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13th of August 2003<P>Friendly - Lens v Cartagonova<P>With some of the players still feeling the effects of our previous match against Nice, I make a few changes to freshen the side. Dacosta, Hibic, Cañizares, O’Neill and Gabrich all have the opportunity to begin the match as I decide to use this match to check out some of the lesser lights in the side. And in the first half, we’re practically overrun by a confident Lens revelling in its ability to knock one-touch passes between each player. Thankfully, the only reward for the French side comes on 34 minutes when Esteban Fuertes finds the net with a header over Filipescu. I tell the boys at half-time that they’re lucky to be only 1-0 behind because we’ve been too cheap with possession and should have been punished much more. But in the second half, instead of pushing forwards for more goals, Lens seems happy to sit back and let us have possession. We eventually find the equaliser ten minutes from time when Redondo tees up Esnáider who swerves a shot into the back of the Lens net. But the scores remain level only until injury time when Ziani wriggles his way through the midfield before letting fly with a thunderbolt that Vidal cannot stop. We lose 2-1, a fair reflection on the game’s play, I think.<P>Final score: Lens 2:1 Cartagonova
MoM - Esteban Fuertes<P>14th of August 2003<P>Whilst on the lovely French Riviera preparing for our last match on tour against Monaco - long days on those pebble beaches, watching the women go by - I’m contacted by Vicente Santos, one of the scouts I inherited from the previous manager’s reign at the club. Apparently, Real Betis has offered him a position as coach in the Segunda Liga. He actually isn’t that bad, so I decide to offer him an improved contract to stay with Cartagonova.<P>Ourense are still looking to prise £2.7 million out of us for Óscar �lvarez split into £2 million up front plus £725,000 after ten internationals. I try to juggle the figures slightly - £1.5 million now and £1.2 million after ten internationals.

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15th of August 2003<P>Salamanca must have monitored our match against Lens, because Aad de Mos rings me to offer me £275,000 for Misrad Hibic. I still don’t want to sell the Bosnian international defender, at least not until I have some better centre-halves than him, so I turn down the Dutchman’s offer. Hanging up the blower, I take the players into Monaco’s casino. It’s time to show the boys who is the boss! I’ll have thirty thousand francs on red nine! [IMG]/infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif" alt="smile[/IMG]<P>16th of August 2003<P>Friendly - Monaco v Cartagonova<P>The last stop on our French sojourn brings us to the lovely Principality of Monaco to play the team supported by the Princes Rainier and Albert and once managed by Arsene Wenger. Now managed by Claude Puel, he invites me over before the match for a quiet couple of glasses of France’s finest. He confides that he finds it extremely boring living in Europe’s tax haven, although the annual Grand Prix does liven things up just a little. I tell him we should swap jobs for a season or two, if he wants some excitement.<P>Anyway, we’re supposed to be here to play a football game and eventually we make our way out to the pitch. And it’s like my players want to get back to the beaches as soon as possible, because Oliver and Cañizares set up Gabrich on 3 minutes and the big Argentine recalls his glory days with a powerful volley past Cassard. With Sonny Anderson forced from the field with injury, we go further ahead on 38 minutes when Romário’s cross is weakly punched by Cassard into the path of O’Neill and the Irishman drives the ball into the back of the net! [IMG]/infopop/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif" alt="big grin[/IMG] But we take our eyes off the ball and Pontus Farnerud heads home Marquez’s excellent cross just two minutes later. I ask the defence to concentrate on defence in the second half, but of course they go and let Monaco score the equaliser on 54 minutes when Christanval picks out Micoud with the perfect pass and the French international thunders home the header. We have the better of the remainder of the half, but Gabrich, Zamorano and O’Neill can’t punch that decisive hole through Monaco’s defence and our French tour ends with a 2-2 draw.<P>Final score: Monaco 2:2 Cartagonova
MoM - Philippe Christanval

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In the dinner party hosted by the royalty of Monaco, our quiet celebrations are interrupted by the announcement that Iulian Filipescu is in the Romanian squad for its matches against Germany and Iceland, Keith O’Neill is welcomed back by John Aldridge for Ireland’s games against Belarus and Cyprus, Misrad Hibic has the chance to add to his twenty cap collection as Bosnia picks him for matches against Switzerland and Azerbaijan, while Fernando Couto returns to Portugal’s squad for its friendly against Andorra.<P>Ourense still won’t cut me any slack over Óscar Ã�lvarez, reiterating a demand of £2.7 million, but with the transfer deadline less than a week away I would like to have the ink dry on the deal before then. Then again, the manager did drag me away from a very lovely dinner with some very beautiful dinner companions… [IMG]/infopop/emoticons/icon_wink.gif" alt="wink[/IMG] I at least try to spread the payment of £2 million over six months and have the defender play thirty times for Spain before I pay an extra £750,000.<P>17th of August 2003<P>A week before the start of the season proper, Celta Viga and Athletic Bilbao clash in the annual Spanish Super Cup, another meaningless trophy played over two legs. In the first leg, played at BalaÃ*dos in Vigo, Celta overcame the disaster of going a goal behind early on thanks to Arteaga, to blow the Basque boys off the pitch with four goals, including a hat-trick to Jesuli.<P>18th of August 2003<P>On our regretful return to Cartagena (damn, the French Riviera was nice!), I find that Marseille’s manager Abel Braga has desperately being trying to contact me over my bid for its 24 year old central defender Zoumana Camara who is almost as good as Jusué. The messages reveal that my bid has been accepted and I have permission to talk to the player. Shrugging off the tiredness from the flights from France to Madrid and then from Madrid to Cartagena, I dive into my office and set up a live link with the player whereupon I make my pitch for leaving France and trying his luck in Spain.<P>But as luck would have it, my bid for Ã�lvarez is accepted by Ourense. In a dither, I bring my assistant manager into the office and talk it over with Luis Sosa. He recommends a commonsense course to take - that’s rather strange! [IMG]/infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif" alt="smile[/IMG] Anyway, he recommends that I offer a contract to Ã�lvarez because the lawyers can always deal with the eventuality of us backing out of the transfer. So I duly offer the defender a deal and hope with fingers crossed that Camara gets back to us first, because he is by far the better defender.

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21st of August 2003<P>Just two days before the transfer deadline, I authorise the club’s accountants to shift a total of £4.4 million into the bank accounts of Platense, Levante and Paniliakos as the aforementioned players are all delighted to agree terms with the burgeoning superpower of Spanish football (well, we all can dream, can’t we?! [IMG]/infopop/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif" alt="big grin[/IMG] ).<P>Then I hit a snag, because with the money splashed out on Miranda and Arnau, we apparently don’t quite have the money to meet the transfer fee plus Rønning’s signing-on fee, so that deal collapses for the moment. I will continue to monitor the situation and if he fails to re-negotiate a new contract with Levante by the winter you can be assured I’ll be after him like a dog in heat.<P>23rd of August 2003<P>A final, desperate bid to land Ghanaian international right-back Stephen Tetteh collapses due to the closing of the transfer window, so without further ado, I present to you the 2003/04 squad analysis…! [IMG]/infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif" alt="smile[/IMG] [IMG]/infopop/emoticons/icon_cool.gif" alt="cool[/IMG]<P>Goalkeepers<P>Francesc Arnau (28 y/o, ESP): Signed from Paniliakos, a Greek club, just days before the end of the transfer period, he is there to provide some solid experience to the goalkeepers already at the club. He may or may not be given the starting jersey but he at least has 18 more games experience in the Primera Liga thanks to his spell at Barcelona. But when judged on talent, I think Iván Vidal just shades it.<P>Iván Vidal (24 y/o, ESP): Signed from GandÃ*a two seasons ago for just £70,000 he might well prove to be a very shrewd investment. Kept us going when Veiga left us last season for Osasuna and will be a better player for the experience. He is a well-rounded without being a spectacular keeper, but he does have the best talent in the goalkeeping stakes at the club so far this season. Given No. 1 after being forced to make do with No. 13 on his back for the last two seasons, and I expect him to earn it this season.<P>JoaquÃ*n Moso (24 y/o, ESP): Actually played 1(1) times for Cartagonova last season and when he left Trabzonspor at the end of the season he was more than willing to rejoin us again. A solid and competent keeper but definitely not a world-beater. Still he will do as an adequate back-up if I ever need one.

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Defenders<P>Iulian Filipescu (29 y/o, ROM 33 caps, 1 goal, SW/D/DM C): Signed for £1 million from Real Betis at the start of the season, he has experienced relegation from the Primera Liga twice already in his career and I hope that he is determined enough to prevent it from becoming three times. An experienced campaigner, he is a tough-tackling no-nonsense defender who will blend in well with my style of play at the club. What’s more, he has a flair for leadership and has the international experience to walk the talk, so to speak. I’ll be looking to him to keep the defence in check. Fairly handy at set-pieces, too.<P>Misrad Hibic (29 y/o, BOS 20 caps, SW/D C): The second of our eastern European bloc in the club, he commences his third season with Cartagonova under somewhat trying circumstances. Became unhappy last season when I decided not to go with him on a regular basis, but the truth of the matter is that he is not quite good enough to earn that spot, but then again isn’t quite bad enough to be put on the list. And I’ve had plenty of opportunity to sell him with clubs like Tenerife and Salamanca enquiring about his availability over the summer. Unhappy with me and his contract is up for renewal, so if relations don’t improve I will try to cash in on him.<P>Ballesteros (27 y/o, ESP, D/DM RC): I believe it’s fantastic that we’ve picked up this versatile and quality defender for nix in the summer of 2003. A strong powerful player who can turn in good performances in the centre or on the right of defence or midfield, he will be an integral part of our battle against the drop this season. Interestingly never fit into Rayo’s plans very well and like Michel, I hope the club from the capital comes to regret its decision to let him go. Also has top flight experience with Tenerife.<P>José MarÃ*a Lacruz (25 y/o, ESP, D RL): Yet to display the talent I think he has on the pitch in the friendlies he has played so far this season, and I hope that after spending £1 million on him he doesn’t turn out to be a waste of money like Birindelli was. But there were signs that he is a good defender, and his turn of pace will be useful when we play the counter-attack style on the road. Fairly quiet chap, he seems happy to get on with the job, and that will go down well with me.

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Pablo Casar (24 y/o, ESP, D RC): He might find himself dropping down the hierarchy with Ballesteros and Lacruz arriving at the club who can both play his position, but I think he has the potential to be well worth the initial investment in him. But he needs to improve to remain a part of this club.<P>José Ramón Dacosta (28 y/o, ESP, D/M L): Signed on a free transfer from Ourense, there is really nothing in his training nor his appearances in the friendlies to suggest he will be little more than a squad player. A willing trier, but not much more at this point in his career. I might do well to cash in on him at the end of the season.<P>Gabriel Iván Heinze (25 y/o, ARG/ITA, D LC): Never really made the grade at Real Vallodolid and spent last season on loan to an Argentine club. After extensive scouting, my scouts recommended that I seek his signature so I did. Apart from being a fast full-back, there isn’t that much going for him so I think he’ll have to remain contented with only a bit-part role this season.<P>Ismael (27 y/o, ESP, D LC): A more than adequate debut season in the Segunda Liga last season, but he might find that the Primera Liga is slightly higher in class, to say the least! [IMG]/infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif" alt="smile[/IMG] Still, perhaps one of the better full-backs at the club, so he has it within his power to lock in a regular spot in the starting eleven this season, despite the other defenders arriving at the club.<P>Fernando Manuel Couto (34 y/o, POR 74 caps, 7 goals, D/DM C): The board still wants me to get rid of the big Portuguese defender but I decided that he is good enough to warrant offering a new contract and we were both delighted when he signed on the dotted line. His experience with big clubs and big occasions, I’m sure, will hold us in good stead this campaign and despite his growing years I still feel he is one of the best defenders at the club. I’m sure he will enjoy working along side Filipescu and �lvarez.<P>Luis Prieto (24 y/o, ESP, D C): Probably a medium-term investment, I signed him on a Bosman from Éibar in the summer. His lack of pace is of some concern with me, but I think the coaches can mould him into a good, solid defender for the years to come. May come in to the reckoning when the pressure is off, but I don’t think he’ll be an automatic start just yet.<P>Javier Margas (34 y/o, CHI 95 caps, 6 goals, D C): He is ruled out of the first match of the season with a bruised thigh, but I think he is raring to have a crack at the Primera Liga. Was a good defender last season and I think his international experience combined with his knowledge of the club will help both of us succeed in our goals this season.<P>Óscar �lvarez (26 y/o, ESP, D C): Made an impressive debut in our last friendly against Real Sociedad and being the most expensive player purchased by Cartagonova, he needs to demonstrate he is worth every penny of the hefty transfer fee. A mite slow, his big strengths are, well, his strength, stamina, tackling, marking and aggression and he demonstrated those skills against Sociedad. Hopefully they will translate to the real stuff and I’m sure that three class centre-halves in Filipescu, Couto and �lvarez will serve the club well.<P>Pedro Alberto (34 y/o, ESP, D/DM C): I’m not sure why I actually signed this person now. Nothing more than back-up and a long way down the queue at that. He came from the champion Athletic Bilbao but spent most of the season in the ‘B’ side.<P>Keep smiling! [IMG]/infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif" alt="smile[/IMG]
Dixie Flatline

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Thanks Overtone! [IMG]/infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif" alt="smile[/IMG] Glad that you're enjoying the story and that you've managed to track it down after I've started up all those different threads. I can promise this will be the last one for a while.<P>Anyway, back to it! [IMG]/infopop/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif" alt="big grin[/IMG]<P>Midfielders<P>�lex Fernández (29 y/o, ESP, DM C): Now in his third season at the club, I hope he can continue improving his form and become a consistently good midfielder. Wasn’t quite as productive last season as he was the season before, but we made good use of his defensive qualities. Probably will start the season as the anchor midfielder ahead of the back four.<P>Francisco �lvarez (17 y/o, ESP, DM C): A product of the Cartagonova youth system, he has the potential to become a good midfielder, but the coaches need to work on his physical attributes because, well, he hasn’t got any. He can barely jump, runs like a turtle and has the strength of a nerd. On the plus side he is good at making decisions and works well within a team. Also knows how to string a pass together. I very much doubt if he’ll get a game this season and I do need to determine whether I’ll keep him because he is only a rolling contract. But Spain’s U-21 coach has called him up to that team so there is hope for him yet.<P>Ismael Ruiz (26 y/o, ESP, DM C): Will probably start the season as Fernández’s deputy in the all-important anchor role mainly because he isn’t quite as proficient at tackling and marking as Fernández. Spent most of his career with Racing Santander but was at Las Palmas last season playing the entire season there. Still, his form in the pre-season friendlies hasn’t altered my perception that he is in this squad purely as cover.<P>Pablo Box (24 y/o, ESP, M RC): Returning home from a miserable spell with Villarreal, the home-grown hero needs to justify his rather expensive transfer fee of £800,000 this season. His ability to pick out a good pass at pace coupled with his leadership qualities mean I can find a place for him somewhere, but not quite sure whether he starts every match. Probably a certainty for the bench, but little more than that this season.

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Gustavo Cañizares (29 y/o, ESP, AM RLC): Signed a new contract over the summer that ties him to Cartagonova until he is 32 and gives us a crack of making a profit on his rather inflated transfer fee of £1.2 million. Performed competently at mainly right wing but I think his place there this season is under threat from Rufete (hey, that rhymes!). Still, he did look promising in the friendlies against Lens and Monaco, so he has hope of snaring some first team appearances this season.<P>Lawal (22 y/o, NIG 8 caps, AM RC): Failed to make an appearance in Nigeria’s recent Confederations Cup campaign but he has made some encouraging progress under the watchful tutelage of Enzo Francescoli. He is slowly improving in all facets of wing play and hopefully at some stage he will find himself more involved in the first team activities of the club. But I hope he decides to stay with us because his contract expires at the end of the season and I would hate to have somebody capitalise on our good work without us being compensated for it.<P>Paulo Miranda (24 y/o, ARG, AM RLC): I’ve tracked the career of this young Argentine midfielder for several seasons now and I was glad to unveil him to the local press yesterday for £1 million. I’d say he resembles a younger Juan Veron and if he is at most just half as good as that midfielder is, I’d be very happy. Perhaps his mental side just lacks a little bit because he is a little shy competing for the ball, but otherwise his silky smooth skills he demonstrated to us this morning on the training track makes me believe that the million bananas I spent on him are well worth it. If the lawyers can find a Spanish grandmother in the hills I’ll be even more pleased.<P>Fernando Morán (27 y/o, ESP, AM RLC): The surprise revelation of last season with 18 goals and 10 assists from 40(1) appearances, switching him from right wing to attacking central midfield produced extraordinary results. I know it. You know it. He also knows it, because he is refusing to negotiate a new contract, hoping that he can move cheaply to a ‘bigger’ club. But while he is still here I hope he continues his excellent form.<P>Rufete (26 y/o, ESP 1 cap, AM R): Our token Spanish international, he made his only appearance for the country while at Málaga but fell so far out of favour with the establishment there that he spent half of last season at lower Segunda Liga side Badajoz (in fact, Badajoz was relegated). He is determined to resurrect his career with us and a £3.5 million min. release clause in his contract ensures we’ll make a hefty profit if and when he moves on. But in the meantime, I expect a lot from this gifted winger who showed against Manchester United he has lost none of his craft and trickery, making the goal for Filipescu with the corner and doing his fair share of defensive work.

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Jofre (23 y/o, ESP, AM/F L): Into his third season with the club and I can see signs that the player is maturing skill-wise at the least, though his dismissal for a silly offence last season showed that his head still has some way to catch up. Still believes that I can make him as a player, but I think the presence of Michel and the capture of Oliver might just shake him a little bit. Hopefully it will be in a good way. He always has had the pace to burn through defenders. What he needs now to develop to truly make it under my reign is the close ball control and passing attributes that I crave.<P>Michel (27 y/o, ESP, AM L): I’m still indebted to the idiotic Rayo Vallecano manager who decided his club would be better off without Michel because his poise, passing ability, flair and creativity made him one of the best midfielders last season. Combine a keen eye for goal with his ability to make defenders dizzy also produces a fair amount of goals from the left wing and I think we have a great midfielder. If he does well this season, I think he might just be in line for a call-up to the national squad, but that’s thinking too far into the future. Was a little reluctant to sign a new contract, what with Barcelona sniffing around him and all, but to our mutual satisfaction and, let’s face it, my relief, he signed on the dotted line meaning he won’t go for anything less than £5 million.<P>Keith O’Neill (27 y/o, IRE 20 caps, 4 goals, AM/F LC): He had a horrid time at Middlesbrough and he needs to work on his own self-esteem and confidence before he can return to the player he might have been when he was at Norwich. But moving to Spain has helped him to return to the international fold already and I hope that encourages him to work hard on the track and earn himself a place in the starting eleven. Performed competently in the pre-season friendlies without being a stand-out, so he might find himself regularly on the bench.<P>Oliver (24 y/o, ESP, AM L): Signed from Real Oviedo for £400,000 he is a terrific prospect and definitely the first back-up for Michel. Has pace, agility, passing skills and an eye for goal like you wouldn’t believe. Could make a real impact this season if he has the chance.<P>Cristian �lvarez (23 y/o, SLV 7 caps, AM C): My coaches believe he is a potential superstar and looking at how far he has improved since he signed for us just a season ago it’s not hard to see why. He was the man against Monaco, probing and pulling the strings from his role behind the front two, and if the strikers ahead of him had made better use of their chances he created, it would have been more than a 1-0 victory. But with a ridiculously low min. release clause given the player he has developed into I desperately need for him to sign a new contract, but so far he is holding out on me.<P>Juan Eduardo Esnáider (30 y/o, ARG 2 caps, 1 goal, AM/F C): Thought a move to Juventus from Espanyol back in 1999 would bring him fame and fortune but it turned out to be an Italian nightmare and he was glad to be back in Spain, albeit with Cartagonova. Playing just 17 games in 5 seasons isn’t the way to develop the skills and the confidence and it’s little wonder that he has taken some time to adjust to the way we play on his arrival. But I have high hopes for this powerful, skilful midfielder for offering an alternative when the chips are down.

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Strikers<P>Stan Collymore (32 y/o, ENG 2 caps, S C): One of the most popular players with the fans, he formed a deadly partnership with Redondo last season that took us to the top of the Segunda Liga. From 33(2) appearances, he scored 18 times and set up 5 more goals. But his intense dislike of Fernando Couto combined with a growing homesickness means that I might have to transfer list him before too long, what with his contract expiring at the end of the season. And that would a real shame because I want him to finish his career with us.<P>Iván César Gabrich (30 y/o, ARG/SPA, S C): Probably on his last chance with Cartagonova but he is just too good to let go cheaply. He has done well in the pre-season games, but somebody has to miss out on a regular starting spot next to Redondo, and it may well be the big Argentine striker.<P>Magno (29 y/o, BRA/ITA, S C): Like Gabrich, he is little more than a back-up striker these days but he feels he’s better than that and is letting me know loud and clear. With his contract expiring at the end of the season, he might be transfer listed now in order to get some money for him. Perhaps his best attribute is his dribbling skills, but I feel that he isn’t prolific enough to really give me cause to play him regularly.<P>José Manuel Redondo (27 y/o, ESP, S C): After an outstanding first season with the club where he was the top scorer and the most creative of players in terms of assists, I hope he will continue his great form with us this season. Signed on board until 2007, he has the potential to become the club’s first icon.<P>Romário (37 y/o, BRA 76 caps, 54 goals, S C): Signed as a player/coach for free from Granada, he is more than likely to not have a big playing part in this campaign, mainly because his bonuses are an exorbitant £11,500 per goal and per assist! [IMG]/infopop/emoticons/icon_eek.gif" alt="eek[/IMG] Nevertheless, he is still more than capable of showing up some of his younger colleagues and he might be worth throwing on now and then, particularly against Barcelona! [IMG]/infopop/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif" alt="big grin[/IMG]<P>Roberto Sosa (28 y/o, ARG, S C): Signed on a Bosman from Udinese where, like compatriot Esnáider, he had a nightmare of a career, I hope that he can step up to the plate to form a good partnership with Redondo. His severe lack of pace might be a handicap but otherwise he is an excellent striker and I hope the goals flow for him like they used to.<P>Iván Zamorano (36 y/o, CHI 69 caps, 36 goals, S C): We all thought he had played his last professional game of football last season but he decided against hanging up the boots in preference of one last opportunity of having a crack at the best league in the world, the Primera Liga. And his experience and prowess will be mighty useful when it comes to grinding out the results. Nine goals from 9(8) appearances last season shows that he still has the killer instinct.