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The weekend is nigh - time to fill up on the Cartagonova odyssey!<P>31st of October 2003<P>I lose Paulo Miranda for two weeks with a groin strain he suffered in training. That isn’t good news.<P>1st of November 2003<P>Real Madrid exerts real pressure on us ahead of our match tomorrow when it soundly beats Extremadura 3-0 in Almendralejo with captain Raúl leading by example with the opening goal, and Pedro Munitis adding two in the space of a minute late on to seal the points. In the cross-town derby, Barcelona prevailed 1-0 with a first-minute goal from Lilian Thuram. Tenerife moved momentarily out of the relegation zone with a comfortable 3-0 victory over fellow cellar-dwellers Elche in the Islas de Canarias. The in-favour Chispa Delgado scored twice while veteran striker Pier added the third.

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2nd of November 2003<P>Primera Liga - Game 8: Deportivo de la Coruña v Cartagonova<P>It’s first versus third at La Riazor, and it is set to be a cracking match. Early on, we’re under enormous pressure as my re-jigged defence struggles to adapt to the threat posed particularly by Roy Makaay and Diego Tristán. But by rights we should have a penalty on 6 minutes when César clatters into Collymore inside the area, but the voices of 30,000 gets underneath the referee’s skin and he turns down our justified appeal. On 28 minutes, César’s clearance is foolishly handled by Emerson, and up steps Redondo to plant a bullet shot past José Molina, the Deportivo keeper. [IMG]/infopop/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif" alt="big grin[/IMG] It is somewhat against the run of play, but I’ll take the lead. The Dutch international Roy Makaay almost puts Deportivo on level terms a couple of minutes later, but Vidal is equal to his thunderbolt. Then the course of the match changes when Emerson holds back Rufete by his shirt. Replays show that the Brazilian has a good handful of my winger’s shirt, but Rufete reacts completely unjustifiably by turning around and punching Mista full in the face. The Deportivo midfielder falls to the ground writhing in pain and the referee immediately orders Rufete off the field to the hoots and whistles of the partisan home ground. I send the physios around to escort him to the police who take him into the tunnel.<P>The game-plan is out the window and our lead soon disappears as Turu Flores’ shot is palmed away somehow by Vidal, but only into the path of Diego Tristán and the talisman striker putts the ball into the net. [IMG]/infopop/emoticons/icon_frown.gif" alt="frown[/IMG] We almost lose parity a minute or so before the half-time whistle, and at the break I emphasise to all the players the importance of concentrating on their defensive duties. If we can escape with a point, I’ll be very happy. But a makeshift defence combined with a numerical disadvantage do not equate with success and we’re immediately under the cosh in the second half. Vidal is by far the busier of the two keepers and all our defensive clearances are hurried and inaccurate. So there is no respite for our back four plus keeper and when Cafú and Emerson combine to flight the ball over the defence into the path of Capdevila, his header finds the roof of the net. [IMG]/infopop/emoticons/icon_mad.gif" alt="mad[/IMG] With 27 minutes to play, I decide to alter the tactics, taking off Morán and Collymore for Cañizares and Esnáider. Perhaps it is a little too late, but inside the last five or so minutes we do come out of our shells a little, yet we can’t find the important equaliser. It breaks our winning streak rather rudely and you can be sure I’ll be taking drastic action to censure Rufete for his idiotic actions.<P>Deportivo (5-1-3-2): Molina; Capdevila, César, Amaya (c), Cafú; Emerson; Mista, Canabal (Bolic 67 (VÃ*ctor 84)), Makaay (Mena 59); Turu Flores, Tristán.<P>Cartagonova (4-1-2-1-2): Vidal; Ismael, Ballesteros, Ã�lvarez, Lacruz; Couto (c); Michel, Rufete; Morán (Cañizares 63); Redondo, Collymore (Esnáider 63).<P>Final score: Deportivo 2:1 Cartagonova
MoM - Diego Tristán

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To make things worse, we fall to second place while today’s opponent, Deportivo, jumps up to first. Not bad for a club who looked like going bankrupt at the start of the season. We do have a game in hand, but I think our slide down the table has begun today. [IMG]/infopop/emoticons/icon_frown.gif" alt="frown[/IMG]<P>3rd of November 2003<P>Prompted by the interest of Argentine powerhouse club San Lorenzo in Belgrano’s central defender Mariano Fernández, I decide I shall match its offer of £350,000. He is a competent, strong defender who would add depth to the squad if I could sign him.<P>I keep the appointment I made yesterday with Rufete and after castigating him for a good half-hour on the virtue of keeping his head in pressure-cooker situations, I decide that I cannot let him go without at least relieving him of a week’s wages for his violent conduct. I think the Spanish FA will add extra matches to his automatic week’s ban and with Paulo Miranda out of the reckoning for a fortnight, I think Gustavo Cañizares is next in line.<P>As I expected, the Spanish FA tells me the worse possible news. Rufete is out for nine matches in total after they review the video tape of the incident and decide the offence is worth an extra eight match ban. [IMG]/infopop/emoticons/icon_mad.gif" alt="mad[/IMG]

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5th of November 2003<P>Primera Liga - Game 9: Atlético Madrid v Cartagaonova<P>We need to back up after our disappoint match against Deportivo with a visit to one of Spain’s homes, the Vicente Calderon stadium in Madrid to play the bottom club in the division. Hopefully it will be the spur for our seventh victory of the season and recapture top spot from Deportivo. But Atlético Madrid is just as desperate for points and without Rufete’s penetration down the right flank we find it difficult to break down our opponent’s stout defence. But when Couto and Esnáider combine to put the ball ahead of Ballesteros, the defender finds Redondo alone and unmarked, and he punishes Atlético Madrid with a powerful strike on 33 minutes.<P>We close down Atlético for the rest of the half and at half-time, I give an encouraging team talk, noting that we had the best of the first half and we should have the better of the second half. Sure enough, Esnáider’s slide-rule pass finds Redondo and from 20 yards, the master blaster scores his tenth goal of the season! [IMG]/infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif" alt="smile[/IMG] The second goal finally prods Atlético Madrid into some semblance of life and they pull a goal back through the talismanic winger, Córcoles, who gallops the full length of the pitch to latch onto Francis’ low pass before sliding it beneath Vidal. [IMG]/infopop/emoticons/icon_frown.gif" alt="frown[/IMG]<P>But we should have made the points safe when Francis, just 60 seconds after pushing over Collymore, fouls Morán inside the area and despite the initial misgivings of the referee, Redondo has the opportunity to score his hat-trick and make it 3-1. I’m wondering whether Francis should be shown the red card, but everybody else is focused on Redondo versus Toni… the keeper guesses right and pushes Redondo’s admittedly weak shot past the post. [IMG]/infopop/emoticons/icon_mad.gif" alt="mad[/IMG] We have the better of the play in the remainder of the match, but that third goal eludes us. Still, three points is three points.<P>Atlético Madrid (4-4-2): Toni; Santis, Fagiani, Hernandez, Otxoa; LardÃ*n (Socorro 82), Drasim (c) (Francis 48), Samuel, Córcoles; Salva, Banja.<P>Cartagonova (4-1-2-1-2): Vidal; Ismael, Ballesteros, Ã�lvarez, Lacruz; Couto (c); Michel, Morán; Esnáider; Redondo, Collymore.<P>Final score: Atlético Madrid 1:2 Cartagonova
MoM - Juan Eduardo Esnáider<P>As I knew it would, the three points we gather from today’s win puts us back in the lead of the division. Thanks to Athletic Bilbao’s commitments in the European Champions League, our league match with the defending champion is shifted until sometime later in the season, which means our next match is against Mallorca at home in 18 days. Hopefully that will be sufficient time to bring back Filipescu, which would be vitally important to our defence.

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7th of November 2003<P>A good omen for Spain ahead of its match against Switzerland in the play-offs of the European Championships qualifiers as their U-21s defeat the Swiss U-21s 3-0 at the Vicente Calderón. It is notable for Francisco �lvarez putting his name on the scoresheet as he reacts quickest to a spilled free kick. <P>8th of November 2003<P>“… Guillermo Francis from Mestalla in Valencia where a crowd of almost 55,000 saw Spain all but book a place in the European Championships in Portugal next summer after the Real Madrid double-act of Fernando Morientes and Raúl put Switzerland to the sword. Morientes put the Spaniards on their way when he took Barcelona’s De la Peña’s exquisite pass in his stride before thundering a typically powerful shot through the hands of Pascal Zuberbühler. It took Spain until the fifth minute of the second half to make it 2-0 when Raúl evaded his marker before hitting a superb shot with the outside of his right boot that swerved into the top corner. Morientes finished proceedings with a brilliant solo goal that saw him travel most of the attacking half of the pitch before planting a piledriver in the bottom corner.�<P>Poland should be favourite to reach the finals after a last-minute equaliser from Piotr Bazler rescued a 2-2 draw in Zagreb against Croatia. Russia has a tough trip to face Austria in Vienna after it needed Vladimir Bestchatnykh’s late goal to ground out a 2-1 win in Moscow.<P>9th of November 2003<P>Good news comes from the Spanish FA as they tell me through a representative who makes the trip to Cartagena to personally inform me that our match against Osasuna has been shifted to Saturday evening (6th of December 2003) for live television coverage. I wonder what reception Veiga will receive when he returns to the club that gave him the springboard into the Primera Liga?

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12th of November 2003<P>“…The men who guided England to its one and only World Cup victory back in 1966 will be thoroughly disgusted with the men who today wear the Three Lions on their chests. Even the comparatively heady days of Euro 1996 under Terry Venables seems a lifetime away now. Holland easily defeated today’s version 4-2 and throughout the 90 minutes hardly looked like extending themselves. Dutch manager Louis van Gaal could afford to rest striker Ruud van Nistelrooy and in general experimented with his starting eleven, but new manager Kevin Keegan, making a return to the hot-seat, will have plenty to think about as he watched his side plod through the motions with little penetration or purpose.� <P>“The so-called big name midfield trio of Beckham, Anderton and Taylor hardly looked impressive while Joe Cole tried hard but at 21 still needs plenty of experience around him to guide him. England’s centre-half pairing of Southgate and Upson appeared to be playing at different matches. The only glimmer of promise came from Michael Bridges, making just his second appearance for his country since his debut almost 2.5 years ago, who scored twice to give the scoreline a veneer of respectability that Holland’s arrogant performance meant it hardly deserved.�<P>“Scotland’s future in the international game also looks questionable after Turkey defeated Scotland 4-2 in Istanbul. It was an emphatic effort from the Turks, although the Scots did suffer four injuries throughout the game in which they suffered at the hands of the superior Turks and the hostile crowd. Ireland had to play 83 minutes with 10 men as Tottenham’s Gary Breen was sent off for a professional foul. It took Hungary time to make their numerical advantage count, but in the end a 2-0 victory was a fair reflection of their superiority. Wales 5-1 victory over Cyprus was the only ray of light for the Home Counties, but given the strength of the opposition it could prove a false dawn for Mark Hughes and the Welsh FA.�

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“Portugal kept up their preparations for the European Championships with a comfortable 2-0 victory over Belgium in Brussels. Fiorentina’s Nuno Gomes scored both goals in the second half. Germany and Italy shared a boring 0-0 draw in Berlin.�<P>“A hat-trick to Alexandr Shirko helped guide Russia to an emphatic 4-0 victory over Austria in Vienna which booked Russia’s place in the European Championships 6-1 on aggregate. Poland played a canny match in front of 66,000 fans in Chorzow to hold out the desperate Croats in a 0-0 draw. Therefore, the Poles advanced on the away goals rule after a 2-2 draw last week. Finally, Spain again defeated Switzerland 3-0 in Bern with a brace to Fernando Morientes.�<P>13th of November 2003<P>I have an early start this morning as Belgrano wakes me to tell me that it has accepted my offer for its central defender Mariano Fernández. I boil the coffee and make the toast before driving into the club and talking to the player, offering him a nice contract. <P>17th of November 2003<P>I join Vit. Guimarães in offering Benfica £675,000 for the defender Fernando Meira, and I hope the lure of working with one of Portugal’s best ever players Fernando Couto could be enough to bring the defender to Spain.<P>18th of November 2003<P>Here’s an interesting development. Mariano Fernández does believe he is ready to tackle Primera Liga football in Spain and therefore turns down the opportunity to join Argentine champion San Lorenzo in favour of coming to Cartagonova. I suppose that means I’ll have to withdraw the bid for Meira, which is a pity because he is a good player. But I really can’t afford both.<P>A bit of bad news as I lose Vidal for ten days with a strained neck. Must have the facilities improved soon, otherwise this will become a more regular occurrence.

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19th of November 2003<P>Well, Fernando Meira must not like Fernando Couto because even though Benfica accepts my bid, he refuses to talk to me about an offer to join the club. At least we know where we all stand.<P>23rd of November 2003<P>Primera Liga - Game 10: Cartagonova v Mallorca<P>“… Señor Dixie Flatline hopes today to continue his good work with a match at home against ninth-placed Mallorca. The Estadio Municipal de Cartagena has proved to be a hard place for visiting sides to take points from, with four victories coming from Cartagonova’s first five matches in the league. But with first-choice keeper Iván Vidal rested as a precaution against a neck injury he suffered a week or so ago, it appears that the manager will choose former Barcelona keeper Francesc Arnau ahead of JoaquÃ*n Moso. Likely to make his return to the starting eleven of Cartagonova is the highly rated and influential Iulian Filipescu. It should be a good match in fine conditions that are excellent for football…â€�<P>Redondo almost gives us the perfect start with Carlos Roa needing all his reflexes and experience to keep out the prolific striker not once but twice in the period of sixty seconds. But after the early flurry, Mallorca’s defence gets on top of Redondo and Collymore. Couto acts too aggressively, pushing over Luque and gets his fifth yellow card of the season, so he will miss out trip to Villarreal. With the defence generally performing poorly ahead of him, I think that Arnau is playing a blinder, using his finger-tips to deny Ibagaza, while the midfielders are covering for the defenders. Our cause is not helped when Ballesteros limps off on 38 minutes. I bring on Ismael for him and switch Lacruz and the substitute on the flanks. Again, just before half-time, Ibagaza tests Arnau with a strong free kick, but the keeper keeps us in the game and Couto completes the clearance.<P>At half-time, I personally ask each defender to reflect on their first half, and I see in their eyes that they know they haven’t been good enough. Filipescu especially looked poor, giving away silly free kicks and missing easy tackles. But the midfield is working well, while Redondo looks capable of scoring another goal or two. Sure enough, on 53 minutes, Morán, again on the wing to accommodate Esnáider in the starting eleven, crosses the ball into the box where Redondo slips his marker and thunders a beautiful volley past Roa! [IMG]/infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif" alt="smile[/IMG]<P>My heart is in my mouth when Luque breaks clear of the defence but to my enormous relief he fluffs his opportunity, while I’m happy when Ibagaza is forced from the field with an injury - his free kicks had been causing me plenty of heartache. Collymore had been generally disappointing and I take him off for Keith O’Neill, making his first competitive appearance in a Cartagonova shirt. On 73 minutes, Esnáider’s pin-point cross is headed onto the pass by Michel while a few minutes later, Filipescu almost breaks through with a good free kick. But the second goal in a generally disappointing contest doesn’t come, and we are satisfied with a 1-0 victory - all credit to Arnau.<P>Cartagonova (4-3-1-2): Arnau; Lacruz, Filipescu, Ã�lvarez, Ballesteros (Ismael 38); Michel, Couto (c), Morán; Esnáider; Redondo, Collymore (O’Neill 71).<P>Mallorca (3-5-2): Roa; Siviero, Juan Merino (c), César; Ramirez, Pirri (Carreras 48), Ibagaza (Carlos 66), Ito, Finidi George; Losada, Luque.<P>Final score: Cartagonova 1:0 Mallorca
MoM - Francesc Arnau

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So, I would have to say that, by and large, our first ten matches in the Primera Liga have been a success. Here is the ladder to show it!<P><P>Keep smiling! [IMG]/infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif" alt="smile[/IMG]
Dixie Flatline

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The ride of our lives continues unabated!<P>30th of November 2003<P>Here’s something interesting. Everton, now mired in mid-table obscurity in the first division, signed Mallorca’s Romerito (a D/DM C whom I was waiting to come out of contract) for £525,000 and before he has even played a game for the Toffees, the Hammers offer Walter Smith £1.7 million for the defender! [IMG]/infopop/emoticons/icon_wink.gif" alt="wink[/IMG]<P>Primera Liga - Game 11: Villarreal v Cartagonova<P>We’re almost scraping the bottom of the barrel because with Rufete, Ballesteros and Couto out of the side, I have to turn to Javier Margas to not only come into the side, but also captain it as we are hosted by our local rival. It’s an important match for us as Real Madrid slaughtered Elche yesterday 5-0 to move into second place a point behind, while Deportivo is hosted by 18th-placed Tenerife. But we begin poorly, giving Villarreal’s talismanic Argentine Walter Gaitán too much time and space early on and it’s only the incompetence of his colleagues that keeps Villarreal tied to us. [IMG]/infopop/emoticons/icon_frown.gif" alt="frown[/IMG] It isn’t until the 18th minute before we try to beat López Vallejo, the Villarreal keeper and captain.<P>We begin to fashion a few more chances but the strikers’ radar is off-line completely and we cannot break the match open properly. Then again, neither can Villarreal and I can assume that the half-time addresses from myself and my counterpart ask the players to search their souls, since the match is still up for grabs. After some early skirmishes in the early minutes of the second half, Parra’s free kick curls in from 20 yards on 67 minutes and suddenly Villarreal has the upper hand in this match. [IMG]/infopop/emoticons/icon_mad.gif" alt="mad[/IMG] Six minutes later, Gaitán’s quick free kick is turned in by Medina as they catch our defence sleeping on the job. [IMG]/infopop/emoticons/icon_mad.gif" alt="mad[/IMG] [IMG]/infopop/emoticons/icon_frown.gif" alt="frown[/IMG] I gamble, throwing on Dacosta, O’Neill and Oliver for Ismael, Collymore and Michel, but our humiliation is complete when VÃ*ctor puts Cagna’s pinpoint cross into the back of the net in injury time.<P>Villarreal (3-5-2): López Vallejo (c); Unai (Braulio 67), Hurtado, Medina; Arruabarrena, Piekarski, Parra (Keita 67), Cagna, Escoda; Gaitán, VÃ*ctor.<P>Cartagonova (4-1-2-1-2): Vidal; Ismael (Dacosta 74), Margas (c), Ã�lvarez, Lacruz; Filipescu; Michel (Oliver 74), Morán; Esnáider; Redondo, Collymore (O’Neill 74).<P>Final score: Villarreal 3:0 Cartagonova
MoM - Javier López Vallejo