retired_amyslack

August 2007

Sunday 5th
Now well on the road to recovery Nathan Patterson completed his delayed move from Charlton today. Having signed Jimmy Davis I decide that I will not be pursuing my interest in striker Tiago.

Wednesday 8th
We start our Champions League campaign in the 3rd Qualifying round with a game against Finnish side HJK. I am concerned with the general level of fitness in our squad as we begin the season much earlier than normal. Sanderos, Davids and Davis all make their Motril debuts but it is young Ramón Cabrera that calms our nerves with an early goal. Estecha adds a second to take us into half time 2-0 ahead. In the second half Estecha has another goal disallowed, Morrison hits the post and the visiting keeper makes a string of fine saves as we try to put the game out of reach. Unfortunately we fail to do so and HJK profit by scoring an away goal to keep the tie very much alive.

Thursday 16th
Another youth academy graduate is promoted to the first team in the shape of 16-year-old forward Ibón Bravo.

Saturday 18th
The league season gets underway with a game at home to neighbours Málaga and I am still concerned about the general level of fitness of the players. We have the ball in the net twice in the first 10 minutes only for the referee to disallow both. But on 20 minutes Morrison makes one count and then follows up with a second two minutes later. Then Lucas DomÃ*nguez scores on the stroke of half time to give us a comfortable 3-0 lead. The visitors score a consolation in the second half but it is great to get the league season off with a good 3-1 win.

Wednesday 22nd
We arrive in Helsinki with the playing squad starting to approach full fitness as we try to capitalise on our first leg lead. I am looking for the experience of Edgar Davids to help us through this game. We start very positively and get the boost of an away goal when Stern John scores after 18 minutes. The powerful forward finds the net once more 10 minutes later but is denied by an offside decision. We come close again as Estecha hits the post with the HJK keeper beaten. In stoppage time we have a close escape ourselves as the visitors strike the woodwork before John scores his second with a powerful shot. With Davids an influential figure in front of the defence, we hold firm for the remainder of the game. Substitute Frédéric Piquionne even manages a stoppage time goal to give us a 3-0 win on the night and a 5-1 aggregate victory.

Saturday 25th
The draw is made for the Champions League Phase 1 groups and we find ourselves in Group B with Celtic, Dortmund and Hajduk.

Sunday 26th
Our first league match away from home this season involves a trip to Mallorca. An even first half looks like ending all square until Stern John tucks away a good header in stoppage time to give us a 1-0 lead at the break. But our hosts equalise within minutes of the restart and go on to outplay us quite comprehensively. They get what proves to be the winning goal 15 minutes from time as we seem to run out of attacking ideas. Barcelona win their first trophy of the season with a 2-1 aggregate defeat of Celta in the Super Cup.

retired_amyslack

September 2007

Saturday 8th
Visitors Zaragoza prove to be quite a handful in the first half and take an early lead. Fortunately we get back on terms through Stern John within 5 minutes and reach the break at 1-1, losing Diego Rivas to injury in the process. The visitors prove to be hard to break down and are always a threat as they break forward. They score a late winner with 5 minutes remaining to give us a disappointing 2-1 defeat.

Tuesday 11th
Time for our first Champions League group match as we journey into the unknown to face Hajduk in Croatia. Senderos comes into defence to replace Biasi and Davids is rested and replaced by Conget. Fletcher keeps his place in the centre of midfield as he has been one of our best performers so far this season and he is flanked by Jorginho and Cabrera with Davis, Bonazzoli and Estecha making up the front three supported by Ely Thadeu. A rather poor first half is enlivened by an excellent solo goal from Ramón Cabrera to give us a narrow lead at half time. The home side equalise virtually straight from the kick off but two minutes later Jimmy Davis scores his first goal for us to regain the lead. That proves to complete the scoring and I am pleased with the 2-1 result if not thrilled by our overall performance.

Thursday 13th
We agreed a deal with a young Italian goalkeeper, Stefano Franco, that one of the scouts spotted playing youth football. The 18-year-old could be one for the future and he will join in the winter transfer window.

Sunday 16th
We travel to second place Valencia hoping for a quick improvement in our league form but expecting a tough time against a team in good form. There is little to choose between the teams but some sloppy goalkeeping from Tony Warner allows the home side to score twice in the first 20 minutes. To our credit we battle back well and Ely Thadeu pulls a goal back before the break and Ramón Cabrera equalises on the hour. It is a real disappointment when Warner’s poor positioning allows Valencia to sneak a winner in stoppage time. With only one win in our first 4 league games we now sit just above the relegation places.

Wednesday 19th
Celtic visit the Escribano Castilla for our second Champions League group game and I hope that we will not carry our league form into this game. The game is fairly even for the first 30 minutes and then we suffer a double blow. Firstly Edgar Davids is sent off for an innocuous push and then seconds later central defender Nico Leysten suffers an injury and we have to bring on Philippe Senderos. However these setbacks seem to fire the team up and Emiliano Bonazzoli gives us the lead 10 minutes after the restart. Despite being a man short we look the better side and Massimo Mutarelli is having a great game in the centre of midfield. With 20 minutes remaining Léon Hese doubles our lead and we look like recording a fine victory. But then another poor refereeing decision sees midfielder Björn Lutz sent off for dissent leaving us with 9 men for the last 10 minutes. Celtic pour forward as we pack our own half but we manage to hang on without conceding a goal. In stoppage time the match official completes a hat trick of dismissals when Celtic’s John Terry is shown red for a two-footed challenge on Bonazzoli. In the circumstances I am very pleased with the win but I am thoroughly disappointed by the performance of the referee.

Sunday 23rd
We entertain Villarreal who sit just below us in the table and I am really keen that we get a win under our belts. But it is another very poor league performance and we concede early in the second half to lose 1-0. Although we are only 5 games into the season I am very concerned with our situation as we have now fallen into the bottom three. I hold a crisis meeting with the coaches after the game as it is clear that our tactical approach just is not working domestically. We have been playing with a very attacking formation using three forwards but we are still struggling to score and leaving ourselves exposed at the back. This needs to change before our next league match.

Wednesday 26th
As it happens I don’t wait for our next league match to make some tactical changes as I go with a less aggressive formation for the visit of Dortmund in the Champions League. It is a competitive and evenly matched encounter and we are unfortunate to end the game with a narrow 1-0 defeat. But we are still second in the group with three games played and have a decent chance of progressing.

Sunday 30th
When your team is in desperate need of a morale-boosting win the last thing you need is a trip to Barcelona to take on the reigning La Liga titleholders. But today that is exactly what we are faced with. Determined not to be overawed, I encourage the players to go out and give it a go and they respond superbly. With just 6 minutes on the clock Clinton Morrison gives us the lead. The home side fight back with a goal from Xavi midway through the first half to equalise. The remainder of the game sees play flow from end to end with both sides looking for more goals. Both keepers play outstandingly well and the game ends all square at 1-1. All in all a very encouraging performance to end an otherwise poor month in the league.

Valencia, Atlético Madrid and Real Madrid set the early pace and we sit just outside the bottom three on goal difference.

<pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre">********************************************* ********************************************** Spanish First Division - Sunday 30th September 2007********************************************** *********************************************Pos Team Pld Won Drn Lst For Ag Won Drn Lst For Ag Pts---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------1st Valencia 6 3 0 0 10 3 2 0 1 5 5 15 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------2nd Atlético Madrid 6 2 0 1 5 4 3 0 0 5 0 15 3rd Real Madrid 6 3 0 0 6 0 1 2 0 2 0 14 4th Zaragoza 6 3 0 0 6 3 1 1 1 3 3 13 5th Tenerife 6 2 0 1 4 3 1 1 1 3 2 10 6th Espanyol 6 3 0 0 5 1 0 1 2 1 3 10 7th Sevilla 4 1 0 1 3 1 2 0 0 4 0 9 8th Real Sociedad 5 2 0 1 4 4 1 0 1 3 2 9 9th Villarreal 6 2 0 1 3 1 1 0 2 2 3 9 10th Mallorca 6 2 1 0 4 2 0 1 2 3 5 8 11th Barcelona 4 1 1 0 3 1 1 0 1 3 3 7 12th Deportivo 6 2 1 0 6 3 0 0 3 2 8 7 13th Celta 5 0 0 2 0 5 2 0 1 4 3 6 14th Betis 6 1 1 1 2 2 0 2 1 6 8 6 15th Málaga 6 1 1 1 7 6 0 1 2 3 6 5 16th Athletic Bilbao 6 0 2 1 4 5 1 0 2 1 5 5 17th MOTRIL 6 1 0 2 4 4 0 1 2 4 6 4 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------18th Sporting Gijón 6 1 1 1 3 3 0 0 3 0 5 4 19th Alavés 6 1 1 1 2 2 0 0 3 2 10 4 20th Badajoz 6 0 1 2 3 5 0 0 3 2 7 1</pre>

retired_amyslack

October 2007

Saturday 13th
After a weekend off because of international commitments we are back into action with a home game against Sevilla. Once again there is very little to choose between the teams and the first half looks like finishing honours even until the visitors take the lead on the stroke of halftime. We come close to equalising several times in the second period with no success and as the clock ticks down I gamble on a triple substitution – Zurita replacing a tired looking Fletcher, Ely Thadeu on for Lucas DomÃ*nguez and Jimmy Davis instead of Massimo Mutarelli. This makes a difference as Clinton Morrison equalises but shortly afterwards he pulls up injured and is unable to continue. Having used all my subs we have to play out time a man short but we hang on for a 1-1 draw – not ideal but better than a defeat.

Tuesday 16th
There is a very flat feeling amongst the team at present and I am not optimistic that our trip to Dortmund will be very productive. A poor team performance confirms my suspicions and we slump to a 3-0 defeat. But thanks to our good start in the group we can still qualify if we win our next game against Hajduk and Dortmund beat Celtic.

Sunday 21st
The visit of high-flying Atlético Madrid sees things go from bad to worse as we put in a very poor display and lose 3-0 with striking sensation Fernando Torres scoring a hat trick. The team has gone through bad spells in the past but I must confess that I have never before felt at such a loss as to what to do to turn things around. I am beginning to give serious consideration regarding my ability to manage a team at this level. My own self-confidence is badly shaken and I fear that this is transmitting itself to the players and they have lost faith in me.

Wednesday 24th
I try to regain a more positive frame of mind as we prepare for the visit of Hajduk for our penultimate phase 1 group match. I have to make significant changes as many of the players are both physically and emotionally weary after our mauling at the weekend. I have also tinkered with the formation again in an attempt to turn things around. Jimmy Davis is playing as a lone striker supported by Dominguez and Cabrerra coming in wide from the flanks. I am also playing with three centre backs to try to shore up our defence. It may be a fluke but it all works our very well. Davis calms the nerves with an early goal and Tony O’Brien makes it two before half time. Hajduk pull a goal back 10 minutes from time but two late goals from Davis completes his hat trick and a fine 4-1 win. With Celtic losing their game at Dortmund we have qualified for the second phase.

Sunday 28th
We travel to Alavés knowing that a win will take us above our opponents and out of the bottom three. We start poorly and are just starting to get into the game when the home side take the lead on the half hour. Our performance picks up in the second half and Jimmy Davis finds an equaliser shortly after the restart. Unfortunately that’s how the score remains and the 1-1 draw does nothing to improve our position.

Atlético Madrid continue their impressive start to the season and we continue our awful form – one win in 9 games is certainly of relegation standard and we somehow need to turn things around. Too many of our so-called “big players� are just not performing and I am at a loss as to what to do about it.

<pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre">********************************************* ********************************************** Spanish First Division - Wednesday 31st October 2007********************************************** *********************************************Pos Team Pld Won Drn Lst For Ag Won Drn Lst For Ag Pts---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------1st Atlético Madrid 9 3 0 1 8 6 5 0 0 9 0 24 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------2nd Valencia 10 4 1 0 13 5 3 1 1 9 8 23 3rd Real Madrid 9 4 0 1 9 3 1 3 0 3 1 18 4th Barcelona 8 3 1 0 11 1 2 1 1 6 5 17 5th Espanyol 10 5 0 0 7 1 0 1 4 1 8 16 6th Villarreal 10 3 1 1 5 2 2 0 3 4 4 16 7th Zaragoza 9 3 1 0 7 4 1 1 3 4 6 14 8th Tenerife 10 2 1 2 7 7 2 1 2 4 3 14 9th Sevilla 8 1 0 2 3 2 3 2 0 7 2 14 10th Málaga 9 2 1 1 11 8 1 2 2 5 7 12 11th Deportivo 9 3 2 0 10 5 0 0 4 4 11 11 12th Celta 9 0 2 2 1 6 3 0 2 9 9 11 13th Mallorca 10 3 1 1 7 5 0 1 4 3 7 11 14th Betis 9 2 1 2 4 4 0 3 1 7 9 10 15th Athletic Bilbao 10 1 3 1 6 6 1 1 3 4 9 10 16th Real Sociedad 9 2 1 1 6 6 1 0 4 4 11 10 17th Alavés 9 1 2 2 3 4 1 0 3 3 10 8 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------18th MOTRIL 9 1 1 3 5 8 0 2 2 5 7 6 19th Badajoz 9 1 1 3 5 6 0 1 3 2 7 5 20th Sporting Gijón 9 1 1 3 3 6 0 1 3 2 7 5</pre>

retired_amyslack

November 2007

Saturday 3rd
Today we have what I would describe as a “must-win� game as we entertain fellow strugglers Badajoz and anything less than three points will be a real blow. From the first whistle we are very positive and create a number of good chances, none of which are put away. Then just before half time Jorginho scores with a miss-hit cross that deceives the keeper and ends up in the net. Perhaps this is a sign that our luck may be turning. Ten minutes after the restart Jimmy Davis puts us two ahead but Badajoz reduce the deficit shortly afterwards. Davis scores his second with 15 minutes remaining to make me breathe more easily and then competes a fine hat trick three minutes from time. There is still enough fight in the visitors for them to claim a late consolation in stoppage time but the 4-2 win is just the result that we require.

Tuesday 6th
We have travelled to Glasgow knowing that we are already through to the second group phase and I take advantage by resting a number of players and giving others some European experience. So it is not entirely unexpected when we lose 3-1 to Celtic but I am still a little disappointed by the level of our performance.

Wednesday 7th
The draw for the second phase of group games has put us in Group B with Feyenoord, Galatasary and Roma.

Sunday 18th
We travel to Celta without Edgar Davids who is out for a month having suffered a groin strain in training. I decide to bring 38-year-old Viktor Onopko back in to the team in the hope that his experience will see us through. Our opponents are only just above us in the table and a win would be a real boost. We fall behind in the 22nd minute but Jorginho gets us back on terms 10 minutes later. There is little to choose between the teams for the remainder of the game and just as I am resigned to the draw, Zurita pops up with the winning goal in stoppage time to give us three invaluable points.

Tuesday 20th
The squad that makes the trip to Turkey for our opening phase two game against Galatasaray is a patchwork one indeed. With a mix of injuries, ineligible players and players who need to be rested it is an odd looking lineup that takes to the pitch. When the final whistle sounds we are on the wrong end of a 4-1 scoreline although the result does flatter our hosts somewhat. Having used all our subs with the score at just 2-1 we were unlucky to lose Dario Biasi to injury and had to play a man short and with a much weakened defence.

Sunday 25th
The trip to Deportivo is another important fixture as a win would continue our upward progress by overtaking our opponents. I am still tinkering with our formation and tactics and for this game I decide that attack is the best form of defence so I go with an aggressive formation with 2 strikers and 3 attacking midfielders. We create a number of good early chances but fail to convert and then fall a goal behind after half an hour. Fortunately Zurita is in good form and gets the equaliser 6 or 7 minutes later. Then it is good news, bad news. Good news in that Jimmy Davis puts us into the lead just before half time but bad news when Jorginho is unable to continue after the break and is replaced by Ramón Cabrera. Play swings from end to end in the second half but a second goal from Zurita minutes from time makes the game safe and gives us a 3-1 win. But there is still time for Philippe Senderos to be sent off when he picks up his second yellow card of the game in stoppage time.

The league table makes for rather happier reading at the end of this month as a decent run of form has taken us up to 13th place and we have a little breathing space from the relegation places. At the top of the table Atlético Madrid have had a terrible month, losing all their games and Valencia are now setting the pace.

<pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre">********************************************* ********************************************** Spanish First Division - Saturday 1st December 2007********************************************** *********************************************Pos Team Pld Won Drn Lst For Ag Won Drn Lst For Ag Pts---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------1st Valencia 13 5 1 0 15 5 4 1 2 13 11 29 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------2nd Espanyol 13 7 0 0 10 1 1 1 4 2 8 25 3rd Atlético Madrid 12 3 0 2 8 8 5 0 2 10 4 24 4th Barcelona 12 5 1 0 15 1 2 2 2 9 9 24 5th Real Madrid 12 5 1 1 12 4 1 4 0 3 1 23 6th Tenerife 13 4 1 2 11 7 3 1 2 6 3 23 7th Betis 13 4 1 2 9 6 1 4 1 11 10 20 8th Málaga 12 4 1 1 16 8 1 2 3 5 9 18 9th Sevilla 12 2 1 2 7 3 3 2 2 8 5 18 10th Zaragoza 13 4 2 1 9 8 1 1 4 4 9 18 11th Villarreal 13 3 2 1 5 2 2 0 5 4 8 17 12th Athletic Bilbao 13 3 3 1 10 7 1 1 4 4 11 16 13th MOTRIL 12 2 1 3 9 10 2 2 2 10 9 15 14th Deportivo 13 4 2 1 13 8 0 0 6 4 15 14 15th Mallorca 13 4 1 2 10 10 0 1 5 3 8 14 16th Celta 12 0 2 3 2 8 3 1 3 11 12 12 17th Sporting Gijón 13 3 1 3 6 7 0 2 4 5 12 12 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------18th Real Sociedad 12 2 1 2 6 7 1 0 6 4 16 10 19th Alavés 12 1 3 2 6 7 1 0 5 3 13 9 20th Badajoz 12 2 1 3 6 6 0 1 5 4 12 8</pre>

retired_amyslack

December 2007

Sunday 2nd
The visit of Sporting Gijón gives us yet another game against lower-table opposition – just the type of game that we need to keep win to keep our upward momentum going. We go into the game keeping the same formation that got us the win at Deportivo but with three changes in personnel. Fábio is in for the suspended Senderos, Ely Thadeu replaces the injured Jorginho and with Patterson having picked up a training injury, Diego Rivas takes his place. After a scoreless first half our growing injury list is added to when Darren Fletcher suffers a knee strain and I have to bring on Lucas DomÃ*nguez. Our problems increase when we fall a goal behind shortly afterwards. With 25 minutes remaining I am considering taking Bonazzoli off when he comes up with the equaliser. He scores again 10 minutes after that for good measure and when he does come off near the end his replacement Clinton Morrison scores to tie up a good 3-1 win.

Wednesday 5th
Game two in the Champions League group sees us entertain Feyenoord and I have to make a series of changes to rest players so it is a far from full strength team that takes to the field. But we give a decent account of ourselves and reach the break all square. But a lack of concentration allows the visitors to take the lead just after the restart. Ramón Cabrera evens the score with just over 15 minutes remaining and as the clock ticks down it looks like we will take a point from the game. But another lapse in concentration allows Feyenoord to score not once, but twice in stoppage time and we fall to a 3-1 defeat. With two losses in two games it looks like our Champions League adventure is as good as over. I must shoulder much of the blame for this in the early season decisions that I took in who I should register for the European games. I made some poor decisions and key injuries have meant that I have not had the right backup available for the Champions League games. In fact the more successful the team becomes, the more aware I am about my own shortcomings as a manager at this level. Some serious decisions must be taken at the end of this season about how we can ensure that Motril achieves long-term success.

Sunday 9th
We are off to the Canary Islands for a league game against Tenerife, a team a few places above us in the table at present. Ely Thadeu gets us off to a terrific start with a goal after just 5 minutes but the home side are back on terms 15 minutes later. The game is played in an open and entertaining style as both teams go forward looking for goals. Ramón Cabrera puts us back in the lead with a finely taken goal before half time. Once again our hosts respond and tie the scores with 30 minutes remaining. Zurita gives us the advantage once again but for a third time we can’t hold on to the lead and are pegged back at 3-3 with around 15 minutes to play. But fortunately our attacking skills prevail and two goals in two minutes from Ely Thadeu and Jimmy Davis gives us a 5-3 win in a thrilling game. As exciting as it was for the spectators I would have been happier if we had looked stronger defensively. It doesn’t help that we lose Fábio to injury – strained ankle ligaments will keep him in the treatment room for some weeks.

Wednesday 12th
We have a First Round Spanish Cup match away to Rayo of Division Two in Madrid this evening. We lose an early goal but 17-year-old Ibón Bravo, given a game for the experience, equalises within minutes. There is no further scoring in the first half but when Clinton Morrison puts us in front just after half time I fully expect us to see the game out for the win. How wrong can you be – our defensive frailties allow the home side to score three times in the last 15 minutes for an embarrassing defeat. I am very disappointed with this poor result and I need to find a way to strengthen our defensive backbone.

Saturday 15th
19-year-old Italian goalkeeper Stefano Franco arrives today on a free transfer. The scouts tell me that he has a lot of potential and I decided to bring him in as I am concerned that Luke Steele will decide to move on as he is still having trouble in settling in Spain.

Sunday 16th
For the visit of 3rd place Espanyol I have switched formations yet again, playing with three central defenders to see if that will keep us tighter at the back. Our cause is helped enormously when the visitors have a man dismissed midway through the first half. We take immediate advantage when Massimo Mutarelli scores his first goal of the season. Early in the second half Ramón Conget also breaks his duck and we take a very good 2-0 win.

Wednesday 19th
Today we visit San Sebastian to take on Real Sociedad and our cause is helped enormously when the home side have a man sent off with less than 10 minutes played. We lose Diego Rivas to injury some five minutes later but we are able to put that aside as Jimmy Davis scores twice before the half hour. Ramón Cabrera adds a third before the interval to put us well in charge. Our other Ramón, Conget gets a fourth goal in the second half and I am very pleased with the fine 4-0 win. The bad news is that Diego Rivas has sustained a torn groin muscle and will be out for at least 3 months.

Sunday 23rd
Our run of away games continues with a trip to Sevilla to face Betis. We have just moved above them on goal difference so it would be great if we could keep our decent run of form going. Edgar Davids gets us off to a great start when he scores his first goal for the club after 12 minutes. But then our defence goes missing and the home side score two in two minutes with Tony Warner taking the blame with some poor positioning. We give away a third just before half time and are in deep trouble. When we give away a stupid penalty 5 minutes after the restart I know that it is not our day and my misery is complete when Betis score their fifth 10 minutes from time. I am at a loss to explain our collapse and it just goes to show how fragile our form and confidence is at present. It doesn’t help that we have lost another player to injury as defender Philippe Senderos suffers an ankle injury and will be out for a month. Better news is the rturn to full fitness of Darren Fletcher and he should be ready to be in the starting lineup in the New Year.

So as we enter the short winter break our good spell of form in December has seen us move up to 8th place and well away from the relegation places.

<pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre">********************************************* ********************************************** Spanish First Division - Wednesday 26th December 2007********************************************** *********************************************Pos Team Pld Won Drn Lst For Ag Won Drn Lst For Ag Pts---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------1st Barcelona 17 7 1 0 24 4 4 3 2 14 9 37 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------2nd Real Madrid 17 7 1 1 15 5 2 6 0 6 3 34 3rd Valencia 17 6 1 2 17 8 4 2 2 14 12 33 4th Espanyol 17 9 0 0 13 2 1 1 6 4 13 31 5th Betis 17 6 1 2 16 8 2 5 1 15 12 30 6th Atlético Madrid 17 4 2 2 12 10 5 0 4 10 7 29 7th Zaragoza 17 6 2 1 14 9 2 1 5 6 15 27 8th MOTRIL 17 4 1 3 14 11 4 2 3 20 17 27 9th Tenerife 17 5 1 3 17 12 3 2 3 6 5 27 10th Sevilla 17 3 2 3 12 7 4 2 3 10 8 25 11th Athletic Bilbao 17 5 3 1 14 8 1 1 6 4 15 22 12th Villarreal 17 4 4 1 8 3 2 0 6 5 11 22 13th Málaga 17 5 1 3 18 11 1 2 5 7 14 21 14th Deportivo 17 5 2 1 15 8 1 1 7 9 20 21 15th Mallorca 17 5 2 2 13 10 0 2 6 3 12 19 16th Real Sociedad 17 4 1 3 11 11 1 0 8 4 20 16 17th Celta 17 1 3 4 6 11 3 1 5 11 16 16 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------18th Alavés 17 3 3 2 10 9 1 0 8 5 19 15 19th Sporting Gijón 17 3 2 3 9 10 0 3 6 7 19 14 20th Badajoz 17 2 2 4 8 10 0 1 8 7 19 9</pre>

retired_amyslack

January 2008

Sunday 6th
Our first game after the Christmas break involves a trip to Real Madrid. Fletcher is restored to the starting eleven and we are given the boost of another early goal from Edgar Davids. Unfortunately we can’t hang on to the lead and Real equalise 5 minutes before half time. We acquit ourselves well in the second period and are somewhat unfortunate to concede a late goal to give Madrid a 2-1 win. We also suffer another injury when Ramón Cabrera twists an ankle and the prognosis is a two-month layoff.

Sunday 13th
Our 4th consecutive away game takes us to neighbours Malaga hopeful of a good result. However the home side are clearly fired up and set about us with a vengeance. A poor performance from our team sees us ship 4 unanswered goals in a disastrous result. This is such a flat performance that once again I wonder about my ability to inspire and motivate the players.

Wednesday 16th
After a long discussion with the coaching staff I have decided to step down from the position of manager and my assistant Gary Speed will take charge for the rest of the season. I feel that I have taken the club as far as I can from a managerial perspective and it is time to allow a more experienced coach to take over.

Saturday 19th
Gary made his first signing today as he brought on board 17-year-old defender José Antonio Baños from Atlético Madrid for €350K.

Sunday 20th
My first game as a spectator for some 7 years saw Mallorca visit the Escribano Castilla. Gary decided to deploy a 4-4-2 formation with new signing Baños making his debut. Clinton Morrison gave us an early lead but the visitors equalised before the break. I was sad to see us concede a second goal with 10 minutes remaining to suffer a 2-1 defeat.

Wednesday 23rd
Another youngster arrived today as 16-year-old David Salcedo is purchased from Xerez for €475K. He arrived in time to watch the midweek league game at home to Athletic Bilbao during which we created more than enough opportunities to win handsomely. Unfortunately we failed to put any of them away and allowed the visitors a goal in each half for a 2-0 defeat.

Saturday 26th
Before agreeing to take over, Gary Speed insisted that he must have full control of the transfer budget and he made his biggest signing so far today with the capture of defender Alberto Marcos from Valladolid for €2M.

Sunday 27th
We travelled to Zaragoza today and returned with a terrible 4-1 mauling. Poor Tony Warner had one of those days and was badly at fault for three of the goals, one of which was a penalty conceded by the keeper.

Wednesday 30th
Another new signing arrived at Motril with central defender Boumsong (28, D C) joining from Arsenal for €3.8M.

Having made the decision to step aside it is obviously a huge disappointment to see Gary getting off to such a poor start with three straight defeats. We have now dropped to 14th place and are in real danger of falling into the relegation battle.

<pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre">********************************************* ********************************************** Spanish First Division - Sunday 27th January 2008********************************************** *********************************************Pos Team Pld Won Drn Lst For Ag Won Drn Lst For Ag Pts---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------1st Barcelona 22 10 1 0 33 5 4 4 3 16 12 47 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------2nd Real Madrid 22 9 2 1 20 7 3 7 0 8 3 45 3rd Valencia 22 8 1 3 21 10 5 3 2 18 12 43 4th Zaragoza 22 8 3 1 19 10 4 1 5 12 17 40 5th Betis 22 8 1 2 20 8 3 5 3 17 15 39 6th Espanyol 22 10 0 1 14 3 1 3 7 7 17 36 7th Málaga 22 7 2 3 28 15 3 2 5 12 14 34 8th Atlético Madrid 22 5 3 2 15 12 5 1 6 10 12 34 9th Sevilla 22 5 3 3 18 8 4 3 4 12 12 33 10th Tenerife 22 6 1 3 19 12 3 3 6 8 11 31 11th Athletic Bilbao 22 7 3 2 18 12 2 1 7 6 17 31 12th Deportivo 22 6 2 2 17 11 2 2 8 14 24 28 13th Villarreal 22 5 5 2 10 5 2 1 7 6 15 27 14th MOTRIL 22 4 1 5 15 15 4 2 6 22 27 27 15th Mallorca 22 6 3 3 18 14 1 2 7 6 15 26 16th Celta 22 3 5 4 11 14 3 1 6 12 18 24 17th Real Sociedad 22 4 2 4 14 15 2 0 10 6 26 20 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------18th Sporting Gijón 22 3 3 4 11 14 1 3 8 11 26 18 19th Alavés 22 3 3 4 10 16 1 1 10 6 22 16 20th Badajoz 22 2 3 5 8 13 1 2 9 10 24 14</pre>

retired_amyslack

February 2008

Saturday 2nd
Boumsong makes his debut in the home game against Valencia and gets off to great start by scoring the opening goal after 15 minutes. With the team looking much more confident than of late there is no further scoring until late in the game when the visitors equalise with less than 20 minutes remaining. Five minutes later we are awarded a penalty for a handball decision and Clinton Morrison converts the spot kick to give us the lead. Another 5 minutes later and another penalty award as Nicola Legrottaglie is sent off for a two-footed challenge. The 2-2 result is poor reward for an enterprising performance but it is a much more encouraging display.

Sunday 10th
Unfortunately they same cannot be said of the next game at Villarreal as we fail to get a single shot on target in a poor 1-0 defeat.

Wednesday 13th
We are back into Champions League action as Roma come to Motril for our 3rd Phase 2 group game. Roma dominate the first half and take a two-goal lead before Massimo Mutarelli pulls a goal back in stoppage time. Estecha completes our comeback with an equalising goal 10 minutes after the restart and the 2-2 draw is a good result in the circumstances and gives us our first points in the group.

Saturday 16th
We face another tough game as Barcelona visit but a Clinton Morrison penalty gives us the lead after half an hour. The visitors equalise before half time but Morrison is on target again in stoppage time. We defend very well in the second half and are just minutes from a historic victory before conceding a late equaliser.

Tuesday 19th
It is Champions League time again as we travel to Italy to face Roma. We are on the defensive for the bulk of the game but we reach half time still on terms. But within minutes of the restart we concede what turns out to be the only goal of the game. With only two games remaining there is now no way that we can qualify for the Quarter Finals but to have reached the Second Phase in our first ever attempt represents a successful campaign.

Sunday 24th
The final action of the month involves a visit to Sevilla. After a scoreless first half Ramón Cabrera gives us the lead 10 minutes into the second period. But we are unable to keep the lead and concede twice to slump to a 2-1 defeat.

Another awful month has seen us drop to 15th place just two points above the relegation places. Things look bad and I hope that Gary can somehow turn the tide.

<pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre">********************************************* ********************************************** Spanish First Division - Wednesday 27th February 2008********************************************** *********************************************Pos Team Pld Won Drn Lst For Ag Won Drn Lst For Ag Pts---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------1st Barcelona 26 12 1 0 39 7 5 5 3 20 14 57 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------2nd Real Madrid 26 9 3 1 21 8 4 7 2 10 7 49 3rd Zaragoza 26 9 4 1 22 12 5 2 5 15 17 48 4th Betis 26 10 1 2 26 11 3 7 3 18 16 47 5th Espanyol 26 12 0 1 18 4 2 4 7 9 18 46 6th Atlético Madrid 26 8 3 2 18 12 6 1 6 12 13 46 7th Valencia 26 8 1 5 23 14 5 4 3 22 17 44 8th Sevilla 26 7 3 3 22 9 4 3 6 12 14 39 9th Tenerife 26 7 1 4 23 16 4 3 7 10 13 37 10th Málaga 26 8 2 4 30 17 3 2 7 14 21 37 11th Villarreal 26 6 5 3 11 7 3 2 7 9 16 34 12th Deportivo 26 6 4 2 18 12 3 2 9 17 29 33 13th Athletic Bilbao 26 7 3 3 19 14 2 2 9 10 23 32 14th Mallorca 26 7 4 3 19 14 1 2 9 7 19 30 15th MOTRIL 26 4 3 5 19 19 4 2 8 23 30 29 16th Celta 26 4 6 4 14 15 3 2 7 13 20 29 17th Sporting Gijón 26 5 3 4 15 16 2 3 9 14 28 27 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------18th Real Sociedad 26 5 3 5 20 20 3 0 10 7 26 27 19th Badajoz 26 3 3 6 9 15 1 2 11 13 30 17 20th Alavés 26 3 3 6 10 19 1 1 12 6 25 16</pre>

retired_amyslack

March 2008

Sunday 2nd
The visit of Real Sociedad is a game that offers a big chance to get a win and Massimo Mutarelli gives us the lead a few minutes before the break but once again we fail to hold on and allow an equaliser in the second half. The 1-1 draw is better than a defeat but really doesn’t help our cause too much.

Wednesday 5th
Our penultimate Champions League game sees Galatasaray visit and we comprehensively outplay the visitors with Clinton Morrison scoring twice in the first half to give us a very good 2-0 win.

Saturday 8th
Now that Gary has broken his duck the team are in more confident mood for the league game at Atlético Madrid. We fall behind midway through the first half but Estecha puts us back on terms before the break. Ramón Cabrera gives us the lead just after the break and Frédéric Piquionne secures the win late on. The 3-1 win is a huge boost to the team and well deserved on the day.

Tuesday 11th
We travel to Feyenoord for our final Champions League game with nothing to play for but pride. Unfortunately we put in a very poor performance and concede a first-half goal to lose 1-0.

Sunday 16th
The visit of bottom club Alavés is a must-win game and I suffer a tense first half as we strive hard to break through a stubborn defence but reach the break scoreless. We finally get the goal we deserve with 15 minutes remaining when Estecha scores. The narrow 1-0 win gives us three more valuable points and another boost in confidence.

Wednesday 26th
We visit strugglers Badajoz looking for another win but fall behind to an early goal. We dominate the rest of the game but have to wait until the 64th minute before Fábio gets us back on terms. Despite creating a number of good chances we just can’t find a winning goal and have to settle for the 1-1 draw.

Sunday 30th
The month ends with a visit from Celta and captain Massimo Mutarelli scores once in each half to cap a fine individual performance and secure a good 2-0 win. Now that the team has managed to get a few wins confidence is much better and Gary is looking a lot more relaxed than he was a few weeks ago.

Some decent results this month have moved us up to 11th and we now have a 10-point breathing space between us and the relegation places.

<pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre">********************************************* ********************************************** Spanish First Division - Sunday 30th March 2008********************************************** *********************************************Pos Team Pld Won Drn Lst For Ag Won Drn Lst For Ag Pts---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------1st Barcelona 30 13 1 0 40 7 7 6 3 26 15 67 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------2nd Real Madrid 31 11 4 1 28 9 6 7 2 13 8 62 3rd Zaragoza 31 11 4 1 26 13 5 3 7 16 24 55 4th Betis 30 12 2 2 32 13 3 7 4 19 18 54 5th Espanyol 31 14 0 2 22 5 2 5 8 9 19 53 6th Valencia 31 9 1 6 25 16 6 4 5 26 21 50 7th Atlético Madrid 31 8 4 3 20 16 6 3 7 12 15 49 8th Sevilla 31 8 4 3 23 9 6 3 7 16 18 49 9th Málaga 31 10 2 4 35 18 4 2 9 17 25 46 10th Villarreal 30 7 5 3 12 7 4 3 8 14 20 41 11th MOTRIL 31 6 4 5 23 20 5 3 8 27 32 40 12th Deportivo 31 7 5 3 22 14 4 2 10 19 31 40 13th Tenerife 30 8 1 6 27 21 4 3 8 10 14 40 14th Mallorca 31 8 4 4 21 16 1 3 11 10 26 34 15th Celta 31 5 6 5 16 18 3 3 9 16 26 33 16th Athletic Bilbao 30 7 4 5 21 23 2 2 10 10 24 33 17th Sporting Gijón 31 6 4 5 19 19 2 4 10 15 30 32 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------18th Real Sociedad 30 6 3 5 22 21 3 1 12 9 32 31 19th Badajoz 31 3 6 6 12 18 2 2 12 15 34 23 20th Alavés 31 4 3 8 12 23 2 1 13 7 26 22</pre>