. I'm not disheartened - it is our first time in the tournament in years plus we were placed in a tough group. Maybe next year if we qualify we'll do better. Let's see where it all crumbled...
4 weeks without our most creative attacker. The man who makes us tick in the final third.
Home to Kyiv...
We dominated the Ukrainian side, but they were far more clinical. We were buried by the end of the first-half. Borges' goal gave us some hope in the 65th minute, but we struggled to penetrate their defence in the final minutes. This meant we needed a win against Wolfsburg to be in with a chance of qualification.
Villarreal away...
I've expressed countless times why Villarreal are one of the toughest sides to beat in this year's FM: they're explosive in attack and boast some impeccable energy off the bench. It's hard to contain them. I was delighted with a draw, but perhaps even more delighted with our academy boy Alex Corredera scoring 4 minutes into his first start for the club. It was a gorgeous side-footed finish following a deflected Borré shot. That was our only shot on target in the whole game. Villarreal attacked and attacked, and attacked... on the brink of half-time they equalised. Luckily, our defence continued to shine in the league as they repelled countless Villarreal moves. A very good point which keeps us unbeaten in the league.
Sevilla at home...
Another 1-1 draw - I appreciate this probably isn't entertaining! We're playing extremely well but keep getting undone toward the end of games. This time, it was an 83rd minute Gameiro equaliser that tore the three points off our hands. Lucas scored another free-kick to, yet again, give us the lead early on but Sevilla demolished us in attack and got their reward for having 24 shots. Still, I'm keeping my faith in this tactic. I see glimpses of improvement.
Wolfsburg at home...
This result hurt really, really bad. Lucas scored in the 4th minute to fill us with hope, but then missed a penalty 20 minutes later to double our lead. That miss ended up being our downfall. In the 2nd half, Wolfsburg found an equaliser with just under 30 minutes left to play. Up steps our academy striker, Luis Fernandez, who taps the ball in after a ridiculous cross from Marco Fabián. 2-1 with 18 minutes to go. We just had to hold on. Two minutes later, Wolfsburg crack us down and equalise. If only Lucas had scored his penalty... we'd still be in the tournament! I was delighted with the attacking performance but, defensively, we were let down for the first time in ages.
Confirmation of exit...
Back to the league at home to Rayo...
Emphatic way to bounce back only 3 days after that disappointing game vs Wolfsburg. We dismantled Rayo from the minute the whistle first blew, to the minute it concluded the game. Marco Fabián was in impeccable form, scoring in the third minute... we were then cut down to size with ANOTHER Arribas own-goal. From there on out, it was a massacre. In the space of 38 minutes after conceding, we were 4-1 up. Borges scored a phenomenal strike from 30 yards out to restore our lead, Luis Fernandez doubled it with another tap-in from Saul's cross and then Fabián killed it off with his second of the game - another easy goal, this time from San Emeterio's cross. Our full-backs are finally starting to become our key sources of creativity! Our first 3 points of the month to end it on a high.
La Liga and Europa tables:
The only side still unbeaten in La Liga. One point off Champions League. I'll take that!
Borges scored some crucial goals and just kept creating chances with every passing game. His mental stats really help us when our backs are against the wall - we found ourselves in that situation several times. He never gives up and never stops contributing. Also, he was awarded the goal of the month award for that strike vs Rayo.
That wraps up November. It wasn't anything pretty, but we're getting points in every single league game. Things can only look up. I was expecting to lose without Taarabt, but my full-backs and Borges stepped up excellently. The unbeaten run continues! 'Til next time! Forza Depor!
This month, we sustained our league unbeaten run. Admittedly, there were more draws but we have to factor in who we were up against: one is our bogey side, the other is one of the league's strongest teams. In Europe, we sealed our fate...
View attachment 201096
If your math is good, then you will have figured out that we've been knocked out of the Europa League. We needed to beat Wolfsburg to be in with a chance; it wasn't to be. I'm not disheartened - it is our first time in the tournament in years plus we were placed in a tough group. Maybe next year if we qualify we'll do better. Let's see where it all crumbled...
4 weeks without our most creative attacker. The man who makes us tick in the final third.
Home to Kyiv...
We dominated the Ukrainian side, but they were far more clinical. We were buried by the end of the first-half. Borges' goal gave us some hope in the 65th minute, but we struggled to penetrate their defence in the final minutes. This meant we needed a win against Wolfsburg to be in with a chance of qualification.
Villarreal away...
I've expressed countless times why Villarreal are one of the toughest sides to beat in this year's FM: they're explosive in attack and boast some impeccable energy off the bench. It's hard to contain them. I was delighted with a draw, but perhaps even more delighted with our academy boy Alex Corredera scoring 4 minutes into his first start for the club. It was a gorgeous side-footed finish following a deflected Borré shot. That was our only shot on target in the whole game. Villarreal attacked and attacked, and attacked... on the brink of half-time they equalised. Luckily, our defence continued to shine in the league as they repelled countless Villarreal moves. A very good point which keeps us unbeaten in the league.
Sevilla at home...
Another 1-1 draw - I appreciate this probably isn't entertaining! We're playing extremely well but keep getting undone toward the end of games. This time, it was an 83rd minute Gameiro equaliser that tore the three points off our hands. Lucas scored another free-kick to, yet again, give us the lead early on but Sevilla demolished us in attack and got their reward for having 24 shots. Still, I'm keeping my faith in this tactic. I see glimpses of improvement.
Wolfsburg at home...
This result hurt really, really bad. Lucas scored in the 4th minute to fill us with hope, but then missed a penalty 20 minutes later to double our lead. That miss ended up being our downfall. In the 2nd half, Wolfsburg found an equaliser with just under 30 minutes left to play. Up steps our academy striker, Luis Fernandez, who taps the ball in after a ridiculous cross from Marco Fabián. 2-1 with 18 minutes to go. We just had to hold on. Two minutes later, Wolfsburg crack us down and equalise. If only Lucas had scored his penalty... we'd still be in the tournament! I was delighted with the attacking performance but, defensively, we were let down for the first time in ages.
Confirmation of exit...
Back to the league at home to Rayo...
Emphatic way to bounce back only 3 days after that disappointing game vs Wolfsburg. We dismantled Rayo from the minute the whistle first blew, to the minute it concluded the game. Marco Fabián was in impeccable form, scoring in the third minute... we were then cut down to size with ANOTHER Arribas own-goal. From there on out, it was a massacre. In the space of 38 minutes after conceding, we were 4-1 up. Borges scored a phenomenal strike from 30 yards out to restore our lead, Luis Fernandez doubled it with another tap-in from Saul's cross and then Fabián killed it off with his second of the game - another easy goal, this time from San Emeterio's cross. Our full-backs are finally starting to become our key sources of creativity! Our first 3 points of the month to end it on a high.
La Liga and Europa tables:
The only side still unbeaten in La Liga. One point off Champions League. I'll take that!
Borges scored some crucial goals and just kept creating chances with every passing game. His mental stats really help us when our backs are against the wall - we found ourselves in that situation several times. He never gives up and never stops contributing. Also, he was awarded the goal of the month award for that strike vs Rayo.
That wraps up November. It wasn't anything pretty, but we're getting points in every single league game. Things can only look up. I was expecting to lose without Taarabt, but my full-backs and Borges stepped up excellently. The unbeaten run continues! 'Til next time! Forza Depor!
TractorBoy7
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Love how young and talented your full backs are! Such a shame about that regen's clause being bought out though Keep it up!
Keep it up!December 2016 - the month where wins replaced draws
We had the perfect month: some great wins, an incredible streak of league clean-sheets and progression in the Copa del Rey. Our tactic is finally starting to flourish and we're translating those frustrating draws into positive 3-pointers. Before I show you the results, some news regarding our transfer budget:
A little increase to our budget in the eyes of some but, overall, this is a massive boost. Europa money has helped wipe out some of the debt and those the pursestrings are loosening. Maybe we'll acquire someone in January? Now, the results...
View attachment 200603
As you can see, only one goal conceded in 7 games. None in the league. A great reflection of how incredible our defence is, and has been, since last season.
Let's look at our first game: the meaningless final Europa game...
A nice way to end our European adventure. We beat Gent 1-0 twice. Borges' phenomenal volley from outside of the box was enough to bury them, despite a missed penalty on their behalf in the dying embers of the game. A nice win for a largely forgettable game.
Atletico away...
A phenomenal victory away at the league leaders! We defended excellently after going 1-0 courtesy of an Oriol Riera header from yet another Marco Fabián cross - he's so lethal in wide areas. We kept the best team in the league (results wise) at bay and triumphed in their ground. We're becoming their bogey team. Fabricio made an exceptional double save in the final minute to deny them of a late equaliser. Amazing team win.
Guijuelo away in the cup...
1-0, again, but we shouldn't be celebrating this one. We should have decimated them but I got cocky and rotated the entire starting 11. Lucas' late goal was assisted by our other star full-back, Saul, whose cross was eerily similar to Emeterio's in the next game game. We need to bury them in the second leg. Still, can't complain about keeping a clean-sheet despite heavy changes to the defence.
Espanyol away...
4 away games, 4 clean-sheets, 4 1-0 wins. Consistently impressive performances. This was a tight game despite the positive result. Possession swung either way and shots were distributed almost equally. It was another clean-sheet for Fabricio, though. He made some outstanding stops including ANOTHER double save in the final minutes. No exaggeration. That's why he got a 9.1 rating. San Emeterio assisted once again, this time for a Rafael Borré tap in. His cross whipped behind the defence and defied the goalkeeper. It was stunning!
Guijuelo at home...
We didn't take them lightly this time, but we gave up our nice clean-sheet record (which still stands in the league). An easy victory but, the most amazing thing, was another two assists for San Emeterio. Two outrageous crosses providing easy chances for Borré and Luis Fernandez to bury. Onto the next round we go...
Uh-oh. This was unexpected and could see us out of the tournament early on. Two legs against Real Madrid. Eek.
Valencia at home...
A huge victory against an incredibly strong Valencia side. Another 1-0 win, another clean-sheet, another assist for San Emeterio. Need I repeat myself again and again? Borré turned in a great header to give us the lead early on, and then it was a game of resting on our defensive laurels to see the game out.
Nice little record!
Zaragoza at home...
Taarabt is back! We decimated Zaragoza, keeping another clean-sheet and with our other full-back Saul assisting twice this time round. He assisted Taarabt's first with a nice cut-back inside the box and then Lucas' 90th minute header. Lucas also turned provider for Taarabt's wonder-strike from 27 yards out.
What a month!
3rd in the league. Anyone else a tad dizzy?
Fabri was unreal. He kept 5 clean-sheets this month and, at the age of 29, has finally hit his peak. He made two impeccable double saves, a penalty stop and just turned in a great month overall.
Tune in next month where we might make a signing, play Real Madrid twice in the cup and see just how long this league unbeaten run can last. It's already been 18 games! 'Til then! Forza Depor!
We had the perfect month: some great wins, an incredible streak of league clean-sheets and progression in the Copa del Rey. Our tactic is finally starting to flourish and we're translating those frustrating draws into positive 3-pointers. Before I show you the results, some news regarding our transfer budget:
A little increase to our budget in the eyes of some but, overall, this is a massive boost. Europa money has helped wipe out some of the debt and those the pursestrings are loosening. Maybe we'll acquire someone in January? Now, the results...
View attachment 200603
As you can see, only one goal conceded in 7 games. None in the league. A great reflection of how incredible our defence is, and has been, since last season.
Let's look at our first game: the meaningless final Europa game...
A nice way to end our European adventure. We beat Gent 1-0 twice. Borges' phenomenal volley from outside of the box was enough to bury them, despite a missed penalty on their behalf in the dying embers of the game. A nice win for a largely forgettable game.
Atletico away...
A phenomenal victory away at the league leaders! We defended excellently after going 1-0 courtesy of an Oriol Riera header from yet another Marco Fabián cross - he's so lethal in wide areas. We kept the best team in the league (results wise) at bay and triumphed in their ground. We're becoming their bogey team. Fabricio made an exceptional double save in the final minute to deny them of a late equaliser. Amazing team win.
Guijuelo away in the cup...
1-0, again, but we shouldn't be celebrating this one. We should have decimated them but I got cocky and rotated the entire starting 11. Lucas' late goal was assisted by our other star full-back, Saul, whose cross was eerily similar to Emeterio's in the next game game. We need to bury them in the second leg. Still, can't complain about keeping a clean-sheet despite heavy changes to the defence.
Espanyol away...
4 away games, 4 clean-sheets, 4 1-0 wins. Consistently impressive performances. This was a tight game despite the positive result. Possession swung either way and shots were distributed almost equally. It was another clean-sheet for Fabricio, though. He made some outstanding stops including ANOTHER double save in the final minutes. No exaggeration. That's why he got a 9.1 rating. San Emeterio assisted once again, this time for a Rafael Borré tap in. His cross whipped behind the defence and defied the goalkeeper. It was stunning!
Guijuelo at home...
We didn't take them lightly this time, but we gave up our nice clean-sheet record (which still stands in the league). An easy victory but, the most amazing thing, was another two assists for San Emeterio. Two outrageous crosses providing easy chances for Borré and Luis Fernandez to bury. Onto the next round we go...
Uh-oh. This was unexpected and could see us out of the tournament early on. Two legs against Real Madrid. Eek.
Valencia at home...
A huge victory against an incredibly strong Valencia side. Another 1-0 win, another clean-sheet, another assist for San Emeterio. Need I repeat myself again and again? Borré turned in a great header to give us the lead early on, and then it was a game of resting on our defensive laurels to see the game out.
Nice little record!
Zaragoza at home...
Taarabt is back! We decimated Zaragoza, keeping another clean-sheet and with our other full-back Saul assisting twice this time round. He assisted Taarabt's first with a nice cut-back inside the box and then Lucas' 90th minute header. Lucas also turned provider for Taarabt's wonder-strike from 27 yards out.
What a month!
3rd in the league. Anyone else a tad dizzy?
Fabri was unreal. He kept 5 clean-sheets this month and, at the age of 29, has finally hit his peak. He made two impeccable double saves, a penalty stop and just turned in a great month overall.
Tune in next month where we might make a signing, play Real Madrid twice in the cup and see just how long this league unbeaten run can last. It's already been 18 games! 'Til then! Forza Depor!
January (2017) - A new signing?
All in all, this was another positive month. There were a few disappointments, but the season we're having is quite unbelievable. We're overachieving more than last year which is crazy! Before we jump into the results, some news:
After that clean-sheet frenzy last month, and considering his stellar performances this year, I renewed Arribas. He's 27, approaching his peak years, and had a release clause of 3.7m. I needed to revamp his contract and bump his clause up, so we tied him down for an extra four years. His clause now resides in the 7m mark.
View attachment 200197
His contract was up in the summer and I want to keep him around for one final year. Yes, he's 34, but he's also tutoring Saul. The kid is learning heaps from him and I'd hate to kick his mentor out. Plus, he's a decent back-up. It saves us some cash for the summer. I triggered an extension clause so he didn't get a wage rise or role change.
View attachment 200196
He's 31, barely played this season and has been replaced by the youngster Corredera. He was becoming a waste of space and wages. With his contract also up in the summer, I was somehow able to get 160k for him from Rapid Wien. I liked him last season but, even then, he was bit-part at best. We're better now. I did not seek a replacement from outside for him; I'm happy with the the midfielders at our disposal.
We tried for Jesé on a free but he failed his medical and then joined LA Galaxy. A huge shame - it would've been a coup for the club.
Now, I'm sure you all want to see the results!
View attachment 200200
As you can see, our league unbeaten (and clean-sheet) run has ended. It lasted 25 games if you count the final three from last season. Let's dive into this first leg of the Copa 5th round vs Real Madrid:
A narrow defeat in the first-leg. It was always going to be tough, but I won't lose too much sleep over this. We went toe-to-toe with Spain's giants and scored past them twice. San Emeterio kept up his scintillating form when he assisted Lucas who cancelled out Ronaldo's opener with a fine finish. Lucas then turned provider for Taarabt who headed in from a corner to, again, cancel out a James Rodriguez goal. With things finely poised at the half-time whistle, we looked to play more of a counter-attacking game to minimise their goals but keep our explosiveness in attack. It backfired, as Insua played a horrendous back-pass to Fabri which Ronaldo latched onto and gave Madrid the lead. We didn't come back from this one, despite the valiant effort.
Almeria away...
Another clean-sheet and assist from San Emeterio. This is becoming repetitive, but in a good way. Our entire tactic revolves around exploiting movement in the box, using our full-backs as the main source of creativity. It's totally working. Riera's header in the 27th minute was enough to bury Almeria. We were nothing special and wholly underperformed despite the win.
Real Madrid away...
And out of the cup, we go. We shot ourselves in the foot disgustingly. A hugely disappointing result considering how things started. Lucas kept up his impeccable form of scoring against Real Madrid when he received Taarabt's through ball to calmly finish past Navas. Despite being a 9th minute goal, we had already conceded. So this was an equaliser and had us 4-3 down on aggregate. A few minutes later, Lucas whips in a stunning corner and Arribas heads in. 4-4. Things were level and we were the better side... until Saul got himself sent off for a nasty two-footed challenge. It left us open; down to ten against the best attack in the league. Still, we reached the half-time whistle unscathed. Shortly after the second-half resumed, Arribas dropped his own two-footed tackle and saw red. We were down to 9 men with practically an entire half to play. I tried to pack the centre and defend our lead but, as you can imagine, the Galacticos piled on the pressure. Eventually, ANOTHER silly challenge (from Borges this time) offered Real Madrid the chance to take the lead from the spot. They did. Ronaldo knocked us out. It was always going to be tough, but to lose on sheer aggressiveness is disappointing. We rarely ever get players sent off. Shame. Our hunt for a trophy to end the drought goes on...
Valladolid at home...
In the league, things are rosy as ever. We kept yet another clean-sheet and scored from yet another San Emeterio cross. He ran the wing excellently and also cleared a shot off the line. He was outstanding. His cross for Taarabt was an accurate one begging to be tapped in. It was and we ran away with ANOTHER 3 points. What a season!
Betis away...
The way we're defending and attacking is something else. It's almost perfect. Again, the defensive performance was flawless and another clean-sheet fell in our path. In attack, Taarabt kept up his impressive rate of productivity by scoring via another San Emeterio cross and then providing Borré with an easy goal. Riera prospered from a beautiful Lucas cross. But the best thing about this game was Corredera's free-kick. Our 19-year-old midfielder from the academy smashed in a beauty from 30-odd yards out to kickstart this second half rampage. 3 points in the bag. Nice 'n' easy.
This was Riera's last game for the club
Yes, you read that right. Riera has left the club. He has been unimpressive all season, is ageing and simply cannot get in ahead of a youngster in Luis Fernandez nor our loanee Borré. So we've sold him. But to who, you ask? And did you replace him, you ask? Yes. We replaced him with... drumroll please...
LEO BAPTISTÃO! I love this guy in real life and think he's a fantastic striker underused by Atletico and wasted out on loan. His seasons at Rayo before departing were amazing. He cost 9m + Riera. Somehow, we were able to afford that. The wage bill was high after the departures of some and the club obviously gave us an increase of funds (as I showed in the previous month). He was unhappy. An absolute coup considering we were able to offload Riera too. I must admit, I find it funny that Riera has somehow wriggled his way into a better club!
He looks amazing and suits the role we want him to play in perfectly. I cannot wait to give him a good run of games. He may not shine this season (January signings rarely do), but I've high hopes for him on the whole.
30, on a serious decline and just eating up the wage bill while contributing nothing... he just had to go. Glad he's at a good club though - he was a hero for us in the first season for a few months.
Back to the final game, Granada away...
The unbeaten run comes to an end! And against Granada of all teams! Bad karma for selling Riera? This was the worst debut Baptistão could have asked for... and even then he assisted the own-goal! Granada just destroyed us in the first-half for pace and we were simply rendered useless for the second half despite fighting back. We haven't conceded 3 goals in the league in a while! 25 games unbeaten in the league comes to an end. It was fun, and unexpected, while it lasted. Right back down to earth we come! Very sour way to end the month, mind.
League table:
3rd in the league and over halfway done. Least goals conceded. We're having one **** of a year. Unexpected overachievement, but I always believed in this team. There's just something about them; they never give up. Will we get a CL spot? Maybe. I won't rule it out. A top 6 finish is still the target though.
He was devastatingly good yet again. He picked up two assists in our two 1-0 wins - both games where we created almost noting. Those six points practically belong to him. He constantly creates and defends at a ridiculously high level. His release clause is 5.5m. Time to bump it up?
Tune in next month to find out how Baptistão does with a run of games under his belt, and if we collapse after losing our first game of the season (in the league). Who knows, maybe San Emeterio will assist some more goals...? 'Til then! Forza Depor!
All in all, this was another positive month. There were a few disappointments, but the season we're having is quite unbelievable. We're overachieving more than last year which is crazy! Before we jump into the results, some news:
After that clean-sheet frenzy last month, and considering his stellar performances this year, I renewed Arribas. He's 27, approaching his peak years, and had a release clause of 3.7m. I needed to revamp his contract and bump his clause up, so we tied him down for an extra four years. His clause now resides in the 7m mark.
View attachment 200197
His contract was up in the summer and I want to keep him around for one final year. Yes, he's 34, but he's also tutoring Saul. The kid is learning heaps from him and I'd hate to kick his mentor out. Plus, he's a decent back-up. It saves us some cash for the summer. I triggered an extension clause so he didn't get a wage rise or role change.
View attachment 200196
He's 31, barely played this season and has been replaced by the youngster Corredera. He was becoming a waste of space and wages. With his contract also up in the summer, I was somehow able to get 160k for him from Rapid Wien. I liked him last season but, even then, he was bit-part at best. We're better now. I did not seek a replacement from outside for him; I'm happy with the the midfielders at our disposal.
We tried for Jesé on a free but he failed his medical and then joined LA Galaxy. A huge shame - it would've been a coup for the club.
Now, I'm sure you all want to see the results!
View attachment 200200
As you can see, our league unbeaten (and clean-sheet) run has ended. It lasted 25 games if you count the final three from last season. Let's dive into this first leg of the Copa 5th round vs Real Madrid:
A narrow defeat in the first-leg. It was always going to be tough, but I won't lose too much sleep over this. We went toe-to-toe with Spain's giants and scored past them twice. San Emeterio kept up his scintillating form when he assisted Lucas who cancelled out Ronaldo's opener with a fine finish. Lucas then turned provider for Taarabt who headed in from a corner to, again, cancel out a James Rodriguez goal. With things finely poised at the half-time whistle, we looked to play more of a counter-attacking game to minimise their goals but keep our explosiveness in attack. It backfired, as Insua played a horrendous back-pass to Fabri which Ronaldo latched onto and gave Madrid the lead. We didn't come back from this one, despite the valiant effort.
Almeria away...
Another clean-sheet and assist from San Emeterio. This is becoming repetitive, but in a good way. Our entire tactic revolves around exploiting movement in the box, using our full-backs as the main source of creativity. It's totally working. Riera's header in the 27th minute was enough to bury Almeria. We were nothing special and wholly underperformed despite the win.
Real Madrid away...
And out of the cup, we go. We shot ourselves in the foot disgustingly. A hugely disappointing result considering how things started. Lucas kept up his impeccable form of scoring against Real Madrid when he received Taarabt's through ball to calmly finish past Navas. Despite being a 9th minute goal, we had already conceded. So this was an equaliser and had us 4-3 down on aggregate. A few minutes later, Lucas whips in a stunning corner and Arribas heads in. 4-4. Things were level and we were the better side... until Saul got himself sent off for a nasty two-footed challenge. It left us open; down to ten against the best attack in the league. Still, we reached the half-time whistle unscathed. Shortly after the second-half resumed, Arribas dropped his own two-footed tackle and saw red. We were down to 9 men with practically an entire half to play. I tried to pack the centre and defend our lead but, as you can imagine, the Galacticos piled on the pressure. Eventually, ANOTHER silly challenge (from Borges this time) offered Real Madrid the chance to take the lead from the spot. They did. Ronaldo knocked us out. It was always going to be tough, but to lose on sheer aggressiveness is disappointing. We rarely ever get players sent off. Shame. Our hunt for a trophy to end the drought goes on...
Valladolid at home...
In the league, things are rosy as ever. We kept yet another clean-sheet and scored from yet another San Emeterio cross. He ran the wing excellently and also cleared a shot off the line. He was outstanding. His cross for Taarabt was an accurate one begging to be tapped in. It was and we ran away with ANOTHER 3 points. What a season!
Betis away...
The way we're defending and attacking is something else. It's almost perfect. Again, the defensive performance was flawless and another clean-sheet fell in our path. In attack, Taarabt kept up his impressive rate of productivity by scoring via another San Emeterio cross and then providing Borré with an easy goal. Riera prospered from a beautiful Lucas cross. But the best thing about this game was Corredera's free-kick. Our 19-year-old midfielder from the academy smashed in a beauty from 30-odd yards out to kickstart this second half rampage. 3 points in the bag. Nice 'n' easy.
This was Riera's last game for the club
Yes, you read that right. Riera has left the club. He has been unimpressive all season, is ageing and simply cannot get in ahead of a youngster in Luis Fernandez nor our loanee Borré. So we've sold him. But to who, you ask? And did you replace him, you ask? Yes. We replaced him with... drumroll please...
LEO BAPTISTÃO! I love this guy in real life and think he's a fantastic striker underused by Atletico and wasted out on loan. His seasons at Rayo before departing were amazing. He cost 9m + Riera. Somehow, we were able to afford that. The wage bill was high after the departures of some and the club obviously gave us an increase of funds (as I showed in the previous month). He was unhappy. An absolute coup considering we were able to offload Riera too. I must admit, I find it funny that Riera has somehow wriggled his way into a better club!
He looks amazing and suits the role we want him to play in perfectly. I cannot wait to give him a good run of games. He may not shine this season (January signings rarely do), but I've high hopes for him on the whole.
30, on a serious decline and just eating up the wage bill while contributing nothing... he just had to go. Glad he's at a good club though - he was a hero for us in the first season for a few months.
Back to the final game, Granada away...
The unbeaten run comes to an end! And against Granada of all teams! Bad karma for selling Riera? This was the worst debut Baptistão could have asked for... and even then he assisted the own-goal! Granada just destroyed us in the first-half for pace and we were simply rendered useless for the second half despite fighting back. We haven't conceded 3 goals in the league in a while! 25 games unbeaten in the league comes to an end. It was fun, and unexpected, while it lasted. Right back down to earth we come! Very sour way to end the month, mind.
League table:
3rd in the league and over halfway done. Least goals conceded. We're having one **** of a year. Unexpected overachievement, but I always believed in this team. There's just something about them; they never give up. Will we get a CL spot? Maybe. I won't rule it out. A top 6 finish is still the target though.
He was devastatingly good yet again. He picked up two assists in our two 1-0 wins - both games where we created almost noting. Those six points practically belong to him. He constantly creates and defends at a ridiculously high level. His release clause is 5.5m. Time to bump it up?
Tune in next month to find out how Baptistão does with a run of games under his belt, and if we collapse after losing our first game of the season (in the league). Who knows, maybe San Emeterio will assist some more goals...? 'Til then! Forza Depor!
February (2017) - How do we bounce back from our first league loss?
This month was a quiet one, with very little happening other than 4 games being played. We faced off against Real Madrid and Barcelona (both away from home) back-to-back. Let's look at the results
View attachment 199880
As you can see, we suffered loss #2 and #3. All three have been away from home so we're still 100% at the Riazor. Either side of those results were two wins, including a very good one against Getafe to bounce back immediately from that horrendous Granada result. Let's take a look...
When we conceded early on, I was preparing myself for another drubbing... but we bounced back very positively and led the game by half-time. Lucas tapped in ANOTHER Saul cross and then headed in a cross from Fabián. Lucas has been great this season, covering a lot of ground yet also taking the mantle as top scorer; our strikers have been woeful. In the second-half, Fabián scored a delightful scissor kick from a San Emeterio cross to kill the game off. Meanwhile, Baptistão is still searching for his first goal 2 games later...
Real Madrid away...
We were utterly useless; the game was put past us within 15 minutes of the game starting. A performance to forget, with not one salvageable positive. Real Madrid decimated us and should have scored more. Can't ask much from the players against a side closing in on the league title.
Barcelona away...
Another disappointing result and performance, this time against a Barça side that we're actually above in the table! Not much to say other than we were steamrolled and, again, killed off before half-time. Hard to perform against the big two away from home just yet.
Levante at home...
Far from perfect, but we end the month on a high and with another clean-sheet. Taarabt's impeccable free-kick was enough to save us from embarrassment as we created little, and did even less, against a terrible Levante side. San Emeterio's sending off left us lacking men and our focal source of creativity. Borges had a penalty late on to secure the three points but missed... luckily, our stellar defending allowed us to hang on. 3 points - unconvincing or not, we'll take them! Baptistão's hunt for a goal continues...
The league table:
1 point ahead of Barcelona in just our second season! Never thought I'd type those words. We have been beyond amazing in this 15/16 campaign. Our defence have carried us when goals have dried up: only 18 goals conceded which is the joint least. Still, I'm not deluding myself into thinking we WILL get Champions League. It's a possibility. I just want to score a top 6 finish.
Tune in next month to find out if Baptistão can score his first league goal and if we can sustain this top 4 place. Fixtures are getting trickier! Forza Depor!
This month was a quiet one, with very little happening other than 4 games being played. We faced off against Real Madrid and Barcelona (both away from home) back-to-back. Let's look at the results
View attachment 199880
As you can see, we suffered loss #2 and #3. All three have been away from home so we're still 100% at the Riazor. Either side of those results were two wins, including a very good one against Getafe to bounce back immediately from that horrendous Granada result. Let's take a look...
When we conceded early on, I was preparing myself for another drubbing... but we bounced back very positively and led the game by half-time. Lucas tapped in ANOTHER Saul cross and then headed in a cross from Fabián. Lucas has been great this season, covering a lot of ground yet also taking the mantle as top scorer; our strikers have been woeful. In the second-half, Fabián scored a delightful scissor kick from a San Emeterio cross to kill the game off. Meanwhile, Baptistão is still searching for his first goal 2 games later...
Real Madrid away...
We were utterly useless; the game was put past us within 15 minutes of the game starting. A performance to forget, with not one salvageable positive. Real Madrid decimated us and should have scored more. Can't ask much from the players against a side closing in on the league title.
Barcelona away...
Another disappointing result and performance, this time against a Barça side that we're actually above in the table! Not much to say other than we were steamrolled and, again, killed off before half-time. Hard to perform against the big two away from home just yet.
Levante at home...
Far from perfect, but we end the month on a high and with another clean-sheet. Taarabt's impeccable free-kick was enough to save us from embarrassment as we created little, and did even less, against a terrible Levante side. San Emeterio's sending off left us lacking men and our focal source of creativity. Borges had a penalty late on to secure the three points but missed... luckily, our stellar defending allowed us to hang on. 3 points - unconvincing or not, we'll take them! Baptistão's hunt for a goal continues...
The league table:
1 point ahead of Barcelona in just our second season! Never thought I'd type those words. We have been beyond amazing in this 15/16 campaign. Our defence have carried us when goals have dried up: only 18 goals conceded which is the joint least. Still, I'm not deluding myself into thinking we WILL get Champions League. It's a possibility. I just want to score a top 6 finish.
Tune in next month to find out if Baptistão can score his first league goal and if we can sustain this top 4 place. Fixtures are getting trickier! Forza Depor!
PatrickLFC
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You've got a good chance now, having played Real and Barca home and away and you're still in the top 4! Great stuff! On a side note, Lucas has been on fire in real life!
Yes he has! 6 games on the trot now that he's scored - 11 goals in 14 games.
March 2017 - Baptistão is on FIRE!
This month, we got things back on track with some very good results. It's crazy to think we've yet to have a blip this season or lose more than twice in a row. Beyond impressed with this side, and this month's results just pushed us one step closer to Champions League football! Let's look at the results...
View attachment 199664
Three clean-sheets back-to-back. We'll take that. Unfortunate to lose at the end of the month but at least we're not losing regularly; far from it. WE WON IN THE DERBY AGAIN! Let's take a look at the Malaga result...
View attachment 199663
A cagey, end-to-end game with very little accuracy in shooting from both sides. It took a sumptuous through ball from Adel Taarabt to crack open the Malaga defence - Baptistão applied the finish to deliver us the three points and score his first Deportivo goal. Hopefully this is the type of goal that sparks a nice run for him. Defensively, I'm running out of superlatives. Incredible performance.
Celta at home...
All it took was an explosive opening 25 minutes to down our rivals who, in the four games that I've been in charge, have yet to beat us. At the start of this save I said I never want to lose to them; not even once. Things haven't changed! Our goals were identical, both in the assist and the finish. San Emeterio hit two phenomenal crosses for Taarabt and Baptistão at the far post - both of them applied the simple finish required. When those two goals flew in, I proceeded to sit back, stroke the ball around the defence and reduce the tempo. It worked. Celta did very little to trouble us and our defence kept them at arm's length for the entire 90 minutes.
Real Sociedad at home...
A masterclass and rampant performance in attack. Defensively - a wall. Three goals inside the opening 45 minutes killed any hope of Real Sociedad even remotely troubling us, despite their dominance in possession. Queijeiro and Taarabt assisted both of Fabian's goals, exploiting Real Sociedad's high line. Our Mexican winger kept finding himself one-on-one and slotting the ball past Kivrak. Just before half-time, Juan Dominguez slipped in a ball to the on-rushing Baptistão who smashed it in. After calming things down and relying on some defensive stability, we pushed up toward the end as our Brazilian striker went on a mazy solo run and finished with aplomb. Perfect performance.
Athletic away...
1-0 down, 2-1 up, 3-2 down... 3-3 in the end. A rollercoaster match where we rode our luck massively but were incredibly clinical in attack. Taarabt turned in a marvellous performance, assisting both the equalising goal and the one that gave us the lead... eventually scoring the all-crucial equaliser with 17 minutes to play. It was a mess of a performance from everyone else, but Baptistão got himself on the scoresheet again! I couldn't get a grip on this game, it was just fast-paced for the entirety of the 90 minutes. Enjoyable? Perhaps. Heart attack inducing? YES.
OH, NO!
After scoring 4 in 5, Baptistão picked up a 5 week injury. Gutted, genuinely. We will miss him dearly.
Sevilla away...
Our first and only loss of the month. Sevilla were just superior in every third of the pitch. They did not allow us any breathing space and simply killed us off in the first-half. Despite Lucas' impressive volley, we were poor. A sour way to end such a great month.
Youth intake day provided us with this guy:
WHAT A NAME... and he has some pretty decent stats too. I'm going to closely develop him and ensure his release clause does not get foolishly activated like with Muñoz last summer. He could become a fairly good centre-back.
The league table:
One point clear of Barcelona still with 7 games to play. Still have to rub my eyes every time I look at the table. To be doing this in the second season is beyond imagination!
I was delighted with his performances, it's just disappointing that he had to pick up that injury. He scored five hugely important goals this month and has given the team that push needed for Champions League football. I can see him developing into quite the animal next season. We're very fortuitous to have him at the club!
Next month we could wrap up and solidify European football for another season. We have some tough fixtures and it will be interesting to see how Borré steps up in Baptistão's absence! 'Til then! Forza Depor!
This month, we got things back on track with some very good results. It's crazy to think we've yet to have a blip this season or lose more than twice in a row. Beyond impressed with this side, and this month's results just pushed us one step closer to Champions League football! Let's look at the results...
View attachment 199664
Three clean-sheets back-to-back. We'll take that. Unfortunate to lose at the end of the month but at least we're not losing regularly; far from it. WE WON IN THE DERBY AGAIN! Let's take a look at the Malaga result...
View attachment 199663
A cagey, end-to-end game with very little accuracy in shooting from both sides. It took a sumptuous through ball from Adel Taarabt to crack open the Malaga defence - Baptistão applied the finish to deliver us the three points and score his first Deportivo goal. Hopefully this is the type of goal that sparks a nice run for him. Defensively, I'm running out of superlatives. Incredible performance.
Celta at home...
All it took was an explosive opening 25 minutes to down our rivals who, in the four games that I've been in charge, have yet to beat us. At the start of this save I said I never want to lose to them; not even once. Things haven't changed! Our goals were identical, both in the assist and the finish. San Emeterio hit two phenomenal crosses for Taarabt and Baptistão at the far post - both of them applied the simple finish required. When those two goals flew in, I proceeded to sit back, stroke the ball around the defence and reduce the tempo. It worked. Celta did very little to trouble us and our defence kept them at arm's length for the entire 90 minutes.
Real Sociedad at home...
A masterclass and rampant performance in attack. Defensively - a wall. Three goals inside the opening 45 minutes killed any hope of Real Sociedad even remotely troubling us, despite their dominance in possession. Queijeiro and Taarabt assisted both of Fabian's goals, exploiting Real Sociedad's high line. Our Mexican winger kept finding himself one-on-one and slotting the ball past Kivrak. Just before half-time, Juan Dominguez slipped in a ball to the on-rushing Baptistão who smashed it in. After calming things down and relying on some defensive stability, we pushed up toward the end as our Brazilian striker went on a mazy solo run and finished with aplomb. Perfect performance.
Athletic away...
1-0 down, 2-1 up, 3-2 down... 3-3 in the end. A rollercoaster match where we rode our luck massively but were incredibly clinical in attack. Taarabt turned in a marvellous performance, assisting both the equalising goal and the one that gave us the lead... eventually scoring the all-crucial equaliser with 17 minutes to play. It was a mess of a performance from everyone else, but Baptistão got himself on the scoresheet again! I couldn't get a grip on this game, it was just fast-paced for the entirety of the 90 minutes. Enjoyable? Perhaps. Heart attack inducing? YES.
OH, NO!
After scoring 4 in 5, Baptistão picked up a 5 week injury. Gutted, genuinely. We will miss him dearly.
Sevilla away...
Our first and only loss of the month. Sevilla were just superior in every third of the pitch. They did not allow us any breathing space and simply killed us off in the first-half. Despite Lucas' impressive volley, we were poor. A sour way to end such a great month.
Youth intake day provided us with this guy:
WHAT A NAME... and he has some pretty decent stats too. I'm going to closely develop him and ensure his release clause does not get foolishly activated like with Muñoz last summer. He could become a fairly good centre-back.
The league table:
One point clear of Barcelona still with 7 games to play. Still have to rub my eyes every time I look at the table. To be doing this in the second season is beyond imagination!
I was delighted with his performances, it's just disappointing that he had to pick up that injury. He scored five hugely important goals this month and has given the team that push needed for Champions League football. I can see him developing into quite the animal next season. We're very fortuitous to have him at the club!
Next month we could wrap up and solidify European football for another season. We have some tough fixtures and it will be interesting to see how Borré steps up in Baptistão's absence! 'Til then! Forza Depor!
April 2017 - do we confirm Champions League football?
We can wrap it up this month! We've more-or-less confirmed back-to-back seasons of European football, but can we improve on what was an impeccable 1st season? It seems so. Let's look at the results:
We suffered our first home loss of the season but triumphed against the ever-tough Villarreal and Valencia. Before we look at those results in depth, some good news:
We amped up our star man's release clause to 14m from the previous 4m. It was a much needed bump for a player who's likely to become one of the best right-backs in the league.
Villarreal at home...
An uneventful game from both sides with a bit of fortune working our way for the three points. We created little and thus were limited in terms of chances. Lucas scored early on with an emphatic finish following Corredera's through ball, but Denis Suarez equalised for Villarreal 20 minutes later. It was cagey throughout, with most of the game spent parked in the midfield. I switched to an attacking mentality in order to force a shift... and it paid off. San Emeterio's cross was turned in Villarreal's Iñiguez for 2-1 with 20 minutes to go. A very lucky goal for us in a game that should have ended as a draw. Villarreal tough as ever.
Atleti at home...
All of our league losses this season have been eerily similar: the opposition score all their goals in the first-half and we just look useless. This game was no different. A shockingly disappointing result against a side directly above us. Luis Fernandez's consolation bore yet another assist for our mercurial right-back, San Emeterio. Having said that, this was his worst game in a Dépor shirt. All three goals came from the flanks that he and Saul simply failed to control. Then again, they're both kids.
Rayo away...
What. A. Result. Despite taking the lead very early on, we found ourselves staring at another defeat with just 13 minutes to go. Baptistão's return was uneventful, but it opened the door for our game changer to turn things around... Rafael Borré equalised in the 80th and scored the winner in the 88th to give us a crucial victory when back-to-back losses seemed to be on the cards. Both his goals were headers, courtesy of San Emeterio and Taarabt crosses. He came big when we needed him to. I hope we have the funds to sign him in the summer because he and Baptistão give us immense depth in the striker position. An incredible, almost unbelievable, three points.
Valencia away...
With this win, we mathematically confirmed European football and more-or-less Champions League at that! And what a game to do so in! After conceding early on, we turned the game on its head courtesy of two sublime Lucas goals in either half: the first was a beautiful free-kick, the second a volley from a tight angle. Baptistão wrapped things up with a textbook header to give us yet another crucial three points.
Not too bad! Most we have ever been given since my arrival. We have a few departures to cover for in the summer, so let's hope that this is enough.
Espanyol at home...
Thank God for that Taarabt penalty, otherwise we would have lost this. This was probably our most lifeless performance of the season. We did nothing from open play. Absolutely nothing. Espanyol should have won but, luckily, our defence was tight as ever and only allowed one goal. Disappointing the drop points here and end the month on relatively sour terms, but maybe the league table will cheer us up...?
We've dropped down to fourth. Barcelona lead us on head-to-head. AND WE'VE CONFIRMED CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FOOTBALL WITH TWO GAMES TO PLAY! I'd love to avoid the qualifier rounds, so we'll definitely push to get three points in our final two games next month. Barcelona do play Real Madrid on the last day so it could be an exciting final day. I cannot believe that, in two seasons, we've finished 6th and then (a minimum of) 4th despite constant departures and a shoestring budget. Really proud of this team.
Next month, we play Almeria and Zaragoza. Both sides have nothing to play for. The former have avoided relegation and the latter have been relegated. Regardless of what happens, WE ARE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE! 'Til next month! Forza Depor!
We can wrap it up this month! We've more-or-less confirmed back-to-back seasons of European football, but can we improve on what was an impeccable 1st season? It seems so. Let's look at the results:
We suffered our first home loss of the season but triumphed against the ever-tough Villarreal and Valencia. Before we look at those results in depth, some good news:
We amped up our star man's release clause to 14m from the previous 4m. It was a much needed bump for a player who's likely to become one of the best right-backs in the league.
Villarreal at home...
An uneventful game from both sides with a bit of fortune working our way for the three points. We created little and thus were limited in terms of chances. Lucas scored early on with an emphatic finish following Corredera's through ball, but Denis Suarez equalised for Villarreal 20 minutes later. It was cagey throughout, with most of the game spent parked in the midfield. I switched to an attacking mentality in order to force a shift... and it paid off. San Emeterio's cross was turned in Villarreal's Iñiguez for 2-1 with 20 minutes to go. A very lucky goal for us in a game that should have ended as a draw. Villarreal tough as ever.
Atleti at home...
All of our league losses this season have been eerily similar: the opposition score all their goals in the first-half and we just look useless. This game was no different. A shockingly disappointing result against a side directly above us. Luis Fernandez's consolation bore yet another assist for our mercurial right-back, San Emeterio. Having said that, this was his worst game in a Dépor shirt. All three goals came from the flanks that he and Saul simply failed to control. Then again, they're both kids.
Rayo away...
What. A. Result. Despite taking the lead very early on, we found ourselves staring at another defeat with just 13 minutes to go. Baptistão's return was uneventful, but it opened the door for our game changer to turn things around... Rafael Borré equalised in the 80th and scored the winner in the 88th to give us a crucial victory when back-to-back losses seemed to be on the cards. Both his goals were headers, courtesy of San Emeterio and Taarabt crosses. He came big when we needed him to. I hope we have the funds to sign him in the summer because he and Baptistão give us immense depth in the striker position. An incredible, almost unbelievable, three points.
Valencia away...
With this win, we mathematically confirmed European football and more-or-less Champions League at that! And what a game to do so in! After conceding early on, we turned the game on its head courtesy of two sublime Lucas goals in either half: the first was a beautiful free-kick, the second a volley from a tight angle. Baptistão wrapped things up with a textbook header to give us yet another crucial three points.
Not too bad! Most we have ever been given since my arrival. We have a few departures to cover for in the summer, so let's hope that this is enough.
Espanyol at home...
Thank God for that Taarabt penalty, otherwise we would have lost this. This was probably our most lifeless performance of the season. We did nothing from open play. Absolutely nothing. Espanyol should have won but, luckily, our defence was tight as ever and only allowed one goal. Disappointing the drop points here and end the month on relatively sour terms, but maybe the league table will cheer us up...?
We've dropped down to fourth. Barcelona lead us on head-to-head. AND WE'VE CONFIRMED CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FOOTBALL WITH TWO GAMES TO PLAY! I'd love to avoid the qualifier rounds, so we'll definitely push to get three points in our final two games next month. Barcelona do play Real Madrid on the last day so it could be an exciting final day. I cannot believe that, in two seasons, we've finished 6th and then (a minimum of) 4th despite constant departures and a shoestring budget. Really proud of this team.
Next month, we play Almeria and Zaragoza. Both sides have nothing to play for. The former have avoided relegation and the latter have been relegated. Regardless of what happens, WE ARE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE! 'Til next month! Forza Depor!
May 2017 - 2nd season comes to an end
Despite securing Champions League football last month (crazy, I know!), there is still a lot riding on this final month. We are in with a chance of finishing 3rd (if Barça drop points). A lot goes down in this update - mainly awards and the such. This has been an unbelievably great season. Let's look at those results:
View attachment 198900
A perfect month with six goals in two games, plus another two clean-sheets to add to the towering collection.
Almería at home...
We absolutely demolished Almería, despite their little victory on the possession side of things. In fact, they had more shots than us. We were just on fire. Corredera opened the scoring with a gorgeous long-range strike after Sebas' lay-off. Our young loanee then took his assist, grew into the game and smashed a lovely volley four minutes later - Baptistão's knock-down was enough to put it in his path. Just before the half ended, Baptistão applied a good header to yet another incredible San Emeterio assist... and then two minutes into the second half repeated the process. In Spain, when you score five goals it is called a "manita" (little hand); one goal for every finger. And that is the first time we've done that this season! San Emeterio picked up a gorgeous pass from Baptistão to wrap things up and score his first ever goal for the club! A perfect performance from every player involved.
Zaragoza away...
Far from perfect against a side already relegated. In all honesty, we struggled to apply the finishing touch to any chance for the majority of the game. It took 79 minutes, and three substitutions, to conjure up our one and only goal. Borré - who has scored heaps of important goals for us this season - smashed in a great finish from a tight angle after yet another expert through-ball from our youngster Corredera.
The league table! Do we get 3rd place?
Barcelona lost and drew their final two games of the season! We finish third, level on points with second! What an unreal campaign after spending practically nothing in the summer and using youngsters to fill out spots in the squad (three of which have come extremely good and been some of our best players). Pablo Insua, who was loaned out when we arrived, got his chance to shine this season and turned out to be one of our best defenders. His reward?
Such low wages for such a big talent! He will be one of the best centre-backs in the league in a few years and I cannot believe he is just a local kid from the academy. He deserved a renewal after those clean-sheets under his belt.
View attachment 198887
Some good money, right?!
Stand out stats in the league:
Congratulations to Fabián for being the most accurate shooter in the league and our colossal Alejandro Arribas for making the most key tackles! Great to see our boys shine amongst La Liga's greatest names.
Just in case you're wondering...
San Emeterio was joint for league assists. What a great story - joins from the Spanish Segunda B, plays his first top tier season aged 19 and produces these numbers.
End of season awards...
Pablo Insua rakes in the fans' awards. Best young player and best player of the year. Taarabt with signing of the season is fair and understandable, but I was surprised to see that Emeterio won nothing. Borré's goal vs Rayo was a beauty.
Some more stats:
This is where San Emeterio shines! Most assists + highest average rating. Deivid, who is a centre-back by trade, has crushed it in the DMC role and even picked up the best pass completion (he has been training his passing). Lucas, top goal scorer, is no surprise. He was utterly crucial to our CL qualification with those ever-important goals.
La Liga team of the season:
View attachment 198872
Taarabt makes the overall Team of the Season! What a year he had, regularly scoring and assisting. It's a shame we won't be able to afford the Moroccan magician on a permanent deal. He was a great contributor and will always be remembered as one of the pillars of our success and my era! San Emeterio also made the bench.
Did our star right-back win La Liga Young Player of the Year?
View attachment 198868
Yes he did! He beat out two Valencia players. That average rating, at the age of just 20, is something else. What a talent!
View attachment 198867
Most improved two years in a row!
Now, my personal awards. Starting with Defender of the Season:
I considered San Emeterio, but he was more of a positive factor in attack than in defence (although he was still incredible). Arribas, though, was different class. He's hitting his peak and performing at an incredibly high level. He was a large contributor to our impeccable, resolute defending. He's flawless - one of the best defenders in the country.
Midfielder of the season:
Not Borges, Mosquera, Deivid, Dominguez or Medunjanin. No. Alex Corredera, our youngster from the academy, had an incredible year in midfield. He scored some great goals, assisted some even more important goals and just cemented himself as a future midfield star. A left-field choice, but he was amazing. I love that our kids stole the show this year.
Attacker of the season...
Lucas scored some of our most important goals leading up to this amazing qualification. Whether it was equalisers against the biggest of teams, or late winners against rivals, he was always contributing in the toughest moments of our season. Another local guy, though not a kid. He may not be flashy, but he is almost always productive whether it's with a goal or assist.
PLAYER OF THE SEASON
You guessed it. First season in the top flight and, almost single-handedly, elevates us a couple of levels. He assisted as many goals as he has years of age! Remember when we were drawing and getting horrendous results? I took the plunge to change our system and make both he and Saúl the key focus in attack. Saúl was great, but San Emeterio was otherworldly! He allowed us to succeed in the biggest of games and wipe away the smallest opposition with consummate ease. I cannot wait to see how he evolves.
And that wraps things up!
I want to thank everyone who has been reading this thread. You've made chronicling this save fun and exciting, and I hope that has translated into my writing. This second season was phenomenal. I'm still shocked that we finished 3rd, as much as I am shocked that we finished 6th last season! We've improved so much in the last two seasons when my main target was just to push for Europe in the third or fourth season. We're moving at an incredibly fast pace and improving while doing so. I cannot wait to get the third season started. We have another small budget to play with and some departures. When I write again, we will be looking at our new signings/outs and pre-season. Thanks once again, and FORZA DEPOR!
Despite securing Champions League football last month (crazy, I know!), there is still a lot riding on this final month. We are in with a chance of finishing 3rd (if Barça drop points). A lot goes down in this update - mainly awards and the such. This has been an unbelievably great season. Let's look at those results:
View attachment 198900
A perfect month with six goals in two games, plus another two clean-sheets to add to the towering collection.
Almería at home...
We absolutely demolished Almería, despite their little victory on the possession side of things. In fact, they had more shots than us. We were just on fire. Corredera opened the scoring with a gorgeous long-range strike after Sebas' lay-off. Our young loanee then took his assist, grew into the game and smashed a lovely volley four minutes later - Baptistão's knock-down was enough to put it in his path. Just before the half ended, Baptistão applied a good header to yet another incredible San Emeterio assist... and then two minutes into the second half repeated the process. In Spain, when you score five goals it is called a "manita" (little hand); one goal for every finger. And that is the first time we've done that this season! San Emeterio picked up a gorgeous pass from Baptistão to wrap things up and score his first ever goal for the club! A perfect performance from every player involved.
Zaragoza away...
Far from perfect against a side already relegated. In all honesty, we struggled to apply the finishing touch to any chance for the majority of the game. It took 79 minutes, and three substitutions, to conjure up our one and only goal. Borré - who has scored heaps of important goals for us this season - smashed in a great finish from a tight angle after yet another expert through-ball from our youngster Corredera.
The league table! Do we get 3rd place?
Barcelona lost and drew their final two games of the season! We finish third, level on points with second! What an unreal campaign after spending practically nothing in the summer and using youngsters to fill out spots in the squad (three of which have come extremely good and been some of our best players). Pablo Insua, who was loaned out when we arrived, got his chance to shine this season and turned out to be one of our best defenders. His reward?
Such low wages for such a big talent! He will be one of the best centre-backs in the league in a few years and I cannot believe he is just a local kid from the academy. He deserved a renewal after those clean-sheets under his belt.
View attachment 198887
Some good money, right?!
Stand out stats in the league:
Congratulations to Fabián for being the most accurate shooter in the league and our colossal Alejandro Arribas for making the most key tackles! Great to see our boys shine amongst La Liga's greatest names.
Just in case you're wondering...
San Emeterio was joint for league assists. What a great story - joins from the Spanish Segunda B, plays his first top tier season aged 19 and produces these numbers.
End of season awards...
Pablo Insua rakes in the fans' awards. Best young player and best player of the year. Taarabt with signing of the season is fair and understandable, but I was surprised to see that Emeterio won nothing. Borré's goal vs Rayo was a beauty.
Some more stats:
This is where San Emeterio shines! Most assists + highest average rating. Deivid, who is a centre-back by trade, has crushed it in the DMC role and even picked up the best pass completion (he has been training his passing). Lucas, top goal scorer, is no surprise. He was utterly crucial to our CL qualification with those ever-important goals.
La Liga team of the season:
View attachment 198872
Taarabt makes the overall Team of the Season! What a year he had, regularly scoring and assisting. It's a shame we won't be able to afford the Moroccan magician on a permanent deal. He was a great contributor and will always be remembered as one of the pillars of our success and my era! San Emeterio also made the bench.
Did our star right-back win La Liga Young Player of the Year?
View attachment 198868
Yes he did! He beat out two Valencia players. That average rating, at the age of just 20, is something else. What a talent!
View attachment 198867
Most improved two years in a row!
Now, my personal awards. Starting with Defender of the Season:
I considered San Emeterio, but he was more of a positive factor in attack than in defence (although he was still incredible). Arribas, though, was different class. He's hitting his peak and performing at an incredibly high level. He was a large contributor to our impeccable, resolute defending. He's flawless - one of the best defenders in the country.
Midfielder of the season:
Not Borges, Mosquera, Deivid, Dominguez or Medunjanin. No. Alex Corredera, our youngster from the academy, had an incredible year in midfield. He scored some great goals, assisted some even more important goals and just cemented himself as a future midfield star. A left-field choice, but he was amazing. I love that our kids stole the show this year.
Attacker of the season...
Lucas scored some of our most important goals leading up to this amazing qualification. Whether it was equalisers against the biggest of teams, or late winners against rivals, he was always contributing in the toughest moments of our season. Another local guy, though not a kid. He may not be flashy, but he is almost always productive whether it's with a goal or assist.
PLAYER OF THE SEASON
You guessed it. First season in the top flight and, almost single-handedly, elevates us a couple of levels. He assisted as many goals as he has years of age! Remember when we were drawing and getting horrendous results? I took the plunge to change our system and make both he and Saúl the key focus in attack. Saúl was great, but San Emeterio was otherworldly! He allowed us to succeed in the biggest of games and wipe away the smallest opposition with consummate ease. I cannot wait to see how he evolves.
And that wraps things up!
I want to thank everyone who has been reading this thread. You've made chronicling this save fun and exciting, and I hope that has translated into my writing. This second season was phenomenal. I'm still shocked that we finished 3rd, as much as I am shocked that we finished 6th last season! We've improved so much in the last two seasons when my main target was just to push for Europe in the third or fourth season. We're moving at an incredibly fast pace and improving while doing so. I cannot wait to get the third season started. We have another small budget to play with and some departures. When I write again, we will be looking at our new signings/outs and pre-season. Thanks once again, and FORZA DEPOR!
Thanks, buddy!
Pre-season, signings and more (17/18 season)
As you guys will know, we are a club in heaps of debt and thus get very little transfer budget. Despite finishing 3rd in the league, we have been entrusted with a mere 4m. The vicious cycle is that, due to a lack of funds, we have to regularly seek out freebies and loanees. What this means is that 1) the quality expected can never be high and 2) we will have to replace those loanees at the end of the season. It makes for a tough, but rewarding, job once the season commences. This summer was no different. We had the following players depart:
Manu (back-up goalkeeper)
Medunjanin (CM, left in Jan)
Borré (ST, returned to parent club)
Sidnei (back-up CB, returned to parent club)
Taarabt (AMC/winger, returned to parent club)
Sebas (CM, returned to parent club)
Navarro (back-up LB, retired)
As you can see, most of these players were back-ups - but they were useful last season and came big for us when we needed them. Although we did not let go of important players per-say, we had to let these rotation options go and they are equally as important to any successes we have. I endeavoured to replace them all with the mere 4m I had been entrusted with. This was the result:
Sometimes, some loanees make a big impact and you just have to bring them back. They know the club and the targets expected of them. Most importantly, you know the player. Without further ado, I'd like to welcome back:
View attachment 198602
Borré returns! He was fantastic last season, scoring important goals when called upon despite Baptistão taking his first-team spot in the second half of the season. I wanted the guy to join us permanently, but Atletico simply would not budge for a low fee. It's nice to have him back in the squad and makes our replacement job that much easier!
Another one returns??
Sidnei is nothing special but, for a back-up CB, he works wonders. He's experienced, extremely good in the mental department and rarely ever makes any mistakes. Most importantly, he never kicks up a fuss about lack of game time. Instead of wasting our wage budget (or even transfer budget) on someone who will rarely feature, we decided to pick up a player whom we do not even have to contribute to his wages. It is worth saying that he has now been at Deportivo for four years of consecutive loans (two before my arrival, two since). Great to have him back on board.
So, Navarro decided to retire:
I like Navarro and even tried to convince him to stay an extra year, but he simply did not budge. He's been a great servant to the club and a mentor for Saúl. Always happy to play second-fiddle yet perform at a high level when called upon. He will be missed. We did have to seek out a back-up to Saúl, though...
Welcome onboard...
Luna was honestly the perfect signing for us. Happy to play in a system of rotation, extremely low wages, 26 years of age and he suits the role of wing-back. I can't believe we snatched him on a free. He suits us to a tee. His stats:
As you can see by his stats, he is a fairly good player for back-up and suits our system. I can't complain at getting this guy on a free. Also, his name 'Luna' in Spanish means moon... I promise not to make any puns*
* I might make some puns
With Sebas and Medunjanin departing, we found ourselves slightly bare in the centre of midfield. We wanted someone of a higher calibre than those two; someone more established. We sought out the loan market to see what we could find. Without further ado...
This is our big-boy signing of the summer. Shelvey can play across all the roles our midfield requires (he will mainly operate as a DLP) and he joins us after falling out with the Swansea management. We will be contributing to a fair amount of his wages which I certainly do not mind considering his quality. Our first Englishman of the save!
As you can see, he has some cracking stats. That passing and vision will elevate us a couple of levels in possession. I hope he performs well because we've put our necks on the line with this one.
Taarabt was hugely influential last year and, with his departure, we found ourselves staring at just three wingers (Bicho, Fabián and Lucas). We needed someone else. I scouted the free agent market and found a gem; a mini Taarabt who is younger, has the potential to be better and is also Moroccan.
Guessed who it is?
Welcome to A Coruña, Zakaria Labyad. This guy can play on either flank or as an AMC. His versatility will come in handy while we balance three competitions this coming season. To pick him up on a free, and then only have to pay 16k-per-week for him, is an unequivocal bargain. He's going to perform well for us - I can feel it.
We will be training him on his finishing as our formation requires two inside-forwards to leave enough space out wide for the wing-backs. Labyad has impressive technical stats and I cannot wait to see how he develops and evolves in his first season with us. Has the potential to be a star.
Lastly, we lost Manu. Our back-up goalkeeper. I wasn't looking for anything flashy as Fabricio is playing excellently and in his twilight years, so we again scoured the Bosman market and ended up with a fairly good back-up 'keeper. That is all he is.
So, yeah. Ingram on a free. He's young, has fairly OK stats and was happy to accept a bit-part role and low wages. Fabricio doesn't need challenging at all and, unless he gets injured, we won't even utilise Ingram aside from in the Copa del Rey games.
His stats:
OK for a back-up.
A recap of the transfers:
View attachment 198586
The 300k spent is on the overall monthly fees added up for Shelvey. All in all, we spent zilch. And recouped zilch. We're in no position to sell players considering our squad unity right now.
Our tactic in itself remains the same as in the previous updates, but I just wanted to show you guys the instructions as that has changed drastically and contributed to our successes:
I upped our closing down and tempo to make us a more ruthless team in battling for possession and then dispatching sides. I also have us running at defence and hitting early crosses to really maximise the creativity and productivity of our full-backs. On standard, I am able to judge the game by half-time to see if we need to counter or control. This is a very flexible tactic that really has propelled us to another level.
One last thing, we have a contract renewal:
His contract was up soon so I extended it for an extra year and got him to even downgrade his wages. He is a very good back-up player and a guy who has spent his entire life at the club. When he plays, he's almost always performing well. In a couple of years, he'll be nearing 30 so we will evaluate his contributions then.
Our results in pre-season:
As you guys know, I like to keep it real and play my friendlies against local clubs as we do in real life. I appreciate that money can be earned from bigger friendlies - and maybe my philosophy will change - but I like playing this as realistically as I possibly can. We battered some of the teams here. That game vs Stuttgart was one I wanted to play because they had qualified for the Champions League and I wanted to measure our performance against a side we could very well draw. It was back and forth with heaps of goals, but you can't take too much from pre-season I suppose.
Next month, we start the new season. Our third one! My targets for this coming season are simple: qualify for Europe, even if it isn't Champions League, and just have another positive campaign. I honestly don't want to set unrealistic targets on such a bare squad built more on potential than raw experience. If we overachieve, then so be it. We're used to it now! I cannot wait to take on the challenge of the CL, but don't expect any fireworks! It would be amazing to end our trophy drought with a Copa del Rey, but that would mean avoid the big boys up until the final. We'd need Lady Luck on our side for that. Anyhow, I hope you have all enjoyed this update. Let me know what you thought about the signings. 'Til next month! Forza Depor!
As you guys will know, we are a club in heaps of debt and thus get very little transfer budget. Despite finishing 3rd in the league, we have been entrusted with a mere 4m. The vicious cycle is that, due to a lack of funds, we have to regularly seek out freebies and loanees. What this means is that 1) the quality expected can never be high and 2) we will have to replace those loanees at the end of the season. It makes for a tough, but rewarding, job once the season commences. This summer was no different. We had the following players depart:
Manu (back-up goalkeeper)
Medunjanin (CM, left in Jan)
Borré (ST, returned to parent club)
Sidnei (back-up CB, returned to parent club)
Taarabt (AMC/winger, returned to parent club)
Sebas (CM, returned to parent club)
Navarro (back-up LB, retired)
As you can see, most of these players were back-ups - but they were useful last season and came big for us when we needed them. Although we did not let go of important players per-say, we had to let these rotation options go and they are equally as important to any successes we have. I endeavoured to replace them all with the mere 4m I had been entrusted with. This was the result:
Sometimes, some loanees make a big impact and you just have to bring them back. They know the club and the targets expected of them. Most importantly, you know the player. Without further ado, I'd like to welcome back:
View attachment 198602
Borré returns! He was fantastic last season, scoring important goals when called upon despite Baptistão taking his first-team spot in the second half of the season. I wanted the guy to join us permanently, but Atletico simply would not budge for a low fee. It's nice to have him back in the squad and makes our replacement job that much easier!
Another one returns??
Sidnei is nothing special but, for a back-up CB, he works wonders. He's experienced, extremely good in the mental department and rarely ever makes any mistakes. Most importantly, he never kicks up a fuss about lack of game time. Instead of wasting our wage budget (or even transfer budget) on someone who will rarely feature, we decided to pick up a player whom we do not even have to contribute to his wages. It is worth saying that he has now been at Deportivo for four years of consecutive loans (two before my arrival, two since). Great to have him back on board.
So, Navarro decided to retire:
I like Navarro and even tried to convince him to stay an extra year, but he simply did not budge. He's been a great servant to the club and a mentor for Saúl. Always happy to play second-fiddle yet perform at a high level when called upon. He will be missed. We did have to seek out a back-up to Saúl, though...
Welcome onboard...
Luna was honestly the perfect signing for us. Happy to play in a system of rotation, extremely low wages, 26 years of age and he suits the role of wing-back. I can't believe we snatched him on a free. He suits us to a tee. His stats:
As you can see by his stats, he is a fairly good player for back-up and suits our system. I can't complain at getting this guy on a free. Also, his name 'Luna' in Spanish means moon... I promise not to make any puns*
* I might make some puns
With Sebas and Medunjanin departing, we found ourselves slightly bare in the centre of midfield. We wanted someone of a higher calibre than those two; someone more established. We sought out the loan market to see what we could find. Without further ado...
This is our big-boy signing of the summer. Shelvey can play across all the roles our midfield requires (he will mainly operate as a DLP) and he joins us after falling out with the Swansea management. We will be contributing to a fair amount of his wages which I certainly do not mind considering his quality. Our first Englishman of the save!
As you can see, he has some cracking stats. That passing and vision will elevate us a couple of levels in possession. I hope he performs well because we've put our necks on the line with this one.
Taarabt was hugely influential last year and, with his departure, we found ourselves staring at just three wingers (Bicho, Fabián and Lucas). We needed someone else. I scouted the free agent market and found a gem; a mini Taarabt who is younger, has the potential to be better and is also Moroccan.
Guessed who it is?
Welcome to A Coruña, Zakaria Labyad. This guy can play on either flank or as an AMC. His versatility will come in handy while we balance three competitions this coming season. To pick him up on a free, and then only have to pay 16k-per-week for him, is an unequivocal bargain. He's going to perform well for us - I can feel it.
We will be training him on his finishing as our formation requires two inside-forwards to leave enough space out wide for the wing-backs. Labyad has impressive technical stats and I cannot wait to see how he develops and evolves in his first season with us. Has the potential to be a star.
Lastly, we lost Manu. Our back-up goalkeeper. I wasn't looking for anything flashy as Fabricio is playing excellently and in his twilight years, so we again scoured the Bosman market and ended up with a fairly good back-up 'keeper. That is all he is.
So, yeah. Ingram on a free. He's young, has fairly OK stats and was happy to accept a bit-part role and low wages. Fabricio doesn't need challenging at all and, unless he gets injured, we won't even utilise Ingram aside from in the Copa del Rey games.
His stats:
OK for a back-up.
A recap of the transfers:
View attachment 198586
The 300k spent is on the overall monthly fees added up for Shelvey. All in all, we spent zilch. And recouped zilch. We're in no position to sell players considering our squad unity right now.
Our tactic in itself remains the same as in the previous updates, but I just wanted to show you guys the instructions as that has changed drastically and contributed to our successes:
I upped our closing down and tempo to make us a more ruthless team in battling for possession and then dispatching sides. I also have us running at defence and hitting early crosses to really maximise the creativity and productivity of our full-backs. On standard, I am able to judge the game by half-time to see if we need to counter or control. This is a very flexible tactic that really has propelled us to another level.
One last thing, we have a contract renewal:
His contract was up soon so I extended it for an extra year and got him to even downgrade his wages. He is a very good back-up player and a guy who has spent his entire life at the club. When he plays, he's almost always performing well. In a couple of years, he'll be nearing 30 so we will evaluate his contributions then.
Our results in pre-season:
As you guys know, I like to keep it real and play my friendlies against local clubs as we do in real life. I appreciate that money can be earned from bigger friendlies - and maybe my philosophy will change - but I like playing this as realistically as I possibly can. We battered some of the teams here. That game vs Stuttgart was one I wanted to play because they had qualified for the Champions League and I wanted to measure our performance against a side we could very well draw. It was back and forth with heaps of goals, but you can't take too much from pre-season I suppose.
Next month, we start the new season. Our third one! My targets for this coming season are simple: qualify for Europe, even if it isn't Champions League, and just have another positive campaign. I honestly don't want to set unrealistic targets on such a bare squad built more on potential than raw experience. If we overachieve, then so be it. We're used to it now! I cannot wait to take on the challenge of the CL, but don't expect any fireworks! It would be amazing to end our trophy drought with a Copa del Rey, but that would mean avoid the big boys up until the final. We'd need Lady Luck on our side for that. Anyhow, I hope you have all enjoyed this update. Let me know what you thought about the signings. 'Til next month! Forza Depor!
August 2017 - Our 3rd season is underway
Our 3rd season is underway! We open the 17/18 campaign with a tough home game, but we have yet to drop points on opening day since I took over. Only two games this month, but some other stuff happens around it such as the Champions League draw. On that note, let's look at our group:
So we were grouped up with Dynamo Kyiv - the team that killed us twice in the Europa last season. Roma and Sporting are extremely tough sides boasting better talent than Kyiv. Yet still, this was the "easiest" group out of what was available. We avoided some of the giants such as Bayern and the English clubs. This will be tough, but I'm aiming for a 3rd place finish to at least secure Europa League football.
More money:
Very good money to help clear club debt.
We made a sale:
This was very good money, all things considered. 1.7m for a striker who featured very little last season, was disgruntled with a lack of game time and showed few signs of progression. Luis Fernandez was one of the academy boys we promoted last year but, unlike Corredera/Saul/Insua, he failed to make much of an impact. Borré and Baptistão are far better and offer enough depth. Good sum of money for a player we no longer needed.
Time to look at those results:
Double green! Two very strong wins, particularly in the opening game which could have been an early banana slip. Let's take a look at those games in-depth:
View attachment 198293
If not for Insua's own-goal, this would have been the perfect performance with a clean-sheet to boot. But that is cherry-picking for negatives. We were outstanding in every regard. Defensively, we repelled Athletic continuously... but it was in attack where we flourished. Zakaria Labyad scored a brace on his debut. Goal #1 was a nice finish from a tight angle, following a Pablo Insua knockdown from a corner. Goal #2 was a beautiful run inside the box and finish courtesy of Corredera's long-ball. In between that, we had another debutant scoring: Jonjo Shelvey. The Englishman struck from the spot to seal the three points. Great to see the new guys off to a rampant start. I love the look of Labyad.
Malaga away...
A tight game where we didn't look like being able to apply a finish to any chance created. Shots were flying wide and key passes were being cut out by the last man. Luckily, our defence pulled through and kept the game even up until the 73rd minute when Labyad made it three in two with a phenomenal free-kick. It was that one bit of individual magic that we needed to run home with the three points. Pablo Insua was spectacular in defence, blocking various shots and winning aerial duels aplenty.
League table...
Not much we can say after two games, but I'll take the season ending like this!
Labyad was outstanding. Not only did he score three utterly crucial goals, he just dominates his wing and is always at the heart of every positive move. He feels like a mixture of Taarabt and Cartabia from previous seasons and I really like that. Let's just hope he doesn't become inconsistent. He could be a coup of the highest order!
Thank you once again for reading! Next month, we play our first Champions League game and Barcelona. Fixtures begin to congest and legs will be stretched to the max. 'Til next time! Forza Depor!
Our 3rd season is underway! We open the 17/18 campaign with a tough home game, but we have yet to drop points on opening day since I took over. Only two games this month, but some other stuff happens around it such as the Champions League draw. On that note, let's look at our group:
So we were grouped up with Dynamo Kyiv - the team that killed us twice in the Europa last season. Roma and Sporting are extremely tough sides boasting better talent than Kyiv. Yet still, this was the "easiest" group out of what was available. We avoided some of the giants such as Bayern and the English clubs. This will be tough, but I'm aiming for a 3rd place finish to at least secure Europa League football.
More money:
Very good money to help clear club debt.
We made a sale:
This was very good money, all things considered. 1.7m for a striker who featured very little last season, was disgruntled with a lack of game time and showed few signs of progression. Luis Fernandez was one of the academy boys we promoted last year but, unlike Corredera/Saul/Insua, he failed to make much of an impact. Borré and Baptistão are far better and offer enough depth. Good sum of money for a player we no longer needed.
Time to look at those results:
Double green! Two very strong wins, particularly in the opening game which could have been an early banana slip. Let's take a look at those games in-depth:
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If not for Insua's own-goal, this would have been the perfect performance with a clean-sheet to boot. But that is cherry-picking for negatives. We were outstanding in every regard. Defensively, we repelled Athletic continuously... but it was in attack where we flourished. Zakaria Labyad scored a brace on his debut. Goal #1 was a nice finish from a tight angle, following a Pablo Insua knockdown from a corner. Goal #2 was a beautiful run inside the box and finish courtesy of Corredera's long-ball. In between that, we had another debutant scoring: Jonjo Shelvey. The Englishman struck from the spot to seal the three points. Great to see the new guys off to a rampant start. I love the look of Labyad.
Malaga away...
A tight game where we didn't look like being able to apply a finish to any chance created. Shots were flying wide and key passes were being cut out by the last man. Luckily, our defence pulled through and kept the game even up until the 73rd minute when Labyad made it three in two with a phenomenal free-kick. It was that one bit of individual magic that we needed to run home with the three points. Pablo Insua was spectacular in defence, blocking various shots and winning aerial duels aplenty.
League table...
Not much we can say after two games, but I'll take the season ending like this!
Labyad was outstanding. Not only did he score three utterly crucial goals, he just dominates his wing and is always at the heart of every positive move. He feels like a mixture of Taarabt and Cartabia from previous seasons and I really like that. Let's just hope he doesn't become inconsistent. He could be a coup of the highest order!
Thank you once again for reading! Next month, we play our first Champions League game and Barcelona. Fixtures begin to congest and legs will be stretched to the max. 'Til next time! Forza Depor!