Sunday, August 29, 2010

Sevilla Atl. 1 Real Murcia 3

Sevilla Atl.

Julian
Chuchi - Moises - Bernardo - Luna
Jairo (Mario 57') - Deivid - Campaña (Guerra 66') - Rodri
Hugo (Alfaro 80') - Luis Alberto

Real Murcia

Alberto
Gago - Gotor - Camara - Oscar Sanchez
Aguilera - Richi - Albiol (Carles 74') - Molino (Abraham 66')
Pedro (Isaac 61') - Chando

Goals :
1 - 0 Gotor (og)
1 - 1 Gotor (45')
1 - 2 Richi (72')
1 - 3 Isaac (88')

Great start to the league season for Real Murcia. Expect Sevilla Atl. (Sevilles reserves) to be one of the better sides in the division, and they were well beaten away from home. No room for complacency though....Roquetas visit the New Condomina next Saturday, and the small matter of Oviedo away in the cup on Wednesday. You can follow radio commentary on all games on the clubs official radio, in Murcia on 90.7 f.m., or via the internet on www.realmurcia.es and click on the icon on the right hand side.

Thursday, August 26, 2010

Puertollano 0 Real Murcia 0 (R. Murcia win 0 - 3 on pens)

Real Murcia lined up with :

Dani Hernández
Mario Marín - Luciano - Gotor - Góngora
Isaac - Juan Aguilera - Carles (Álvaro Cámara 68') - Abraham Noé (Pedro 58')
Chando (Kike 81') - Cañadas

The game was difficult......difficult for the spectator, as there wasn't much exitement. I think overall Real Murcia deserved to go through, we hit the woodwork 3 times, the impressive Cañadas twice from free-kicks, but the real hero of the tie was goalkeeper Dani Hernandez. In the last minute he made a great point black save to keep us in the cup, and then went on to save all 3 pentalites he faced - Can Iñaki Alonso leave him on the bench on Sunday after such a display?

Positives : Dani Hernandez, magnificent in goal, Aguilera again cool in possession in midfield, Cañadas is very classy - how he hasn't played in a higher division, I don't know. Camara is a no nonsense player who will give rivals hell.....

Could do better : Chando....looks out of touch. Maybe due to missing part of the pre-season, and the speculation over his future.

Puertollano : Only 3 road hours in the Guiricar, all motorway. Some ridiculous comments from their supporters mixing water politics and football, and shouts of "Cartagena Cartagena", but in general fine. Small stadium, only 2,500 at the game.

We play Oviedo away in the second round on the 1st September. I'm really hopeful of a good run in the cup.....we can dream, can't we?

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Squad for Puertollano / Chando stays....

The squad for the cup game at Puertollano on Wednesday :

Goalkeepers : Alberto and Dani Hernández.
Defenders : Mario Marín, Gotor, Luciano, Álvaro Cámara and Góngora.
Midfielders : Isaac, Miguel Albiol, Juan Aguilera, Urzaiz, Carles and Abraham Noé.
Forwards : Chando, Cañadas, Pedro and Kike.

Surprisingly Richi isn't even in the squad. I can understand that coach Iñaki Alonso wants to keep our best player fit for the main aim, which is promotion....but I think winning is a habit and a good cup result will be positive all round.

Chando looks like staying, despite having offers from both Elche and Granada. He said on a radio interview today that "I have had a change of "chip", I'm staying here to fulfill my contract and to gain promotion to segunda". Great news if Chando is staying fully committed.....in this division he can score plenty, as he did with Villareal B.

Clowns......

I'm reading Nick Hornby's Fever Pitch for the third time (maybe that's just the gooner in me), but there are some of the things he says, even though he wrote it in the early 90's, are just soooo much how I see football (again....the gooner in me?). Here are a few lines from a chapter called "Clowns" :

""""Arsenal v. Stoke City 13.9.80
....the away team are struggling, unambitious also-rans; their manager wants a draw at Highbury, and plays five defenders, four midfielders who used to be defenders, and a hopeless centre-forward standing on his own up front, ready to challenge for punts from the goalkeeper. Arsenal didn't have the wit to break the opposition down, and maybe we won (with a couple of goals from near post corners, say, or a deflected long shot and a penalty), or maybe we drew (nil - nil), or maybe we lost 1 - 0 to a goal on the break, but it didn't really matter anyway. Arsenal were nowhere near good enough to win the league, yet were far too competent to go down; week after week, year after year, we turned up knowing full well that what we were about to witness would depress us profoundly.

.....nobody, not even someone like me, would have been able to remeber the game had it not been for the post-match press conference, when Alan Durban (Stoke's manager) became angered by the hostility of the jornalists towards his team and his tactics. "If you want entertainment" he snarled, "go and watch clowns".

It became one of the most famous football quotes of the decade. The quality papers in particular loved it for its effortless summary of modern football culture: here was conclusive proof that the game had gone to the dogs, that nobody cared about anything other than results any more, that the Corinthian spirit was dead, that hats were no longer thrown in the air. One could see their point. Why should football be different from every other branch of the leisure industry? You won't find too many Hollywood producers and West End theatre impresarios sneering at the public's desire to be diverted, so why should football managers get away with it?

Over the last few years, however, I have come to believe that Alan Durban was right. It was not his job to provide entertainment. It was his job to look after the interests of the Stoke City fans, which means avoiding defeat away from home, keeping a struggling team in the first division, and maybe winning a few cup games to alleviate the gloom......

....fans and journalists see games in a profoundly different way. In 1969 I saw George Best play, and score, for Manchester United at Highbury. The experience should have been profound, like seeing Nijinsky dance, or Maria Callas sing, and though I do talk about it in that way sometimes, to younger fans, or those who missed Best for other reasons, my fond account is essentially phoney; I hated that afternoon.

.....and I have seen Law and Charlton, Hoddle and Ardiles, Dalglish and Rush, Hurst and Peters, and the same thing happened: I have not enjoyed anything these players have ever done at Highbury. Gazza's free kick against Arsenal in the F.A.Cup semi-final at Wembley was simply astonishing, one of the most remarkable goals I have ever seen, but I wish with all my heart that I had not seen it, and that he had not scored it. Indeed, for the previous month I had been praying that Gascoigne would not be playing, which emphasises the separateness of football: who would buy an expensive ticket for the theatre and hope that the star of the show was indisposed? So where is the relationship between the fan and entertainment, when the fan has such a problematic relationship with some of the game's greatest moments?

.....few of us have chosen our clubs, they have simply been presented to us; and so as they slip from the Second Division to the Third, or sell their best players, or buy players who you know can't play, or bash the ball for the seven hundredth time towards a nine foot centre-forward, we simply curse, go home, worry for a fortnight and then come back to suffer all over again. For my own part, I am an Arsenal fan first and a football fan second.....

....football is an alternative universe, as serious and as stressful as work, with the same worries and hopes and disappointments and occasional elations. I go to football for loads of reasons, but I don't go for entertainment, and when I look around me on a Saturday and see those panicky, glum faces, I see that others feel the same. For the committed fan, entertaining football exists in the same way as those trees that fall in the middle of the jungle: you presume it happens, but you're not in a position to appreciate it. Sports journalists and armchair Corinthians are the Amazon Indians who know more than we do - but in another way, they know much, much less.""""


I could not agree more....and all of this is valid for Real Murcia's real supporters. Not the half baked who wet themselves watching Messi or Ronaldo, and are then ultracritical of anything that doesn't live up to those high standards when served up by their second favorite team.

Do you want to be entertained? Go see the payasos.

Monday, August 23, 2010

Sevilla Atl - Real Murcia

The first league game of the season is at 11.30 a.m. on Sunday (29th), that's 10.30 a.m. for those of you in the UK. If you have a reasonable connection speed you will be able to see the game, as Sevilla's TV channel will be transmitting live (www.sevillafc.es).

Real Murcia 2 Elche 0


Deserved victory for Real Murcia. Although it could be argued that Elche didn't really turn up, they did provoke the crowd into some anti-Elche chants by continually being over zealous with their takling, many yellow cards were shown and even one of their palyers saw red for a second bookable offence.

Real Murcia lined up with :
Alberto
Ander Gago, Gotor, Álvaro Cámara, Óscar Sánchez
Miguel Albiol (Isaac) - Juan Aguilera (Urzaiz) - Richi - Molino (Abraham Noé)
Pedro - Chando (Samuel 44')

Albiol scored from a free kick, Pedro adding the second.

I was most impressed by Aguilera. How on earth the club had considered loaning him out I really don't know. Ander Gago had a good game, Richi did everything perfectly (nothing new!), Pedro took his goal very well, Camara looked like an uncomplicated tough defender.

Only just under 5,000 at the New Condomina, which was a disappointment.

The months since Gerona have passed slowly, and not without concerns. Many a time I have thought of the season to come, the fact we will be in segunda B - a very unattractive league, how tough it is going to be, that a return to segunda is not a foregone conclusion, the loss of some of the better players, the loss of the more fairweather supporters. I was feeling gloomy.....but yesterday was a real help. Only a few minutes in I realized that....despite everything, 11 geezers with a red shirts will go out each weekend to defend Real Murcia. The feeling and desire was the same, even in a friendly. I finally feel that everything is going to be OK. It's even going to be fun!

Next stop : Puertollano in the Cup on Wednesday. 4 spots in the Guiricar are filled, should be a grin.

Friday, August 20, 2010

Alicante 0 Real Murcia 0

No goals again.....it's good that we don't concede, but would be nice to have scored. In any case pre season games cannot give you any idea....last season we won all and scored plenty, and look what happened!

Let's see what happens on Sunday when I expect Iñaki Alonso to line up his probable first 11 against Elche.

Wednesday, August 18, 2010

Long Summer....comes to an end....REAL MURCIA - ELCHE

Can't wait for Sunday...back to the New Condomina, the lads, the cervezas....and as big a "must win" friendly as you can see. Those amongst the support that are inconditional won't jump to any conclusions......but if things don't go to plan then the split loyalty fans (Real Madrid / Barcelona) will decide very quickly to become critical - and local press will stick the knife in as far as they can....not leaving any margin for the improvement that will come over time for what is basically a new squad. This isn't helpful.....and is an insight into the mentality. I suspect that some are even openly wishing for a disaster just so they can say "I told you so"......

I told Gifton Noel Wiliams, the day he signed for Real Murcia 3 or 4 years ago...."when you get on, just make bloody sure your first touch is a good one.....coz if it aint, the crowd will be on your back for the duration of your stay at the club". And when the crowd is mumbling every time you get the ball even Messi would lose confidence. Good for him, his first touch was a magnificent through ball, then he scored later in the game....and although he departed the club at the end of that season (Murcia were promoted) he does have hero status. I can imagine that if his first touch had evaded him, the ball bobbling away for a throw in, he would have been executed in the eyes of the ultra critial 50%, who, between munching through kilos of birdfood ("pipas") would have made life impossible.

So, not just any old pre-season game. VAMOS REAL MURCIA!

Before this, tomorrow (Thursday) evening, there is another warm up game against Alicante at the Municipal de Villafranqueza (just off the A7 motorway). Let's hope we can start scoring a few goals.

Monday, August 16, 2010

Yes Mr. President.....

Club President Jose Angel Serantes made some unusual noises over the weekend.....normally quiet (unlike many presidents in Spain) he usually opens his gob and rapidly inserts foot, having a talent for upsetting everybody. However....these quotes are about spot on....

The president of Hercules, who were promoted to Primera, has had some rather unfortunate telephone conversations tapped as part of a corruption investigation. In these, he discussed how he had bunged Cordoba's keeper for 100,000 euros (Hercules won the game 4 - 0), and involved some of the other sides that competed with Real Murcia in Segunda last season. The judge in the corruption case has ruled that the tapes cannot be used, so it looks like this will go unpunished.

"It's a disgrace. When you catch a cheat you must crush him. Even though it is difficult to prove, the last day in the second division there were 5 games that were rigged. The shady deals of other clubs have sent us to Segunda B. Our season was bad, but in the end they have conspired and we can't do anything about it. I still can't explain the penalty against us in the last minute. The Professional Futbol League know that matches are auctioned. Now a big cake that we all knew about has been discovered, but it seems no decisions will be made as neither the Federation or the league want to get involved, and even less so the politicians. In the future, when such actions are considered a crime it will be different, but, I repeat, it is a disgrace".

Some times I think Spain is a modern european country....then something like this comes up, a clear case of match rigging, then nothing gets done......and it is back to being a banana republic.

Anyhow, well done Serantes, better late than never. The first time I actually agree with him! I just woner if some of the same direct remarks, made when we were being abused weekly by the refs, would have made the ref at Girona think differently when blowing for such a soft soft penalty, last minute, to relegate Real Murcia. Then he (and his boss Uncle Sam) were silent....

Saturday, August 14, 2010

7305 Thick Skinned Heroes

That's a very good number for segunda B.....almost doubles the number Real Murcia has last time they were in the division a decade ago. This includes over 500 new members. The fanbase, the hardcore, has definately grown, despite the setbacks. True, we have suffered a dramatic fall in numbers. 3 seasons ago in primera we reached 25,000 passes, and there could have been more, but the club put 25,000 as the limit. This goes to show the posibilities in Murcia if we are minimally successful.

However....something always conspires to scupper any big plans - relegation from primera and you lose 40% of the members, failure to go up the following season and you are down to 10,000. The "didn't WE play well on Saturday" from my work collegues when things are good, become "YOUR Murcia were shit yesterday" with such speed and lack of any shame. The mockery you can suffer in Murcia being a Real Murcia supporter must be difficult to equal anywhere.

So the 7305, I salute you. The 17,000 odd weak gloryhunters who jumped ship when they were needed.....you'll be back again when we are promoted, celebrating shamlessly at the Redonda, just as you have/will do when your real team last won/wins the Liga or the Champions League.

Thursday, August 12, 2010

Orihuela 1 Real Murcia 1

Another friendly yesterday.....a draw against Orihuela. Real Murcia's goal was scored by Cañadas.

Line up (first half):

Alberto
Ander Gago - Luciano - Kucera - Óscar Sánchez
Miguel Albiol - Álvaro Cámara - Richi - Abraham Noé
Cañadas - Samuel.

Second half replacements were Fernando (New keeper for the reserves), Mario Marín, Gotor, Góngora, Carles, Urzaiz, Juan Aguilera, Isaac y Molino

So in 3 games against lower division sides we have scored 4 goals and conceded 2. A little concerning, more so if Chando does leave.....

Tuesday, August 10, 2010

Alicante friendly...Change of date...

This has been moved from Tuesday 17/08 to Thursday 19/08 19.30 ko.

Thanks to anon for bringing this to my attention.

Bad for me.....now I can't go. Ho-hum.....

The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

Miguel Albiol will stay at Real Murcia as he has renegociated his contract and accepted a lower deal. After Gerona he was one of the ones who said they would stay to put right what went wrong, and he has been true to his word.

Jose Luis Capdevila has departed Real Murcia for Xerez. Shame as he would really have made a difference in segunda B, but we could not afford his 400,000 euro wages anymore. Capdevila, although much criticised by sections of the crowd, was a tricky player who always tried and never took the easy option.....hence the criticism (for me undeserved) when it didn't always come off. Typical example of the Real Madrid/Barsa supporters we suffer demanding too much of Real Murcia.

Dani Aquino has a fracture of a metatarsal on his left foot, picked up in training yesterday, so he will be out for some time. He has had very poor luck with injuries over the last 2 years. When he made his debut and was in Spain's U-19's he looked like he had a bright future and many top clubs were sniffing around. Undoubtedly talented, the injuries and loss of form mean he is in danger of not becoming the player we expected. This latest setback almost certainly means he will stay with Real Murcia this season. My best wishes for a swift recovery Dani.

Monday, August 9, 2010

Reasons to be cheerful....

I think I have been in denial. Yes I know we were relagated.....yes I know what segunda B is like......yes I have seen the signings and players leaving the club.....but yesterday I looked at the fixtures....and suddenly it really hit home.
Sevilles reserves. Almerias reserves. Betis reserves. Lorca MK IV. Lucena. Ejido. Ceuta. San Roque de Lepe. Roquetas de Mar. Melilla. Ecija. Estepona. The only attractive fixtures being the derbys against Yecla, and the games against our fellow misfits in this division, Cadiz.

I know that once we get going it won't feel so bad, after all, it's Real Murcia I go to see, not whoever they are playing. The pre/post match beers with the lads will still be a laugh, the refs will still be an absolute joke (will we get respect even at this level?), there will be a player selected by the fans for undeserved special criticism, away trips will be a scream....it will be the same as always. Maybe I need to cheer up.....we are due an excellent season, and the attendances don't look like they will be down, as season ticket sales are well above expectations. We are also due a decent cup run......

Video : Reasons to be cheerful.....

Saturday, August 7, 2010

Good News for Real Murcia ; Mario Rosas....


Yes.....Mario "Four Roses" Rosas has departed the club. Not that he will be missed in any way shape or form, except for at the bars he frequented far too often. There is no doubt he has talent.....a few years ago he was considered one of Barcelona's upcoming talents....but his attitude and love of the night has been his downfall.

His contribution last season was minimal....a bit part player and largely ineffectual when he did get on. Also troublesome in the dressing room.

I looks like his destination will be Salamanca or Xerez, I will be putting a wager on eithers relegation depending on where he ends up. If he joins Bruno at Xerez....the bars in the town will think it's Christmas....

Photo : Smiling Mario should have been a lawyer. He only performed at the bar...

Friday, August 6, 2010

HORADADA 0 REAL MURCIA 1

Second pre season friendly. Molino set up Richi for the goal.

First half line up :

Dani Hernandez
Ander Gago - Gotor - Luciano - Oscar Sanchez
Pedro - Camara - Richi - Capdevila
Cañadas - Samuel (Molino)

Second half line up :

Alberto
Mario Marin - Pereira - Ochoa - Gongora
Isaac - Carles - Miguel Albiol - Abraham Noe
Aquino - Quique

Next up against Orihuela on Wednesday 11th. I was hoping to go but have to be back in the UK.....nevermind, i'll try to get to Ontinyent on Saturday 14th or Alicante on Tuesday 17th.

New signing....MOLINO.


Forward Jorge Molino Baena arrives from Atletico Madrid's B team, although he has made his debut with their first team last year.

On signing for Real Murcia he said that "there were various club from the second division interested, but none of them came with a firme proposal like Real Murcia, coming here is a step forward in my career. There is a good project in place to get promotion, with palyers experienced in segunda B and others from segunda. I am more of a second striker than a centre forward....but I do also help by scoring a few".

Wednesday, August 4, 2010

Comings and goings.....

Last seasons leading goalscorer Chando (14 goals) is attracting interest from second division club such as Elche. However, Real Murcia have said that his contract can be maintained in segunda B, and are convincing Chando to stay. Director of football Sergio fernandez said "Chando is fundemental for us and we are convinced he is going to stay with us this season. It is true that there are teams that have inquired about the situation, but he will not be moving from here unless a club comes along ready to pay a transfer".

It seems the club are also optimistic over the posibility of Jose Luis Capdevila staying.....negociations are underway. This would be great news as he is far too good for segunda B.

Ranko Despotovic, who spent last season on loan at Salamanca, has resinded his contract and signed for Gerona. Loaning him was, I think, a big mistake. Anyhow, his high wages were too expensive....I don't think he'll be missed.

The game at Campoamor against Horadada tomorrow kick's off at 7 p.m., so take a hat.

Monday, August 2, 2010

Die Scud....


Sergio Escudero officially signed for Shalke 04 today. No news of the fee we are getting yet, but somewhere over 2 million euros, plus a percentage of any future transfer. Good luck to him, he worked hard without any noise, and deserves his chance in a big league. A cut above the rest of the squad last season.....this move will probably see him progress, and who knows, even an international place isn't above him if he continues to improve.

Sunday, August 1, 2010

Torrellano 1 Real Murcia 2

The first pre-season friendly.

Line ups for Real Murcia :

First half:

Alberto
Mario Marin - Luciano - Aguilera - Gongora
Albiol - Urzaiz - Camara - Abraham Noe
Malick - Kike

Mario Marin, Aguilera, Gongora and Urzaiz are 4 players that will be part of the first team squad that have progressed from the club's reserves. Malick is a Senegalese here on a trial from a French side (Bordeaux I think).

Second half:

Dani Hernandez
Ander Gago - Luciano (Camara) - Gotor - Juanjo
Isaac (Despotovic) - Richi (Cañadas) - Carles - Capdevila
Pedro - Chando

Gotor and Juanjo are also players promotedo to the first team squad from the reserves.

The goals were scored by Capdevila and Isaac.....apparently two great goals. We need to keep hold of these two players, they are quality for the division we are in this season. I am told the combo of Carles and Richi looked very very good.

Next game is at Campoamor on Thursday against Horadada.