[FM18] You’ll like this … not Olot, but you’ll like it

[Diego Imposta]

38.

Gutiérrez signed! I was so happy, for him and Olot. José had no such intention and by now I think the club would be better off without him. He had been a superb defender but if winning trophies is not what being a footballer is all about then good riddance to him – everyone else had committed to a new deal some time ago. Zsolt Károly from Eurosport had heard the news about Gutiérrez and called to see if I was pleased at presumably strengthening the club’s position. I responded that I was under no illusions that he may want to move on. But for the time being, it’ll take a lot to snatch him away.

Sabadell were looking to make certain of their play-off position at the top end of the table and so we would have to be professional once again. Only would the ultimate game of the season provide a dead rubber and that would be a grudge match of sorts against Llagostera, who’d only just survived.

I had a few days spare so I took a trip to Madrid to watch the final of the Copa del Rey – for Valencia against Barcelona. After latterly crashing out of the Champions League with a 0-2 loss in Munich, this was realistically their only chance of silverware. Barça were six points behind Real Madrid in La Liga.

It was a feisty affair, with Valencia striker Rodrigo and Barcelona defender Umtiti both having to be stretchered off after a fiery collision. Two new boys then combined to take the lead for the Catalans, Dries Mertens’ corner landing on Kostas Manolas’ head for one nil after fifteen minutes. But Andreas Pereira had other ideas. He struck as hard as he could from two metres out after a goalmouth panic.

Pereira then turned provider two minutes later, releasing Simone Zaza on the halfway line with only one defender to beat. He cruised around him never giving the defender a chance and slotted home.

Barcelona only had two more shots in the second half and their fans began to disperse. They were so right to. Carlos Soler, imperious today, sent Zaza through and around Marc Ter Stegen in injury time.

Ernesto Valverde should expect the worst after today. €110M Dembélé didn’t even make the squad!

Later that week I went back to the Camp Nou for the last time this season. With third place in La Liga all but guaranteed there was little to play for. Except I had the hottest ticket in Catalunya: El Clásico.

Messi! He had found his own little pocket of space in the box. Six minutes gone and the stramash in the Madrid box was cut in half by an incisive strike. Luis Suárez had let a good chance go begging just before but you knew it was to be the Catalan’s day. Javier Mascherano made it two, picking a loose ball up inside the area following a corner. There as an incredible amount of pride at stake here and the olés were ringing out after just 15 minutes. Suárez missed a further three chances within half an hour and Real hadn’t even had a shot. Suárez finally got his goal five minutes before half time, as he queued up in the middle, just knowing Messi would beat his man out wide on the right. Half time.

Cristiano Ronaldo was off early and he was furious. The jeers rang out long and loud as expected. It was clearly Zinedine Zidane who's the incompetent manager. Oh, the fickle nature of football. Earlier that week they were calling for Valverde’s head, now they are singing his name in the stadium. His only fault today was that he was running the players into the ground, with absolutely no faith in his substitutes. He hadn’t realised how spent his attackers were and it had cost him silverware this year.

As I made my way back to Olot I couldn’t help but wish I’d lived closer to a big city like this. I missed the everyday culture, the life.

[Diego Imposta]

39.

Carles Mas with the header…. Goal! We’re one up after eight minutes, Masó’s deep and lofted free kick meeting the surly centre back’s leap. Momentary tenterhooks as it hits the bar then the ‘keeper.

It’s some salve after an opening few minutes of clear opportunities punctured by lazy passes. None of these players are already on their holidays, after all. Simón then puts Guzmán through. His shot is parried. Nacho Pérez has the ball in the back of the net but Guzmán was offside. Sabadell all at sea.

A quarter of the game gone and they haven’t had a sniff. Masó with the corner. Barnils is free. No! He hits the crossbar in front of their fans. It should have been two. We look to see out the rest of the half with our enormous two-thirds of possession. Approaching injury time. Yeray loses his head, he’s made a silly tackle just inside the corner of the box. Penalty. Ginard gets a hand to it but lets it slip in.

Two minutes after the restart Yeray loses the ball, Barnils loses his man and the striker has a tight angle to work with. Post. Barnils clears. There are some very casual performances out there tonight.

From the resultant corner they score. Right in front of their own fans. We’re straight down the other end and Barnils has a chance to atone from our own corner. Simón whips it in and only an incredible point-blank save keeps it out. Some minutes later, Guzmán brings the ball into the Sabadell half after good work by Simón winning the ball back in Batchilly’s part of the pitch, no less. Toril is slipped the ball inside. He dinks one over the full back for Nacho Pérez, who beats his man and curls it in front of the ‘keeper. He knows who’s made it in the box. Guzmán beats his man to the header and equalises.

Yeray wakes up. Knocks a ball wide to the overlapping Masó. Back to Yeray. Forward to the channel run of Guzmán. Back to Yeray. Across to Batchilly, first-time to Nacho Peréz who holds off his man. He forces the ‘keeper to commit and tucks it home. It’s the last home game of the season, on comes club captain José for a potential farewell. Barnils had been booked and was having a bite at ankles.

An incisive breakaway from Sabadell saw their burly sub striker try his luck from 20 metres but he struck the upright and the chance was gone. He had time and space but had headlines in his mind.

Toril was proving himself to be a de facto target man today and I would love the chance to develop him further. His cheeky overplaying was starting to cause us trouble so the bloodhound was on in his stead with 20 minutes to go – Gutiérrez could run down any lost cause. We sat back and soaked up any and all pressure. Into the last few minutes and I gave the team a touch more freedom to catch Sabadell on the break. Yeray made way for Giovanella to get a few more minutes ahead of a start next week against Llagostera. He was a bag of nerves but managed to pull the olés out of nowhere, forming neat triangles with Simón and whoever was interested. If only we could cap this off with a goal. Nacho Pérez stretched the defence wide and brought it back in for Simón. Giovanella had seen the space and stroked the ball through again without breaking stride. Nacho Pérez is in, here … Post!

Five minutes of injury time. Shoot on sight lads! After running down yet another loose ball Gutiérrez played in the ever-willing Nacho Pérez who would bear down on goal. Selfishly he squared it to the arriving Giovanella who misses! It didn’t matter. In the last minute Guzmán showed great tenacity to redirect a daisy-cutter of a Nacho Pérez cross for 4-2 on the night. What a performance. These guys might be worth sticking around for.

[Diego Imposta]

40.

No fewer than 12 players had left their details with the club today, knowing that our business would start a week earlier than anticipated. I’d get Trujillo, my chief scout, to abandon the next opposition report and come to the game instead. It was slightly Machiavellian – I wanted to know if any of these Llagostera players were good enough to get in my team and vice versa. The vaunted shortlist of the board had led to a choice that was nearly a disaster – would I be lucky enough to make an interview?

I asked Trujillo to give me a second opinion on every man I’d asked about. It wasn’t an enormous list, but it was now bigger than the squad. Funnily enough, he thought about two-thirds of these names would be now interested in a move. Only five were currently with a club but all had two months left on their deals. We’d wait and see. I gave him the numbers of agents I knew and told him to get me a report on each player currently without a club. Whether I left or not, we needed to be in the market.

I took the time to get around each and every player to congratulate them. Simón, Nacho Pérez, and Guzmán all got special attention for the recent form, as did Batchilly and much to my chagrin, Carles Mas too. Vidal was commended for keeping the rest of the squad in check. As a leader he has been immense and wouldn’t obstruct José’s role as captain, nor did he let the mutiny spread beyond the back five. I settled down to watch the penultimate highlights package of the year and was pleased to see that the first two teams to secure promotion play-off positions were those I’d rolled over: Lleida Esportiu and Hércules. There were now only two spots available between Sabadell, Elche, and Santa Eulalia. I’d only lost to Elche from that group of five and it made me wonder if we could finish there.

With the finances the way they were at the club, I decided to hold off employing any more staff for the under 19s until confirmation was received that they would be entered in to a league. I had gone about 5% over budget so was not prepared to bring in any more for the senior team either. Uri had been fit for a week now and while I would have loved to play him in the last game of the season we just weren’t to know how long he’d be out. As it stands, both he and del Campo will miss the game.

I wanted to surprise Llagostera tactically. We would train all week with our 3-1-4-2: the team would be decided on the day - I could only really justify second string if we continued to play 4-2-3-1 Wide.

Rotchen advised me to get the players to hold back their interplay, get stuck in, and be disciplined. I agreed and although I didn’t care if we lost, I wanted a good show from the formation. Adaptability is key. On the evening of the game Agustí let me know he’d stuck another € 400 000 in the bank just to balance the books. It would be interesting to see which of these players would lure a bid from the division above. I couldn’t see any money in our region that’s for sure. I wonder if Toril wants to stay.

[Diego Imposta]

41.

We’d go full strength. Ginard in goal, Barnils and Carles Mas flanking José at the back. Ortega would sit between the midfield four and back three. Guzmán and Nacho Pérez would swap wings and tuck a bit deeper than they are used to. Batchilly would reprise a box-to-box role and Simón would have licence to attack from the middle of the park. Toril would play just off Gutiérrez – we would counter.

Passionately, I asked the players to go out and give one last performance for the fans. They had been fantastic for us all season. A few had positive reactions to this and that was the best I could expect.

A goal down after two minutes. They got deep and into the channel, whipping the ball in behind our back three and tapped in at the far post. We were moving the ball so quickly before that, too. And so it continued. Two-touch football culminating in a through ball from Toril to Gutiérrez to pass the ball in to the net. 1-1 and not even three minutes played. Fifteen minutes later, Simón played a glorious ball looking for Gutiérrez, who killed it with one touch, and put it away with another. Such presence of mind from the youngster. Before the half hour was out, it was Guzmán’s turn to thread a through ball for the bloodhound to chase. He doesn’t miss those. That’s his first career hat-trick. Good boy.

The rain started to come down and it made the game more interesting - Llagostera getting in behind and doubling up on us again. 2-3 on half an hour gone. What a spectacle so far. The game peters out.

Masó and Blázquez were brought on for Nacho Pérez and Barnils who were struggling to handle the flank between them. It was midway through the second half and the legs were starting to go. There was pride to play for despite the home side’s nerves and they got their rewards, scoring at a corner.

The last roll of the dice saw Toril come off, Gutiérrez take his deeper place and Marc Mas on to try and win a penalty. Just kidding. He had the pace to stretch the Llagostera back line who were still very nervous. Our high tempo had players falling over with cramp in the last few minutes. Could they find anything more? Nearly! Gutiérrez cut inside and looked for his fourth. The ambition. We would now look for one last counter attack in the three minutes of injury time. In the fourth added minute, Masó set to send a searching free kick into the box but squared it to Ortega just outside the centre circle. He pumps it forward. Cleared. Batchilly is having none of it. Bites the ball back. The ball falls to Simón. Back to goal, he heels the ball. Defender heads turn, their legs stock still. The weight. It was sumptuous. Only the pace of Marc Mas would get there in time. One touch stops it dead. He pulls his left leg back high and… wow. In off the top right corner. He’s done it. The celebrations are clocked at three minutes. But it’s not over. There’s time for one more attack. Three more. We clear every ball.

50 points. A 12th place finish. 14 clear of relegation, 12 clear of the play-off. We have been amazing.

Elche pip the other teams to the last play-off but surely Mallorca will triumph… 

[displaced_seagull]

I really like this. Great style

[Diego Imposta]

6 hours ago, displaced_seagull said:

I really like this. Great style

Thank you. I’ve come in from a couple of years in the cold so I’ve got yours and Franjo’s stories next on my reading list. Got to love the epics!

[Diego Imposta]

42.

In an incredible turn of events, the La Liga title race was wide open with two game weeks to go. My Barcelona were top on goal difference after winning three in a row, all at home, since disaster of the cup final. One of these teams was Atlético Madrid, who had done so very well to get to the final of the champions league. The two-legged slog against Liverpool came at the cost of no more wins in the league. They had dispatched a comfortably fourth-placed Sevilla in the previous round but now they would face a dominant Bayern at the NSC Olympiyskyi in Ukraine. Real Madrid got back to winning ways immediately with a thrashing of Espanyol but then inexplicably lost at home in the next week.

Barça had to play already-relegated Alaves and overachieving Las Palmas, topping the table outside of the European places. Real had relegation-threatened Getafe and Celta who were clinging onto the last European spot. The big two would need to lose both games and Atlético to win theirs in order to stand any chance - Sociedad and Deportivo at home, solid mid-table sides with nothing to play for.

Realistically any two from Levante, Girona, Getafe and Leganes could be joining Alaves in Liga 1 2 3.

It was all the players could talk about on Monday morning. We had them in as scheduled just in case there was a relegation play-off. Ádan, my personal assistant, held an impromptu awards ceremony at the training ground. Unsurprisingly his team of the season also doubled up as my first choice. He had also colluded with María and got a fan poll to announce the fans’ player of the season. In third place was Simón with 21% of the vote. Second was Carles Mas with 24%, but the overwhelming top dog was José with 42%. Ouch. His face said it all. Goal of the season was a no brainer – the frustrated Batchilly’s thunderbolt from 20 metres. Young player of the season went to Nacho Pérez, more for his contribution to the side than anything. Gutiérrez, while a total hero, had only played at the end.

Agustí came over at the end of the celebrations, with the players filtering back out on to the field. He wanted to reiterate how very pleased he was with my work, my transfers, and the dressing room as a whole. He was at pains to state how I had put the fans through the mill with our 4-0 demolition of Alcoyano then our 1-4 destruction by Atlético Baleares – he was trying to say don’t excite the locals!

Once the session was done we would let the players go for the summer. I had no time for goodbyes – they were not going to spend the summer worrying about who the boss is. No one had let on that I had not signed a new contract and frankly our performances this season wouldn’t make them think that I was leaving. I told them I’d allow six weeks for time with their families but that our pre-season would be long one. Rotchen pointed out that he would expect much better base fitness levels from each of them this time around. We have our cup to defend and the fixtures will come thick and fast.

I finished by quietening them all down and saying they need to have the ambition of making the play-offs next year. The lads were ecstatic with that!

[Diego Imposta]

43.

The first manager to fall foul of sensible end-of-season reviews was that of Alcoyano. The heavy loss to us wasn’t a factor – more the three wins since the winter break seeing a play-off push become a mid-table lull. My reputation was marginally better than it was six months ago, I had won a trophy after all, but I couldn’t bring myself to apply for the job. I just had to bide my time, peruse the news.

In La Liga, Barcelona had won it! They had won both of their games but crucially let a 3-0 lead slip in the last ten minutes on the final day. It very nearly became a draw but finished 3-2. They would win the league on results between teams, Real so unlucky not to win with a goal difference swing of two.

Atlético and Sevilla secured the other Champions League places, with Celta and Villarreal the Europa League spots alongside cup winners but mid-table also-rans Valencia. Plucky Girona succumbed on the final day, with Leganés taking the middle spot the week before. Alavés would be replaced by Liga 1 2 3 champions Zaragoza, while the next position was a three-horse race between Sporting Gijón, Rayo, and Cádiz.

del Campo was still in Seville but I wasn’t about to let him go on his holidays just yet. He was short of game time at both clubs, so I’d let them decide when he should be released. Scout reports had come back now and I had a pool of 20 players interested in joining the club. There was one centreback so I had to make a move. His journeyman career excited me but in truth we didn’t know a lot about him.

Jesús Suárez had played in and around Valencia in their Tercera at the beginning of his career before making a huge jump out to Calí in Colombia. They were in the old second division at the time Suárez got there was no doubt that they were a sleeping giant – a club with four Copa Libertadores finals. I was surprised he only last a year and came back to the Valencian Tercera but his wanderlust brought him to the second division in Iceland where he had been released after playing half of two seasons.

Another that caught my eye was former Barcelona man Lionel Engenue. He’d spent five years in the city, finally turning out for the B team. But the Cameroonian central midfielder took his break into the first team and moved it to Turkey after just six months. He returned to Spain at the other end of the country but in the division above. His agent, the same as Carles Mas’, was obviously one shrewd operator. Seeing another six months go by without much game time, Engenue moved to yet another country in Portugal but sat out a season after that. Presumably this was due to an injury as his talent was massive. Trujillo was full of praise for his pace, first touch, and passing - agent words or scout's?

Unfortunately neither would fit into the wage budget – their initial demands double what we could afford right now. I made a contingency plan of trying to get in Luciano Becchio, a journeyman target man who’d played most of his football in England, on a free from Alcoyano but they’d veto any kind of transfer to me – presumably that 4-0 still stung. In the end I went to where we started – Olot local boy Éric Vilanova. We’d had a look at him as soon as I arrived but we had to wait for his contract to run out. He’d begin his career on the books here, played a little football in the Tercera for us after a loan spell in the same division, and was soon snapped up by Nástic. After pre-season it was clear he wasn’t up to that level just yet so they packed him off to their Tercera farm team Pobla de Mafumet.

In addition to this central midfielder, I opened talks with Argentinean boy-wonder Acuña...

[tenthreeleader]

Love the steady pace and style you've established. Good luck with wonderkids. I've never had much.

[Diego Imposta]

44.

In a bid to bait my chairman into offering me another deal, I threw my hat into the ring for a position in Montevideo. It wasn’t any old job, but a giant in the Segunda División – Fénix. Their reputation far exceeded Olot yet the promotion favourites were nearly bottom of the league after 12 games. It was enough for the manager to lose his job. He couldn’t overturn an appalling opening stage and worse Intermedio by his predecessor and took the club down from the Campeonato Uruguayo. Despite the benefit of the doubt, Edgargo Arias couldn’t shift the losing mentality so the chairman moved to act.

Elections were in two weeks so I had some time to wait, happy to be used as a pawn as I was doing the same to them. What intrigued me was the club had spent three quarters of the last 20 years in the top division and still had the pull to bring in Diego Forlán six months ago. He was 39 but so what?

It worked. Agustí wanted to discuss our ‘vision’. I said to him I had not changed my philosophy and I knew the constraints of the club. Stop talking nonsense and give me a pay rise! I was on a third what other managers were earning. If he made that half then I’ll challenge for the playoffs, otherwise I go.

He drove a hard bargain. I asked for double money. A wry smile. He told me to stop messing around. He offered 25% and told me that was his final offer. Make it 50% and I’ll think about it. He relented…

In a week’s time the elections at Fénix would be over and they’d have to begin the interview stage. I didn’t think I had a chance, really. The money would be worse. The budget would be worse. The risk would be enormous. But it would be a vibrant city. And I’d have a better chance at top flight football.

In the cruellest way to lose a final, Atlético were beaten on penalties. The Germans lived up to their footballing stereotype and scored all of theirs, Diego Costa the unlucky man. Bayern had proved to be too good at the back and hurt Catalans and Castillians alike, although a 0-0 was a hollow victory.

Agustí was a canny mogul and tried to turn the screw before the week was up – Raset extended his contract but kept his wage. I’d gone from earning less than the director of football to earning more.

I’d reward him with the option to decide on the three contract renewals outstanding at the club – chief scout Trujillo, fitness coach Martí Matabosch, and club captain José. In my eyes all could leave.

The elections results at Fénix were in. The president had been ousted. Another director had taken over. He had a list of applicants and he was interviewing them all. This Pedro Pérez meant business!

I flew out to Montevideo for the weekend. It really was a city of football. I couldn’t wait to meet him.

Director Federico Menoni welcomed me to the club and said how pleased he was that I could attend today. Let’s get down to business. His opening gambit was my lack of experience – it concerned him. I puffed out my chest and said my reputation should speak volumes. I was entitled - I had won a cup! He then went on to push my buttons with all sorts of barbed questions. This was a test all right. They had also done their research. They knew I had lost the dressing room. I was at some pain to reassure them that I had since won it back. Dressing room atmosphere was obviously important to them so I said I’d learned from my mistake. With the interview now heading into the details of management, I guessed that it was drawing to a close. Budgets and visions clearly didn’t deter me at Olot so I wasn’t interested in them. You set the frame work and I’ll deliver accordingly. I was confident. For a while. I did not expect that I wouldn’t even get to meet the new president. Wasn't there another director? How many were they interviewing? And how many were being interviewed by president Pérez himself? I was running a fine line here. I spent a day and a night in the city torturing myself with it. I must have wanted this job. As I got back to my hotel, a message from Agustí was waiting for me. He had no idea that I’d been away and I wasn’t going to tell him. I called him back, asked for another week to think it over. He agreed. I couldn’t delay him a third time but I’d stick around to see Fénix play next week.

In important news I’d missed, Badalona had been relegated but Mallorca lost their play-off final. 

The wonderful purple seats in the open-air stadium were a world apart from our quaint red-roofed hovel. Fénix lined up with a deep 4-2-3-1 Wide against Atenas de San Carlos and bossed possession to begin with. As soon as the away side got it they hit the bar. Captain and goalkeeper Denis tipping it on the woodwork. After half an hour I was bored. Then out of nowhere a sumptuous through ball found the inside forward one-on-one. Saved. The confidence just isn’t there. Ten minutes before the half was out Atenas de San Carlos broke with the same move again and struck the post – Fénix were not tight at full back. The first half hour of the second half was a sorry affair with no chances created or shots taken. A triple substitution was made by the caretaker to force the issue but to no avail. Oh, to have been in a bar instead. At least I wouldn’t have been spotted by the press – how could they miss the pasty European! The crowd was barely above what I’d experienced at Olot but the stadium had 5 000 seats. I certainly felt that this was my level and I had a decision to make. I’d stay, Agustí.

President Pérez called me. But it wasn’t to offer me the job. He wanted to personally thank me for making the effort to attend. However, on this occasion while they were satisfied with my proposed vision (alarm bells started ringing), they didn’t feel that I was the right person for the job. It was the weirdest way of being told no. I’d made the right decision. Or made myself unobtainable and done myself out of a new club.

[Diego Imposta]

1 hour ago, tenthreeleader said:

Love the steady pace and style you've established. Good luck with wonderkids. I've never had much.

Thanks tenthree! I have loved writing it but I’m definitely going to need a break before attempting to make heroes out of these young guns. This pace just isn’t sustainable

[EvilDave]

Diego, I haven't commented before now which is a huge oversight on my part. The level of detail you've got going on here, the style of writing and the fact you've burned through an entire season already makes this an excellent read. I like that your manager seems to be torn between staying with the side that's given him a start and trying to make his way in the world, I love the chairman telling you not to play your hot prospect, and I particularly enjoyed you putting your centre-back on the wing in a pique of forgetfulness! By all means slow the pace down - you don't want to burn out and end up hating your own story - but do keep going, this is a great read.

[Diego Imposta]

14 minutes ago, EvilDave said:

Diego, I haven't commented before now which is a huge oversight on my part. The level of detail you've got going on here, the style of writing and the fact you've burned through an entire season already makes this an excellent read. I like that your manager seems to be torn between staying with the side that's given him a start and trying to make his way in the world, I love the chairman telling you not to play your hot prospect, and I particularly enjoyed you putting your centre-back on the wing in a pique of forgetfulness! By all means slow the pace down - you don't want to burn out and end up hating your own story - but do keep going, this is a great read.

Thanks EvilDave, very kind words. Sage advice, too - will wrap the year up and take a short break. The Carles Mas on the wing thing... so embarrassing I had to include it!

[Diego Imposta]

45.

I took a week’s holiday, authorised this time, to make it a year since I left civilian life. I was burnt out.

The week in Uruguay was on the sly at first, even though I wanted to be caught. At Olot we’d worked through the winter break in order to hit the ground running in my first games and while that did pay off, it took it out of me now. It was six months in a row of good, honest work but no sooner had I had a busman’s holiday a real one was needed. I wouldn’t go far this time. I still wanted to watch the rest of the World Cup on the channels I liked watching. Just a week in the Costa de la Luz – I knew it well.

Spain had been knocked out in the group stage – the tournament was strange but also exciting. The tough 0-0 against ten-man Uruguay was the writing on the wall. Germany had cruised past Australia 2-0 and Uruguay went one better in the early afternoon. Spain were so wasteful in a 1-2 defeat that evening against Germany but it didn’t matter. Uruguay still had to play Germany after we played the Australians and a decent swing would see us through. It never came, we laboured to a 1-1 draw, and even that was salvaged. Spain were out. Uruguay partied to a 1-3 reverse - Lopetegui will be sacked.

Both Portugal and Argentina finished runners-up and were undefeated in their groups. Brazil threw in the towel by going out in the second round, as did Colombia who lost the battle of South America in a tight game against Chile. Argentina needed penalties against the Germans after a thrilling 2-2 to avenge Spain, while Portugal were undone at the same stage. Chile and Uruguay would only go one further during my week off while Argentina secured a semi-final place. This was against Croatia who had been one of the many surprise packages. They were slaying Latin Americans for fun, first Brazil then Chile, and were the only team standing in the way of a feisty encounter between Argentineans and Italians in the final. Italy had earnt the right by putting Uruguay out in a 3-2 thriller. They were on a high after putting Portugal out in the previous round and had won all their games to get here.

In my absence, Rotchen returned to his press conference duties. He’d last manned one when Posse was dismissed but now he was welcoming my new signings, Vilanova and Acuña. He would soon tell me he believed the latter was not only a good player at our level already but was potentially our best player. His best attributes were his speed and technique. He could be very dangerous indeed…

Mallorca were sniffing around Masó. If they had won promotion I don’t think that would ever have happened. I was determined to make them putty our hands. An unfriendly Eurosport journalist got hold of me as soon as I returned. Of course I would consider selling him. I’d have the funds to bring back Toril – Ortega and Corominas had made it clear that I could no longer afford their services. We could do without the latter but the former would take some replacing. I called Toril. He was up for it.

No sooner had Mallorca put feelers out in the press about Masó than their interest was dropped. An alternative was picked up on a free. Now they’re interested in Bigas. Are they looking to unsettle us? Is this what big clubs do? We had a week before the players came back from holiday and we did not need to be messed around. I got on the phone our agents immediately. They’d feed us nine players between them that they didn’t sign to their agencies and we had one spot available in the squad. It was going to Toril right now but we were under no small pressure to sell – I’d need new alternatives.

The agents, when pressured, coughed up another seventy players who were out of contract. Trujillo, on a month-to-month deal at this point, would talk to each one to gauge their interest. Three of the players were already known to me and still without a club. It might have been more but I had lost all contact with José’s agent. Of the three, there was only one I wanted. I’d have to beat ten clubs to a deal. Carles Mas’ agent was going to work me hard, here. Engenue was interested but his agent did everything he could to get the best deal for his client. In the end I had to walk away. It was getting a bit obscene. By now the fixtures were out and as things so often turn out, we would be facing his old club on the opening day – Barcelona B away. Maybe he’ll be the one that got away, maybe he will be available again in six months. The biggest surprise of the week was the television money given to the club – Agustí offered me another ten percent on the wage budget! A quick scan through some match reports from my week off brought some great news for the division, too – Hospitalet were back and so were my route into Barcelona – Sant Andreu. They would be favourites for relegation, after just two years in the Tercera, despite a long and storied history mostly in the top half of the Division B3. They were also located in a 6 557 all-seater rebuilt in 2010 – they had the infrastructure I’d craved.

Croatia had dumped Argentina out of the World Cup and Italy had done the same to Japan. The odd tournament got odder still with Croatia crowned champions after a penalty shootout out in Moscow.

We had a few days to think about our approach to pre-season. The players would be back very soon. This Monday to be precise. Rotchen and I agreed that we would wait to see whether or not the men had looked after themselves before committing to a friendly match programme. There would be no shortage of clubs to play in Catalunya so these things were very lax and last minute. Fingers crossed.

Was I ready to push on with Olot? I guess the answer was that I was ready to push on by any means necessary. To do that here, I’d need to squeeze every last drop out of the squad. The only way to do it would be to take over every aspect of training. I’d have to marginalise Rotchen, my company man.

[Diego Imposta]

46.

The office chair was busted. Groaning and squeaking at every movement. Every hand gesture was an appeal from the welding, giving out hell but never giving up. This background thrum meant that you were in the manager’s office. Cigar smoke hanging in the air let you know that chairman Joan Agustí was here, too. It was untidy but he didn’t mind. You had a choice of two static seats in front of me – at one you could see me between a corridor of books and papers, the other might as well have been a confessional box. You looked to your counsel, they looked to me, I commanded, and they fed back.

But Agustí was sitting in my seat, feet upon my desk. This would irk me, naturally. Were it not for the low radio playing, me sitting in his blind spot with my feet up on that other chair, and a cigar also in my hand. Life was good. The players were parking up outside, Rotchen corralling the men pitch-side.

The accounts are unsalvageable, he’d say. But I’d have a little wiggle room. € 100 000 to spend. If, of course, I could get by on last year’s budget. Agustí would warn me that this comes with a caveat. The fans had just taken to José – he was their favourite – and they can only forgive you for letting him go if you bring in better. He’s with Ferrol now, Diego. Hot on the coattails of their play-off promotion up to Liga 1 2 3. He’s 35, Joan. That agent earns every last euro of his. Mind how I spend yours, I added.

Noting the gathered crowd now jostling with conversation I let the cigar rest, took two quick pulls of the bottled water, and was out the door. Agustí knew he was free to come and go and he pleased, so we never did do goodbyes. I imagined him ruminating over his backup plans, looting my mini-fridge.

Welcome back everyone, I hope you had a good break. And I hope you are ready to finish in the top half this season. Masó was the one to speak up. Is this his power move for the captaincy? We should be in for a great campaign and can definitely meet your targets if we all work hard. There were many nods in agreement but in the corner of my eye I could see that Simón had raised an eyebrow. There he was, arms defensively folded, wondering if he should speak up now or if it happens again. I saved him the bother and made the announcement there and then. Simón is our new captain, a promotion from vice-captain. The clause was for Masó. His reputation still hung in the balance for me. While he was an influential player like Blázquez, Carles Mas and Nacho Pérez, this also meant that he was one of the club’s marketable assets. Uri’s injury had dropped him out of that little clique but he was such a determined guy that I had him in mind as third in command. He’d be 32 soon and had half a career on these young upstarts. The two dressing room leaders were turning 35 this year and would not be going anywhere. Vidal has been a workhorse and earnt vice-captaincy – this was no farewell present.

With the chief scout and fitness coach on month-to-month deals, I’d instructed Agustí to make calls on their futures. And any other member of staff for that matter. An increase in workload meant that the chairman had to take up some of the slack. I can’t say Rotchen wasn’t disappointed to have such a large part of his day-to-day swept from under his feet but he understood. He got the training balls out and barked my new orders, secure in his role as enforcer. Enjoying it, even. A promotion of sorts.  

Brachi and Raset would be required to keep greater dialogue with me, the former regarding training and the latter with input on any transfers or contracts that needed addressing. Meetings would now be weekly rather than fortnightly, and the trickle down would mean that the scout will need to give me a report turnaround inside a week. The period of two weeks was necessary previously – we had to make sure we made the right calls in January - but these guys now need to work in a long market.

We had seventeen players on our books that would be 23 or over this season. One of them had to go and they all knew it. Yeray, Kike, and Moha had survived on part-time contracts last year. I’d demand their commitment this year. The reserve goalkeeper will get his chance in pre-season but surely he must realise that, barring an offer we can’t refuse for someone else, he leads the queue to the door.

We’d limit games to Girona province pre-season. Keep all my prized assets under wraps. Weeknights for amateur sides, weekends for contenders. September would be a long month indeed. Barcelona B away, Lleida Esportiu home, Hospitalet away for starters. All are from big cities with big reputations. The fans are a footnote in División B3; Zaragoza B and Saguntino at home in the following midweeks. Long trips to Hércules and Sabadell either side of the latter before a week’s break to start October. I used Rotchen as a sounding board. How many points we should be aiming for here? Nine, minimum.

Only a defender could expect to avoid relegation drawing every game 0-0! I am not dropping points to anyone that didn’t beat me, Rotchen. Barcelona B and Hospitalet are total unknowns so they get a free pass. But we aim for 15 from a possible 21. Help us do it and I’ll give you my seat at Cohiba club. ¡Culo! He laughed and threw some spare bibs in my face. He knew exactly what I was saying, though. A good start and I’d be gone. I had Agustí’s ear, my assistant was capable… we had a succession plan.

The players, to a man, were remarkably fit. Ball-work was their reward for taking care of themselves over the summer. We had seven weeks to prepare for Barcelona, I’d tell them. Seven weeks until it was men against boys. I want to see technical improvement from all of you. Their first touch comes from the classroom but yours has to come from hard work. Make the boys from La Masia question what makes them special. Get in their heads. Show them what killer instinct looks like. And remind them what makes a cup winner!

[SegundoVolante1]

Just caught up with this and brilliant work. Definitely trumping my puny contribution hahaha. I think I need to write more.

[Diego Imposta]

6 hours ago, SegundoVolante1 said:

Just caught up with this and brilliant work. Definitely trumping my puny contribution hahaha. I think I need to write more.

Thanks SV!

You’re doing just fine so don’t force it. Have fun with it. I knew for ages what I wanted to do and how I wanted to do it but now the new game mania has worn off post frequency will scale back

[Diego Imposta]

47.

Agustí was cut-throat. He binned the scout and fitness coach the next day. Matabosch, well, I could replace him and wasn’t happy with the squad fitness I inherited anyway but the scout was not here long. Posse had brought him in but didn’t even get to use his talents in the following window. I spent the whole evening going through Trujillo’s hundred or so scout reports and got the shortlist down to six. All were under 23 and schooled in decent academies. Time to find out who’s interested. Ádan’s task wasn’t hard - only one would talk and even at that he made it known he was courting everyone.

I let him go. We’d start again. For the time being I’d have to step in and help with any fitness training but it would do me good to get on the training pitch. I had set the tone by personalising routines for every man (the boys’ development was Freixa’s remit) so to be in their faces each day kept them on their toes with that too. The significant changes were to try and cope with the two biggest losses of the summer – central defence and central midfield. José and Ortega were good, if not great, players but now Barnils and Batchilly would have to drop back into defence. Both were promised a greater involvement in terms of status but they’d need to fill in where required. The same went for Guzmán even though he’d go back to being behind Masó in the pecking order for right wing. Now that I knew his skillset he’d fill in for Nacho Pérez on the left when required but Marc Mas would fight him for it.

Kike would be trialled more on his dominant left side this season and del Campo would be recalled to respective third cover at right wing. In an attempt to blur the lines between the first and second elevens that the previous manager had put in place, a few other statuses were discussed with the players. The only one to lose out was Masó who could no longer be considered a key player given his injuries and competition. Nacho Pérez, however, definitely was a key player now and joined Carles Mas in this promotion by virtue of their abilities above their positional rivals. How football changes!

Kike knocked on my office door the next morning. Or rather, Pedro the player liaison officer knocked on my office door. Kike followed him in and started well, saying he wasn’t happy with the amount of football he’d played last season. Great, I thought, seeing as I gave him the majority of his games here but no, he needed me to start picking him for the starting eleven. I do not get dictated to, I told him. I’m not going to guarantee you’ll be starting games but if you impress me from the bench, then I will have something to think about. He promised he wouldn’t let me down and bounded out the office.

Raset had his say on the matter – not that I asked for it – and said the player should be sold at once.

After one week in the job a number of players had complained to Brachi that they were unhappy at the standard of fitness drills I was giving. He was a good man to tell me but he needed to learn his lesson too – don’t cross the boss. Now they are his problem.

[Diego Imposta]

48.

The first half of our graduating light ball work fortnight yielded no injuries – just what we wanted. In a little over a week we would travel to FC Andorra for our first midweek game. They still had a squad full of internationals but were now drowning in the amateur Catalan league system. It wouldn’t be too far for us to travel and it may even yield a transfer prospect. Some men had now got to a peak gym fitness enjoyed by civilians but cardio was sorely missing and the game could not come sooner.

After guiding the men through new set piece routines for 4-2-3-1 Wide and 3-5-2 they were told that we’d be going for the latter in the first week. We’d expect to come up against first a 3-5-2 variant and then a 4-4-2 variant. Both systems had caused us problems when we had played one up front.

Brachi’s first weekly training report was interesting. He felt that the workload was too high on some of the players but overall it wasn’t high enough. I did not want to run the players until they were sick – fitness would come through playing games – and right now ball work was my number one priority. Where he was really earning his money is in the minutiae of player traits. He spotted that Gutiérrez would do well to bolt on one-twos into his game and I couldn’t agree more. There were some minor concerns over his passing and technique in general, but his first touch, speed, and anticipation were all there. The next man’s game he wanted to tweak was Acuña’s and again he took the words right out of my mouth. If we could get the young Argentinean running with the ball all the time, his speed and passing would cause all sorts of panic as he was a natural dribbler, a classic exciting number ten.

I was really impressed with the quality of applicants for the fitness coach role. One called me direct to say how impressed he was with the team he faced when among the bench of Villarreal B but I had to let him down. There was a candidate with huge international experience and I could not ignore it.

Alberto Berrocal was the current Libya national team fitness coach and had been doing the job for three years. He’s stayed with them through World Cup Qualifiers, an African Nations Championship, and now a Cup of Nations qualifying tournament which was their first chance of making the second phase of all three tournaments. So there was improvement and he had a part to play. What really struck me about him was his willingness to work abroad: stints in Hong Kong, Georgia, and Romania before returning home to Madrid, where he started out. With his extensive West African knowledge he would be a real boon for the club as he was also as competent a coach as he was a fitness guru.

Week three arrived and with no further injuries despite the uptick in intensity, Berrocal had a clean slate to work with on Monday morning. Some players had now complained to Brachi that they were unhappy with the extra work they were being made to do compared to last season. Well, last season we were getting relegated before I turned up. I appreciated the feedback but let’s just see what their limit is, shall we? I’m sure winning games will ease the pain.

[Diego Imposta]

49.

The squad for the games against FC Andorra and Palamós, the first of two Girona-province Tercera teams that I would face, would look a little makeshift. I hoped that the players would find it as fun as I did. Ginard would keep goal and Carles Mas would sit at the heart of a back three, flanked by the midfield duo of Barnils on the right and Batchilly on the left. Masó and Nacho Pérez would be given instruction to be defensive wingers, with Yeray and Vilanova attacking from the left and right of the middle. Simón would support. Up front, the long-awaited return of Uri would see him reprise a deep lying forward role looking to give Kike goals. It was largely a first team affair, with a mirrored bench.

Moha would get some game time and when things were looking particularly comfortable, one of my experiments would get a dusting off. Guzmán, capable at both full backs, would sit on the right of a back three with Bigas on the left. Blázquez would sit between them for a bit of positional authority.

The midfield and forward reserves would be martialled by the evergreen Vidal in the middle support slot. Giovanella would be to his right and Acuña to his left. del Campo and Marc Mas would be asked to see if they can manage a defensive game on the wings. We’d try a Toril and Gutiérrez partnership.

If the fitness coaches were blessed with quality, scout applicants were not. I went for a Barça man in the end. José Miguel Morales had a great reputation as a goalkeeper in this division, making nearly six hundred appearances for Terrassa, Sant Andreu, and Badalona, as well as being in the running for goalkeeper of the year awards to boot. I felt that his unknown quantity in a non-playing role - he had retired in the summer - had no bearing. His experience observing at defenders and strikers held up.

Andorra lined up in a 4-2-3-1 Wide formation. Typical. That’s what not having a scout does for you. I said to the players that they need to remember this is pre-season, so just relax and have some fun. If the first 15 minutes were anything to go, we would struggle to carve out chances this season. Shots were not hitting the target for either side but we had enjoyed two-thirds of possession. After half an hour, our new set pieces bore the first real move of note. Uri took a deep throw-in on the left which set Nacho Pérez free down the left. Masó got on the end of a ball hung at the far post and headed it in. It was as good as game over as we tallied eleven shots to their one by half time. For the second half I’d ask them to abandon their attempts to work a clear chance and be prepared to lose the ball.

Barnils nearly scored from a Simón corner and the game suddenly became more stretched. That man Nacho Pérez sent Uri free with a defence-splitting ball from his own half. He looked up but Kike was nowhere to be seen. He had to shoot but he’d already made the angle for the pass and shot straight at the goalkeeper. With ten minutes of the second half gone, Simón stood up a free kick for Batchilly to nod home. Two minutes later a silly giveaway from Vilanova led to panic at the back, specifically the goalscorer. He tripped the Andorra man for a penalty and presumably their first shot on target. Ginard saved it! An acrobatic reaction! With an hour gone I decided to change it around. del Campo and Marc Mas were on the wings and Vidal came on in the middle as captain. With nothing of real interest happening with a quarter of an hour to go, I got Guzmán and Bigas on in defence and let the strike team off the bench. We’d stop closing down so much now, conserve energy. The memo didn’t reach Marc Mas, who took a loose ball from his own box into the opposition half with five minutes left. He played a lovely knock for Gutiérrez who could only miscue from twenty metres. I could have done without Andorra scoring from a corner in the last minute as it gave credence to jeers about our largely complacent performance in the Pyranees. It gave them a zip in injury time and they nearly did equalise from a deep free kick. However, Vidal brought the ball out of danger. He played in Gutiérrez inside the Andorra half and, stung by his last contribution, fed a lovely ball over the top for Toril. He spun his man but the ball back into the box missed everyone. Yeray ventured wide to pick it up, and at the second attempt, found Vilanova in the box. He did want it at all. It got stuck underneath him and he frantically popped it one metre sideways to Toril who needed no invitation to piledrive it for 3-1 on the night. For a pre-season match, that was good. The press would bill it as total domination.

The next day I was rocked with the news that Rotchen had been offered a job in Argentina. He’d only been back in Spain for 18 months and a newly-promoted Primera B Nacional side, Atlanta, wanted an experienced man. He’d been an assistant in the Superliga for five years with four different clubs before ending up in Catalunya and I just had to get him to stay. I left a message with him that I would be lost without his input. After a rocky start we had a very good working relationship and were doing good things here. I simply couldn’t carry on without him. It was uncharacteristic for me to talk in this manner and I had to hang up. I didn’t hear back that night but I couldn’t call him again. I had already grieved for his loss by the time I sat behind my desk the next morning. He popped his head around the door. He was smiling. Don’t worry, I’m not going anywhere. The relief! I was speechless. I simply gestured toward the humidor and couldn’t contain my embarrassed smile. I’d offer him more than that over the next few days – a three-year deal with a management release clause. He had earned it.

Soon Morales was in the door and his first report was homework from the interview. I’d asked about Andorra, and there was big talk about the young goalkeeper they benched…

[Diego Imposta]

50.

The players who didn’t get a game last time got a start here, and it was probably last chance saloon for Moha as I’d offered Victor Silverio a two-week trial. If he turned his nose up at the non-league teams that were after his signature, then he would round out my 22 nicely for the four games to go.

A tasty match was developing at Palamós. Giovanella had the ‘keeper scrambling after ten minutes with a low drive from outside the box. A corner for the home side resulted in a penalty – apparently Barnils had pushed his man but who doesn’t? Moha didn’t dive. It was brave or stupid because the ball came straight at him and he let it slip through his fingers. I’m not sure he knew a lot about that.

A superb equaliser came after half an hour. Simon picked up a second ball headed deep from their own box, picked out Masó on the right of the box and watched in awe as he back-heeled it inside to Giovanella. The young midfielder gave it back and Masó picked out Nacho Pérez with his weaker foot at the far post, his header too strong for the keeper. This was a much, much more even affair today.

A terrible error from Acuña in the Palamós half led to their keeper punting the ball down field for a counter attack. The penalty scorer Medina held it up well and teased Blázquez out of position. The striker was clean through. Moha came half way to meet him, froze, and let the ball underneath him.

We would up the tempo in the second half and get the first choice strike force on. Uri and Kike were nowhere to be seen, a combination of a small injury to the former and out of position for the latter.

Five minutes later we had equalised. Masó beat his man, found Toril in the box, and looked on as the Olot bloodhound redirected the cross past the hapless goalkeeper. He’d beaten two men to the ball and was justifying his increased contract. After an hour I had to take Simón off due to a slight foot injury. The wingers had changed fifteen minutes before due to fatigue so I thought nothing of Carles Mas coming on and dropping a little deeper – this was obviously a tough game. Vidal would martial.

Five minutes from time I saw my second lightning strike in my time at Olot. The new throw-in setup led to Giovanella playing a ball back into the waiting arc of Marc Mas who absolutely leathered it in from outside the box. A volley as well! But it wasn’t enough. Consecutive mistakes from Vidal and then Barnils left Marc Mas no choice but to run back and slide it. He caught the ball well but saw in horror the ball falling to Medina’s feet. With Moha in goal he couldn’t miss. And it got worse. By now Barnils had such little faith in his goalkeeper’s first touch that he booted the ball into the middle of the park instead of rolling it back. The ball came to Medina who made a further fool of Moha for his hat-trick. Unbelievable. But we found an equaliser deep in injury time! Acuña lofting a ball up for Toril who expertly knocked it back for Gutiérrez to half-volley home for 4-4. What a comeback, lads!

Moha would be made available for loan immediately afterwards.

[Diego Imposta]

51.

Rotchen signed his new deal and Andorra accepted the trial offer for their young ‘keeper just at the time when Morales’ report on Palamós came in. I’d not noticed their left back having a particularly good time against Masó but Morales insisted I’d offer the 20-year-old Brazilian Jhoseppy a similar trial. His natural position was on the right and to be honest I could do with experimenting there. We had no real cover beyond Guzmán at full back and even for these two games I’d be crowbarring one.

With such little time to prepare for Banyoles, Morales couldn’t have picked a worse time to tell me that he’d expect them to deploy a 3-5-2 and not a 4-4-2 as I’d thought. Still, we would press ahead with what we’d practiced this week and go 4-2-3-1 Wide. Banyoles were another non-league team like Andorra and I guess at that level they found comfort in numbers at the back, playing wingbacks.

The second game was against another Tercera side, this time Figueres, which would hopefully not be a thriller like the one on the coast. Ginard would play both games if Silverio snubbed our offer and Moha would not get off the bench. Guzmán would take the newly attacking left back role with del Campo being used as an auxiliary right back because we were trying different things with other guys.

Barnils and Batchilly would start together at the back, protected by the deep-lying Vilanova on the left and Vidal taking the box to box role to the right. Giovanella would be trialled on the right wing, Acuña on the left. A big risk but one worth taking – I wouldn’t mind seeing their versatility at play.

Uri would sit in the hole after his dreadful showing up top and Toril would look for through balls. A reserve, or main, partnership ready for the Figueres game would be Kike tried in behind Gutiérrrez.

Masó would get a game at the back alongside Carles Mas, Blázquez and Bigas completing the set. My captain Simón would be joined in the double pivot by Yeray, Nacho Pérez would get a game on the right and Marc Mas on the left, cutting in. This would be a mirror of the formation used last season.

The Jhoseppy bid was rejected so I asked Morales to get me a second look at him. We could afford it.

Banyoles lined up with a tight 4-4-2 diamond and made fools of us all. I told the lads to play without pressure as today was all about fitness and performance. I had too many players out of position to expect Banyoles to roll over. We laboured in the first fifteen minutes and I had to remind them to play out from the back as they kept losing the ball. Acuña was the one to heed the instruction most, battling to stay on the ball he was given and popping it inside to Vidal who found Toril’s run. He did not make the most of the opportunity and blazed high and wide. Guzmán then showed remarkable grit to make and win a slide tackle in his own box, releasing Toril who used Uri’s dummy run to take on indecisive defenders and slot home. Leaving two men up from the freekick had worked wonders.

I wanted us to take a few more chances like this in the last part of the half and abandoned any need to get Toril into a shooting opportunity. It didn’t make any real difference so at halftime I said I was pleased but keep the ball – the chances the will come when you don’t expect it. A Barnils clearance from a corner saw Uri drive up the field, feed Toril and head wide for the return ball. He powered a low cross beyond the run of the defenders and Acuña was there to tap it in for his first goal for Olot.

Kike and Gutiérrez were on at the hour and I’d ask us to drop back. Ten minutes later Acuña popped a ball onto the head of the bloodhound, he helped it on to Giovanella who crossed it back in only for a terrible header from Gutiérrez to sail over the bar. He made up for it soon after, tucking a ball from the right into the net after good work from Vilanova to find the run of Giovanella. Both wingers had earned a rest and the game petered out soon after. 3-0 was a great result with this team selection.

After a falling out with Ginard, Moha would not get a game against Figueres in spite of us not getting a response from Silverio in time for the match. I’d tell the strong reverse side that I expected to win.

We thought Figueres would turn up with a 4-3-3 but instead their mimicked our formation, the only change a defensive midfielder for an attacking one. We bossed possession in the first quarter hour but could not break them down. Until Carles Mas went rogue, spotted the run of Gutierrez and spun a ball from back to front, and played a ball against all instruction. The bloodhound ran on to it and finished at the near post. In the second half we pull back and get a little bit more freedom into our play. We had to get Figueres to commit because they hadn’t even had a shot yet. Unfortunately this came at the cost of any expansive play from us before Nacho Pérez picked up a thigh strain from a particularly strong tackle. The wingers and tiring central midfielders would come off and we’d push higher up again. Acuña benefitted again, the ball glued to his feet and he zipped inside and pushed the ball into Gutiérrez’s path for 2-0 from outside the box. Vilanova the architect – the boy is home!

Uri and Toril were on for the last 15 and I implored the team to keep the ball. We were averaging a good 60% possession for the second game in a row and I was quite happy to promote Latin American blink and you’ll miss it tenacity. Five minutes from time an incredible weight-shifting Ginard save to stop an own goal was not enough to prevent a predatory goal from Figueres. The goalscorer Delgado should have made it 2-2 in injury time and after beating the offside trap – he fired agonisingly wide.

I didn’t think that was particularly good enough in the end and I calmly told them so. During the bus ride home I made sure they all could hear me review Raset’s scouting reports.

[Diego Imposta]

52.

We’d head back to the Pyranees for a midweek trip to La Jonquera and then on to our old friends at Perelada. Relegation had brought a clear out from parent club Girona and funds were cut back. It’s sad to see but this village team had sold themselves out to the highest bidder. We had not. I decided to throw Barça scouts off the scent by working on our 3-1-4-2 DM formation in these two games. It was a good chance to see Vilanova tried out in an even more withdrawn deep lying playmaker role.

Ginard would take the gloves and the second string was very similar to the first week’s 3-5-2 line-up. I had match fitness and fatigue to manage correctly with Barcelona in mind, and players who may be more unlikely to feature would get the later game against Perelada instead of La Jonquera. A top-up.

Barnils and Batchilly would be joined by Blázquez in the middle. Simón would sit in front as an unfit Yeray would be used in place of our vice-captain Vidal. He’d be joined by Giovanella with del Campo and Marc Mas on the wings. Kike and Gutiérrez got the nod up front. In reserve we had Moha, who would probably not get a game, Guzmán, Carles Mas, and Bigas. Vilanova would come on for Simón, Vidal for Yeray at the same time to keep captaincy continuity. Masó, Acuña, and Nacho Pérez were the midfield substitutes and Toril and Uri the strike partnership. The players were learning the brief.

A fortuitous opening goal surprised even Barnils who tapped it in from a double deflection after five minutes, only for the assistant to rule the defender offside from the corner. Fifteen minutes later the same man hit the crossbar and he was involved in the opener, a searching ball for the bloodhound to chase. Gutiérrez took the ball across the encroaching defenders begging them to trip him, and, from fully outside the box, side-footed it onto the crossbar. The ball bounced down. Then up. Then down and over the line before the defence caught up. It was sumptuous and the best finish I’d seen us get.

Kike fluffed his lines with a excellent chance to make it 2-0 on the half hour but he was growing into his role. Barnils again headed over from a corner before Kike again popped a header up and over for Gutiérrez to chase. He sent a rocket into the bottom left corner and he was blossoming – so I took him off at half time, along with Simón and Yeray. Uri, Vilanova, and vice Vidal were on in their stead.

Acuña and Toril were thrown on for the last half hour. I didn’t expect anything as the game had got a bit stale by this point but it was also a chance to wrap Giovanella and Kike in cotton wool ahead of the final scheduled friendly. I was still mulling over a further game before we matched Barcelona B.

With 15 minutes to go I got everyone else on but if ever I needed any more convincing about Moha, I got it. He let the ball slide past him but in truth Carles Mas was caught ball-watching. I needn’t have worried about the result as Vilanova played a beauty to dissect the entire La Jonquera team. While Toril looked a little rusty with his ball across to Uri, he found the right spot to receive the return ball and knock it in with his weaker foot. With the game ticking over into injury time, Uri again provided an easy goal for Toril. A defensive throw-in for the hosts broke down all too easily and in two passes the ball was in the net. It certainly woke La Jonquera and to my astonishment, Moha made two very good saves to keep the score-line looking like a thrashing when in truth it was much closer than that.

I wasn’t overly concerned but did make a point of telling the men I would expect more desire against Barcelona.

[Diego Imposta]

53.

Silverio was on board for the Perelada game. He’d get 90 minutes and leave just before we began our match preparation for the opening day of the season, provided no-one signed him up first. The game against Perelada would also open up the possibility of stealing one of their youth intake. They had three in the squad currently and our own under 19s were a man short of a league bench. It was arbitrary, of course, but it would be fitting to bookend the youth with one promoted from last year and one brought in this year. Before the game, María passed me a newspaper advert from SportPesa which gave the bookmaker’s odds for the División B3. Huesca, Barcelona B, Elche, and Hércules were pipped for the top four promotion playoff positions with Lleida Esportiu also in the chase. It seemed as though we had done enough to keep our heads above the water before a ball had been kicked. A total of five teams would struggle by some distance to stay in the division, say SportPesa, and one or two did surprise me. Newly-promoted Orihuela and Sant Andreu were predicted next to mid-table sides Ebro, Cornellá, and Ontinyent, who were expected to drop straight out of the football league.

On the way to Perelada, I made clear that my plans were to get those who didn’t start in midweek fit for Barcelona. Except for Uri who, at 31, was already there and I had no need to run him in to the ground given he had just missed four months through injury. Instead, Toril would be fed by Kike who was getting an extended run in and around the front line to get him into an attacking mindset for his early run of appearances from the bench. An interesting mirror would be Uri and Gutiérrez to come on late into the game – I don’t recall either playing together during their respective purple patches.

The surprise inclusion of ex-Barcelona youth and South Korean international Paik Seung-Ho up front nearly took my eye off their wingback formation, which caused us all sorts of possession problems in the first five minutes. It was difficult to break down. Eventually Nacho Pérez struck the outside of the post but it was clear we would be reliant of Kike’s height in the opposition penalty area. An excellent break from a Perelada freekick saw Vilanova release Gutiérrez who in turn pushed Masó to the line, he found his opposite winger at the far post and Nacho Pérez took a touch and nonchalantly poked the ball between the ‘keeper’s legs. 20 minutes in and I could let the air escape from the neck of my shirt. After half an hour we’d doubled the lead, Kike volleying in from a Toril cross totally against the run of play. We’d aim to play a more considered second half as we had the goals that had caught the defence off-guard. I gave a stern team talk asking for more goals and five minutes later Masó snuck a ball to the far post for Guzmán to toe in. Our set pieces really had been the difference in pre-season.

Barnils, Blázquez, and Batchilly were on for the last half hour – I wanted every defensive option fresh as I was still undecided how to tackle Barça or which personnel would get the chance to defend our goal. Everyone else got on for the last fifteen minutes. Perelada’s young Georgian midfielder was not having the best of games but he recovered and really impressed me in their late flurry. I decided to play the tough guy after the complacency shown by the second eleven and told the squad that I had nothing specific to say about their performance today. It took them all back down to earth. If they think I was going to praise a disjointed performance against a decimated worst team in the division, they had another thing coming. Work harder and you’ll get my praise. I made an official enquiry for under 21-capped 19-year-old Giorgi Kochorashvili.

[Diego Imposta]

54.

A frenetic fortnight before deadline day saw me abandon my recent calm approach. Firstly, Agustí wanted to discuss win bonuses for the squad. Given the state of our finances, which he had recently had to bail out another € 60 000 for, I asked him to keep it to the bare minimum of € 2 000 per head. At least that way he could justify the loss. We weren’t expected to compete for the title and to my surprise there was scant pay-out for the cups we were in. Girona would let Kochorashvili leave if we met his minimum fee release clause of € 75 000. He’d made a substitute appearance in La Liga and the same for their C team, below Perelada, in between getting six goals and assists for their under 19 squad over 20 appearances. There was no way I could load three quarters of our budget on that kind of risk, so I told them to forget it. After a couple of days I asked to take another of their players, this time on trial. José Ángel Conesa was brought to Girona through their annual youth intake and was a centreback by trade and could fill in at left and right back. He was 17 and already played the last few months of the season for the under 19s, making 12 appearances as the team finished 6th behind such academies as La Masia. He was inexplicably relegated to their third, non-league side and I acted fast.

Victor Silverio was offered a deal as for 21, he was a physical presence that Moha was not. At 192cm and with reach to match, his handling and reflexes matched the bravery and leadership qualities we saw in training. The only worry was that Ginard was starting to outgrow the ‘keeper coach Salavedra and it would be a disaster if he tried to force a move on deadline day because of it. Conesa arrived a day later and I’d look to our defensive specialist Rotchen to give me feedback after training. He was very quiet during the day and it worried me. I thought it was a case of if he had nothing good to say, he would say nothing at all. The kid was fit, strong, and got involved with the team from the off. It belied his 17 years. He was nearly as tall as Silverio. He was a little slow and his technique certainly wasn’t up to La Liga standard but I needed to be sure he’d be worth Agustí’s money. Well, Rotchen?

Diego, of all the players I’ve shared a training ground with, he may be the biggest prospect I’ve seen.

I marched to the office and got on the phone to Girona direct. Get me manager Juan Carlos Garrido. I told him we’ll buy out the lad’s contract. He said he couldn’t just give him away. I said I’d ask the chairman if he’d double the offer and I’d get back to him. The snake went to the press, saying that he rejected our offer and didn’t want to sell. Good players stay at Girona. Help them help us, he said.

Agustí agreed to fund the transfer and said I could go to four times the contract if I wanted but go easy. I rang Garrido again and eventually he relented but it took exactly what Agustí said – the old rogue must have been in touch with his counterpart! Raset arrived soon after and said he’d taken care of the contract offer as per his remit and we’ll know soon enough. It was if it was all planned.

I got in touch with the press myself and praised the Girona boss as a reasonable person that would listen to our ideas. Hopefully he could persuade the kid to sign for us. Egos like that need massaging. I was still learning the way of this world and I felt that there were many more pitfalls ahead. Trying to compete at the 11th hour was like being in an American sports draft.

[Diego Imposta]

55.

Silverio returned to Andorra for two reasons. He’d received a call-up to the full national team for the second time in a couple of months and he wanted to go home to prepare for his competitive debut. With that on his mind he still hadn’t signed the contract before he left. I had to tell him that we had no choice but to withdraw the offer with deadline day approaching. Batchilly was also called up for Gambia which was a nice reward for his season – hopefully he’d report back on potential transfers!

Deadline day. I’d barely had half a coffee when the phone rang that morning. A journalist. From that joe crowd again. Apparently there was speculation that Masó could be leaving. This was news to me. Not unwelcome, but news all the same. To who? I asked. Racing, he said. They had just promoted to Liga 1 2 3 via the play-offs but I poured cold water on that one – Masó’s entire career to date was in Catalunya and I certainly couldn’t see him trade it for Santander. I would listen to any offers, though.

All I could say was that if any interested party wants to come forward with a proposal, they’ll have to make it a very good one for us to sell. Nine o’clock and there’s a knock at the door. Here we go. Who wants to leave now? Bad news, boss. My head tilted up to meet the eyes of Raset. Girona surpassed our offer for Conesa and doubled his wages. That swine Garrido! Raset was back in again just over an hour later. I think Racing have taken the bait – check your email. You need to look this over. It’s big.

Offering us a friendly match made me snort, as did a quarter of the money being after 50 games but it was low-balling and I couldn’t take it personally. In total we were looking at € 135 000 for a player with a minimum fee release clause of € 650 000. What could I squeeze from a team who probably didn’t have the money associated with their division? I’d start with Masó’s contract. He’s the highest paid player we had so I’d be delighted to shift his € 10 500 per month – 10% of last year’s wage bill!

He signed a two-year deal when he came in from Llagostera so I’d want that back at the very least. A quarter of a million euros would be a phenomenal amount of money for the club. Agustí managed it remarkably well to not owe money to any banks but this was certainly not a vanity project. I felt like I owed him the best part of a million for the cash injections he’d had to make since I took over. Their second offer would need to be double their first. It was a bold move to make. They’d offer a bit more but tease an even larger sell-on clause. I removed it and the friendly offer from the negotiating table and asked for the same money as before. We’d also need a replacement first. This was serious now.

Immediately I made an enquiry for Jhoseppy only to be told that he’s not for sale at any price. This was some negotiating from the Tercera side and they were determined to rinse me for their Malaga youth prospect. He’d lost his way after five years in their academy without a league appearance. He had jumped to the La Liga side from Girona where he spent his formative teenage years. He was 20 now and a long way from his home in Brasília. I could nurture that talent – I was absolutely sure of it.

I’d offer them their money back. € 6 000 for the contract that they have already paid him, which had only ran a third of its 18-month deal. He was currently carrying an injury with a thigh strain from an appearance against Llagostera but it wouldn’t hold up either transfer deal. I wished Masó good luck. Welcome Jhoseppy!

[Diego Imposta]

56.

I could temper a modicum of whinging. I was still a rookie and a lot of these players had a standing in the game higher that I did. None more so than Simón, my captain. So it was with a weary sigh that as soon as Masó was gone he was in my office. This was not a conversation I wanted to have right now.

Simón at least had the decency to come to me first. He was on edge. He was disappointed that I felt it necessary to sell one of our key players. This rankled as Masó had already been told otherwise six weeks ago. It didn’t need to become a big issue just yet. Just yet. I began to think Simón was a little deluded regarding who was in control. I had to let Masó go for the good of his career, he’d outgrown us. Apparently I could have done a lot more to keep him here. I could have done a lot less too, don’t forget. There’s no way we could have got near the 50% pay rise Racing did – it was moot. Simón was told to forget about it, as the team came first and it was a lot bigger than any individual ever will be.

He didn’t get the hint. He wasn’t backing down, he said. You can’t just dismiss this. The situation was turning sour. I had no choice but to call him out on his professionalism. Get on with it and stop your moaning. He stood stock still. It dawned on him that he had a mortgage, bills to pay, and he quickly apologised. I wasn’t far off grounds to dismiss him and he was starting to realise that. As the next in line in terms of wages, he’d have to stay in my good books if he wanted a similar payday in January.

To show him that he wasn’t dead to me, I told him to introduce Jhoseppy to his new team mates on arrival. Let the kid settle in. He’ll never be Masó but right now we don’t how good this kid could be.

Garrido was still talking in the press. Praising my ambition in trying to sign Conesa. He’s making me look good for his own benefit, I thought. There was no way I was being drawn into comments when I just signed a different defender altogether. Details of the Masó deal had been leaked by now and it was common knowledge that we had got a good deal - € 60 000 in six months and the same amount after 30 league appearances. Barring injury we should get that before the season was out. Masó was given the number two shirt in Santander and Agustí paid me a visit just to tell me that the decision to sell him was an extremely good financial deal for the club - the fans didn’t agree but that was ok.

Silverio made a deadline day move to a non-league B team in Extremadura for more money than we were offering. That trip home was to get an agent. A tremendous waste of his talent. Corominas got his sickening fat contract down at Elche while Ortega was still without a club. If any of our over-23’s wanted to go on loan I’d be straight on the phone to him. There was a little talk of Giovanella getting a move but I hadn’t seen enough of him yet.

[Diego Imposta]

57.

It was difficult to select a squad of 18. We would play 4-2-3-1 Wide as Morales expected either the same or 4-4-2 from Barcelona. We may get some joy between the lines, and the position in the hole would be the hardest to choose. The back five largely picked itself – Barnils getting the nod ahead of Batchilly by virtue of playing on the right hand side of our main defender as part of a back three. We didn’t want to mess with passing lanes that the players were learning even though the Gambian had a stronger left foot than Carles Mas did. But I couldn’t drop him and play two midfielders in defence.

Simon and Yeray would start in the middle despite the latter’s serious fitness concerns. They shared such a partnership under me that I didn’t want to break it. The same went for Guzmán and Blázquez on the right hand side, so the winger’s fitness wasn’t too much of a concern. Nacho Pérez and Bigas picked themselves on the left flank and the centre forward position was Gutiérrez’s to lose to Toril.

The stage was set for Acuña’s debut so I had to start him. Away from home, no pressure, and no-one looking at the number ten who isn’t playing for Barcelona. Joining Batchilly and Toril on the bench would be vice-captain Vidal, Simón replacement-in-waiting Vilanova, another attacking midfielder in Giovanella, game-time wanting Kike, and the long-awaited return of Uri to our competitive squad.

We did not expect 4-2-4 Wide. The first five minutes passed without incident but we started to lose the battle for possession. Acuña picked up a knock and I let him see out the first fifteen to see if he could recover – I wasn’t about to write off his debut just yet. Kaptoum powered a header over the goal from a corner and I found myself ordering multiple minor changes to the players. If Carles Mas and Bigas could just stop getting so close to their man we’d be ok. Get tight on Kaptoum at corners. Close down the striker for god’s sake. Ginard! Feed Simón not Gutiérrez! Keep it compact. Squeeze!

We’d made it to half an hour without either team able to ask questions of the other. We retreated another ten metres just to stave off any threat before making a go of it before half time. A stupid booking from Blázquez gave indication that the Barcelona fullbacks were getting involved with the space we had let them come into. We’d abandon an effort to work our chances - exploit that space.

A well-worked corner routine for the hosts saw the ball come out to Carles Pérez who forced Ginard into a wonderful save from outside the box. They were turning the screw. Nacho Pérez got booked before the half was out and we’d have a tough second half on hour hands. I told the men to dig in, give everything, and make sure we deserve to win the match. We’d be a little more flexible coming out of the blocks and we’d see where it takes us. Acuña would stay on until I felt he had nothing left.

Fifty minutes in and we had a central freekick. Simón curled it up and over the wall and into the net. That’s it! The reins were off. We’d go for two. Our possession increased but the legs were starting to tire. Around the hour mark I took off our young Latin American and threw on Vilanova for his debut. He’d not played in the hole for me during pre-season but I felt he could handle it. Nacho Pérez was having a poor game by his standards and started tallying the fouls. Kike, as promised, would get a go.

The game was starting to open up a bit more and so we would revert to tightening up. A corner from Simón was headed straight at the ‘keeper by Mas and we struggled to deal with the counter upfield. Aleña, a player I had struggled to contain in the middle of the park, found himself free on the right of the box. He crossed low for Diego to knock it out of Ginard’s reach into the corner but no! He got it! He saved it! Blázquez hoofed it clear. Two minutes later they were in and around our area again. The effervescent Kaptoum made a slide-rule pass past the deep defence and into the path of Aleña who somehow managed to tuck it wide with no-one near him. His new position on the right flank was a real problem for us, as was Carles Pérez on the left. Kike by comparison was looking nervous indeed.

With ten minutes to go I felt Barcelona had shaded the game despite our statistical dominance. We would push higher, just like we started. These academy kids had the legs on us either way. If ever I had a need for a bit of energy it was now. Yeray was off and Batchilly was on. Five minutes left and Vilanova wasted a cross-field ball over the top looking for Guzmán. They just moved the ball front to back with such ease and thankfully we martialled them out to the wing. Again it came back to in front of our box, back in to Aleña, and he wasn’t going to miss this time. It was an incredible move.

In the 95th minute a searching punt upfield from their defence, after a bout of keep-ball at the back, found their number ten clean through. His name was Diego. I’d blocked it out of my mind all game.

He shaped to shoot across the body of Ginard and he got the strongest wrist to it I have seen from him, parrying the ball wide on Diego’s side. Incredible. We’d earnt our point but not deserved three.

We were lucky – with the last kick of the game Diego volleyed the corner over the bar. But we had also been unlucky to concede when the fitness just wasn’t comparable to proper, academy players.

Acuña would be out for up to four weeks but I had faith in Albors to get him back sooner. A silly spat with Simón after the game marred my recently-mended relationship with him and we were back to square one. I tried to praise him for his man of the match performance and he kept picking faults in his game. Ironic seeing as he was the most passionate reaction to my team talks in Barcelona. This guy would make me age just talking to him. Yet watching him play gave me youth!

[Diego Imposta]

58.

Lleida Esportiu at home was something of a watermark for my nascent career. They were our very first opponent in the second round of the cup last year. We won 1-0 thanks to a goal from Uri and I wish I had him back to full fitness for this tie. As it was he was on the bench again, the only enforced changes were Vilanova in for Acuña and Moha on the bench for the still-travelling Batchilly. One day before the game, Moha and Vidal picked up minor injuries so as a precaution I would replace them with del Campo and Marc Mas. Jhoseppy would get a place on the bench thanks to Vilanova’s start.

It didn’t start well – a lot of momentum was coming from quick Lleida attacks. Their physical striker Joel, similar to last year’s Nierga, came deep to spin a curling effort just over the bar on two minutes.

We managed to hold on to the ball a touch better but could not respond to the growing tally of shots from the opponent in the first twenty minutes. A terrible ball from Nacho Pérez back inside to Simón saw us caught out in their half. Joel kept the ball moving with a canny switch to the other flank. This forced Blázquez to commit but it released an overlapping left winger to cross in to Joel, no Olot man near him, who powered it in. Five minutes after that, a break from our free kick saw the exact right to left move unfold where Lleida managed to get four men into our box before we could. Joel hit the volley over the bar. Once the game settled, Lleida dug in and chased us down each and every ball.

Last year’s tormentor Javi López harried a ball through to Molina who had taken the channel as his own all the way from central midfield and tucked it underneath Ginard for two nil with ten minutes left. We were far too slow with decisions and often found ourselves outnumbered trying to attack.

A long punt up field found Javi López in the hole. He chipped a ball for Joel who, one-on-one from a little shy of ten metres, found in Ginard a point-blank expert who pushed his shot away. Such relief.

We should have been 4-0 down at the break. Vilanova did so well to get on the end of a cross deep in injury time but it was our sole attack and I was furious. It got the reaction that I wanted from all but Gutiérrez, who would be asked to lead the line more aggressively. Nacho Pérez would be asked to stop coming inside and we would go back to hitting them on the counter. Bigas would sit deeper.

Five minutes in and still no troubling their back line. I had to get Simón to abandon his defensive role and it gave us the lion’s share of the ball. We’d look to slow things down, get Gutiérrez into deeper positions and overload. We were having shots later but the bloodhound cut a frustrated figure. We just needed to be more fluid and I felt Kike had earnt the right to give us a supporting role up front.

He struggled just as much as anyone out there and even a reckless double substitution by me could not inject anything into the game. We finished the game with Blázquez and Bigas bombing forward with fresh legs del Campo and Marc Mas cutting in from the wings to no avail. We were in control but had no way through the deep banks of four Lleida set out for us. For the first time in my career I was not able to influence a football match. I wasn’t sure whether it was fitness or something more underhand. I elected to tell the team how unlucky they were. Lleida barely threatened in the second period and any manager will tell a beaten team to try and win the second half. But we couldn’t even manage to do that.

[Diego Imposta]

59.

Hospitalet away. The tricky trio to open the season culminated in us needing a win to stay on course for my bold aim of 15 points from 21 games. Kike was dropped from the bench after two ineffective displays, Vidal regaining his place. I had planned to drop Gutiérrez who had two poor games in a row to open the season but he and Vilanova had been the only players to train well since the Lleida rot.

The first-choice eleven was now match fit and with Zaragoza B in midweek, I’d give Batchilly another game out to recover from the mental drain of losing both games he played for his country. The men were getting concerned about training but I had a plan and I was sticking to it. I was happy building on an easy ball work pre-season with hard fitness, slowly decreasing while the games went from just one per week to two. They’d thank me for it later. What I could then decide is if the extra training I dished out could then be scaled back or not. I’d see who was a professional sooner rather than later.

I really needed to see what our results were each time Agustí called about cash injections. It’s before a match every time. As if to heap pressure on me in a passive-aggressive way. These entrepreneurs…

It felt good to kick off under the watchful eye of apartment blocks. This was a city that was lived in. I felt even better as we set about the first minute in muscular fashion. I expected the win and my four main partnerships set their stall out; Nacho Pérez and Bigas on the left, Guzmán and Blázquez on the right, Simón and Yeray in the middle, and now Carles Mas and Barnils had blossomed understanding.

Out of nowhere Blázquez spotted the run of Gutiérrez and the bloodhound was away. He took a soft touch and curled the ball wide from outside the area on four minutes. He’d had his first sniff of goal.

A deep free kick broke the deadlock. Their sole centre-forward Carreño fluffed his line at the far post and the ball rebounded off Bigas straight back into his path one metre out. His skewed shot then hit the post and went in much to his own surprise. Half an hour in and Hospitalet were heading for their first three points. Perhaps the wrath of their manager was in the Olot players’ mind. They equalised immediately. Simón cleaned up after a goalmouth scramble and fed the ball back into the box. That man Nacho Pérez exchanged passes with the still-forward Carles Mas and side-footed it into the net.

Laurels were rested on as two minutes later Hospitalet were ahead – another free-kick routine and another man lost. A poor performance was fast turning into a shocking one. With no improvement from Vilanova after five minutes of the first half, he was off. The experiment of him being played in the hole was over. Giovanella was on to impress – he had Acuña back any game now and needed to.

His first few touches and passes were diabolical but after 15 minutes he grew into the game. It really didn’t matter. A triple deflection from a corner sent them two goals clear and the game was over. At this point, 20 minutes remaining, I decided to give the bench wingers some more game time for their fitness. From kick-off we lost the ball very quickly and Ginard had to be at his very best to stop a real ankle-breaker of a deflected shot from going in. Just when I thought things were conspiring against us Gutiérrez got on the end of a Bigas cross following good work from Marc Mas down the left flank.

It was a token gesture as we missed chance after chance from set pieces. We’ve really struggled to carve teams open this season. Rotchen agreed that we should persevere with the formation, maybe just the roles within it needed tweaking to remove these unforced errors.

[Diego Imposta]

60.

I hadn’t lost games back-to-back before. To have a game so soon afterwards was a gift. When I asked my trusty assistant where we were going wrong, he did not disappoint. It’s the basics, Diego. It hurts to be told that but I needed it. You try and play this expansive football with players that aren’t good enough. That’s why we’re in División B3 and not La Liga. Give the back four defensive duties and for the love of God go back to playing two wingers. He was right, of course. We chewed the fat over any personnel changes we needed to make and decided that we’d make four for the visit of Zaragoza B.

In comes Batchilly to give us some energy on the left hand side of the double pivot. It would release Simón to push further forward with his playmaking role. Yeray would be pushed into the hole off the back of good performances in the middle of the park. He’d be the fourth person I’d try there already this season. Vilanova and Gutiérrez would be dropped from the squad entirely and Toril would lead the line as a jack-of-all-trades target man for our wingers or Yeray’s advanced playmaker in behind.

del Campo and Marc Mas would earn a start as we had one eye on a trip to Hércules at the weekend which would undoubtedly call for our first-choice eleven. Kike would get another spot on the bench.

I couldn’t be too dismissive of Zaragoza B as they still had good academy training, even if the 4-1-4-1 DM formation was limiting their expression. Defenders and goalkeepers were their best assets but I had to be weary of the long balls over the top which caused us all sorts of trouble last time out. They had a man up top who’s entire job was to wait for an opportunity. Surely my defenders could cope?

Rotchen would give the pre-match tactical briefing as it was his opinions that I was running on today. He also took it upon himself before the game to tell the players in the dressing room that they had to end this poor run of form now. I as glad of the bad cop routine but we started the game very poor and kept on conceding corners. We were behind from one after just ten minutes, a weak clearance and a scrappy game of head tennis leading to the opener. I wasn’t prepared to make changes and I am glad I didn’t. Yeray took the game by the scruff of the neck, gave Toril a delicious ball to run on to and he side-footed it into the bottom corner from just inside the box. Now that is a confident scorer.

To stop Zaragoza getting in behind we pulled back – if they wanted the win they would have to come out and this would play right into our hands. It didn’t take long for del Campo to finally make a name for himself at Olot and he showed excellent pace and vision to play Toril through who shot just wide.

Even Barnils was getting in on the shooting action, firing a daisy-cutter wide from outside the box. It was clear that we were in the ascendency. In addition to abandoning a slow build-up, at ten minutes to go we asked them to stop pressing. It seemed counter-intuitive but we’d pick any balls off easier.

Half-time came and cautiously I praised the squad. We had done well to get back into the game and were now the better team. If we could just create a clear chance we had the game sewn up. I asked the team to be more fluid with their overlaps as it would give us just that little bit more of creativity.

I brought on Uri for his intelligence and his impact was immediate, touching passes on for his young mates and generally being a nuisance. As everyone started to tire, I brought on Jhoseppy for a debut in the heart of defence. Zaragoza hadn’t been in our half for so long but we just couldn’t break them down. Barnils was shattered and making all sorts of mistakes. We were in total control, working hard to get opportunities but the ball just wouldn’t drop into the net. Vidal came on for Batchilly in what I saw as a desperate attempt to get runners from deep with ten minutes to go. I could not afford it to backfire. There just wasn’t enough room for us to make any kind of impact on that robust blockade.

It was disappointing but I was pleased. We’d turned a corner after conceding and never looked like a team about to lose. Four games without a win was now my personal record but it didn’t feel terrible.

I wasn’t entirely sure what Vidal could offer me right now in a position that I was well-stocked in. An early return for Acuña got him the vice-captains bench spot and this time. I also had to keep a closer eye on Vidal’s automatic contract extension if I gave him another nine appearances. I pulled Toril to one side and asked him to play more of a poacher’s role against what looked an out-of-sorts defence down at Hércules. We were slipping down the order of the highlight reels and although no manager looks at the league table this early, television shows were a barometer of how our quality was going.

Hércules were one of the teams that we blew away in our stunning end of season run but we twice had to come from behind. There was a real concern their physical, defensive side would keep us out all day. del Campo and Marc Mas were very unlucky to not retain their starting spots but I would try and get them on later in the game as a reward for their good work. Kike would again be asking for an appearance off the bench, as would the returning Acuña. These were only good headaches to have if the rest of the team was performing. For me it was like putting out fires with three buckets of water.

Rotchen wanted us to be structured, disciplined, and to stick the boot in wherever possible. I liked it. We were not a scary team to play against in terms of personality so our most aggressive seemed like everyone else’s normal. We would also stop trying to press teams so hard. We were pretty tired now and after Saguntino at home in midweek, we had to travel to Sabadell, our fifth game in fifteen days.

[Diego Imposta]

61.

I did not like their 4-2-3-1 DM Wide. It restricted them as much as it did us. This was to be a war of attrition. It took us a few minutes to realise that we had better play out from the back, as this would completely take their wingers and striker out of the game. If we could be patient we could unlock it.

All of a sudden things became very stale and Hércules broke away and very nearly planted a header in from a cross. I reprimanded the team from the side-line. Tighten up! Bigas collected a yellow card despite us being kicked to pieces out there ourselves. I begged the wingers to give us running routes.

Carles Mas was the next one in the book yet every time we tried to play football we got clattered. I wasn’t one to think how a referee could change the outcome but this match was in the balance and something small like that was going to decide it. And so it came to pass, Yeray turning his man inside out and playing a superb ball into the arced run of Nacho Pérez who shot with such pent-up anger he caused the ‘keeper to be caught unaware. 1-0. We’d taken the lead for the first time this season and it felt incredible. Yeray was pulling the strings now and Toril was unlucky not to find the net minutes later. I had a bold idea and went for it. Both wingers would now cut inside and look for the same run that got us the first goal. We could overload the two defensive midfielders who were struggling with our three men in the middle as it was. The discipline was coming apart at the seams for both sides – it was tense, end to end stuff. The inverted winger experiment hadn’t worked and Toril had ended up getting isolated. At half time I told him to hold up the ball and look for flick-ons to the wingers.

As we started the second half, the olés were ringing out once more. It had been months since I had heard them. Our tails were up. Yeray had been the best player on the park so I urged him forward. I knew he could bring a bit of guile to the opposition but Toril just wasn’t on the same wavelengths.

A second booking in quick succession for Hércules showed their defence up for how tired it was. I’d turn the screw and get two or three wingers on soon enough, possibly Kike up front. Instead I went with my gut and got Uri on in a poaching role, Yeray back to his playmaking best. A stern telling off for Barnils meant I was just getting Jhoseppy ready for another appearance at centre back but Bigas decided to get a second yellow, needlessly, and rip up our plans. The Brazilian youngster would have to wait. Guzmán reverted to left back, Simón was pushed wide right and Yeray into the double-pivot. I did away with an attacking midfielder and asked Uri to play a deep-lying forward role. We had to be very good value and we were. Uri’s experience in picking the right pass eventually saw the ball come back to him over the top from Yeray and he shot just wide with twenty minutes to go. I couldn’t just jettison Simón so I gave him back to midfield. Batchilly made way, as did Nacho Pérez, and we went for it with del Campo and Marc Mas asked to terrorise the opposition fullbacks. The lustre lasted all of one minute as Carles Mas got himself sent off for only his second foul of the afternoon. Disgrace.

The last roll of the dice was to drop deeper and swap del Campo and Marc Mas around, asking them to come inside on their stronger foot and go for goal themselves. Simón picked up a booking at the back so I would ask him to change position for a fourth time. del Campo would get another chance to show us his skills at right back and Marc Mas would again go wide left. I was making it up on the fly. It was not a successful way to manage and we sure missed Ortega. A booking for Barnils and the game was turning into a farce – more than thirty fouls had been committed between the teams. As we ticked into the last three minutes I shouted praise of the performance. It stirred something in us.

They scored in the 93rd minute. Isn’t always the way? We won the ball back from their throw-in and Marc Mas turned to play the ball to a man that wasn’t there: Uri. They intercepted it and tucked two passes into my box and volleyed it home. The lads had proved a lot of people wrong today but they really shouldn’t have let their heads go. The game belonged to the referee and I would know what to expect from him next time. Morale was very difficult to manage after five games without a win so I’d no real choice but to praise their performance. I exchanged knowing glances with Rotchen; we both knew that we were in deep trouble. When deflections and referees and recalcitrant players are all you are talking about instead of the football, you can bet you are in for a long hard slog of a season.

The one thing I can influence on that front is the players. After the Saguntino and Sabadell games I’d have the first formal meeting of the season with Agustí. To be fair to him he’s not raised an eyebrow with me and at least let the staff get on with managing the team. I was reticent to kowtow to all the players that were moaning about training workload as they were fitter than their rivals right now. I had been vindicated in my approach but it had come at the cost of results. They’d have to hang on in there for one more week. In the back of my mind, I had considered resigning if we didn’t get a result.

Jhoseppy would get his first start at left back, Batchilly at left centre back. It was a dangerous combo but I had little choice. Guzmán and Nacho Pérez would drop to the bench and del Campo and Marc Mas would again get a start at home. Vilanova and Gutiérrez would be called back to the bench in place of the suspended duo. Acuña was recalled to the hole and Yeray would drop into the double pivot.

[Diego Imposta]

62.

Inside three minutes a flick-on from Toril sent Acuña through and he forced asave with a half-volley. We were playing with three playmakers in the middle and at times the opening exchanges seemed so determined and incisive. Batchilly played in Marc Mas who pinged a beautiful cross-field ball into the path of del Campo in space. He drove at goal and could see Toril on unmarked and inside but his first touch just gave the ‘keeper enough time to get his feet in order and produce a fine diving save.

A clinical counter-attack from Saguntino gave them the lead after twelve minutes, our playmakers over playing and leaving the visibly nervous Acuña to trip over his own feet and lose the ball. A great move from del Campo on the right wing saw Toril ready to knock the ball in at the near post but for a flying tackle from a centre back diverting the goal-bound attempt into the side netting. Now with our wing dominance I would tweak the playmaker roles so that we wouldn’t get caught on the break. I was sure that this game was still winnable. Finally a bit of luck went out way. del Campo – like a new signing, to use an old cliché – went down easily in the box and we got our first penalty of the season.

Marc Mas doesn’t miss penalties. They picked up two bookings for the protests so we’d spun a trio of sevens as far as I was concerned. How wrong I was. Saguntino forged an opening barely a minute into the second half and took the lead. We were all at sea. Giovanella may as well come on, he could only be described as distraught at losing his place to our nervous Argentinean. With no improvement as the game had twenty minutes to go, I turned to the bench and saw the future of Olot. I got them on – Gutiérrez and Vilanova – and asked us to play just like we did last season. Yeray was the unlucky midfielder to make way so that I could sit master and pupil next to each other in the double-pivot, Simón taking a slightly more defensive role in the hope that Blázquez, now on a booking, would get forward. The change was miraculous and Giovanella should have scored after two through balls in a row from Gutiérrez and then Marc Mas. Saguntino managed to win a corner from ours and I had the young Jhoseppy to thank for nothing more coming from either the break or the resulting cross. Marc Mas then struck the underside of the crossbar with ten minutes to go and I think that was the game.

We had maybe four chances to score between the last few minutes and injury time. It was hard to watch and we looked a shadow of the side that finished every chance going at the end of last season but right at the death we equalised. del Campo made mincemeat of his man in a fifty-fifty challenge, took the ball to byline and found Gutiérrez peeling away at the far post. The fans would later gush at the rollercoaster of emotions and how exciting it was that we were improving week by week! I didn’t feel that way at all and after two good months I was ready to leave again. We finish games so much fitter we just had to start killing games fast. Or else.

[Diego Imposta]

63.

I wasn’t going to look at the table this early in the season – no wins meant no good. That’s all there was to it. Rotchen, ever the conservative, advised that we treat the Sabadell game as one-off, a cup tie. We’d get stuck in, be disciplined in possession, and only chase the ball when we had to. Let’s be hard to beat. Back to basics. He was pleased with the preparation but was keen to point out that if we did go ahead with a switch to three at the back after this game, we’d be ready for that too. Good man, I thought. We’d pick the team on the morning of the game, after telling them that the training workload would be reduced – they’d have no time to kiss ass. The two biggest casualties from the formation change would be fullbacks Blázquez, Bigas, and Jhoseppy. They’d have to earn any games.

We would leave the kids at home this weekend. Simón and Barnils looked tired it training so they’d sit on the bench. I still needed a captain and a defender so Vidal came into attacking midfield, with Batchilly joined by Carles Mas to the right of the pairing. Acuña and Jhoseppy would therefore miss out, with the latter also tired, as would Giovanella. His role was taken by the vice-captain. Gutiérrez would be kept as our striker in light of his heroics last time out and Bigas would be recalled after his suspension. Vilanova would take Simón’s place for the fifth and final change – the most I have made.

Rotchen took the team talk and relaxed a few of the bit-part players. We were underdogs, despite winning here 4-2 late last season, and as I shook hands with my opposite number it felt like it could be the end. Carles Mas dealt with the first foray forward by sticking it into the stands. Good, Rotchen will love that. We were awake from kick-off. Sabadell had an extraordinary amount of the ball in the first few minutes but with two deep defensive midfielders we were happy to watch them play. It was doing us no harm but we may as well use that and play out from the back when we did get the ball.

The first chance of the afternoon came from our freekick. The ball rebounded nicely for Sabadell, a typical counter attack which showed Bigas was still not afraid of sliding challenges in his own box nor was Ginard going to be beaten at his near post. From the corner we just about got away with it safe.

We were doing a pretty rotten job of keeping the ball and inadvertently feeding the quick frontman and his two deep wingers. The entire team was instructed to keep the ball at all costs and look out for just these three opposing players – everyone else was far too deep to be involved for Sabadell.

For a while it was working but we were getting serious bottlenecks being so disciplined with passes. Something had to give before we fell behind and Sabadell really clammed up. They were shooting at range which suited us fine for sooner or later someone would find their range. Just like that tactics changed – the home side were standing off us and pumping balls up to the front two. Vidal showed all of his years’ experience and telegraphed a second ball from outside his box all the way through to the Olot bloodhound with thirty metres to run into. He took one touch and leathered it wide from outside box. An unbelievable lack of composure from Gutiérrez. Vidal was everywhere after that, a real captain performance. But he couldn’t prevent a bout of head tennis inside our box. Vilanova had missed his defensive header and no-one seemed to be able to deal with the crosses into the box. A trip from Batchilly secured a penalty for the home side in front of our fans. They scored; we’re toast.

We finished the half chasing every ball but beyond Vilanova and Vidal, there were some very tepid performances out there. Rotchen’s calming presence steered the team talk and we were back out with a will to win. Marc Mas, del Campo, and Gutiérrez had five minutes to avoid being substituted.

A slight injury to Gutiérrez made up my mind and Uri was on. On the hour we’d go for broke and get both first-choice wingers on. We were so much fitter than our counterparts we just had to get going.

Closing down and countering was our only option now but it left us open to exactly the same from Sabadell. We’d have to pull back as we were not snatching at half-chances. Any special instruction was simplified – just get the ball moving. The time for poaching and playmaking was over. Bigas did what Bigas does and gave away another penalty with fifteen minutes to go. It wasn’t even a chance.

A wayward freekick from outside the box by Vidal just about summed up our night. Not a single shot on target. Arthuro got his hat-trick after a long through ball gave him every invite to do so. They then hit the bar in injury time and I wanted the ground to swallow me. We had no answer to any of it. The players switched off when Rotchen spoke at full time and they looked far from inspired. The miracle begins tomorrow, I thought, and set about hatching an exit plan. Either I’d leave with whatever small reputation I had or we’d kick on and beat this. I called everyone, Agustí too, in on Monday morning.

I was open and honest with them. Things hadn’t been going our way but there was too much talk of being unlucky. We’ve got to change our fortunes. I carry the can for that and that’s why we’re never playing four at the back again. I came here with a revolution in mind. To revolutionise División B3 as well as Spain. This part of the world is famous for fighting the good fight and we must now fight once more. You need to buck your ideas up and need to do it now. You are lucky only in the sense that we have three other teams without a win this season. Today is the second first day of my time at Olot. I want a win next week as we’re only three points off safety. Think big and we’re nine off promotion...

Rotchen and I travelled to Huesca in midweek to see promoted Eldense dominate the league leaders but lose one nil.

[Diego Imposta]

64.

Vidal had defused a murmur of discontent for me from Moha about playing time. The young ‘keeper was awful but Ginard needed a message – I would take a substitute for the first time this season. The rest of the squad was gone over again and again with Rotchen. Who do we play at the back? Carles Mas was nailed on. The obvious solution was Barnils one side and Batchilly the other but how would influential Blázquez react to that? No, the retrained midfielders would have to duke it out, especially as one might be needed to sit in front of the back three depending on the formation we chose. So, a shoe-in for Blázquez on the right, with Carles Mas left, and one defensive midfielder sat in between.

If ever there was a man to keep things ticking over it was Simón. He’d have four midfielders to aim at and it would look a little different without Ortega in there. Instead, our best performer last time out Vilanova would get the supporting role. Familiar faces Yeray, Nacho Pérez, and Guzmán would take a starting position. As would the new strike partnership of Gutiérrez and Toril. Today’s the day.

We lost their towering centre forward Haberkorn inside the first few minutes and he should have a goal to his name but Ginard caught the tame header. Barnils was asked to man-mark him – I wasn’t sure I needed to before the game but here we are. The game was fifteen minutes old and still not another shot had been taken by either team. This gave me confidence, as we couldn’t get any worse.

With a quarter of the game gone, three players were carrying knocks. Toril, Gutiérrez, and Yeray was the Olot attack in its entirety so I would be forced into changes at the break. For now, we went for it.

Yeray had done his ribs so he had to come off sooner than planned. Acuña was the beneficiary but this was exactly the kind of game I didn’t want him in. We were only just building him back up again after his false start on the opening day. We didn’t look good but we looked no worse than them. But then Guzmán went down holding his knee and it was effectively game over. He could barely hobble so young Kike was on in his stead. Two substitutes used before the half was out. So much for tactics.

A good spell winning second balls for once saw Kike released down the right where he cut back to the edge of the area for Acuña to force a smart save. As the half wore on it was clear that Gutiérrez would have to come off at half time. In spite of this we were pushing for the goal. This carried on in the second half with Toril clocking the crossbar after good work through Kike, Acuña, and then Uri.

An incredibly poor fumble from Ginard had given Eldense the lead until the referee blew his whistle to indicate offside. With the blood draining from us Toril and Acuña were the life behind our eyes.

Maybe a big man little man partnership was what we needed as they were working in tiny spaces. A wonderful lump upfield sent Uri through but he skewed wide. I asked the strikers to swap positions so they could lose their respective markers and so that Toril was always looking inside on his right. We were struggling with Eldense now so reverted to the original game plan. No sooner has I asked for the change did they score. Twenty men were in my box and we just couldn’t clear our deep lines.

With eight minutes to play the game was as good as over – we had nothing left in the tank. Shooting practice for Eldense and an eighth game without a win. I told the lads that it’s just one of those days, neglecting to tell them that if you have them every week you’ll get relegated. I took the international week off.  

[Diego Imposta]

65.

Giovanella had done enough in training to earn Batchilly’s place on the bench, or so Rotchen said. I hoped that my Gambian midfielder didn’t come back too downhearted like last time. Representing his country was always a steep upward curve in pride before the games and a huge drop afterward.

Otherwise we were unchanged. We didn’t get a fair crack last time out due to the early knocks we received. I didn’t know what to expect from Alcoyano. It was a very long bus journey, down past the city of Valencia, knowing that recent form eradicated all memory of the 4-0 win down here last time.

I had word from Batchilly while he was away – he only went and scored the winner against Togo! It was their first win of the campaign, but it didn’t change the qualifying table, and they had won 1-0!

We had gotten so carried away congratulating Batchilly on the phone that we forgot to run through the brief. No matter, when we got to the dressing room there was nothing to be said. You all know what to do out there. You are well-prepared but even from my playing experience that’s not enough.

Three times inside the first three minutes we should have bore down on goal but our nervy touch let us down. We had to silence this partisan crowd and quickly. Certainly before one-time transfer listed Luciano Becchio came on to haunt us. And yes! We did it! On five minutes Gutiérrez reacted quickest to a Yeray through-header after comically collecting the ball that had rebounded off Vilanova’s face. We couldn’t believe our eyes as he looked up and powered a left foot drive into the near top corner from just inside the box, all the while running away from goal. Unbelievable audacity and technique.

I sang their praise but we were undone from a corner ten minutes later – the guy was unmarked at the near post and casually stroked it home. Two men on the line, plus Ginard, didn’t even react to it.

Twenty minutes in and the heavens opened. It was a godsend as the mild autumnal evening was a perfect canvas for Alcoyano’s slick passing game. We had long lost the passion of the first minutes.

We tried to play a bit more instead of ceding possession with balls to the front two – the opposition were wise to it. In a move reminiscent of last season, Guzmán swung a deep cross in to the back post which evaded all but Nacho Pérez, but the winger volleyed it against the crossbar. He quickly turned into the villain, not chasing a clearance he should have been first to, and watched as a counter attack sailed wide. Toril’s nerves were causing him to miss easy chances - he’d have to be hauled off soon.

A few words of encouragement at the break seemed to lighten his mood so I swapped him with the bloodhound, who would now lead the line. He messed up straight away and nearly cost us, he’d get hooked in five minutes. But first Gutiérrez skipped past once challenge and suddenly we were on the counter. He clipped a ball to the overlapping Vilanova, who found Toril, then Yeray… that’s too high.

Uri was on and it settled us. Too much. We hadn’t a shot in ten minutes and needed ideas. Kike was on for Nacho Pérez on the hour. A fine stop from Ginard reminded us how close we were to losing it.

Another corner, another goal. This time a towering header well against the run of play. We’d have to go direct, Acuña on for Yeray. It very nearly worked, Gutiérrez forcing an incredible stop after great work from Uri and Vilanova through the middle. Minutes later Kike wasted a golden opportunity to make the last five minutes interesting, his half-volley at the far post sailing across goal far too wide.

Putting the result aside, it was a pleasing performance. Nine games without a win and volcanic derby with Atlético Baleares was next. 

[Diego Imposta]

66.

Midweek training was tense and quiet. Rotchen was loving it – the discipline, the commitment to the cause. The air was very still. Sound travelled far in this soupy atmosphere. Crack! Guzmán’s shin pad broke in two, a filthy challenge from positional rival del Campo. Then all hell broke loose on the field.

Pushing, shoving, punches thrown. Rotchen was loving this, too. He liked the passion but he wasn’t a mindless thug – he was first in to break it all up and the last one to throw a punch. They respected a man who would risk his job for the club. Simón was the first to break the second silence. We want it to be an enjoyable place to football and it is anything but at the minute. Good, I thought. He actually cares. Rotchen lambasted the captain – only winners enjoy football and not one of you remember a feeling like that. Cup-winners? You make me sick. Something needs to be done, I said. Some of you will be moved on in January – there are bad influences and personal issues embedded in this club. I will stick around and improve things for those of you that want it, but if we don’t beat Atlético I will know you don’t want it and I’ll go. Hopefully we can all start enjoying this club again. Now go home.

Nacho Pérez and Toril were a bag of nerves last week and I couldn’t carry them today. Guzmán was sent to the left wing to accommodate del Campo on the right, and Uri took the deeper role up top.

A solid if unspectacular start was interrupted by the first shot on fifteen minutes. It fell to Gutiérrez after some confusion up front regarding who was going to take the shot at goal. We were looking for the golden opportunity. There was a level of maturity in their play. Which was undone by one of the best goals I’ve seen. From their first corner, the ball was clipped out towards the edge of the area for a volley which tore through a crowd of players and into the roof of the net. Two minutes on Fullana nearly scored a carbon copy from a free kick on the other side. Guzmán later tamely struck at goal.

Gutiérrez missed a one-on-one soon after and I thought for all the world that I’d be leaving. An Uri break upfield again saw the bloodhound fail to capitalise on a free header. It's all but confirmed with ten minutes to go in the first half. With five minutes left he missed an absolute sitter. We were by far the better team – Atlético had only had those two shots – but we were crippled by our confidence.

Nacho Pérez was on for Guzmán at half time. We were being played off the park so I got the dreadful Gutiérrez off for the pace for Marc Mas and went 3-5-2 on the hour. We had nothing to lose. But we would gain nothing at all. Simón was hauled off with 20 minutes to, Batchilly on and made captain.

Struggling for a foothold in the game, I told them to return to four at the back. Of course we scored. Carles Mas rising highest to Nacho Pérez’s corner. The entire team celebrated around him. Ten left.

In the 93rd minute Marc Mas took the ball along the right wing, played it back inside to Vilanova, who found… no-one. To Barcelona…

[Diego Imposta]

67.

There was no birthday celebration this week; I had read things on social media I shouldn’t have. The first seeds of discontent were sewn and fans were beginning to lose faith in me. Sant Andreu were at least having a worse time of us than us. The odds were firmly stacked against them, and the betting companies had the matchup chalked down as a difficult encounter. Had they even seen us recently?

With a quarter of the season gone, Sant Andreu and Saguntino joined us in the winless section of the relegation zone. We had drawn half our ten games. The light at the end of the tunnel was the three sides above us. Zaragoza B, Llagostera, and to my surprise Hércules all had one or two wins each. We had scored more goals than all of them. Four points wasn’t insurmountable but defeat in Barcelona this weekend would see me stay there. I still didn’t know whether last week’s late equaliser was the resounding backing from the squad we needed or if it was achieved in spite of me. I’d find out today.

The side was named before we got on the bus and no sooner. Both Ginard and Moha had combined in speaking out about the standard of coaching they got from Salavedra. He’d been here longer than I had so I put it down to the training attitude of my goalkeepers, and Ginard’s was marginally better. Moha would stay on the bench to keep my number one on his toes. Carles Mas had been particularly rotten this week so he was unceremoniously dropped to the bench – he was too influential to be left at home. Blázquez and Batchilly were the shining examples this week and Bigas had been out in the cold long enough. He was still one of our best players so he’d try left centre back to Blázquez’s right.

Jhoseppy was recalled to the bench after four games and Barnils missed out initially – he’d been so poor since the switch and evidently wasn’t cut out for life in the back three. Simón’s legs started to go so defensive midfield was the best place for him. Vidal’s influence was needed on the bench just in case the skipper couldn’t last 90 minutes. It was then easier to build the strike force rather than a midfield. Gutiérrez was lifeless in training and I think the money had gone to his head. I’d leave him at home to spend some of it. Toril and Uri would lead the line together, academy class linking up to an experienced head. Marc Mas would not get another run out up front and would instead be left at home too. He’d need to train well to get in this squad. Nacho Pérez was the shining example of how to win your place back, head and shoulders above the rest in training. del Campo was holding on to his shirt with another shin-studding performance, helped by knocking on my door asking for starts.

Acuña was still struggling to settle in with the squad so I had to bring him. Kike and Guzmán had lost the chance of coming to Barcelona with their showing this week. It would leave me short of wingers but Giovanella and the Argentinean had been trialled there in pre-season so I was confident that we had cover. The decision was made – Barnils would come with us. He’d try the midfield support role like he used to last season. Hopefully this would release Yeray more often. Vilanova was still a little shaky for an attacking role but had trained well and would come on to give the game legs if needed.

Yeray was singled out for praise – his form over the last five and ten games was something I wanted the rest of the players to aspire to. A win could be seismic for our season so I wanted good men to have a little pep talk on the journey. Nacho Pérez was congratulated on his training performances, Batchilly his recent conduct, and Carles Mas on his performance last week, just to keep him sweet.

The early kick-off was a top of the table clash between Huesca and Elche, both were five points clear of the rest and predictably it finished 1-1. Cornellá, Ontinyent, and Barcelona B were the only other teams to have lost less than three games so far. I’d taken three points off my relegation rivals and a solitary one off the top sides. This was starting to look pretty disastrous on paper. We needed a win.

Toril very nearly gave us the lead on 12 minutes. It had been a tough and uneventful opening to the game until Nacho Pérez took the ball down inside the Sant Andreu half. Seemingly every player was behind the ball but he still found Uri who floated one up for Toril to head across goal. The ‘keeper made a fine stop and we won a corner. It was loose but eventually worked back in to Uri to test once again but it was held low and to the left. The short and wide pitch made life difficult when we lost possession – it was up and over in a flash. The ball was worked out wide, back in front, back inside and into the net. The players were livid that it was offside but it looked just a little too close to call.

The same old nerves were back and yet Sant Andreu had not improved on their solitary shot. Twenty five minutes gone and lone striker goal scorer Dieguito was causing all sorts of problems. He nearly scored a carbon copy from another ball over the top – our line wasn’t even high – as tackles flew in whenever we tried to play. A goalmouth scramble for us saw two successive shots blocked that had the keeper beat for sure. A freekick from Sant Andreu was whisked just centremetres over the bar.

I resolved to go four at the back after the break as we just could not get a hold of the ball. The home side finished the half with corner after corner and Ginard finally caught one and calmed our nerves.

The lads caught an earful at half time. Like schoolboys they trembled with fear. You don’t look like a team that wants to win! If you haven’t left by now you’ll never get picked up. I needed to wake these children up. Never had they seen me be so aggressive with them. Maybe they’d never see it happen again. You had to choose your moments with these things, Rotchen.

[Diego Imposta]

68.

We should have had a penalty after fourteen seconds. del Campo went down under the challenge of two men after beating one to an Uri through ball, worked to him from kick-off. We were too slow to react to Sant Andreu, always in our faces, and just as we were building a decent opportunity to get forward they broke clean through the middle again. Dieguito beat Ginard to it but wasted his shot.

An acrobatic scissor-kick from a cross sealed our fate. 0-2 down away from home to the worst team in the league with 40 minutes to play. I wanted to see what we had about us. I didn’t make a change.

In a move reminiscent of last season’s gear-changing football, Yeray sent del Campo through on the right. He took his touch, and his time, and picked out Nacho Pérez at the far post to volley home. He grabbed the ball out of the net and raced to the halfway line. We wanted it, alright. Could we do it?

Carles Mas was on for Barnils who just couldn’t cope with Dieguito. It was a defensive move but also an attacking one – if we could get the free kicks. Nothing happened for ten minutes and I stared on in disbelief as an offside goal wasn’t ruled out until the Sant Andreu players had celebrated for half a minute. It was never in doubt. Vilanova and Acuña were brought on in the attacking positons – we needed something, anything. A long kick upfield was won on the second ball by del Campo. He took a stab and sent Acuña through on goal. He took it too wide. And then he lashed it in for his first goal!

I had such mixed feelings. I didn’t believe we could hold on but I’d never come from two goals down before. The heart. The energy. Sant Andreu were not playing like a side bottom of the league. They were playing the Barcelona way. And so Dieguito proved it two minutes later, volleying in from over twenty metres, after taking it on the chest over the shoulder, from a deep aerial through ball. Class.

Dieguito scored his hat-trick in equally brilliant style ten minutes from time. He showed electric pace to beat our defence over forty metres and hit a first-time half-volley from the edge of the area into the top corner. Ginard had no chance. The team were bereft of confidence and it was only my fault.

The dressing room was silent. There were no tantrums, no finger-pointing. They were just dejected.

As the players got on to the bus, Agustí offered me a cigar in the warm afternoon air. I accepted. He knew it would be my last but the measure of the man was that he asked me where I thought it went wrong. It was my first job in management, I said, and I can only grow by figuring out what my errors were. The fact that I don’t yet know what those errors are means it is best if I don’t get on that bus. He didn’t feign protest. We’ll always have the cup. That wonderful day at the Estadi Municipal. Hard to believe it was just six months ago. An incredibly promising career had began to run in reverse and I leave with the slightest positive record of thirteen wins, twelve draws, twelve losses. Oh, and a cup.

Where do I go from here?

[Diego Imposta]

69.

Back at the Camp Nou that weekend, I finally got to see the match I wanted to last season: Barcelona versus Sevilla. Needless to say, the football was delicious. Barça made three good chances inside the first eight minutes but had to wait until eleven for the first real highlight of the game – a rasping shot from Jordi Alba forcing Sergio Rico into a fingertip save. Sevilla spent the next ten minutes making a defensive wall around the Barcelona front three and restricting them to no further shots. With ten to go in the first half the away side still hadn’t had a shot of their own and were hoping to leave with a point. Finally they made the game interesting by having a spell of their own without reply. Half time.

The second half started at a frantic pace but as the hour approached, the partisan crowd expected more and a few jeers of derision were heard. Come 85 minutes those jeers turned to boos. Kwadwo Asamoah arrived late to a low Giovinco cross and you had to say it was a masterstroke to move the diminutive forward out wide. He’s started the game up front ahead of Nolito, who was later hooked. Three of the them had queued up to tuck it home and € 32 m summer signing Iñigo Martinez wasn’t anywhere to be seen. Chance after chance had been wasted and Barcelona had finally lost in La Liga.

I didn’t go to the game but I sought out the Olot result. They had been beaten by a late goal, 2-3 at home by Orihuela. They were described as still reeling from my departure, which was flattering, but I was saddened to see that again they took the lead, equalised, and threw it away at the last minute.

Alfie Smith had spotted me in the expensive seats (I’d earned € 40 000, after all) and cornered like I was I decided to give him the time of day. Any continuity to my story would require a certain amount of press coverage and what were the chances I’d ever see him again? I told him that I’d go on record.

I told him that I would not be speaking candidly about any conversations I had with Agustí as we had a professional courtesy to each other until he found a replacement and I found further employment.

I wanted the fans to know that I would always be an Olot fan now, and that I had done all I could but it wasn’t enough. I’d made one or two errors of judgment with the dressing room although I wasn’t about to hang anyone out to dry. It was enough to get another call a week later from another joe.ie journalist who wanted to check quotes and run a larger story about me, or rather me the manager. He wanted to know how I spent my days now, where would I consider working, are there any truths that will come out, that kind of thing. I was grateful that we was setting up the intrigue in my name but it came at the cost of spilling my regrets and openly admitting that I didn’t know where it had all gone wrong. I was in no rush, I’d happily take a punditry gig to keep my eye in on the Catalan region.

In a move I instantly regretted, I applied for the Hércules job. They’d sacked their manager the day I left so I wasn’t even the big news story of the day. They were a huge club in comparison to Olot and, just like Llagostera, I wouldn’t make the shortlist to be interviewed. It was definitely for the best. At least I didn’t waste a trip to Alicante. Moreover, I was not in the right frame of mind to battle afresh.

Rotchen failed his interview with a 0-3 home loss to Llagostera. Agustí had taken another big risk and brought in former Málaga under 19s manager Antonio Jesús Gálvan, with his Continental A coaching licence.

[Diego Imposta]

70.

When the Sabadell job came up I thought that this was much in the same vein as Hércules – I’d be a fool to turn my nose up at such an opportunity. They were at the top end of the relegation zone and my interest had been leaked to the press before the day was out. Managers were clambering for the job, so I decided to make the short trip to see them take on immediate relegation rivals Saguntino.

Sabadell lined up 4-4-1-1, as did Saguntino. Vallejo, operating in the hole, should have scored for the home side inside 20 seconds. A long ball upfield wasn’t picked up by any of the deep Saguntino men and Vallejo shot wide from a couple of metres out in the right hand channel of the box. Arthuro had created the space by vacating it and distributing the ball well like any lone centre forward should do.

After quarter of an hour it was clear which end of the table these sides were at. The chances were of the snatched variety and both sides were guilty of getting too tight in areas they shouldn’t and at the same time backing off when they should be closing down. Neither side wanted to disrupt the other’s passing game. They were too nice. The half petered out with the balance of play with the home side.

The stadium was magnificent – a sea of navy blue seats. If I did get a chance to manage here I’d hope to distract the supporters with some football worth watching. I wouldn’t want stadium tours to gain more revenue than ticket sales. I then saw something I knew all to well at Olot – a team become a bag of nerves in the absence of an early lead. Replacement striker Pascua had the best chance of the second half so far after running through on goal, only to finish into the side-netting at the near post. He nearly atoned a minute later with an explosive turn of pace, only for the goalkeeper to pull off a magnificent save. If Sabadell were to score, it would be from ugly route one counter football.

With both teams out on their feet with ten minutes to go, it became an attrition. The home side did well to win a corner after intricate work down the left wing in the 88th minute. Both that and a 92nd minute free kick were fed back outside the box only for the midfielder lying in wait to sky both shots.

It was all over at La Nova Creu Alta, a result that did neither team any favours. They stayed in the top two of the relegation zone but were now seven and eight points from safety after none of the sides above them had lost. Olot had lost 3-1 at second-place Elche - essentially one of two free hits for the new manager Gálvan’s after they had lost 0-3 away at Huesca the previous week. Now work begins.

I was more than happy to follow Sabadell to their next game, Santa Eulalia in Ibiza, but it was not in my best interests as after some consideration I did not make that shortlist either. Fans had talked up the possibility and my confidence had taken a knock. While I didn’t so much as feel like I had wasted my time, I did feel that the amount of managers involved in the press speculation had done enough to make it look like I was just attending a local game of football. It felt like my reputation was ruined.

A flurry of sackings in the División B3 kept me from holidaying in Uruguay for a week for another job that I had thrown my hat in the ring for: Unión Santa Fe. They were easily one of the top two sides in the Primera B Nacional but were stuck in the bottom five just ten games into season – panic stations.

Llagostera and Santa Eulalia got my applications for obvious reasons but Alcoyano did not. It was too far to travel. The Unión supporters’ spokesperson laughed off my interest so whatever happens I did not invite public ridicule on the streets of Santa Fe – just the radio waves. I would not travel to Ibiza.

I wanted another Christmas present in the form of employment. December had arrived and to be in the position I was in a year ago was disheartening. Gálvan had thrown away any chance of a defence of the cup with a two-leg hammering from Sevilla Atlético totalling 0-7 on aggregate. Not that Olot cared one bit – he’d won both games in between at home to Ontinyent and away at Ebro. They were now off the foot of the table but a full ten points from safety as the halfway point approached soon.

Two weeks of discussions at board room level finally ruled me out of the running for Llagostera for a second time in my career so I looked to see where Santa Eulalia were playing this weekend. Ah, Olot.

On the Friday before the game I received a phone call from an Olot number. Fully expecting a hotel housing an upstart from joe.co.uk or similar, I had my game face on before I accepted the call. It was Juan Fernando Marí – the Santa Eulalia chairman. He invited me to a conference room in the evening and asked that I check myself in at his hotel. All expenses will be reimbursed but, please, be discreet.

His questions stuck in my mind and I reran one over and over again. Are you comfortable managing a team in considerable financial trouble? I considered myself to be well-versed in handling a sensitive financial situation, so I allayed any fears about whether or not I’d do the right thing. Take a look at what selling Masó did for Olot’s bank balance, I said. I was with Marí for over two hours, and in all honesty I think he wanted an accountant not a manager. However concerned I was that this was a club ready to fall apart, they were semi-pro and easily fixed. Despite losing eight of the last eleven they were mid-table and as far from relegation as they were the play-offs. They finished sixth last season! Was I dreaming? Was this really happening? I didn’t get any sleep that night. I felt very odd.

Estadi Municipal already felt like someone else’s stadium. It was cold and wet. The concrete seemed oppressive, the smells already foreign, and Gálvan took the pre-match warm-up with all my players.

It was an out of body experience.

…

He played Batchilly in the defensive hole with Simón and Yeray in front. The back five were the usual suspects. Uri led the line, flanked by Guzmán and Nacho Pérez. Santa Eulalia play their flat 4-4-1-1.

The game started at a fine pace, both teams working for the right to play. Nacho Pérez conspired to miss an absolute sitter on nine minutes after being put through by a telegraphed ball from Barnils.

Speed and invention from Guzmán down the right got the ball to the byline, after he skipped over a challenge and eluded another. Uri was there to redirect it into the back of the net for 1-0 on 25. It was a sensational bit of play and Olot deserved their lead. Santa Eulalia were still looking for a shot on target with ten minutes of the half to go, but when they did finally work a chance their big striker was carrying too much injury to manoeuvre himself properly. He didn’t come out for the second half.

Caretaker Raúl Casañ was struggling with ideas after confirming the cup exit in a 0-4 loss to Merida last week which made a mockery of the 2-1 home win over Eldense on his debut. A battling start to the second half showed that the under 19s manager had some grit when it came to motivating. Olot were now a solid defensive unit in my absence and the away side were finding it very tough to break through the narrow lines. Some excellent play from the Ibiza boys sparked an end-to-end contest for the supporters to behold. Those same old Olot nerves started to creep in and replacement forward Luna missed a great chance to equalise in the mêlée. The game then settled down only for that man Luna to hit the post square in the face from outside the box, Ginard well beaten. The pressure was a bridge too far for Olot and Blázquez pushed his man at a free-kick and gave away a needless penalty.

He was already booked and lucky to get away without another. With five minutes left on the clock, attacking midfielder Oller stroked the ball home and kickstarted another charge from the away side.

The Olot players were wound up and frustrated as Oller and Rueda, operating in the middle of the park, carved them open again and again in a fantastic finish to the game. I think I quite liked them.

I’d need to book flights to see them take on Ebro in the Balearics in the last game before the break.

But I wouldn’t need to pay for them. Juan Fernando Marí called me back on Tuesday. He was still at his hotel still and wanted me to come back and thrash out terms. I’d only been out of work for eight weeks! This was insane. The wage was so low he offered a reduction in compensation for the club if I were to leave. I’d agree the same contract I started out with at Olot and not a euro less. What’s more, I’d rather watch the under 19s manager take this last game before Christmas so I can study.

It was a canny move. If I lost I could have negatively influenced everything from contract offers to training performances. This way they all know I’m coming in, they all know I’m watching. I thought my career was over but the party has just begun!

We’re going to Ibiza!