idgamerd

On the transfer front, bids have started coming in for several players. Right-back Javi has started receiving sizable bids. He has a minimum fee release clause now of £130,000, and I intend to excercise this in negotiations. One of my back up right backs Rubio is also attracting attention. Centre-back Antonio Rumbo is also seeing a couple of bids come in. His Minimum fee release clause is £30,000, but I managed to negotiate an additional £25,000 over 12 months and he goes to Llieda for a total of £55,000 on the 1st January.

In terms of bringing players in, we need them all over the pitch, but particularly a back up goalkeeper. I have asked my scout and assistant manager to draw up a realistic list of targets, and they come back with a list of about 25 players. Whilst I can't believe that only 25 lads would come to Almansa, I will work with what I have got to go at. I therefore submit bids and subsequently contract offers for a fair number of these players. Many reject coming to such a lowly club, and I can get nobody in before the first game of 2006 away to Marbella.

idgamerd

Now is also the right time to give a bit of information on the club I have found at Almansa.

The club is small, but has a stadium capable of holding 5,500 supporters. We have only managed to attract just under 2,000 to a game so far but there might be a little potential there to increase this if we do well. The club however has no real history. They were founded in 1992, which makes the club about half my age. They are semi-professional, which again makes it more difficult to attract players.

I feel that the club will survive the season in this league. I am however ambitious and want to enhance my career at a bigger club. I have therefore been keeping an eye on the job market, particularly in England. Kidderminster Harriers has become available and I have applied. They rejected me though and still havn't appointed a manager. I feel a return to England might be my best career move. I also don't want to "cheat" on Almansa by going to another Spanish club. I like the minnows of Almansa, and will always do the right thing by them.

idgamerd

Marbella away provide the opposition for our first game of 2006. They are currently a mid-table side, but I am hoping to get the new year off to a bang here. The lads are itching to start as they have had a lot of time off and are refreshed.

The first half started fairly evenly, with little getting past the two defences. Long distance snap shots were the order of the day really with nothing looking likely to be successful. Three minutes from half-time though, Eloi broke through the Marbella defence skinning his man on the way only to see his shot saved by the Marbella keeper. Fortunately, his strike partner Javi was on hand to follow up and net our first of the new year.

At half time I noticed the lads were struggling with fitness. 3 weeks off for a not naturally athletic buch of lads wasn't the ideal scenario. I encouraged them on to hopefully our first win of the year though and sent them out for the second half.

The opening 10 minutes was all Almansa, with us going close on a number of occasions in our attempt to kill the game. We failed to score though and Marbella took advantage of some generous defending scoring on the hour mark. I then decided to throw 3 sets of fresh legs on to hopefully liven the game up, but Marbella were up now and going for the throat. We held them off deep into injury time until with the last kick of the game, a weak clearance fell to the Marbella centre midfielder who curled in a long shot from outside the area. The final whistle went as they were celebrating, and we had lost a game we could have ot a result from.

Effectively we lost because of fitness though. We looked too tired going into the last 20 minutes and couldn't get up and down the park as effectively as we had before Christmas. We needed dome fresh blood in the side, and also some impetus from the current lads if we were to keep clear of the drop.

idgamerd

Special Transfer Bulletin

On the Wednesday following the Marbella defeat, two players have agreed to come to Almansa and signed contracts. Mikel Muniozguren, a midfielder who adds a bit of height and good late runs from Lemona, and Miguel Ainzua, a centre half from Peralta who should hopefully fill the boots of Antonio Rumbo who left at the start of the month. They cost the princely sum of £1,000 each.

On players going out, right-back Javi has attracted bids from around 2 dozen clubs. A lot of these bids are offering players plus cash, but all of these bids have been unsuccessful as the players offered in part-exchange are unwilling to come to Almansa. Several cash only bids have been made though, and I have managed to make them all offer £130,000 up-front (his minimum fee release clause), plus monthly payments of another figure with future incentives for Almansa. The successful club for whom Javi has agreed to sign for is Mallorca. They pay £130,000 up-front, with another £120,000 over 24 months and a 20% sell-on clause. This money (and that from Rumbo's sale) means we have a positive bank balance running into the hundreds of thousands. Considering where we started from, over £150,000 in the red, what has gone on at Almansa this season has been remarkable. He went on the eve of our nest game, and we all wished him the best..

The fact that we have adequate cover for Javi in the form of 2 right wing backs (Kisko and Rubio) is also good news.

Bids have also come in for Rubio, who is my now first choice right back following Javi's sale. I therefore put in offers for other right backs as we might become short. I am still also waiting to hear back from many players regarding contract offers that have been made after bids were accepted by their clubs. Severla have turned me down already, but there are positive signs as 2 players have agreed to come to us.

idgamerd

Our next fixture was away to Extremadura, who are a big club for our division. Rubio slotted in at right-back, and other reserve right back Kisko was forced in at left back as captain Septien has pulled a calf muscle and will be out for a couple of months. New signing Ainzua came straight in at centre-half, as Juan Carlos also picked up a knock that will keep him out for a few weeks, and Muniozguren made the bench.

Extremadura started the game like their futures depended on a result. Chance after chance was being created, and they took the lead in the 4th minute. They kept piling forward to try and kill the game, but we held firm until the 34th minute when we seemed powerless to prevent a good passing move being finished. This continued to half time, and to be honest, we were lucky to have gotten 0.

I decided that I would send the lads out with a flea in their ears hoping that they would compete better. To be fair to the lads though, they went forward after the break and Oscar Rico appeared unmarked on the right post to cooly get us back into the game only 3 minutes after half time. Extremadure were having none of that though, and swiftly got themselves in charge of posession again, but were finding us harder to break down now. Fresh legs were introduced including Muniozguren who whowed that he can hold his own in the air, winning a few important challenges. In injury time though, Extremadura made the game safe with a goal that showed just how tired we really were. We marked poorly, limped into challenges and got punished. Oh well, 3-1 away to Extremadure isn't too bad a result considering we were odds on to get a real hammering.

2 games into the new year, and January hasn't been treating us well. Scored 2, conceeded 5 and 0 points to show. We are slipping towards the bottom 5 and cannot afford to have this current run continue if we are to escape the clutches of relegation.

idgamerd

Another Transfer Special Update

This is the week that could prove pivotal in Almansa's immediate future. We sign 5 players in 2 days in what will become my proudest week in signing players so far.

First player to sign up to the Almansa revolution is Estecha for £6,000 from Talavera. Estecha is a great striker and will probably be far and away our best player.

Jon Garramendi, a goalkeeper who will sub for Aranda, comes in from Cultural Durango for £3,000.

Emilio, a right wing-back who will provide cover comes in from Vecindario for £1,000.

Jon Conde comes also from Cultural Durango for £8,000 and is a competitive midfielder who will primarily provide cover for the existing first choice midfield.

Oya, an attacking midfielder, comes in on loan for the rest of the season.

A good week for Almansa, but does provide some registration headaches. In this division, you are only allowed to have 22 players registered for league games. We now have more than that at the club, and some guys are not going to be happy that they can't play. Still, we have a better squad now than we did at the start of the season, let alone the start of the month.

idgamerd

A third away day on the trot at Jean was the next game for my freshly rejuvinated Almansa side. I needed the new lads to bed in quickly if we were to start picking up results, so included a few, and had others on the bench. Jean lead the division and are a very good side. Comparitively, we're tiny and are on a 3 match losing streak. Still, with hope in our hearts we went out to upset the 20-1 odds in this game.

The game was a disaster from the start. Jean kicked off and strolled through our entire side to score in the first minute. They then proceeded to batter us again and again, notching in the 34th and 44th minutes as my beleagured lads tried to get some sort of foothold in the game.

At half time, I sympathised with the lads as they were doing little wrong, just being outplayed by a good side in form. I decided to make 3 changes early though, bringing on Estecha for his debut, and freshening up the midfield. Unfortunately inspirational defensive central midfielder Piombo had picked up a knock, and while he could carry on, we felt it was best to replace him. Manrique played instead.

The second half was much more positive, with Estecha proving me right that he will be a great signing for Almansa. He got his head to many things, held the ball up well and caused the home defence many problems. Muniozguren also made a difference in the midfield. In a much more balanced second half, we kept Jean at bay well, not conceeding further, and could have notched ourselves on a couple of occasions.

I was therefore pleased firstly that we could come back from an abject position in the first half to be credible in the second, and also that the new lads were making a real difference. Bad news from Piombo though, he would miss quite a while after a scan revealed a slight muscle tear, just what we didn't need.

idgamerd

In the week leading up to our last game of January and the impending closure of the transfer and registration windows, the bids for right back Rubio collapsed and it became apparant he would stay with us. Having already bought his replacement, this was a little annoying. Left winger Charly has also attracted a few decent bids and it looks as though we will lose him before the transfer window closes.

Anyway, the first home game for Almansa in 2006 was the visit of Algericas. We had beaten them twice in the Spanish cup prelims, but lost away in the league. We wanted to avenge this defeat and I plunged Estecha in for his first start alongside Javi, with Charly Oscar Rico and Muniozguren completing the midfield anchored by Manrique in Piombo's enforced abscence.

Early echanges were even in an open game, but slack defending cost us dear in the 6th minute as the visitors scored. This seemed to spur us forward though and we equalised through Estecha in the 8th minute with a mazy dribble and fine finish. The first half then continued as an open game, with us perhaps having the better of the exchanges. No more goals were scored though and we went into half-time level at one apiece.

I was encouraging at half time saying that we could go onto win this game if we tightened up and started taking our chances. The lads went out bouyed by this and started to boss the game. Oscar Rico was first to react in the 55th minute as a loose ball bobbled around the box following a set piece, and he whacked it home for 2-1. Algericas then started to panic and looked a beaten side. We continued to go forward and Charly curled a shot into the far post for 3-1 after having cut inside from the left. I made some changes to keep the game fresh then, but it didn't dampen our enthusiasm and we eventually got a fourth in injury time thanks to sub Irazoki's powerful header.

A fantastic result, 4-1, and a great reaction to having lost the last 4 games. This gave us a 4 point cushion over Diter Zafra in the relagation playoff position, and great confidence throughout the squad.

The following day I received the news that Charly had accepted a contract offer from Badajoz and would join up straight away. We thanked him for his efforts, wished him well, and were grateful of the £200,000 transfer fee, friendly that would be arranged and 25% sell on clause. Looking back through the records, Charly was the clubs highest ever goalscorer, on 11. His goal in his final match was therefore a fitting tribute to one who stands alone in the clubs short history.

idgamerd

With the transfer window now shut, at least I was sure of the squad I would have to work with for the rest of the season. Another away game, this time at Talavera, was next up for the lowly Almansa boys. This should be a winnable game, if we play it in the right way and give the same commitment as against Algericas.

We started the game nervously, and looked slightly out of sorts. Our normally solid passing style was looking hurried and was wayward, and our composure seemed lacking. When Luis Lopez unnessecarily haldballed in the 7th minute, we conceeded a daft penalty. Aranda stood firm though and beat it out to his right. THis gave us a little more confidence, but we still weren't clicking. I was actually surprised when Estecha latched onto a Javi flick-on and slotted past the home keeper to make the game 1-0 Almansa in the 22nd minute.

Talavera then responded, producing 2 fine saves from Aranda as we were still off the boil. On 32 minutes though, Talavera finally beat Aranda with a header from a set piece. We managed to stand firm until half time though, and I was grateful of being able to talk to the lads while still being well in the game.

I tried to shake the lethargy from the lads at the break, but when we started the second half I could see that it would be a long 45 minutes. 20 minutes of toil later, I threw on Conde and Oya into the middle, and Carvajal up-front for Javi to try to freshen the game up. Unfortunately the pattern of play didn't change though and we went into the closing stages still under the weather, but still at 1-1. Disaster struck though in the 88th minute, with a woeful backpass from Rubio intercepted and finished by the Talavera striker. We were unable to respond and although we hadn't really been in the game, had thrown away a point with a moment of madness.

The ecstacy of the previous week was therefore followed by the agony of giving away a result in the last 2 minutes. It was a real disappointment, and all due to an individual error in the end.

idgamerd

Following the agony of Talavera away, 2 home games were on the agenda for Almansa. The first was against real strugglers Alcala de Guadaira, who we had already beaten away from home this season. We therefore would record our first double fo the season if we could win.

I decided to freshen up the defence for this game after the problems of the last one. Rubio was dropped as Juan carlos came back in at left back, with Kisko switching to right back Lopez and Ainzua continued in the middle of the back 4.

We started the game a bit better than at Talavera, but things were not clicking in the final third still. At least we looked a lot more composed at the back and through the midfield. We dominated posession, and fashioned a good number of chances, but were wayward with our finishing and the half ended 0-0.

I decided to put a rocket up the lads at half time to try to shock them into action. This clearly seemed to be working, as we looked sharper all over the park, and only some good goalkeeping prevented us taking the lead early doors. We finally managed to break through though on 57 minutes, as Estecha bagged his 4th goal in as many games. The visitors chearly seemed dismayed by this and that spurred us on further. After 71 minutes, Eloi combined well with Estecha to double our advantage, and sub striker Carvajal got his name on the scoresheet after 79 minutes with a bullet header. In total control of the game now, it petered out a bit to a 3-0 win.

Another excellent performance overall, saw us establish a healthy lead over the relegation places. Estecha is proving to be the buy of the season, and has really added an extra dimension to our attack.