One Day We'll Basque In Glory!

[B.W.G]

C.D. Vitoria - Liga BBVA - December 2020

Fixtures


League Table


Manager's Thoughts
We've put ourself in a strong position in the Copa del Rey where we have a 3 goal advantage going into the 2nd leg against Sporting.Europa League saw us beaten badly against Borussia Dortmund but our fringe players did very well against M.Haifa as we won 2-0,we will face Wolfsburg in the 1st knouckout round.The league saw an easy win against Celta was followed by a shocking 5-1 win against Deportivo,we were also unlucky not to win against Malaga as we had a goal disallowed but in my opinion,a draw was a fair result.Brilliant end to 2020 as we top Liga BBVA!

January starts of easier with games against Sporting in the Copa del Rey and Granada in the league but then it get's really tricky as we face R.Madrid,Athletic,At.Madrid and Barcelona in that orders,looks like a very ugly end to January but if we get it out the way then it vastly reduces the number of quality teams we have to face later on in the season.

[B.W.G]

Spain - World Cup 2022 Qualifying

Fixtures


Qualifying Table


Manager's Thoughts
So far so good,I do believe we have player the trickiest game in the group already which was away to Russia and we have a 100% record under my management which is pretty briliant.Tomas has been in brilliant goal scoring form and the even though he didn't score against Russia,it was his shot which led to the own goal.Next games are against Sweden at home and away to Belarus in the qualifiers.Before that we have a friendly against England which will be used to try different players out if possible as the age still needs lowering a bit even if I already have lowered it quite a bit.

[deltablue]

Good work getting 4 from 4 so far.

[B.W.G]

C.D. Vitoria - Liga BBVA - January 2021

Fixtures


League Table


Manager's Thoughts
This month saw our sloppiness let Real Madrid put more pressure on us.We were poor against Sporting in the 2nd leg of the Copa del Rey,it cost is victories against At.Madrid and Barcelona as well as almost costing us victory against Athletic as well.The only game we played well in was the 1st leg of the Copa del Rey against Zaragoza as we really did show our class.We lost against Real Madrid in controversial fashion in the Copa del Rey courtesy of a penalty which never should of have been,we could turn that round in the 2nd and we still haven't faced them in the league!

February is one of the tougher months we have left as we face Real in the 2nd leg of the Copa del Rey,a double header against Wolfsburg as well as games against Sevilla and Villarreal.We need to cut the sloppiness out otherwise it could end up costing us.

[cswalk08]

You're on top of the table! well done!

[deltablue]

Hope you can hold Madrid off.

[cerud]

Hitting on all cylinders right now! Keep it up

[Scarman]

Season continues to get better. When do you play Real Madrid in the league? It could decide the title

[SRL88]

Cracking season so far.

[B.W.G]

cswalk - We were but we chocked against Sevilla which has put us 2nd with Barcelona right behind in 3rd.

deltablue - I think the games against Real will be decisive which we will need to be at our best.

cerud - Thanks fella

Scarman - Thanks We play them on 3rd March at the Bernabeu then the 31st March at ours and I agree that it could decide the title.

SRL - Cheers fella

[B.W.G]

C.D. Vitoria - Liga BBVA - February 2021

Fixtures


League Table


Manager's Thoughts
The first three games of the month saw us choke quite badly,we crashed out of the Copa del Rey to Real in the semi-finals,we scored both of Sevilla's goal and we blew a lead three times against Villarreal which could possibly haunt us at the end of the season.Held a team meeting after the Villarreal game which helped enormously as we beat Wolfsburg 5-0 on aggregate and we will now face Deportivo (they beat Norwich!) in the next round.Sola has been the bright point of the month with his goal scoring return.The wins against Alaves and Zaragoza were vital so I am relieved to how got full points from them.

Next month is quite a tough month as we have Deportivo in Europa League,a double header against Real Madrid in the league as well as facing Valencia in the league as well.If we can get through Match without too much damage against Real and the others then we should be able to show we are title challengers but we are on course for the Champions League next season which is brilliant in itself.With March now here,this will also bring on the next batch of youth candidates through.The main areas I want are MC and AML and we should be set for the next 10 seasons.

[SRL88]

Picked up results well there with a cracking win away to Wolfsburg .

[B.W.G]

Thanks Don't think I could have done it without Sola,he is to me what Ord has been to you in your save.

[deltablue]

Very tough at the top right now.

[B.W.G]

It is,we lost to Real on the 3rd March but Barcelona slipped up and we've reclaimed 2nd.At this point I have no idea what twists and turns are around the corner.

[cerud]

Bit of a hiccup, but more than enough time to reign in the players.

[B.W.G]

Was always to be expected as I don't think we are at their level just yet but we are giving it a good go and that is all I can ask for.

In Europa League news,we beat Deportivo 5-4 on aggregate in the 2nd knockout Round.In the Quarter-Finals we will face the team who knocked us out in the same stage.....Lyon.Hopefully I can get revenge for last season!

[B.W.G]

C.D. Vitoria - Liga BBVA - March 2021

Fixtures


League Table


Manager's Thoughts
What a month for us,we knocked Deportivo out of Europa League 5-4 on agg and now we get a shot at Lyon in the same stage they knocked us out last season.In the league,we started off badly as we lost to Real Madrid but after that we looked unstoppable as we disposed of Sporting,Valencia an Espanyol with relative ease.The last game of the month came against Real Madrid,the return game and one that could possibly help decide the title.Aitor Iturri could not have picked a better time to end his 18 hour goal drought while Miguel Angel Rodriguez scored the vital 2nd to give us a priceless 2-0 victory in a frantic battle.

Our destiny is now firmly in our hands,we have the easier run in as we have already faced the top seven twice.We have a Europa League rematch with Lyon,if we want to finish on a high then we need to treat every game like a cup final and play to our best.Our efforts have been massively helped by Iker Sola who has scored 36 goals in 45 appearances which is already a new club record.We can do this,I know we can!

[cswalk08]

You're having one heck of a season. I'm excited to see where it ends up.

[B.W.G]

Thanks All I am going to reveal is that we have qualified for the group stages of the Champions League for next season!

[B.W.G]

C.D. Vitoria - Liga BBVA - April 2021

Fixtures


League Table


Manager's Thoughts
The major talking point of the month was knocking out Lyon in Europa League quarter finals,I'd rather have knocked them out outright but winning on away goals is still a brilliant achievement.We've already played the first leg of the semi-final and we narrowly missed out on a draw but we could give a fright when play at home so all is not lost yet.The league saw us win four out of five matches including a historical first victory over Malaga.We slipped up against Deportivo but having one slip up is better then having two like Real Madrid who lost to At.Madrid and drew with Villarreal.

May is the final month,we have four league games left and if we win them all then we will be league champions,we also have the second leg of the Europa League semi final in which I am confident we can overturn if we play to our best.Sola and MAR have been keys to our success,Sola has scored 44 goals in 53 appearances while MAR has 43 assists in 54 appearances.

[cerud]

Moving on in Europa, moving above Real Madrid in the standings...not bad, sir!

[B.W.G]

Thanks you kind sir!

To top off any performances,I bring this beauty from the Europa League Semi-Final 2nd leg


In the final we will face Chelsea's fierce rivals Tottenham.Oh dear,I stopped a London derby final

[rancer890]

You're amazing.

[B.W.G]

Cheers fella To top that off,we've won La Liga due to Real Madrid choking!

[cswalk08]

Congrats! You are the King of Spain!!

[B.W.G]

Think I won the match/battle/war!


Think the ref was a bit out of his depth,16 yellow cards and 3 red cards.More impressive is the fact we scored with 9 men against a side who will be in the CL next season!

[B.W.G]

cswalk08 - Euskal heroi bat naiz! Google translated from I'm a hero to the Basque

[Scarman]

Great work in the Europa League, now just to win the league

[B.W.G]

Thanks Don't worry we've already won it so that is a double for me.Unfortunately my achievements this season have been overshadowed by Arsenal who won the CL,Premier League,CWC and the Carling Cup!

[Scarman]

I didn't see that post til just now Well, now just to win the Champions League then!

[AK22]

Great Europa League win!

And I look forward to the story of Real's bum squeaking...

[B.W.G]

Thanks

Forget about Real's bum squeaking,they've become serial chokers this season.They choked in the league and lost to us,chocked in the Copa del Rey and lost to Malaga then chocked in the Champions League as they lost to Arsenal!That is choking in some style!

[deltablue]

Epic win against Spurs. And well done on the title as well.

[B.W.G]

Thanks fella

[SRL88]

Excellent result .

[B.W.G]

Thanks I owe it all to Sola who scored his 49th goal of the season in 56 appearances!

[SRL88]

Pretty poor that. I was expecting better from him .

[B.W.G]

Give the poor lad a break,he's only 22

[SRL88]

Haha. Have you posted a screenshot of him elsewhere? If not could you please post one .

[B.W.G]

Not posted one since pre-season so here he is now


49 goals,59 appearances and no less then 15 yellow cards.....Mario Balotelli eat your heart out!International football kicked on his development which was good to see.

[SRL88]

Cracking player .

[B.W.G]

Spain - World Cup 2022 Qualifying

Fixtures


World Cup Qualifying Group


Manager's Thoughts
Only three additional fixtures from December,we fought valiantly against England but we came up short against the World number 1.The game saw Iker Sola's first international goal for Spain with now At.Madrid striker Tomas getting the other.The qualifying games saw us absolutely destroy Sweden,I was honestly expecting a harder challenge,we were lethal up front as Tomas and Sola scored 5 between them.Belarus was a tricky game and they would not give up right till the end,a first goal for Ruiz and Tomas hitting his 28th was enough to secure victory.

Not too bothered with the defeat to England as we fought well and I was trying out a new tactic.I am thrilled with having a 100% record in qualifying,with the four fixtures remaining,we are at home to Macedonia and Russia while we are away to San Marino and Sweden so there is a very good chance we could finish with 10/10.

[B.W.G]

Cracking player .

He is and according to my assistant,he still has room to grow so exciting times ahead!

[SRL88]

Walking things in qualifying.

He is and according to my assistant,he still has room to grow so exciting times ahead!

Definitely cant complain there. Will be great to see how he is when in his peak at 28yo.

[[c]]

Bloody hell BWG - how do you do it? I remember following your Welsh save on '11 and that was impressive, but taking a relegation-threatened third tier team to champions of Spain and Europa League winners in nine seasons without any signings? It's outlandish.

[B.W.G]

It's actually been 10 seasons as I played in the Tercera Division as well and even then we were relegation candidates.

Spain seems to be blessed with talent so far in the save alongside England so we've hit the jackpot with Youth Candidates (Although there wasn't any this season!).I have use two tactics,for games where we face the bigger sides such as Real and Barcelona I use a 4-3-3,if it is against teams I think I'm similar to or better than then I use a 4-2-4.

My 4-2-4 tactic is similar to the one I used for Bridgend Town in my Welsh save although I've not quite got the scoring part to the same level yet!

[B.W.G]

C.D. Vitoria - Liga BBVA - 2020/21 - End of Season

2020/21 Transfers
To show I'm following the rules of not signing anyone.The players who left didn't have a future and were never going to make the grade even as backups.

Competitions
Liga BBVA
League Table
You can clearly tell that I took advantage of Real Madrid chocking at the end of season not that any football lovers would care.To my surprise,we were the top scorers in the league with 94 goals and in my opinion we could have easily hit three figures.We conceded more goals then Real Madrid and Barcelona but that was to be expected as my tactics generally concentrate on attacking play as I always look to outscore the opposition.At one stage Real had an 8 point lead over us but things changed from the end of March as they started chocking and we too advantage as we played our absolute damn best to claim the title even if 8 points is quite a big gap.I am expecting much more serious competition next season.

Europa League
Winners
We disposed of Rad in the qualifiers as we won 7-1 on agg.We finished the group stages with a record of 5-0-1 to top the group which contained Borussia Dortmund.We were up against Wolfsburg who I thought would cause us problems but we brushed them aside as we won 5-0 on agg.Next up was Deportivo,thankfully our finishing saved us as we edged the game 5-4 on agg,I was very disappointed in our performance against our league rivals.Quarter final pitted us against Lyon and we were looking for revenge,it looked all over in the first leg as we were 3-1 down after 80 minutes but they switched off and we hit back to claim priceless away goals,these away goals came into play as we drew 2-2 in the second leg and 5-5 overall which meant we went through!The semi final saw us against English giants Chelsea,we narrowly lost the first leg 3-2 but they had no answer to our superior finishing in the second leg as won 3-0 which sent us through to the final with a 5-3 aggregate victory.The final was brutal and we found ourselves down to 9 men after 29 minutes!Even with that handicap,Sola knows how to ruin the script and scored the only goal on 45 minutes,heroic performance from the team in the 2nd half saw us claim a priceless victory in the Europa League!

Copa del Rey
Semi-Finals
Granda gave us a tough tie in the 4th round but we got through 4-2 on agg.The 5th round saw us against Sporting,I am thankful we were dominate in the first leg and won 3-0 as the 2nd leg,we were lucky to escape with a 3-3 draw which gave us a 6-3 victory.The quarter finals against Zaragoza were played under similar conditions,we were dominate in the 1st leg as we won 3-1 and the 2nd leg saw us escape with a 2-2 draw to give us a 5-3 victory and another semi-final against Real Madrid.Real deserved to win 1-0 in the first leg as we didn't show up but we blew our chances in the second as our finishing let us down and it finished 0-0 which sent us out in the semi-finals.Real Madrid would go on to choke against Malaga in the final.

Supercopa
Runners-Up
This was a case of Could of,should of but didn't.We were the better side over two legs and we missed out and failed to take advantage of a At.Madrid side who were gelling.Needless to say I was very disappointed.

Players,Stats and Awards
Best XI 20/21 - Overall Best XI.

A quick look at the Player Stats for the season.

Iker Sola
Had a rather disappointing season in which he only scored 49 goals in 59 appearances.Who am I kidding,that was an amazing season and I don't expect that record to be broken for many years unless he realises his potential and can probably give the highest scores such as Gerd Muller a challenge.The fact he is only 22 makes things even better and he already has 178 goals in 306 appearances and on top of that he has 3 in 5 for Spain.I have no idea about how many he will actually score in his career but it could possibly be in the 500-600 region.His amazing finishing saw him pick up European Golden Shoe and Maximo Goleador Espanol.

Miguel Angel Rodriguez
He had an amazing season in which he topped the assist chart with 48 which smashed the previous record of 31 set by Unai Gurrutzaga in 2015/16.He also helped the goalscoring by scoring 12 in his 59 appearances,he was also the highest rated player averaging at 7.61 over 59 games which helped him net Fans Player of the Year.He also won Jugador espanol del ano and Jugador del ano.

Daniel Reuter
He was our first outright foreign youth player and undoubtedly will be our best.He is really starting to show his quality and had a remarkable in the middle of the park as he helped the team with a contribution of 15 goals which is his highest return to date.His performances saw him pick up Jugador joven del ano.With 17 caps to his name,he only needs 98 more to set a new record so has a bit of time yet!.

Honourable Mention - Rodolfo Bodipo
He is literally a physical beast with very few players who can get the best of him as well as being the one of the most consistent performers as he rated at 7.47 which means it was his 6th season averaging above 7.His call up to the Spanish squad had nothing to do with bias but rather his performances merited him being called up and he didn't disappoint as he scored on his debut against San Marino!I am now worried as he has a buyout clause of £20 million and has three teams watching in PSG,Bayern and AC Milan and they will be able to afford him.

Overview
What a absolutely brilliant season,never in my wildest dreams did I think we could pull this off and we owe it all to Real Madrid who chocked very badly in the closing stages of the season.What this means to me is that we are guaranteed home games for the first and last game of the season next season!The Europa League was a miracle as well,we could have lost to Lyon and Chelsea as they failed to finish us off in the first legs while the Tottenham game was nothing short of a war.My only concern is that we were not the outright best team as we failed to beat Barcelona who messed up badly so we really do need to up our performances to a consistent basis.

Next season will begin the rise of Vitoria,our youth recruitment has finally been improved and we are now rated at 3* and at a national level in which we are not far off 3.5* and continental reputation.To top all this off we are having a stadium expansion which should take it to around 22,000 - 23,000 not quite sure what though.I will not stop to we are regarded as the worlds best and have won the World Cup with Spain as well as a stadium named after me.After that,well who knows what can happen but there will be a hint after next seasons pre-season report.

Season        Division            League       Cup       Continental      Avg.Att              Notes
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2011/12    Tercera Div.Grp 4       2nd         N/A           N/A            418              Promoted!  
2012/13    Segunda Division B3     9th         N/A           N/A            646              Survival!
2013/14    Segunda Division B2     9th         N/A           N/A            712          Copa RFEF Runner Up
2014/15    Segunda Division B3     3rd        1st Rnd        N/A            827          Won Promotion Play11111off!
2015/16     Liga Adelante          7th        3rd Rnd        N/A           1487        Self-Proclaimed Entertainers
2016/17     Liga Adelante          2nd        4th Rnd        N/A            900              Promoted!
2017/18      Liga BBVA            12th        5th Rnd        N/A            900              Survival!
2018/19      Liga BBVA             5th        5th Rnd        N/A          11771        Europa League Qualification! 
2019/20      Liga BBVA             6th        Winners      Quarters       11343            Won a trophy! 
2020/21      Liga BBVA             1st         Semis        WINNERS       11838             Won Double!

[B.W.G]

Even though we had a successful season,it doesn't stop there.My u19's were on top form this season as well and here is what they pulled off.





That's right my u19's pulled off their very own double.Ander Diez (Youth Candidate Day 2020) was top scorer hitting 58 goals in the league and another 13 in the cup giving him a higher total of 71!

Would rather have shown the actual league table and cup but it won't allow to look at a previous season!

[SRL88]

Double post fella??? .

What a ****ing season though...well done .

[B.W.G]

How did that happen????

Might as well use the second one to show my u19's success to show it runs through the club

Cheers fella

[arinceo]

Well you certainly proved me wrong Congratulations, let's see if you can do a Mourinho and win the Europa/Champions League in successive seasons.

[SRL88]

Well you certainly proved me wrong Congratulations, let's see if you can do a Mourinho and win the Europa/Champions League in successive seasons.

Ahem!!! Dont forget Paisley and Benitez .

[B.W.G]

Sorry arinceo,not a chance that is going to happen although I will be happy with a latter stage appearance.

[deltablue]

Could surprise yourself though.

[cswalk08]

Geez now the cups are pouring in. I hope you're not a lycanthrope.

[B.W.G]

deltablue - We beat AC Milan 4-1 in pre-season so hopefully we can replicate some of that form in the tournament.

cswalk08 - Nope,not a werewolf.I sold my soul to the devil to win these cups

[Proto Tarkula]

To win La Liga for 10 seasons without any transfers is just absolutely unbelievable, great job! Just want to mention two things: you didn't show us who is your latest youth prospect and it will be interesting to see screenshots from all of your regular starters. Again, congratulations for the title!

[B.W.G]

Thanks

With regards to the Youth Candidate Day,there were no youth prospects good enough for us so I let them all go.For regular starters,I'll get it done in the pre-season report.I'll do the starting XI and do a section for Youths I promoted at the end of last season.

[Coentrao]

Congratulations for the championship.. amazing season!

[B.W.G]

Thanks I do owe most of it to Iker Sola,his goals were vital.

[B.W.G]

C.D. Vitoria - Liga BBVA - 2021/22 - Pre-Season
Club Overview - Facilities - Board Overview - Expectations - Finances

Pre-Season Fixtures


The Team
Team Report - Tactics

First XI
GK - Jose Zubillaga
DR - Inigo Santos
DC - Rodolfo Bodipo
DC - Ignacio Romero
DL - Javier Barandiaran
MC - Daniel Reuter
MC - Markel Aranburu
AMR - Miguel Angel Rodriguez
AML - Unai Gurrutxaga
ST - Aitor Iturri
ST - Iker Sola

Overview
Not much difference to other pre-seasons except for preparing for Champions League action.To help with match fitness I did decide to arrange a couple of extra friendlies which seemed to have helped so far,the most notable of which was beating a strong AC Milan team which helps convince me that we could possibly put in a good performance in the Champions League.The expectations should not be too difficult to meet based on last seasons performances but I will need the goalscoring spread out as I don't want to solely rely on Iker Sola has that may put too much pressure on him.All expectations are achievable if we play to our fullest and if I don't meet the Champions League expectations of reaching the group stage then I do deserved to be sacked!

A couple of improvements regarding the club,we are currently undergoing a stadium expansion which will put it at around the 22000-23000 mark but extra money will come in useful in the future.We've also had the Youth Recruitment improved and it now sits at average so only a few more and it will be around the top with teams like Barcelona and Real Madrid.Also a bit of sad news occurred in pre-season,we've parted ways with Carlos Goni,he played 304 times and scored 100 goals.He came through on the 2013 Youth Candidate day.He wanted a mutual termination,I gave up the third time he asked so he is now looking for a new club.

[B.W.G]

C.D. Vitoria - Liga BBVA - August 2021

Fixtures


League Table


Manager's Thoughts
Three games in August for us and two wins,a draw and a loss on penalties.We performed our speciality of winning with 10 men in the first leg of the Supercopa,it only took us 10 minutes into the game to see a red card as Barandiaran was sent off but even with that we are in a strong position as the 2nd leg is at ours.We beat Granada in a thrilling game in which I rested a number of key players,even with a lot of second string players,we can still match the bottom half of the table,the notable thing was Diez scoring his first senior goal.The Euro Supercup game was a disappointment as we actually matched them throughout and we narrowly lost out on penalties which is horrible.The one thing I did not from the game was that Arsenal only fielded one British player which is quite disgusting considering I started with 10 Spanish,once I'm done with Vitoria then I will go to England to show them how it is done and starting at level 8 as well!

September is here and the Champions League group,we've been drawn against AC Milan,Benfica and Sparta Prague which is quite a nice group considering we were third seeds,I am pretty confident we can get through the group.We have a 2nd leg against Malaga in the Supercopa and a tough game against Valencia but other then that,it doesn't look too bad and we should be able to rack up a few points in the meantime.

[SRL88]

Would have been nice to lift the Super Cup against Arsenal but meh.

[B.W.G]

As they say,you can't win them all!I'll get them back eventually

[B.W.G]

C.D. Vitoria - Liga BBVA - September 2021

Fixtures


League Table


Manager's Thoughts
Was a brilliant month and we claimed another trophy as we won the Supercopa as we drew the 2nd leg to claim a 3-1 aggregate victory which sealed our 4th trophy under my management.Champions League kicked off with victories over Sparta Prague and Benfica so we are in a good position so far,the league saw us pick up 10 points as we won 3 and drew 1.Out all of these matches,they all had one thing in common and that was Iker Sola scoring,he has started the season on fire as he already has 11 goals in 9 appearances as well as 3 in 3 at international level.If he can keep that up then he could possibly get near last seasons total.

October has 3 tough games as we travel to the San Siro in the Champions League to face AC Milan and we have league games against Real Madrid and Malaga.We should be able to get a minimum of 6 points from the league but it is all dependant on when the Copa del Rey starts but I am pretty confident as we do face Malaga at home and we tend to do better at home but I am hoping Sola will carry on with his scoring run as this could be a very successful season for the 23 year old.

[Nathan Pike]

A supreme achievement this has been with Vitoria. It looks like the Champions League is the only major trophy that you haven't won at club level, so best of luck achieving that aim this season.

[B.W.G]

Thanks Your right in saying the Champions League is the only major trophy I have not won but it will follow soon.....I hope!We also have the Euro Super Cup and Club World Cup as minor trophies but they should come in due time.

[SRL88]

Well done lifting the Supercopa and some cracking league results.

[cerud]

Vitoria has been good for you or you good for them

[Raware]

I think it's safe to say, you're definitely Basquing in glory now!

[rancer890]

Doing well as usual these days..

[B.W.G]

SRL88 - Thanks We have done well but wait to you see the first result of October!

cerud - Definitely has to be me being good for them.

Raware - Thanks Give it several years and we'll be top of the world.

rancer890 - Meh...I give myself a C for must try harder

[B.W.G]

C.D. Vitoria - Liga BBVA - October 2021

Fixtures


League Table


Manager's Thoughts
October has been the Iker Sola show (more on him next post).The only game he didn't score in and we only scored one which was against Malaga which was a good performance anyhow.We look to be on course for qualifying in the Champions League as we drew at the San Siro which was the most difficult gam but I am disappointed with the fact that Sparta Prague actually beat AC Milan at the San Siro!I think it's safe enough to say we are through in the Copa del Rey as Sola hit 5 as well as score his 200th goal for Vitoria.The league campaign has gone brilliantly so far and was very impressed with the win over Real Madrid but it looks like Barcelona will not be giving in this season and it looks to be those games which will determine the league.

November doesn't look to be too difficult a month with the hardest game being against AC Milan in which we will have home advantage,other then that the hardest game is away to Bilbao but I know if we play to our best then I don't thin we will get beat but that doesn't mean we should underestimate the opposition as football can be a funny old game.

[B.W.G]

I mention October was the Iker Sola show and here is how he is faring so far.



Has to be one of the best strikers with maybe exceptions of Chris Ord and those mentioned in the Hall of Fame for goal scoring of course as well as the real life Messi and Ronaldo!

[cerud]

Eh...he's okay... Facetiousness aside, he look like a beast! And at 23, he'll be going for a while yet.

[deltablue]

He's not bad

[B.W.G]

Okay I may have exaggerated a little bit but he is on fire,currently on 29 goals in 18 games

[B.W.G]

Spain - World Cup 2022 Qualifying

Fixtures


League Table


Manager's Thoughts
If you ignore the last two results then it was a perfect run,the Mexico was a tough game in which a draw was a fair result and Cyprus gave me more headaches then rest of the teams combined.I am ecstatic with the perfect record in qualifying although I was slightly embarrassed with the fact I scored more goals against San Marino away from home then I did when we were at home.The biggest shock was definitely San Marino winning a game followed up by us sticking 6 past Sweden earlier in 2021.I am looking forward to the World Cup as we do better in competitive competitions then we do in friendlies.

[deltablue]

Ah, a perfect 10 in qualifying.

[B.W.G]

Thanks We were the only team to have a perfect 10 in qualifying.France and Italy had 9-1-0 while England and Wales had 9-0-1.What stopped England and Wales getting perfect records was each other,unfortunately Wales lost in the playoffs!

[rancer890]

27 points not good enough to get into the World Cup? Shocking.

[B.W.G]

That's right,they lost to Turkey who amassed 14 points in their group so it does seem to be a bit unfair.They both finished on 27 points,England had a goal difference of 33 while Wales had a goal difference of 32 which shows how close it was.

[B.W.G]

C.D. Vitoria - Liga BBVA - October 2021

Fixtures


League Table


Manager's Thoughts
Well that was easier then I thought it would be,won every game.The closest game we came to dropping points was the Athletic game where we were losing 2-1 but two very late goals saw us steal the points in a totally undeserved victory.Our Champions League group has produced a massive shock,the third seeds (us) and the fourth seed (Sparta Prague) have actually qualified from the group so Benfica and AC Milan are fighting it out for 3rd place!Iker Sola scored 10 goals in 5 appearances as he didn't play against Sparta Prgaue,he currently has 34 goals in 20 appearances so he only needs another 15 goals to equal last years record so I am praying for no major injuries.Most remarkable was two four goal hauls against Denia in the Copa del Rey and Tenerife in Liga BBVA.

December doesn't look too difficult as we face bottom of the league in Salamanca and relegation battlers Osasuna.The two hardest games in the league are Celta and an under performing At.Madrid.I honestly think the Benfica game will be the hardest but I may just field fringe players as we've already qualified in 1st place so it gives the first teams a rest for the league.

[Proto Tarkula]

Great month. Sola is a beast!

[Scarman]

No losses Fantastic season so far!

[deltablue]

That's what I'm talking about!

[B.W.G]

Proto Tarkula - Thanks He is a beast and may even break his own goalscoring record from last season.

Scarman - We have done well but as they say all good things must come to an end.

deltablue - We've done really well,most of the work has been done by Sola,I wish the rest of the strikers would contribute a bit better!

[B.W.G]

World Cup draw is in and the news have basically called it a easy group.



So Turkey,Iran and Senegal.If we play to our best then we should finish top in style.

[AK22]

Shouldn't have too many problems there

[Raware]

Not a bad start and Sola doesn't look too bad either.

[rancer890]

Looking easy for club and country.

[B.W.G]

AK22 - Looks a good group and we avoided one of the harder groups.

Raware - Thanks! He's Okay but he can do better

rancer890 - It did but we messed up during December and got shocked by the surprise package in the league.

[B.W.G]

C.D. Vitoria - Liga BBVA - December 2021

Fixtures


League Table


Manager's Thoughts
December turned out to be a tricky month and I didn't like having so many away games either.We did well in the Copa del Rey and we should be through considering we have four away goals to our name,the win against Benfica was brilliant as they outplayed for the majority on the game and we scored on the counter.We had two impressive wins over Celta and At.Madrid while we messed up against Osasuna.We became the latest victims to Sporting who have surprised many teams this season,I am disappointed but it was a controversial game as we were reduced to ten and they were rewarded a bull**** penalty in the process.

January is quite tricky as we face Barcelona and Sevilla in the league but the other games are more simpler but we still need to play to our best to make sure we get the points to help keep us top.I feel confident about beating Las Palmas as we are already 4-1 up from the first leg.On the Iker Sola watch,he's made 26 appearances and score 43 goals.He needs 6 more goals to equal his record last season and needs 10 more league goals to equal last years tally.

[deltablue]

Easy World Cup draw.

[B.W.G]

Quite a miracle,I normally get the harder looking groups with draws!

[cerud]

Nice World Cup draw. And Sola? That's some foot the kid has!!

[B.W.G]

Thanks Sola has been awarded a very prestigious honour which his foot as helped him receive!

[buzz2k7]

75 goal in 60 matches is Amazing I wish I had a player like Iker sola

[Scarman]

Sola is a beast! The Spanish Messi by his goalscoring stats Who do you play in the Champions League knockouts?