The Alfa Romeo Metaphor

"What's the plan for tomorrow?" I asked Ana Maria as we waited for our dinner to arrive. I had a rare day off and was looking forward to seeing her.

"The weather forecast is nice I thought I would take you to see Ronda," she replied.

"Ronda, eh?" I said.

We left early enough to have breakfast in Ronda.

Ronda is perched ontop of cliffs. It was the last holdout of the Moors in the 1400s as they were swept from the Iberian peninsula. Ernest Hemingway, Rainer Maria Rilke, Orson Welles and Georg Eliot had all fallen in love with the city. The views looking up at the old city are spectacular as are the views looking out from above.

Even a guy like me can take decent pictures.

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What a lovely day. Around 2pm, I checked the results and gave a little squeal of joy. Melilla had come from 3-1 down to draw Linense.

Later that evening as we had a late, light snack, I saw that Guadalajara had huge trouble with El Palo and needed an injury time strike to win.

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What a wonderful weekend. Victory against a rival above us in the table. My job saved, at least for another week. A whole day spent with Ana Maria.
 
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i truly cant say enough how fantastic this story is really getting intense now to Keep it up mate
 
I didn't want to hear about it. I knew it was going to be bad. I'd seen him on crutches after the match. I didn't want my Sunday ruined by bad news. I'd had a wonderful Sunday and didn't want my Monday ruined by the first thing I heard. We were all gathered in the cafeteria at our training ground.

"Tell he's okay?" I asked Michel. "Lie to me, I don't care. Just don't tell me he's out for two months."

"I don't even have to lie to you, Enrico," Michel replied. "He's not going to be out two months."

I sat there silently. Waiting.

"Five or six weeks," he said.

"That's pretty bad," I sad. I paused while visualize our fixture calendar. "That means late April, early May. He'll have two maybe three games to get himself back into form providing we're playoff bound."

"On the good news front," Michel added. "Perico, Kike Marquez and Andres will be healthy by the time El Palo visit in two weeks, but probably ready to play when we visit Albacete."

"Ahhh, good," I replied. "That is some good news. Then let's move on. Jose, what about the Almerio Bs?"

"They stink," Jose Barla, my Chief Scout began.
 
"What is this?" Esteban said slapping yesterday's copy of Diaro de Cadiz. "Why doesn't beating a rival above you relieve the pressure? Why?"

"I don't know," I said sitting down in the barber's chair. "I just work there."

"Is it because Linense beat you? Must be. What's the first tie breaker?"

"Mano e mano" I replied. "Then goal difference."

"And we have the best goal difference in El Segundo B4, no?"

"Actually Albacete does."

"Oh," he said. "Who has the tougher run in? You or Linense?"

"Maybe them," I replied. I pulled up our fixture list. "We play Almeria B, El Palo, Granada B and Cordoba B. That's 12 points for certain. If we can get a point at Albacete, I'll be happy. Arroyo, Lucena and Melilla are out of the running for the playoffs. I just hope they're already on vacation when we play them."

"But, as you and I both know," I continued. "The Linense match is a promotion playoff six pointer."

I pulled up Linense's fixture list.

"Their tough matches are Sevilla Atletico, Guadalajara and us," I said. "Here. See for yourself. I think they have it pretty easy, too."

"Cacarenos on the final day might be a banana peel," Esteban said. "Cacarenos might need points to avoid relegation."

"Mmm, good point."

"Good," Esteban said. "I feel better about all this. Now I will shave you."

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My phone jangled. It was after 8pm on Wednesday night. The number was from Napoli but wasn't in my Contacts.

"Ciao," I answered.

"Hey, Enrico," said Gianluca.

"Uh ... um ... hello, why ... uh ... what' new," I stammered.

"I just wanted to call and let you know my cousin, your ex-wife, is going to be getting married," he said.

"Oh?" I replied. What the ****. So he wasn't calling about his criminal enterprises in which he'd forced me to participate? My ex is getting married?

"Yeah," he continued. "To a boy she's known since she was a kid."

"What ... uh ... what about her problems?" I asked.

"Heh," he chuckled. "That's not your problem now is it?"

"Um ... wow," I continued to stammer. "Tell her I wish her all the best. I really do want her to be happy."

"I will, Enrico, I will," Gianluca replied. "I've been following Cadiz. Sorry to hear about that loss to your neighbors. You've won a couple since then. You'll make the promotion places, won't you?"

I was too befuddled to get my brain to try and interpret if he was insinuating something.

"I think so," I replied. "They're a pretty tight group, my players."

"Good to hear," he said. "You'll always be family, Enrico. Don't forget. Thanks for playing your part in it, for what it's worth. My Father and her parents still think highly of you. Make us proud in Cadiz, eh?"

"Thank you," I replied. "Ciao."

"Ciao."

Click.

Ok. Breathe. Breathe. Ok. What just happened. I'm not out of the family, but they are happy I threw the match. They must have made a tidy profit. Ok. Then I'm good. Then nobody is going to come and kill me. Good.
 
Enrico Pucci said:
My phone jangled. It was after 8pm on Wednesday night. The number was from Napoli but wasn't in my Contacts.

"Ciao," I answered.

"Hey, Enrico," said Gianluca.

"Uh ... um ... hello, why ... uh ... what' new," I stammered.

"I just wanted to call and let you know my cousin, your ex-wife, is going to be getting married," he said.

"Oh?" I replied. What the ****. So he wasn't calling about his criminal enterprises in which he'd forced me to participate? My ex is getting married?

"Yeah," he continued. "To a boy she's known since she was a kid."

"What ... uh ... what about her problems?" I asked.

"Heh," he chuckled. "That's not your problem now is it?"

"Um ... wow," I continued to stammer. "Tell her I wish her all the best. I really do want her to be happy."

"I will, Enrico, I will," Gianluca replied. "I've been following Cadiz. Sorry to hear about that loss to your neighbors. You've won a couple since then. You'll make the promotion places, won't you?"

I was too befuddled to get my brain to try and interpret if he was insinuating something.

"I think so," I replied. "They're a pretty tight group, my players."

"Good to hear," he said. "You'll always be family, Enrico. Don't forget. Thanks for playing your part in it, for what it's worth. My Father and her parents still think highly of you. Make us proud in Cadiz, eh?"

"Thank you," I replied. "Ciao."

"Ciao."

Click.

Ok. Breathe. Breathe. Ok. What just happened. I'm not out of the family, but they are happy I threw the match. They must have made a tidy profit. Ok. Then I'm good. Then nobody is going to come and kill me. Good.
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i dont know whats the greater threat the sack or getting killed i suppose the sack now lol
 
I officially love this story 23 pages in and we still haven't completed the first season. Top work!

+1
 
Round 30: Almeria "B" v. Cadiz CF

Another Sunday, another excruciatingly long drive. This time we hump it all the way across the Costa Del Sol to Almeria to play the Almeria "B"s. Around 450 km and 5 plus hours on the bus.

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The Estadio de los Juegos Mediterr?neos is a real stadium with actual working showers and functioning toilets. A rather pleasant surprise. It was built to host the 2005 Mediterranean Games ... whatever those were. And the stadium was empty. With how badly the Bs are playing, I can understand why nobody from Almeria would want to watch them. Yet another healthy Cadista away contingency made this another home-away-from-home match.

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The injury list is pretty long now. Mehdi Nafti out for season. Airam out for a while, yet. Perico out for couple weeks, yet. Kike Marquez out for a couple of weeks, yet. Andres out for a couple of weeks more. Out of desperation, I called up Diego Gonzalez from the Cadiz Bs to play left midfield. The teenager, Javier Valdes sits on the bench.

GK: Alejandro
D: Albert Dalmau, Mikel Martins (C), Wellington, Moises
M: Kike Lopez, Bruninho, Jorge Luque, Diego Gonzalez
F: Aymen Souda, Juan Villar

Subs: Jose Maria Belforti (D), Josete (D/M), Juan Ceballos (RB), Abdoullai Fall (M), Javier Valdes (F)

Almeria aren't just technically bad, their badly organized and morale is in the toilet. We knew they were going to try for a while, but knew from Jose Barla's scouting that they'd collapse once we'd scored a few.

It didn't take long to get the first goal. In the 8th minute, Kike Lopez stormed down the right flank and whipped in a cross. They cleared it back out, but right to Dalmau. Dalmau controlled the ball and dribbled into the penalty area. Once two defenders charged out to meet him, he slipped a pass toward the end line for Kike.

Kike hit a hard pass along the ground for Villar who beat their poorly positioned goalkeeper at the near post.

0-1

Maybe the players didn't play with the intensity I'd like, maybe the Almeria Bs played better. However, you look at it, we couldn't connect that final pass or that final touch let us down.

Villar shot high and wide in the 14th minute. Souda hit the side netting in the 19th after beating his defender. Bruninho smashed a header off the crossbar in the 21st minute.

We scored in the 22nd minute. New boy Gonzalez whips in a nice cross. Villar meets it with a header which hits the keeper. Souda has the easiest of tap ins.

0-2

Except the linesman had his flag up.

0-1

Luque shot right at the keeper in the 27th minute. He should have done better. And he blew another chance in the 45th minute when Souda saw his run from deep and put a pass into his path.

They had some possession and a few chances, but we created 3 for every 1 they created.

At halftime, I told them they'd played well, but could do better. So what happens immediately after the break? We gift them a great chance.

Parola break down our left flank, beats Moises but Moises recovers and his desperation tackle pokes the ball away. The ball ran to the fullback who'd raced forward. Thankfully, Sergio Iglesias shoots like most fullbacks shoot in El Segundo, high and wide.

Souda shoots wide soon after and minutes later Luque blasts a 30 meter free kick right at the keeper for an easy save.

In the 55th minute, Dalmau won a corner down the right. Luque whips in a beautifully dangerous cross. Villar times his run and leap perfectly and smashed his header into the net to give us some breathing space.

0-2

I replaced Luque with Fall to give Luque a rest. We then sat back a bit and let the Almeria Bs pass the ball around. It never looked particularly dangerous.

In the 79th minute, Bruninho was brutally chopped down in the middle of the park. They immediately played a long ball behind Moises for Parela to run onto. He cuts inside and from a bad angle tries to beat Alejandro. Alejandro blocks the shot out for a corner.

Moises didn't cover Parela very well and Parela met the near post corner with a volley to give the Almeria Bs hope.

1-2

I replaced Bruninho with Josete as Bruninho was looking tired.

After that, we did a great job of keeping the ball. The one time Dalmau got caught with the ball, Josete blocked the ensuing shot and we cleared the danger.

I gave Javier Valdes his debut in the closing minutes.

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Cartagena lost! They, Linense and us were all tied with 55 points, but we're up into 4th based upon head-to-head results.
 
Since we drove all night, no training on Monday. Only Michel had to work dealing with the wounded, walking wounded and any bruises and sore muscles. I told the coaches to take the day off, too.
 
Enrico Pucci said:
Since we drove all night, no training on Monday. Only Michel had to work dealing with the wounded, walking wounded and any bruises and sore muscles. I told the coaches to take the day off, too.
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michel has a tough job :( works alot lol
 
diarodecadiz.es 17 March 2014
Cadiz wins but pressure mounts on manager
Bogdan Laba

Cadiz moved up to fourth and into a promotion playoff spot with yesterday's 2-1 at the Almeria B's. Juan Villar led the way with a brace and goalkeeper Alejandro made several crucial saves to preserve the victory.

Almeria B had plenty of possession, but were unable to convert any of their few chances until Peralo volleyed in from a corner with eleven minutes left to play.

What could have been a nervy ending wasn't. Cadiz remained solid defensively and delivered a crucial victory.

"I have the utmost confidence that Enrico Pucci will deliver a playoff spot," said Chairman Florentino Manzano. Manzano gave Pucci another dreaded vote of confidence after yesterday's victory.

While Los Submarino Amarillos face an easy home match against bottom side El Palo, their visit to league leaders Albacete could be crucial to promotion place hopes and Pucci's job.
 
bigwill1xx said:
michel has a tough job :( works alot lol
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Yes, he works every morning. Yes, he works 7 days a week. But his hours are 9am to 1pm or so. Although game days are longer for everyone. He probably works 40 hours per week.

Though I will grant that it's harder late in the season when nearly every player needs more treatment and we happen to have a HUGE injury list.

Once again ... thanks for reading.
 
"What I don't understand is why Florentino is undercutting you," Esteban began as I sat down in his barber's chair. "The team is doing well and you are challenging to make the promotion playoffs. Why is this even being discussed?"

"I was hired to get us into the promotion playoff," I replied.

"So why is he panicking?"

"I have no idea."

"Does he realize that he's hurting the team's chances with all this?" Esteban asked.

I shrugged.

"I'm resigned to the fact that he's going to do what he's going to do," I said. "My job is to prepare the team. Or whatever team I have available. He doesn't seem to be able to get it through his head that we face our main challenger in the second to last game. I've told him repeatedly what the plan is and which of the remaining games I need points from."

"So he knows that the Albacete game is going to be tough?" Esteban asked.

"If he's been paying attention, he'll know they're top of the table and that I'd be happy with a point from that match."

"So will he fire you if you don't win away to Albacete?"

"I have no idea," I replied.
 
Round 31: Cadiz CF v. CD El Palo

El Palo are second from the bottom. I probably wouldn't be in my current predicament if we would have beaten them in Malaga. Then again, if I hadn't married a drug addict, invested better and not blown my knee out when I did ...

Kike Marquez is fit enough to sit on the bench. Perico and Andres are back in training, but not fit enough.

Mikel Martins, Wellington Carvalho, Bruninho and Juan Villar are all one card away from a suspension. I decided not to risk Bruninho as we have Albacete next week.

GK: Alejandro
D: Albert Dalmau, Martins (C), Wellington, Moises
M: Kike Lopez, Josete, Jorge Luque, Diego Gonzalez
F: Aymen Souda, Villar

Subs: Jose Maria Belforti (D), Bruninho (M), Abdoullai Fall (M), Kike Marquez (M/F), Javier Valdes (F)

We kept the ball except for a mere minute until in the 11th minute, Kike Lopez tried to cross. Their left back blocked it and the ball careened to Dalmau. Dalmau beat the back to the line and whipped in a cross. Souda volleyed the ball and their keeper made a great point blank save. And then another from Villar. He couldn't keep the ball out a third time as Souda bulged the netting.

1-0

El Palo tried their best to respond. They kept the ball from the restart and passed it around in the midfield for a while. Eventually, Juan Jesus tried a shot from about 30 meters. It was right at Alejandro. Easy save.

This was this one and only shot on goal.

We kept plugging away, but weren't working all that hard to break them down, but then we didn't really need to. The crossbar saved them in the 17th minute.

Just as the clock rolled past 45 minutes, Dalmau won a tackle on the right side at the halfway line. He played it infield to Josete who one-timed it to Luque. Luque fed the ball forward to Souda. Souda spun his defender, raced goalwards and unleashed a shot from the top of the box.

The shot was just to the keeper's left. Yes, it was a hard, one-hop shot, but Mikel Pagoda should have had it.

2-0

Goals like these are like stakes to the heart for a struggling team. The second half was played at a more relaxed pace.

There were only three remarkable events.

  1. Kike Lopez scored a well-deserved goal.
  2. Villar was looking bored and so since he was carrying a yellow, I replaced him with teenager Javier Valdes. Valdes scored his first professional goal!
  3. Dalmau turned his ankle in the 76th minute. I still had a substitution left to use so Belforti got a few minutes.
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Sevilla Atletico won on Saturday though Albacete lost today. Alba remained top, though. Cartagena and Linense both won as well. The three of us were still all tied on 58 points and Linense was 3rd, we were 4th and Carta remained 5th.
 
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"Do you have a minute?" I asked as I strode into Alessandro Gaucci's office. He's the Director of Football at Cadiz.

"Of course," he replied.

"I just want to be sure that Florentino knows that by my estimation we only need 12 points to make the promotion playoffs," I said. "And that everything comes down to the second to last match when we visit Linense."

"I'm sure he's seen your chart," Alessandro replied.

"Because judging by what Bogdan Laba is writing in Diaro de Cadiz," I continued indicating the Monday morning copy I held in my hand. "You'd think Florentino believes that the visit to Albacete is a must win. It's not. If I can come home with a point, I'll be happy. They're the league leaders and have made their stadium a fortress."

Alessandro shrugged as if to say 'yeah, so.'

"Would you check with him and see?"

"I will," he replied.
 
Paco Leal, my Assistant Manager, was the last to arrive on Monday morning for our coaches meeting.

"Good morning, Paco," I said. "Let's get started. Michel, how's Albert?"

"He'll be fine," Michel replied. "It looked far worse than it turned out to be. He should be fine."

"Perico and Kike Marquez will be able to play against Albacete," he added. "I don't think either could last 90 minutes, but 45 to 60 probably."

"Wow, good injuries news for once," Javi Garcia said.

Everyone nodded in agreement.

"The focus this week is defense," I said. "As always, we'll work on attacking set pieces on Saturday. So Alejo, you, Javi Garcia and I will be working together all week. We've got to be solid. We've got to be able to make the correct read when Albacete play a ball into the channels."

They both nodded.

"Jose, let's hear it," I said.

"Right," Jose Barla, my Chief Scout began. "They haven't been playing all that well lately. We can take heart from that. In the last six matches, they have won twice, drawn twice and lost twice. 14 scored, 11 conceded."

"Their problems stem from two missing players," he continued. "The center back Pol Bueso and their ball-winning midfielder Mario Ortiz. Their back four doesn't have any protection with Ortiz out. We should be able to exploit this."

"Any crosses into the box won't trouble them. Their center backs are tall and good in the air. Plus their keeper is decent enough at handling crosses. We must hit them through the middle."

"Late runs and runs from deep are their weakness," he concluded.

"We'll start with Perico out left, Luque and Josete in the middle and Kike Lopez out right," I said. "Josete has played very well the last few games and I think he's better defensively than Bruninho. We'll start in an attacking 442. I want Souda coming deep, as usual, to get the ball."

"As soon as we get a lead or if our midfield looks porous, we switch to a 451," I continued. "I want Villar to drop into the midfield and for Josete to drop into the defensive midfield. Luque and Villar making runs from deep should cause them a lot of trouble."

"Otherwise, that's it," I concluded.
 
dariodecadiz.es 29 March 2014
Cadiz promotion playoff drama heats up
Bogdan Laba

Cadiz travel to Albacete tomorrow with a whole lot on the line. El Queso Mecanico top the El Segundo B4 and manager Enrico Pucci's job may hang in the balance. Chairman Florentino Manzano may axe Pucci if Los Submarino Amarillos lose.

Fellow promotion hopefuls Cartagena travel to Lorca to play La Hoya and Linense host Atletico Sanluqueno. Watch the scrolling scoreboard tomorrow evening to keep up with the latest results.

"We are positioned well, but Pucci needs to deliver the results," said Cadiz great Magico Gonzalez. Jorge Alberto Gonz?lez Barillas played for Cadiz from 1982 to 1991, although he spent the 1985/86 season with Valladolid before Cadiz bought him back. Magico scored 58 goals in 192 appearances.

"This is the crunch time of the season that Los Submarino Amarillos need to find their top form," Magico said.

Chairman Manzano reiterated that he and the board had full confidence in Pucci.
 
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