Viva Espana! A FM14 Dynasty

[mrtourette]

On 18 June 2013, 90 years after its foundation, UD Salamanca of Segunda Division B were liquidated due to the accumulation of unpaid debts. 10 days later Salamanca AC was founded and after initially being assigned to Tercera division won a court case to allow them to be admitted straight into Segunda Division B and the arduous task of continuing the city's football history was to begin...

(note - in real life Salamanca AC, although given permission to join the league and having started signing players, never formally registered to take part in the competition and therefore are only in the default database in FM14, not in the updated database).

[mrtourette]

Was given a 1 year contract at £900pw

No money to spend on new players, and a £9kpw wage budget (with only £350pw left under that budget).

The club only had eight contracted players, and three of those were goalkeepers, meaning I could only fill six positions with contracted players and the rest would have to be scrubs.

The obvious task was to fill out my squad with contracted players, although with very little money or wage budget to play with it wasn't going to be easy.

My initial meeting with the squad (if you could call it that) went about as badly as possible:

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First move was to try and ship out two of my three keepers and free up some money to spend on wages so I could start looking for players available on free transfers.

Nobody was willing to pay actual money for any of them so I had to let two of them (Alejandro Rebollo and Sergio Garabato) go to other clubs on free transfers, which cleared about £2k from my wage budget. Unfortunately the keeper that was left was the one that I really didn't want, but beggars can't be choosers I guess.

This left the six-man squad looking like this:

Urtzi Iturrioz, GK, 25 years old

Jose Rodriguez, DC, 28 (can also play DR)

Pablo Redondo, MR, 31 (can also play AM across the pitch)

Aaron Bueno, ML, 30 (can also play AM across the pitch and ST)

Vicente Moscardo, MC, 26 (can also play DM)

Carlos de la Nava, ST, 20 (can also play AMC)


My scout immediately recommended two teenage fullbacks who were without clubs that I snapped up and then went about trying to fill the gaps in my team sheet.

Signings before the season started were:

Jose Manuel, DR, 16 (2yr/£250pw)

Marcos Flexas, DL, 16 (2yr/£250pw)

Jesus Campos, DC, 23 (2yr/£250pw)

Alberto Gil, DC, 22 (2yr/£425pw)

Elvis Onyema, ST, 27 (2yr/£900pw)

Nigerian striker Onyema was a bit of a splurge as I could have got three players for his weekly wage, but de la Nava was injured during the pre-season friendlies and doubtful for the start of the season so I splashed out.

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Talking of pre-season friendlies:




Carlos de la Nava was back in time for the start of the season, but Jose Rodriguez will miss the first couple of weeks (a shame as he'd played well in the first couple of friendlies).

The bookies were less than optimistic about my chances of winning the title:



1000-1! Looks like I'll do well to avoid utter embarrassment.

[Grover]

Looking forward to this one!

[mrtourette]

01/09/13 v Ferrol (A) 2-3
An exciting start to the season as we twice came from behind with goals from Onyema and Gil, but Ferrol's superior possession paid dividends in the end and after hitting the woodwork twice late in the game they scored the winner in injury time.

08/09/13 v SD Logrones (H) 0-1
An early goal form Logrones won the game as we struggled to produce anything of note, ending up with only one shot on target during the whole match.

15/09/13 v Aviles (H) 1-4
Aviles went ahead after just 14 seconds and scored a second after 10 minutes to kill the game early on. Gil scored mid-way through the first half but a goal just before half-time restored the two-goal advantage. Gil conceded a penalty in the second half to present Aviles striker Geni with his hat-trick.

22/09/13 v Ourense (H) 3-5
Onyema put us ahead early on but three goals in 15 minutes mid-way through the first half gave Ourense control. They scored a fourth just before half-time and although de la Nava pulled one back they soon netted a fifth. Redondo scored at the death to at least make the score appear close.

25/09/13 v Caudal (A) 1-2
Once again Onyema scores early on but this time we manage to hold on until half-time. However Gil is sent off early in the second half and while a rearguard action nearly claims us some points two goals in the last nine minutes for Caudal gives them all three.

29/09/13 v Marino (A) 1-3
For the third straight game Onyema puts us ahead but Jose Rodriguez is shown a red card just before half time. An attempt at defending the lead is instantly dashed as Marino equalise two minutes after the break and it's only a matter of time before they add another two to make the points safe.


Six games, six defeats, and obviously rooted to the bottom of the table. Two red cards is also an issue, although Onyema's four goals is a plus point.

An emergency team meeting at the end of the month goes slightly better than the last one:

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06/10/13 v Guijuelo (H) 2-1
Bueno and Onyema score first half goals to put us in the driving seat, although another red card for Gil at the start of the second sets up a dramatic ending. We hold on until the 84th minute when Guijuelo pull one back but they can't find an equaliser and we get our first win. Aaron Bueno is MOM.

13/10/13 v Cultural Leonasa (A) 2-2
Carlos de le Nava volleys us ahead after only two minutes as we look to continue momentum from our last game but Leonasa equalise after half an hour. Redondo puts us back in front just before half time but superior second-half pressure takes it's toll and Leonasa draw level again ten minutes from the end and the points are shared. Pablo Redondo is given the MOM award.


During the week we sign unattached 21 year-old central midfielder Sergio Garcia to a two year contract on £240pw.


16/10/12 v Noja (A) 1-2
A familiar story as Elvis Onyema puts us ahead after 15 minutes but Rodriguez sees red after only half an hour. We hold on until half time but Noja soon find two goals to take the lead and Vincent Moscardo is given our second red card of the game with five minutes remaining.

20/10/13 v Burgos (H) 0-2
One to forget as Burgos take an early two-goal lead and then toy with us throughout the match. We fail to generate any kind of attacking football and are lucky they don't score any more.

27/10/13 v UD Logrones (H) 1-2
Logrones take a first half lead but are pegged back by de la Nava's equaliser shortly before the break. After a tense second half a draw would have been a fair result but it wasn't to be as a late Logrones breakaway resulted in Jesus Campos putting into his own net and we walk away with nothing.


We finish October with four points, good enough to lift us off the bottom and into 19th place.

Looks like our disciplinary issues may not be our only concern with financial problems on the horizon:

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03/11/13 v Celta B (H) 2-1
A bottom-of-the table clash is unsurprisingly a poor game that comes alive in the 70th minute when Redondo's cross accidentally goes in, and he follows it up with an intentional second four minutes later. Celta B pull one back with five minutes remaining but we hold on for our second win of the season. Redondo is MOM.

10/11/13 v Sporting B (A) 2-3
The chance to beat the team above us is spurned despite de la Nava scoring twice after we concede an early goal to give us the lead. Sporting equalise just before half time and then turn the screw in the second half, eventually scoring the winner with ten minutes remianing. Carlos de la Nava is MOM.

17/11/13 v Coruxo (A) 3-2
What looks like a tough game turns out to be so as we fall behind to two first half goals. However the players come out fired up for the second half and are soon level after two goals in three minutes from Beuno and de la Nava. Onyema pops up to head us in front in the closing stages and we win despite only having three shots on target in the whole game.

24/11/13 v Tropezon (H) 3-0
We take control of the game early on as Bueno fires us ahead on 25 minutes and then scores form the spot just before half time. Tropezon push forward during the second half but Bueno heads home to complete his hat-trick as we keep our first clean sheet of the season. Unsurprisingly Aaron Bueno is MOM.


Three wins in November, two against teams also in the relegation zone, sees us leap out of the automatic relegation places and into 16th place.

Some serious concerns are being raised about our two teenage full backs, Jose Manual and Marcos Flexas, who are struggling for form and fitness.

Financial concerns are growing, looks like I'll have to start shipping players out again soon. It may look like we halved our losses this month but that's only because the directors pumped £60k into the club during the month.

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01/12/13 v Oviedo (A) 0-5
Back down to earth with a bump after unsurprisingly being taken apart by league leaders Oviedo. We managed only two shots on goal compared to Oviedo's 19 as they raced into an early 2-0 lead, and then goals either side of half-time put them four up. Striker Sergio Garcia completed his hat-trick with a penalty in the last ten minutes.

08/12/13 v Compostela (H) 1-0
A crucial but undeserved win against fellow relegation candidates thanks to a goal after 18 minutes from Aaron Bueno. Compostela had far more possession and had they taken their chances would have easily won the game. Alberto Gil was sent off for the third time this season after an hour but we managed to hang on. Aaron Bueno was MOM.

14/12/13 v Racing (A) 2-0
A fantastic away win over the pre-season title favourites. A closely-matched first half ended goalless but Sergio Garcia scores his first for the club shortly after the break, and as Racing piled forward for the equaliser Vicente Moscardo added a second from long-range. Moscardo picked up the MOM award.

22/12/13 v Zamora (H) 0-3
A bad result as again we conceded the vast majority of possession and were completely subdued by a dominant opponent. Zamora took the lead mid-way through the first half and strolled through the rest of the game, adding two more late in the second half. Fans were unhappy with the result and flooded local radio shows with complaints about the performance.


A polarising month with two good victories and two embarrasing losses.

Still we end 2013 in 15th place, our highest position yet.

[mrtourette]

As the transfer window opens we snap up CM Dani Duran from third division part-timers Illescas on a free transfer, with him signing a 2 year/£350pw contract.


05/01/14 v Ferrol (H) 1-1
A frustrating draw as we should have taken all three points in this game. Possession was equally shared in a tight match but we took the lead when Carlos de le Nava broke the deadlock with a header after an hour. Things looked good for us when Ferrol were reduced to ten men with 15 minutes remaining but shortly after we swtitched off and conceded an equaliser. Definitely two points lost.

12/01/14 v SD Logrones (A) 1-2
A good game for the neutral as both sides pile forward and have plenty of attempts on goal, but unfortunately despite playing well we come away with nothing. Longrones take the lead after 20 minutes and a the match is finely poised until they score again with 15 minutes remaining. Carlos de la Nava pulls one back almost immediately but our comeback attempts are runied when Alberto Gil receives his fourth red card of the season.

19/01/14 v Aviles (A) 1-2
Another good performance with nothing to show. Again we go behind to an early goal and Alives add a second shortly after the break. Aaron Bueno pulls one back but as usual we leave ourself too much to do with too little time.


A short month as heavy snow postpones our game against Cadual, and a frustrating one as three good performances yield only one point. We drop down to 16th place in the league, the relegation play-off position.

Some worrying reports in the media refer to our 'financial crisis' and our situation is downgraded to 'insecure'.

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02/02/14 v Ourense (A) 1-1
A good performance and point earned at title-chasing Ourense, we took the lead after only two minutes through Aaron Bueno but conceded the equaliser ten minutes later. Both teams prodded and pushed for the rest of the game but ended with the points shared.

05/02/14 v Cadual (H) 0-2
A poor performance handed an easy win to Cadual in a game that we should have been competitive in. Cadual took the lead after eleven minutes and controlled the rest of the game with ease, taking advantage of a mistake by Gil in the final ten minutes to score again and give them a scoreline they deserved.


Following the limp performance against Cadual morale is low and an emergency team meeting is called, with encouraging results:




Lots of attention being paid in the media to the poor form of Elvis Onyema, who has failed to score in the last ten games.


09/02/14 v Guijuelo (A) 0-6
A new low as rampant Guijueno completely outplayed us, taking the lead after only a minute and coasting at 4-0 after only half an hour. Their superior possession allowed them to control the game and mercifully they took their foot off the pedal, only adding a fifth with 20 minutes remaining and a sixth with a late penalty.


I decide it's time for a change in tactics, changing from 4-4-2 to 4-1-3-2, moving Vincente Moscardo to the DM position and asking Carlos de la Nava to play more of a target man role with my wingers targeting him with crosses. Also decide to change to a more counter-attacking style of play.


16/02/14 v Marino (H) 1-0
We manage to scrape an unlikely victory as Onyema finally rediscovers his goalscoring touch and scores the only goal of the game after half an hour. Marino dominate most of the proceedings with more possession and attempts on goal but we defend well to hold out for the victory. Jose Rodriguez is MOM.

23/02/14 v Cultural Leonesa (H) 2-1
Another scrappy win as Leonesa had twice as many attempts on goal, but we'll take points wherever we can get them. Pablo Redondo put us ahead mid-way through the first half but Leonesa equalise straight after the break, only for a defensive error to allow Onyema to score with 20 minutes left to seal the victory. Redondo is MOM.


A good end to the month keeps us in 16th place, without those six points we'd be in serious trouble.

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02/03/14 v Burgos (A) 2-1
A third straight win for the first time as we soak up a lot of pressure to defeat Burgos, who are tumbling down the league table fast. Pablo Redondo puts us ahead after 20 minutes and the game was sewn up when Dani Duran scored his first goal for the club mid-way through the second half. Burgos grabbed a consolation goal with eight minutes remaining but we held on comfortably. Duran is named MOM.

09/03/14 v Noja (H) 1-1
A game we should have won and for once we had more attempts on goal that our opposition. A tight first half finished goalless but Noja took the lead three minutes into the second half, however a late long range strike from Elvis Onyema earned us a point from a spirited display. Onyema was given the MOM award.

16/03/14 v UD Logrones (A) 4-3
A great game between two teams desperately battling to avoid relegation. Logrones took the lead inside ten minutes before Pablo Redondo and Dani Duran scored to put us ahead. Logrones equalised a few minutes before half time and then took the lead straight after the break, but an excellent long range strike for Carlos de la Nava and a late winner from Elvis Onyema sealed the points for us.


During midweek training Aaron Bueno twists his ankle and will be out for six to seven weeks. A serious blow to our survival hopes.


23/03/14 v Sporting B (H) 2-2
A frustrating result as we threw away a two goal lead against inferior opposition. Two goals from Elvis Onyema gave us a 2-0 half-time lead but an own goal from Jose Rodriguez early in the second half got Sporting back into the game and they equalised on the hour and held on for a point. Onyema was named MOM.


16 youth team players are taken on for assessment, could provide us with some much-needed backup for our current first team.


30/03/14 v Celta B (A) 2-1
A hard-fought victory that that was kicked off when Carlos de la Nava headed home mid-way through the first half. Dani Duran pout us two up with a long range effort shortly after half time and although Celta pulled one back on 66 minutes we held on for all three points. Duran picked up the MOM award.


An excellent month and we have now gone seven games unbeaten. We're still in 16th place but have more teams within reach above us.

[mrtourette]

From the group of teenage trialists we sign the following to three-year youth contracts:

Bernardo Ivan, GK, 0 current rating/5 potential rating

Alberto, DR (can also play DL), 0 current rating/5 potential rating

Mikel Fernandez, DC (can also play DR and DL), 1 current rating/5 potential rating

Johan Lugo, ST (can also play AMR and AML), 1 current rating/5 potential rating

Asier Rivero, ST (can also play AMC and MC), 0 current rating/4 potential rating


06/04/13 v Coruxo (H) 1-3
Our good run comes to an end as we are comprehensively beaten. Coruxo took an early lead before being pegged back by a Carlos de la Nava header, but went ahead again a minute before half time. Neither team could put their stamp on the game in the second half until Coruxo finally managed to kill us off in the 86th minute.

13/04/13 v Tropezon (A) 0-2
A poor result for us as we slip back into the relegation zone. The first half was goalless but Tropezon continued to control the match on the second half, going ahead on the hour and sealing the win with a late penalty.


Devastating news as captain Pablo Redondo pulled his hamstring against Tropezon and will probably miss the rest of the season.


20/04/14 v Oviedo (H) 1-4
As with earlier on the season Oviedo completely take us apart, going ahead on the half hour mark and going 3-0 up with two quickfire goals early in the second half. Sergio Garcia pulls one back on the hour but Oviedo score again soon after and then play the game out.

27/04/14 v Compostela (A) 2-2
A game we really needed to win started badly as Bueno gave away a penalty in the opening minutes to allow Compostela to take the lead and they doubled that advantage after half an hour. Sergio Garcia pulled one back shortly after the break and our pressure finally told with ten minutes left when Carlos de la Nava equalised.


A wretched month yields just one point and an injury to our captain and best player. We are still in 16th place but have lost touch with the teams above us, and with two games remaining we'll be fighting it out with UD Logrones (who are on just as bad a run as us) to see who is automatically relegated and who will go into the relegation play-off.

[mrtourette]

04/05/14 v Zamora (A) 0-3
In a repeat of the reverse match earlier in the season Zamora dominate possession and shots on goal to record an easy win. Zamora cruised to an early lead and were 2-0 up at half time, and seemed to relax in the second half before adding a third in the dying minutes.

11/05/14 v Racing (H) 1-3
Despite taking the lead through Aaron Bueno after six minutes were totally outplayed by Racing and they equalise on the stroke of half-time. Their doiminace continues in the second half and two goals form Chumbi gove them a comfortable win.


We finish the season with two defeats but fortunately US Logrones also fail to pick up any points so we cling on to 16th position and avoid automatic relegation.

Final league table:




18/05/14 v Las Palmas (H) 4-0
A preposterous 13,184 people (about 12,900 more than our average attendance) turn up to see us win the playoff first leg despite only having 34% of possession. Elvis Onyema put us ahead after only 14 seconds and then added another around the half-hour mark, and Carlos de la Nava put the game beyond doubt with a header after an hour. Onyema capitalised on a defensive error to complete his hat-trick and surely seal survival for us. Onyema of course gets MOM.


After the game I am offered a new contract at the same terms as my current one - one year, £900pw, no transfer budget, £9k wage budget, target to avoid relegation. How could I refuse?

The board also pump £375k into the club to help cover operating costs.


25/05/14 v Las Palmas (A) 2-2 (agg 6-2)
Survival is assured with this draw after both sides abandon their defensive duties to go on the attack. Carlos de la Nava opened the scoring with a long range effort only for Las Palmas to equalise just before half time. Bueno put us ahead again from the penalty spot early in the second half and although Las Palmas drew level again with ten minutes remaining the overall result was never in doubt.

[mrtourette]

Player stats for the 2013/14 season




Some financial housekeeping taken care of in June:

- we avoid a tax bill for the year due to it being estimated that we will make no taxable profit (lol).

- we sign a new three-year sponsorship deal for £64k per year (the old one was £70k).

- our wage budget has been increased to £10.5k per week.

- we pay out £14k in squad bonuses.

- we receive £25k for our final league position.

[mrtourette]

All my backroom staff's contracts expire at the end of June and I decide to release them all. They are all replaced by what I consider to be better candidates and at the same time the total staff wage expenditure is cut by 25%.


My entire playing squad will be out of contract at the end of the upcoming season, and Aaron Bueno, Pablo Redondo and Vicente Moscardo all inform me that they have no intention of renewing their contract. Not surprising but will rip the heart out of my team.


Carlos De la Nava is named our player of the year.


I accept the 'avoid relegation' expectation for the upcoming season, resisting the lure of an extra £1k to spend on wages to aim for a mid-table position.


We are given £42.26k for TV rights for the upcoming season.


Tenerife are sniffing around one of my youth players, striker Johan Lugo. I refuse an offer than will eventually be worth £30k with a 20% resale fee clause and sign him to a professional contract at £275 for three years.

[mrtourette]

Germany win the World Cup in what looks like the best final ever (apart from 1966 of course), beating Argentina 5-3 aet after the match finished 2-2.

Italy beat Spain 2-0 in the third-place playoff.

The losing quarter-finalists are England, Colombia, Scotland and Holland.

Argentina's Sergio Aguero is player of the tournament, while Italy's Mattia De Sciglio is the young player of the tournament.

Italy's Mario Balotelli is the Golden Boot winner with six goals, while Aguero and fellow Argentinian Gonzalo Higuain are joint second with four.

Maarten Stekelenburg of Holland is goalkeeper of the tournament.

Portugal's Miguel Velosa is awarded goal of the tournament for his effort against Algeria, with James Rodriguez (for Colombia against England) second and Luis Suarez (for Uruguay against Iran) third.

[mrtourette]

As the troops return from the summer break here's what my squad looks like:




And the backroom staff:




We sign strikers Carlos de la Nava and Elvis Onyema and keeper Urtzi Iturrioz to new two year deals, persuading them to forget about their requests for a pay rise in exchange for increased potential bonuses.

I decide to add some loanees to provide back up to positions that don't currently have any cover so pick up these on season-long deals:

Antonio Vega, DL, 22, from Martos (Spanish Division 3)

Roberto, MR, 24, from Rayo Majadahonda (Spanish Division 3)

Andrea Raffa, ML, 20, from Udinese (Italian Serie A)

[mrtourette]

Pre-season is uneventful and we go into the new season with no significant injury concerns:




Due to regional re-alignment we are moved to league B2 for the upcoming season; also moving from B1 to B2 are SD Logrones and Guijuelo

The bookies are a bit kinder on us this season but still expect us to be relegated:




We sign DR Alberto to his first professional contract, for £240pw over three years.

Season ticket sales are down on last season, from 115 to 112. My aim is to make those three people regret their decison!

[mrtourette]

31/08/14 v Guijuelo (A) 3-2
A hard-fought win to open the season and revenge for two defeats last season. Guijuelo went ahead in the opening minutes but goals from Sergio Garcia and Elvis Onyema soon after gave us a 2-1 half-time lead. Onyema scored again midway through the second half and although Guijuelo pulled one back towards the end a late red card scuppered their chances of a comeback. Onyema is named MOM.

07/09/14 v Amorebieta (H) 0-0
A tedious game by all accounts, with little threat of a goal and the two teams content to spend the match fouling each other. We had the greater possession but neither team deserved to win.

14/09/14 v Alfaro (A) 4-0
Unfamiliar territory for us as we race into a 4-0 half-time lead thanks to goals from Pablo Redondo, Vincente Moscardo, Alberto Gil and Aaron Bueno. We ease off in the second half but 14 attempts on goal compared to Alfaro's one demonstrated the dominance. Redondo was given the MOM award.

21/09/14 v Leganes (H) 1-1
A tight game ended in a fair result as both teams pushed each other but found it hard to break the other down. Alberto Gil headed us ahead on 81 minutes but just a minute later Leganes equalised to share the points.

24/09/14 v Alcorcon (A) 1-3
First defeat of the season in an open and entertaining game. Alcorcon took the lead after 15 minutes but an equaliser from Sergio Garcia sent the teams in level at the break, however Alcocorn controlled the second half and added two more goals to seal the points.


Captain Pablo Redondo will be out for three to four weeks after twisting his knee against Alcorcon.


28/09/14 v Getafe B (H) 1-2
A tight game that we looked like winning for most of it. Aaron Bueno put us ahead in the 19th minute and it looked like being enough until Getafe fortunately equalised when a cross went in with 10 minutes left. Getafe then snatched victory with a winner in injury time.


A good start to the season soured by two defeats at the end of the month but we sit in 12th position on eight points, and that's eight points more than at this point last season.

[mrtourette]

05/10/14 v Sestao (H) 0-0
A frustrating draw, possession was even but we managed 13 attempts on goal compared to Sestao's four. Better finishing would have lead to a comfortable victory.


The press are reporting on the poor form of Carlos de la Nava, who has failed to score so far this season.


12/05/14 v Laudio (A) 0-2
Another frustrating game as statistically both tams were even but Laudio took two early chances to go ahead in the first half an hour. Laudio were reduced to 10 men after just 36 minutes but we couldn't take advantage to get back into the game.


The press is now piling the pressure on strikers de la Nava and Elvis Onyema due to neither finding the net so far this season.


19/05/14 v Pena Sport (A) 1-4
De la Nava ends his goal drought to put us ahead after just 14 minutes but it goes downhill from there, as Pena score three first half goals to go into the break with a comfortable lead and then add a fourth with quarter of an hour remaining. Jose Rodriguez is sent off for a second yellow card in the closing minutes to cap off a wretched match.

26/05/14 v Athletic Bilbao B (H) 2-0
An excellent victory and our first in six games. Sergio Garcia put us ahead mid-way through the first half and as both teams searched for a breakthrough in a tight match Aaron Bueno fired home form the spot to give us a famous victory.


The month is saved by the victory against Bilbao and we sit in 13th place.

[mrtourette]

02/11/14 v La Roda (H) 2-0
A comfortable win as we outgun our opponents 14 shots to one. Elvis Onyema opens his account for the season after half an hour and then after La Roda are reduced to 10 men in the second half Onyema headed home his second in the final minute. Onyema is awarded MOM.

09/11/14 v Beasain (H) 0-0
Despite them being in the relegation zone we are lucky to escape with a draw against Beasain, who control the game and deserve the win. After the game the local media question our aggressive tactics and the number of fouls committed by us.

16/11/14 v SD Logrones (A) 1-2
A deserved win for Logrones who pepper our goal throughout the match. They take the lead after a mistake by Marco Flexas and although Alberto Gil equalised early in the second half he turned villain and gave away a penalty that allowed Logrones to claim all three points.


Pablo Redondo once again twists his knee and will be out for another month.


23/11/14 v Barakaldo (A) 3-3
A sensational game ended with honours even as both teams will be disappointed not to claim all three points. Vicente Moscardo put us ahead with a long-range strike and Elvis Onyema doubled the lead after half an hour, however an excellent fightback from Barakaldo saw them take the lead with three goals in 16 second-half minutes. Alberto Gil saved a point for us after firing home from close range in injury time.

30/11/14 v Real Sociedad B (H) 1-0
A comfortable victory as we dominate the match and should have won by more. Our single goal came courtesy of Elvis Onyema shortly before half time, enough to give us the win and Onyema the MOM award.


Bad news as Carlos de la Nava sprained his ankle in the last match and will be out for up to seven weeks.


An excellent month sees us sitting in 11th position, our highest ever.

[mrtourette]

07/12/14 v Real Union (A) 1-2
Three points thrown away as despite Elvis Onyema's early goal we come away with nothing. Despite Jose Rodriguez's red card after just 18 minutes we are comfortable until Alberto scores an own goal early in the second half and then Real Union steal the points with a winner with just two minutes left.

14/12/14 v Atletico Madrid B (A) 1-1
A tight game ends with a draw the fair result. Pablo Redondo's free kick just before half time puts us ahead in his first game back after injury but Atletico B equalise in the second half after a mistake by Alberto Gil.

21/12/14 v Toledo (H) 0-0
We dominate the game in freezing conditions but despite managing 15 shots on goal to Toledo's three the points are shared. Pablo Redondo is MOM.


With the transfer window coming up I attempt to reduce the wage bill by offering Jose Rodriguez to clubs on a free transfer, to no avail. Rodriguez gets wind of this and skips training, although after an official warning accepts his reaction was wrong.


A frustrating month as we could easily have won all three games and come away with nine points, instead we end up with only two.


The board seem very happy with the clubs performance, although financial problems are still very much a concern.

[mrtourette]

04/01/15 v Fuenlabrada (H) 0-0
A tedious draw to start the new year as neither team was able to take control of the match. Fuenlabrada created more chances but failed to take advantage due to poor finishing.

11/01/15 v Amorebieta (A) 3-1
An excellent away win as Amorebieta had more possession and shots but we made our chances count. Pablo Redondo put us ahead in the first minute and Sergio Garcia doubled the lead shortly before half time. An error by Alberto Gil allowed Amorebieta to get a goal back but Elvis Onyema restored the two-goal lead to seal the win. Redondo was MOM.

18/01/15 v Guijuelo (H) 2-0
A comfortable win as youngster Johan Lugo scored his first goal for us to open the scoring in the first half. Carlos de la Nava capped his return from injury with a second goal on the hour. Alberto Gil is given the MOM award for keeping Guijuelo's potent attack subdued.


Elivs Onyema injures his shoulder in training and will miss up to a month.


25/01/15 v Alfaro (H) 3-3
A disappointing draw after dominating against bottom-of-the-table Alfaro, who took the lead after a Jose Manuel mistake after 12 minutes. Carlos de la Nava equalised after half an hour but shortly after Pablo Redondo scored an own goal, before de la Nava equalised again just before half time. Alfaro took the lead for the third time from the spot after a foul by Marcos Flexas but substitute Segio Garcia rescued a point with five minutes remaining. De la Nava was named MOM.


A good month sees us sitting in 10th place, which pleases the board.

[mrtourette]

01/02/15 v Leganes (A) 4-3
A superb win in a frantic end-to-end game. Leganes took the lead after 26 minutes but Pablo Redondo equalised less than a minute later, and put us ahead with a free-kick to go in 2-1 up at the break. Johan Lugo put us further ahead before Carlos de la Nava conceded a penalty to allow Leganes to pull one back and they equalised with two minutes remaining, but loanee Andre Raffa scored his first goal for us deep into injury time to seal the win.


Centre-back Alberto Gil injured his foot in training and will miss up to six weeks.


08/02/15 v Getafe B (A) 1-4
Back down to earth after a comprehensive defeat due to poor defensive errors. Getafe took the lead early on after a mistake by Jesus Campos and doubles their lead shortly after half time. An error from youngster Mikel Fernandez allowed Getafe to further increase their lead and after Carlos de la Nava pulled a goal back poor marking from Aaron Buena allowed Getafe to score a fourth.


Goalkeeper Urtzi Iturrioz suffered a thigh strain in the game against Getafe B and will be out for three to four weeks.


15/02/15 v Sestao (A) 1-1
A draw was a fair result after an even match in which both teams shared possession evenly. Elvis Onyema put us ahead after 16 minutes but Sestao equalised soon after, and neither team could find a further breakthrough.


Pablo Redondo is injured again, this time twisting his ankle in training and will be out for up to six weeks.


21/02/15 v Alcorcon (H) 1-3
Our inexperienced team are comfortably beaten by top-of-the-table Alcorcon thnks to a hat-trick from Jorge Gala. An error form Alberto allowed Alcorcon to take the lead after half an hour and the lead was doubled on the hour, with Galan completing his hat-trick with 15 minutes remaining. Aaron Bueno scored a consolation goal in the dying minutes.


Two convincing defeats sees us slip down to 13th place.

[mrtourette]

01/03/15 v Laudio (H) 3-1
Elvis Onyema's opener after half an hour set us on our way to a comfortable win even if Andrea Raffa's red card just before half time made it harder than it should have been. Laudio equalised form the resulting penalty but two goals at the start of the second half, a penalty form Vicente Moscardo and a second from Onyema, gave us the victory. Onyama was named MOM.


Our ground El Helmantico fails a safety inspection resulting in the closure of our west stand and a loss of 1710 seats.


08/03/15 v Pena Sport (H) 0-1
A tight game is won by a single goal, with Pena snatching it in the 21st minute. Both teams had plenty of chances to add further goals but suffered from poor finishing in front of goal.


Carlos de la Nava suffered a groin strain against Pena Sport and will miss three to four weeks.


CMs Dani Duran and Sergio Garcia both sign new two year deals, Duran at £325pw and Garcia £375pw.


15/03/15 v Athletic Bilbao B (A) 1-1
A good away draw but we could have come away with the win. We soaked up a great deal of pressure before Aaron Bueno put us ahead against the run of play at the start of the second half. Elvis Onyema was sent of with 15 minutes remaining but we looked to be holding on for all three points until an own goal by substitute goalkeeper Bernardo Ivan in injury time gave Bilbao a point.


Bernardo Ivan breaks a finger in training and will be out for up to two months.


A new batch of youth trialists join the club and we sign 15 year-old striker Jose Samuel and 16 year-old right midfielder Goyo de la Puente to youth contracts.


29/03/15 v SD Logrones (H) 2-0
A comfortable win against promotion-chasing Logrones as an own goal just before half time and a Johan Lugo strike just after seal the points. Alberto Gil is given the MOM award.


Aaron Bueno strained high thigh against SD Logrones and will be out for three to four weeks.


Centre-back Alberto Gil signs a new two year deal worth £475 a week.


Two wins this month help up climb back up to 12th place.

[mrtourette]

05/04/15 v Beasain (A) 0-0
An evenly-contested game ended in a stalemate as both teams wasted opportunities to score. Alberto Gil was sent off in the closing minutes as Beasain pushed for the victory but we held on. Marcos Flexas was MOM.

15/04/15 v La Roda (A) 1-1
Another draw for us as despite an open game with plenty of chances each team could only manage one goal. Elvis Onyema put us ahead after just two minutes but La Roda equalised 15 minutes later, with the rest of the game spent by both teams desperately searching for a winner.

19/04/15 v Real Union (H) 1-0
We completely dominated the game but only had Johan Lugo's long range strike to show for it, but it was still enough to take all three points from the game. Alberto Gil was awarded MOM.

22/04/15 v Real Sociedad B (A) 2-0
A frenetic game end-to-end game ended with an impressive win for us to continue our impressive run. Sociedad had the better of the first half but two quick goals after the break from Johan Lugo and Pablo Redondo gave us the points. Johan Lugo was given the MOM award.

26/04/15 v Toledo (A) 3-0
A comfortable win against the team above us in the league as we dominate proceedings. Johan Lugo continued his good form by putting us ahead after six minutes and Sergio Garcia doubled the lead shortly before half time. Toledo were reduced to ten men with quarter of an hour left and Elvis Onyema added a third soon after. Carlos de la Nava contributed with two assists and was given the MOM award.


John Lugo strained knee ligaments against Toledo and will be out for the rest of the season.


29/04/15 v Barakaldo (H) 3-1
Superior finishing gave us the points from a tight game. Carlos de la Nava put us ahead after four minutes and Pablo Redondo followed it up with a second just before half time. Barakaldo pulled one back on the hour but captain Redondo added his second and our third with 15 minutes remaining. Redondo was named MOM.


Sergio Garcia twisted his knee during the match against Barakaldo and will be out for three to four weeks.


The Salamanca board injects £450k into the club to help with running costs.


Our current run of eight games unbeaten, having conceded only three goals in that period, sees us sitting in eighth place.

[mrtourette]

03/05/15 v Fuenlabrada (A) 0-1
Our unbeaten run comes to an end as Fuenlabrada deservedly win after peppering our goal with 21 shots. Our resolve is broken by the only goal after 68 minutes and although we are no slouches ourselves on the attacking front we are unable to find a way to snatch a point.

10/05/15 v Atletico Madrid B (H) 0-0
The final game of the season is a tedious affair as both goalkeepers see little action. Atletico have most possession but can muster only one attempt on goal, while we can only offer slightly more as an attacking force.


Pedro Redondo breaks his toe against Atletico B and will be out of action for five months.


Our season fizzles out with two poor performances but we can still hold our head high after finishing in ninth place, a significant improvement on last year and well above expectations for this season.

Final league table:




Following the final game we have a team meeting to set out the targets for next season.




I am offered another one year contract, again with the target to avoid relegation next season but this time with a raise to £1200pw and a weekly wage budget of £10.5k. Still no transfer funds available. I accept the challenge.

[mrtourette]

Player stats for the 2014/15 season:




Some financial housekeeping taken care of in June:

- we avoid a tax bill for the year due to it being estimated that we will make no taxable profit.

- our wage budget has been increased to £11.75k per week.

- we pay out £17.5k in squad bonuses.

- we receive £60k for our final league position.

[mrtourette]

We re-sign fullbacks Marcos Flexas and Jose Manual to £350pw/2 years deals.


As expected arguably my three best players RM (and captain) Pablo Redondo, DM Vicenete Moscardo and LM Aaron Bueno decide not to renew their contracts and leave the club, and I decide against renewing the contracts of centre-backs Jose Rodriguez and Jesus Campos and they also leave the club.


Elvis Onyema is named our player of the year.


Although the board are happy to accept avoiding relegation as an acceptable target for the upcoming season I insist that a mid-table position is a realistic aim and they increase the monthly wage budget by £1k in order to achieve this.


We are given £42.26k for TV rights for the upcoming season.


Alaves (£30.5k) and Oviedo (£13.5k) both make offers for youth striker Jose Samuel which are rejected.

Racing make an offer worth £14k for backup full back Alberto, which is rejected.

Xerex make an offer of £0k (with 20% sell-on clause) for goalkeeper Urtzi Iturrioz, which is rejected.


We sign the following free-agents during the Summer:

Miguel Angel, DC, 25 (2yr/£725pw), former Real Madrid youngster who has been bouncing around the third division for the last few seasons. Should instantly upgrade our defense.

Alex Escobar, DC, 19 (1yr/£400pw), spent the last two years as a squad member for San Fernando in Second Division B4. Signed as cover for the centre-back position.

Sergio Boix, DM, 27 (2yr/£800pw), excellent performances for Saguntino and Alzira in the third division over the last couple of seasons. Will replace Vicente Moscardo.

Carlos Calvo, DM, 20 (2yr/£300pw), former Zaragoza youngster released after not making the grade. Will back up Sergio Boix.

Andrea Raffa, ML, 21 (2yr/£525pw), on loan with us last year and was released by Udinese when his contract expired. Planned to replace Aaron Bueno on the left wing.

Victor Bertomeu, MR, 22 (2yr/£500pw), spent the last two seasons in the third division with Utebo. Signed as a replacement for Pablo Redondo.

Jorge Pulido ML/MR, 25 (2yr/£525pw), released by third division Teruel after playing 75 games in the last two seasons. Is able to offer cover for both wings and push for a starting place.

[mrtourette]

Squad for the 2015/16 season:




As the players return from holiday I re-iterate our goals for the upcoming season:




Strikers Carlos de la Nava and Elvis Onyema and keeper Urtzi Iturrioz are out of contract at the end of the season. We try to open negotiations with de la Nava but he states that he is unwilling to renew his contract with us.

Urtzi Iturrioz comes to see me to say that he wishes to leave the club in order to play at a higher level. He is unimpressed by my belief that we could be challenging for promotion next season. This is very disappointing as over the last two seasons he has grown ino a positive presence in the changing room and I was planning on giving him the captain's armband this season.

[mrtourette]

New signing Miguel Angel misses pre-season with an injury but should be ready for the stat of the season:




As with last season we are given odds of 40-1 for the title and little hope of anything better than a mid-table finish.







I name Miguel Angel as our new captain, with Sergio Garcia as vice-captain.

[mrtourette]

Season ticket sales are up from last year to 118, so we've won back the sales we lost after the first season and then some.


Gimnastic agree a full-time contract with our youth team striker Jose Samuel, with compensation set at £30.5k potentially rising to £81k based on certain conditions. There are mixed feelings among the fans but they all acknowledge the need to bring in money from transfers due to the club's poor financial position.


30/08/15 v Barakaldo (A) 3-0
A dominant start to the season as we fully deserve all the points after controlling the game. Victor Bertomeu put us ahead after half an hour of his debut and Elvis Onyema doubled the lead shortly after. Onyema then sealed the game with a close-range header shorty after half time and was given the MOM award for his two goals.

02/09/15 v Segoviana (A) 0-1 (Copa del Rey)
Our first Spanish Cup appearance ends in embarrassment as we are knocked out by a team we were expected to easily turn over. Segoviana took the lead on 30 minutes and although we had enough chances poor finishing meant we were unable to get a result that frankly we didn't deserve.

06/09/15 v CD Izarra (H) 5-1
We bounced back from our cup elimination in fine style despite giving up considerably more possession than our opponents. Elvis Onyema put us ahead after quarter of an hour but when Marcos Flexas was sent off shortly after things looked bleak, however a second on the stroke of half time from Onyema put us in at the break two goals up. Izarra pulled on back at the start of the second half and pushed for an equaliser until an excllent long range effort from Carlos de la Nava put us two up again and as Izarra piled forward goals form Sergio Garcia and a third from Onyema gave us a scoreline that was far more comfortable than the match itself. Onyema's hat-trick secured him the MOM award.

13/09/15 v Real Sociedad B (A) 0-1
In a complete reversal from our last match we dominate possession and shots on goal but come away with nothing. After a close first half Sociedad B took the lead two minutes before the break and despite immense pressure on the second half we were unable to find the net.

20/09/15 v Puerta Bonita (H) 1-0
A close game that was decided by an Elvis Onyema strike mid-way through the first half. Both team created chances but were unable to find a way add another goal. Victor Bertomeu was given the MOM ward.

23/09/15 v Pena Sport (A) 2-1
We dominate this game, peppering Pena Sport's goal with 22 shots although only managing to find the net with two. A tense first half ens goalless but Carlos de la Nava outs us ahead straight after the break, and substitute Johan Lugo puts us two up with a sensational long-range strike. Pena Sport pull one back almost immediately but are unable to get another to claim a point, and Lugo is named MOM for his impressive goal.

27/09/15 v La Roda (H) 3-0
Another comfortable victory as we completely control the game. Elvis Onyema continued his excellent start to the season with two first-half goals to see us in charge of the game at the break, and Johan Lugo came of the bench to score for the second game in a row with 15 minutes left. Onyema is named MOM.


Despite our cup exit a great start to the season, with five wins out of six league games being good enough for third place at the end of September.

[mrtourette]

04/10/15 v Huracan Valencia (A) 4-2
A win that takes us to the top of the table for the first time ever. We take an early two-goal lead through Sergio Garcia and Elvis Onyema and while Huracan pull one back mid-way through the first half Garcia strikes again to make it 3-1 at the break. The tempo slowed in the second half until Andrea Raffa scored a fourth with five minutes left and Huracan quickly pulled another back. Garcia was named MOM.

11/10/15 v Haro Deportivo (A) 2-3
We were dominated by our opponents in this match and were fortunate to keep the score so close. Haro went ahead in the fifth minute but Victor Bertomeu pulled us level just two minutes later. Alex Escobar then put us ahead but on the stroke of half-time put through his own net to send he teams in level. Haro controlled the play in the second half and finally found a breakthrough with ten minuted left to win the game.

14/10/15 v SD Logrones (H) 1-1
A close-fought and tense match ended with the points shared as neither side convinced that they deserved all three. SD Logrones took the lead after half an hour and looked to be heading for victory until Dani Duran equalised with fifteen minuted remaining.

18/10/15 v Guijuelo (H) 3-2
A great victory a we stun Guijuelo and come back from two goals down. Guijuelo find themselves with a comfortable 2-0 lead after just 26 minutes but goals in quick succession from Carlos de la Nava and Sergio Garcia brought us level at half time. Johan Lugo scored what turned out to be the winner on the hour and we held on despite late pressure from the visitors.

25/10/14 v Toldeo (A) 4-2
We fully control this game and run out deserved winners. Sergio Garcia continued his excellent goalscoring form from midfield to put us ahead after 30 minutes and Elvis Onyema heads us into a two-goal lead at the break. Toldo pull a goal back after an hour but strikes form Jorge Pulido and Carlos de la Nava give us a comfortable 4-1 lead. Toledo score a late consolation from the penalty spot. Sergio Garcia is named MOM.


Another good month with three victories sees us cement our place amongst the early pacesetters.

[mrtourette]

The board inform me that due to our deteriorating financial position they are reducing our wage bill budget by £1k a week, instantly putting me over budget.


01/11/15 v Lleida Esportiu (H) 0-0
A tedious match with very little action. We have the better of the possession and shots on goal but waste what chances we do have. Alex Escobar is given the MOM award.

08/11/15 v Llagostera (A) 1-3
We are convincingly beaten and despite having more possession we are unable to create enough chances. Llagostera take an early lead but are pegged back by Jorge Pulido's strike. A mistake by goalkeeper Urtzi Iturrioz gifts Llagostera the lead again just before half time and they extend their lead mo-way through the second half.


11/11/15 v Binissalem (H) 2-1 (Federation Cup)
Despite controlling the game we fail to win convincingly against lower-league opposition. Sergio Garcia put us ahead after 24 minutes but Binissalem equalise shortly after. Elvis Onyema put us back in front before the break but we are unable to extend our lead in the second half.


Centre-back Alex Escobar twisted his knee against Binassalem and will be out for a month.


15/11/11 v Real Union (H) 2-1
A vital league win after recent wobbles. Real Union took the lead after just five minutes and it took us until an hour in for Johan Lugo to equalise and Victor Bertomeu to put us ahead shortly after. Bertomeu was named MOM.

18/11/15 v Binissalem (A) 1-3 (Federation Cup)
We crash out of the cup to lower league opposition for the second time this season. We took the lead after 20 minutes through Miguel Angel but were almost immediately pegged back, with Binassalem taking the lead and drawing the tie on aggregate after an hour. Marcos Flexas was sent off before the game went into extra-time, with Binassalem grabbing a 119th-minute winner to avoid penalties and take the tie.

22/11/15 v Atletico Madrid B (H) 3-1
Back to winning ways and in convincing style against the league leaders. After a goalless first half Johan Lugo gave us the lead form the penalty spot before Dani Duran and Carlos de la Nava put us three up late on. Atletico B pulled one back but it they deserved little more.

29/11/15 v Sanse (A) 2-2
A draw was a fair result as both teams attacked with gusto looking for the win. Jorge Pulido put us ahead after a defensive error but two quick goals towards the end of the half saw Sanse go into the break 2-1 up. The second-half was an end-to-end affair with substitute Dani Duran grabbing us an equaliser after 72 minutes.


A mixed month with two good league victories but another embarrassing cup defeat. We end the month in third place.

[mrtourette]

06/12/15 v Getafe B (A) 3-1
A comfortable win despite falling behind early on. Carlos de la Nava equalised after 20 minutes and he game remained a stalemate until the last ten minutes when Elvis Onyema and Carlos de la Nava with a penalty sealed the points. De la Nava's brace earned him the MOM award.


Centre-back Alberto Gil tore his hamstring in the win over Getafe B and will miss three to four months.


13/12/15 v UD Logrones (H) 0-2
A scrappy game in windy conditions as we fail to muster any real attacking impetus and are soundly beaten. A mistake form Carlos de la Nava gifts the visitors a first half lead and the settle the game with a second after 78 minutes.


Goalkeeper Urtzi Iturrioz is suffering from a virus and is sent home for two weeks.





The remaining games of the month are postponed due to our waterlogged pitch.


We re-sign centre-back Alex Escobar and striker Elvis Onyema to new two-year deals, but talks with striker Carlos de la Nava fail to reach an agreement.

Goalkeeper Urtzi Iturrioz won't even discuss a new deal so it looks like he'll be leaving in the Summer.


The board provide a cash injection of £450k to help towards the running costs of the club.

[mrtourette]

03/01/16 v CD Izarra (A) 3-1
An efficient performance gives us the double over Izarra this season despite going behind in the first ten minutes. Elvis Onyema equalised from close range after 21 minutes before strike partner Carlos de la Nava put us ahead ten minutes later. The game was closely matched until the 72nd minute when Izarra were reduced to ten men and five minutes later substitute Johan Lugo sealed the points. Onyema is given the MOM award.


Captain Miguel Angel suffered a thigh strain against Izarra and will be out for up to a month.


10/01/16 v Barakaldo (H) 0-0
A tight game against promotion-rivals ends goalless and we can consider ourselves fortunate as Barakaldo had the better of the chances and should have taken all three points.

17/01/16 v Real Sociedad B (H) 2-0
A good result against another promotion-chasing team, with Victor Bertomeu heading home to break the deadlock shortly after half time. The game was tightly balanced as both teams pushed for the next goal and eventually Johan Lugo sealed the game for us with a free-kick, for which he was named MOM.


Following some good performances covering for injuries I give centre-back Mikel Fernandez his first professional contract


The board provide a cash injection of £375k to help towards the running costs of the club. A quick look at the accounts shows that we are currently £2.8mil in the red. Yikes.


23/01/16 v Puerta Bonita (A) 0-2
A tough result to swallow as we had more possession and attempts on goal than our relegation-fighting opponents but two goals mid-way through the first half condemned us to defeat.

30/01/16 v La Roda (A) 3-0
An excellent response to a poor result thanks to a late hat-trick from Carlos de la Nava, who was unsurprisingly named MOM for his efforts. De la Nava put us ahead with a free-kick in the 76th minute and then doubled his tally two minutes later. As La Roda pushed forward he completed the scoring with a tap in with a minute remaining.


Murcia offer a contract to our youth goalkeeper Bernardo Ivan, who had been acting as back-up to the first team. He accepts the offer and we are awarded £42k compensation, potentially rising to £110k. We need all the money we can get but I really should have signed to a professional contract by now, he had been a capable and promising understudy.


As Ivan was on a youth contract his departure frees up little space to sign a proper replacement, so I am forced to promote 16 year-old Nacho Ortiz to the first team squad as my back-up goalkeeper.


We lie 4th in the table at the end of January, although with a game in hand on the teams around us:

[mrtourette]

Excellent news as I manage to get Carlos de la Nava to sign a new contract. I have to really ramp up his bonuses to do so and I expect it to come back and bite me, but with him and Elvis Onyema signing new deals and youngster Johan Lugo making great progress (and scoring goals) barring serious injuries I can relax about my striking options for another couple of years.


07/02/16 v Pena Sport (H) 3-1
A comfortable and deserved win against bottom-of-the-table Pena with first half goals from midfielders Sergio Garcia and Andre Raffa putting us in control. Pena pulled one back just after half time to make the game closer than it should have been but a fluke goal from Carlos de la Nava with five minutes left meant we count relax and see the game out. Jorge Pulido had two assists as was named MOM.

10/02/16 v Athletic Bilbao B (H) 2-0
A goal after only two minutes form Alex Escobar put us ahead against Bilbao, who controlled possession but couldn't find a way of breaking our defense down. The game was a tight affair with chances for both sides and could have gone either way until Carlos de la Nava scored a second in injury time to finish off Bilbao. Escobar was named MOM.

14/02/16 v Huracan Valencia (H) 1-0
A bad-tempered match was settled by a singe goal as Johan Lugo justified being given a starting place ahead of Elvis Onyema with a goal after 11 minutes. Huracan had the better of the possession but couldn't find a way past keeper Urtzi Iturrioz, who was given the MOM award for keeping the Huracan attack at bay.

21/02/16 v SD Logrones (A) 0-1
A poor result against strugglers Logrones, who sealed the game with a goal just after half-time after an error by midfielder Sergio Biox. We created enough chances to win but were wasteful in front of goal and came away with nothing.

28/02/16 v Haro Deportivo (H) 0-1
Another worrying defeat without scoring after Haro nick this closely-fought match with a goal in the 83rd minute. We managed to hit the woodwork twice in the closing minutes but were unable to find an equaliser.


February started well with three wins although petered out with two disappointing defeats. We hold on to third place in the league.

[mrtourette]

06/03/16 v Toledo (H) 1-2
Alarm bells are ringing following our third straight defeat in a game that we again controlled. Johan Lugo put us ahead in the 14th minute but Toledo equalised shortly after and scored the winner a few minutes into the second half.

13/03/16 v Guijuelo (A) 3-3
We halt our losing run but still a disappointing result after throwing away a two-goal lead. Captain Miguel Angel headed us in front early on but Guijuelo struck back just before half-time to send the teams in level at the break. Sergio Biox and Carlos de la Nava put us 3-1 up and seemingly in control but a mistake by Angel gifted Guijuelo a goal with 15 minutes left and they snuck an equaliser in injury time.

20/03/16 v Lleida Esportiu (A) 2-0
Bck to winning ways but unjustly so as Lleida dominate the game. Elvis Onyema ended his 11-game goal drought and pounced on a defensive error to out us ahead early on and Sergio Garcia increase the lead ten minutes into the second half. Lleida has 17 attempts on goal but were unable to find a breakthrough. Onyema was named MOM.

27/03/16 v Real Union (A) 4-2
A satisfying win thanks to a spirited second-half display. Real Union took the lead on the half-hour mark and although Carlos de la Nava headed us level shortly after a second goal before the break sent us in at the break 2-1 down. We peppered the Real Union goal in the second half and were rewarded with a bizarre own goal by the Real Union goalkeeper with 20 minutes remaining. Sergio Garcia headed us in front with quarter of an hour left and Carlos de la Nava bagged his second and made the game safe a few minutes later. Winger Jorge Pulido was named MOM.


We finish March still in third place and look to have consolidated our position amongst the play-off qualifiers. UD Logrones look to be pulling away in top spot so I think this is the best we can hope for.

[mrtourette]

From this year's group of teenage trialists we sign the following to youth contracts:

Angel Lobo, GK, 0 current rating/4 potential rating

Francisco, DR (can also play DC), 2.5 current rating/5 potential rating

Oliver Bahiya, MC (can also play AMC), 2 current rating/5 potential rating

Eliecer Barriocanal, AMC (can also play MC and ST), 0 current rating/3.5 potential rating

Francisco and Bahiya look like they may be ready for first-team football very soon, my coaches are ranking them higher than my current options.


03/04/16 v Llagostera (H) 0-0
A terribly dull match as both teams struggle to generate any kind of attacking threat. As the home team we should have won this game but poor discipline and finishing meant we were able to get any momentum going.

10/04/16 v Atletico Madrid B (A) 2-4
We were comfortably beaten by a rampant Atletico despite leading at half-time as we were unable to hold off their relentless attack. Jorge Pulido concended a penalty that gave Atletico the lead early on but goals from Sergio Garcia and a Johan Lugo penalty gave us the lead at the break. Atletico dominated possession in the second half and two goals mid-way through the half saw them take the lead. We were reduced to ten men when full-back Jose Manuel had to leave the field injured after using all three substitutions and Atletico took advantage and scored a fourth in the closing minutes.

16/04/16 v Sanse (H) 3-1
A vital win as the competition for promotion places hots up. Johan Lugo justified his continued place in the first team with goals in the 17th and 60th minutes to put us two up. Sanse pulled one back shortly after but winger Andrea Raffa sealed all three points in the the last few minutes. Sergio Garcia was named MOM.


Centre-back Alex Escobar breaks down in training and is found to be suffering from a hernia, and will miss the rest of the season.


24/04/16 v UD Logrones (A) 1-2
A tough defeat against the champions-elect as we push them right to the wire. Logrones took the lead at the end of at tightly-contested first half but Victor Bertomeu equalised on the hour. We had the better of the rest of the half but it was Logrones who snatched the points with a winner in the 82nd minute. Bertomeu was given the MOM award.


With two games remaining we are a point outside the playoffs, fighting Huracan Valencia for the final spot.

[mrtourette]

01/05/16 v Athletic Bilbao B (A) 3-1
A good win that saw up leapfrog Huracan into the last playoff spot. Elvis Onyema justifies being put back into the first team by putting us ahead in the third minute and a second from midfielder Sergio Biox gave us a comfortable half-time lead. Onyema scored again after an hour and although Bilbao pulled one back late in the game our lead was never threatened. Onyema was named MOM.

08/05/16 v Getafe B (H) 1-1
A poor result but we qualify for the playoffs as Huracan lose their final game. Jorge Pulido gave us an early lead and we looked to be cruising until a Getafe equaliser after 67 minutes cretaed an unnecessarily tense end to the game.


We qualify for the promotion playoffs!


Final league table:




15/05/16 v San Fernando (H) 1-1 (Division 2B playoffs round 1 1st leg)
We managed to cling on for a draw despite our superior opponents controlling the majority of the game. Johan Lugo gave us the lead after 36 minutes but San Fernando drew level shortly after the break to set up a tense second leg.

22/05/16 v San Fernando (A) 3-3 (Division 2B playoffs round 1 2nd leg)
A fine comeback secured us the tie on away goals after a thrilling match. All looked bleak when San Fernando raced into an early 2-0 lead and still held the same advantage at the break. However a minute after the restart Sergio Garcia pulled one back and Elvis Onemya equalised with ten minutes remaining. A long range effort from Andrea Raffa put us ahead soon after and although San Fernando equalised in injury time we had done enough to win the tie on away goals.


After the game I am offered another one year contract, again at £1200pw. I accept.


The comeback against San Fernando was inspired by switching from a direct passing strategy to employing more of a short passing style and aiming to retain possession rather than getting the ball forward quickly, and I decide to keep that tactic.


29/05/16 v Alcorcon (H) 2-0 (Division 2B playoffs round 2 1st leg)
An excellent first-leg victory to set us up nicely for the return game. Jorge Pulido put us ahead towards the end of the first half and although Alcorcon had more of the possession our counter-attacking was threatening their goal throughout the second half and an own goal in the 87th minute from gave us a deserved second and a nice buffer.

05/06/16 v Alcorcon (A) 1-1 (Division 2B playoffs round 2 2nd leg)
We comfortably hold on for a draw in an open game to see us through to the next round as Alcorcon were forced to attack for most of the game and that left room for us to exploit. Young defender Mikel Fernandez headed us in front after only 18 minutes and while Alcorcon drew level after half an hour they were unable to score again to bring themsleves back into the tie.


12/06/16 v L'Hospitalet (H) 1-0 (Division 2B playoffs round 3 1st leg)
We dominated this game and should have had more than a solitary goal to show for it. Johan Lugo scored the crucial goal after an hour and although we wasted many chances at least have a lead to take with us to the second leg. Victor Bertomeu was named MOM.

19/06/16 v L'Hospitalet (A) 3-1 (Division 2B playoffs round 3 2nd leg)
L'Hospitalet had the best of this game but an excellent counter-attacking display saw us run out as comfortable winners. Sergio Garcia scored in the first half to give us the lead going into the break but a mistake by Voctor Bertomeu gifted L'Hospitalet an equaliser. Sergio Garcia scored again after 64 minutes and the match and tie was sealed with a superb Johan Lugo solo goal with 20 minutes remaining. Sergio Garcia was named MOM.


We are promoted!

[mrtourette]

Player stats for the 2015/2016 season:




Some financial housekeeping taken care of in June:

- we avoid a tax bill for the year due to it being estimated that we will make no taxable profit.

- our wage budget has been set at £11.75k per week.

- we pay out £63k in squad bonuses.

- we receive £95k for our final league position.

[mrtourette]

Following promotion goalkeeper Urtzi Iturrioz decides he would be happy to stay at the club. I contemplate releasing him but none of the available free agents I could sign would be any better, plus he has a friendly face and I've only recently finally learned how to spell his name without checking the records, so I decide to keep him around. Since last negotiating he appears to have employed an arsehole of an agent but we eventually agree on another 2yr/£1000pw week deal with increased potential bonuses.


I sign promising youth players Francisco and Oliver Bahiya to 3yr/£250pw professional contracts.


The re-signing of Iturrioz means that we won't be losing any players this Summer but also that there is no money left under the wage budget for new signings, leading to the scary prospect of playing in a tougher division with exactly the same team as last year.


Carlos De la Nava is named our player of the year, for the second time.


I accept the 'avoid relegation' expectation for the upcoming season. Anything else would be foolish.


We are given £1.81m for TV rights for the upcoming season. £1.81m! That wipes out two thirds of the clubs debt. If I can manage to avoid relegation we may actually be in the black this time next year.


The majority of the playing squad will be out of contract next Summer so I prioritise re-signing young stars Alex Escober (2yr/£650pw) and Johan Lugo (2yr/750pw). These new deals along with contracted annual wage rises put me £3k over my £11.75k wage budget and makes any further re-signings impossible unless players are willing to take severe pay cuts. Unsurprisingly, they aren't.


La Liga clubs have started to take serious interest in 16 year-old right-back Francisco, and I receive bids from Levante (£425k), Valladolid (£450k), Valencia (£500k), Athletic Bilbao (£750k) and Seville (£775k). For a club in our situation that is an astonishing amount of money for a youngster who has never played a first-team game. After careful consideration I decide to refuse the offers (I'm not sure how I managed to refuse the last two as Francisco has a £750k buy-out clause in his contract) but it will be hard to continue to refuse any larger bids. The need of the club is too great.

[mrtourette]

France win the European Championships, denying Spain a third consecutive win with a 2-1 victory in the final.

The losing semi-finalists are Germany and Holland.

Spain's Andres Inesta is player of the tournament.

France's Loic Remy and Oliver Giroud share the Golden Boot award with five goals each, while Spain's Juan Mata, Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal and Russia's Artem Dzyuba all scored four.

[mrtourette]

First-team squad at the start of the 2016/17 season:

[mrtourette]

Pre-season is uneventful with four comfortable victories:




As expected the bookies give us little hope of any success this season:

[mrtourette]

236 season tickets are sold for the season, roughly double our usual figure.


I decide it's time to cash in on U19 star Francisco when Valencia come back with an offer of £850k (plus a 25% sell on fee clause).

Elche make a bid of £675k (plus a 25% sell on fee clause) for my other promising youngster Oliver Bayiha, which the board decide is too good to refuse and accept without my knowledge. Fortunately I agree.

These two sales rejuvenate our financial situation, with the club's debts all cleared not only do I now have £300k available to spend on transfers (transfer funds! I feel all giddy) but the board raise our wage budget to a whopping £34k a week.


14/08/16 v Xerex (H) 1-4
A crazy start to the season as all four goals are scored in the first half an hour. Sergio Garcia conceded a penalty after two minutes that Xerex went ahead from and they then doubled their lead after seven minutes. Xerex were three up after 15 minutes as our shell-shocked defense didn't know what had hit them. Victor Bertomeu pulled one back after 20 minutes but ten minutes later Xerex had restored their three goal lead. Mercifully the game petered out after that but still a worrying sign of things that may be to come.

21/08/16 v Hercules (A) 0-3
Another convincing defeat as yet again we fall behind to early goals and are two down after 20 minutes. We create chances but are unable to take them and Hercules score a third on the hour mark. A harsh scoreline but the reality given the quality of opposition we are now facing.

28/08/16 v UD Almeria (H) 0-1
A much better performance and a tightly-contested game with few chances, although ultimately we still come away with nothing. A mistake by young centre-back Mikel Fernandez gifts Almeria their goal after half an hour, and the teams played out a scrappy game with little flowing football allowed due to constant fouling from both sides.


The media raise the issue of Carlos de la Nava's current form, with him now having gone 14 matches without scoring.


I decide our defense needs upgrading if we are going to survive in this division so I pick up 27 year-old centre-back Alberto Prada, who is available having recently been released by L'Hospitalet in Segunda Division B. He signs a 2yr/£1200pw deal and I intend to slot him in at left-back where he is also comfortable playing.

21 year old centre-back David Costas becomes our first ever signing from another club for actual money, signing for £44k from Celta Viga on 2yr/£1200pw deal. Costas had been at Celta since coming through their youth system, although had spent the last four years playing in their B team in the lower leagues.

[mrtourette]

04/09/16 v Gimnastic (A) 3-4
Our defensive woes continue although at least we show some fighting spirit as both teams served up a feast of attacking football. Gimnastic raced into an early 3-0 lead as again we started horribly but Sergio Garcia's long-range effort pulled one back after half an hour. We fell three goals behind again after 70 minutes although Elvis Onyema scored his first of the season 10 minutes later. Garcia gabbed a second with three minutes left but it was too little too late.


Sergio Garcia is named in the league team of the week, and signs a new 2yr/£725pw contract.


07/09/16 v Rayo Vallecano (A) 0-2 (Copa del Rey 2nd round)
A swift cup exit as Rayo dominate the match, peppering our goal with 20 attempts while we can only muster one on target. We held out for over an hour but errors from centre-backs David Costas and Miguel Angel gave Rayo the two goals that they deserved.


Carlos de la Nava twisted a knee against Rayo Vallecano and will miss a month.


We sign free-agent right-back Victor Diaz to a 2yr/£1200pw deal. The 28 year-old spent last year with Alcorcon in Segunda B, having previously played three seasons at our current level with Lugo. Diaz completes my defensive overhaul, if we still struggle with the guys I've signed them we really are screwed.


11/09/16 v Oviedo (A) 0-0
Our first point of the season gained thanks to a laboured draw against fellow-strugglers. Oviedo had the better of the possession, both teams created several chances although suffered from poor finishing.

18/09/16 v Las Palmas (H) 1-3
A game to forget for Alex Escobar as the centre-back gifted Las Palmas with all three goals in a match where we could only muster one serious attempt on goal. Las Palmas were 2-0 up at half time before Elvis Onyema pulled one back with 25 minutes left, but Escobar's third defensive lapse gave Las Palmas a comfortable lead shortly after. Asier Rivero marked a rare appearance with a straight red card for a vicious foul in the closing minutes.

25/09/16 v Deportivo La Coruna (H) 2-0
Our first win of the season and against illustrious opponents. Goals from Johan Lugo and Elvis Onyema put us two up after 23 minutes and despite conceding more possesstion to Deportivo were comfortably see out the match under little threat. Lugo was named MOM.


We finish September in 20th place:

[mrtourette]

02/10/16 v Cadiz (A) 0-1
A back-and-forth game ended with just one goal due to poor finishing from both sides. Caidz had the best of the first half but we had two excellent chances to score in the second before Cadiz finally broke the deadlock with nine minutes remaining and despite being reduced to ten men in injury time managed to hold on for the win.

09/10/16 v Alaves (H) 0-2
A comfortable win for Alaves as they were able to provide a cutting edge in an otherwise even match. Alaves went ahead on the hour with a fluke goal after an intended cross sailed in and then added a second in the final minute. We were generally able to hold our own but created few chances.

16/10/16 v Sevilla Atletico (A) 0-0
Two teams with poor defensive records surprisingly failed to score in a tense affair. Although had the better of the game neither team were able to stamp their authority on the match or suggest they deserved victory. Alex Escobar put his recent troubles behind him to put in a MOM-winning performance.

23/10/16 v Racing (A) 0-1
Four games without a goal as we were comfortably beaten. Racing took the lead after 18 minutes and although we kept them at bay for the the rest of the match they controlled enough possession to mean that their lead was never in any real danger.

30/10/16 v Numancia (H) 1-2
Another close game ends in defeat as both teams created enough chances to win. We went behind early on but Victor Bertomeu ended our goal drought with an equaliser after 19 minutes. A mistake from Alberto Prada gifted Numancia the winner mid-way through the second half.


A frustrating month as we end up with just one point from five games and are now rooted to the bottom of the table. We can take something from the fact that all the games were close affairs but pretty soon we're going to have to start putting points on the board.

[bbgunn]

Ugh, tough start. That's OK... change is a'comin...