Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Real Murcia 2 Numancia 1

A decent team performance against a Numancia side who, rather against expectation, came out attacking and didn't "park the bus". The win, coming from behind, will do wonders for the self belief within the squad. We still have injury issues in attack with Chanda and Kike out - but young Borja took his chance to equalize very cooly, which should boost his confidence. Sutil, back after injury, was a constant headache for Numancia's defence.

Real Murcia:
Alberto
Oriol - Amaya - Jorge - Óscar Sánchez
Aguilera - Iturra - Mario Marín (Molinero 79') - Richi (Emilio 63')
Sutil (Isaac 71') - Borja

Numancia:
Navarro
Expósito - Jaio - Cabrera - Ripa (Nieto 59')
Sunny - Víctor Andrés - Del Pino - Nano
Cédric (Bedoya 69') - Juanjo

Goals:
0-1 Del Pino 7'
1-1 Borja 10'
2-1 Óscar Sánchez 38'

Referee : Mr. Martínez Munuera. Truly awful. Again a referee fails to award Real a stonewall penalty. Strange decisions all afternoon.

Att : 10,247 at the New Condomina.

So 2 victories have calmed the nerves of the preachers of doom. I think, once we have everyone fit, we are going to be a match for anyone in the division, and can think of a higher goal than just avoiding relegation. If the refs start to balance up their errors against us.....who knows!

Thursday, September 22, 2011

Jealous



Seeing images of the Malaga - Bilbao game last night. dead jealous to see so many Crosses of St. George in the stands. I understand Malaga have many thousands of ex-pat season ticket holders (Real Murcia...I think we could count in tens maybe). I know that the Costa del Sol has a higher population of brits and is on the coast.....but would we need a billionaire owner spending wildly in order to increase our numbers at the New Condomina?

Sunday, September 18, 2011

Valladolid 1 Real Murcia 3

During the week the nervous, weak and gutless preachers of doom were having it all their own way. They talked of a team made up of everyone else'e rejects, a coach incapable at this level, a squad put together late and badly, and of impending relegation. After watching Real's games, my impression was clear.....don't panic. Football's inponderables had been against us, and details meant we hadn't gained a victory. Yesterday they balanced. Yes we still have all our first choice forwards out injured, yes we had a referee very willing to send off and award penalties against us....but this side, despite swimming against the tide, demonstrated a togetherness and a team, hardworking ethic, that finally and deservedly bore fruit.

Special mention to keeper Alberto, who made a vital penalty save when we had just gone down to 10 men, and to Iturra who was everywhere....what a great signing. His goal summed up his performance, desire, power, a cool head and great finish, all in the 87th minute. But let's not get carried away. It's a very good win at one of the favorites for promotion, but has to be followed up with a win at home against Numancia next weekend.

REAL VALLADOLID:
Jaime
Mongil - Juanito - Rueda - Peña
Nauzet Alemán (Sisi 68') - Baraja (Jofré 46') - Bueno
Óscar (Víctor Pérez 46') - Javi Guerra

REAL MURCIA:
Saint Alberto
Oriol - Jorge - Amaya - Óscar Sánchez
Aguilera - Iturra - Mario Marín (Molinero 79’) - Richi (Sutil 68')
Pedro - Borja (Isaac Jové 34')

Goals:
0-1 Baraja o.g. 7'
0-2 Richi 16'
1-2 Javi Guerra 86'
1-3 Iturra 87'

Referee: Mr. Amoedo Chas. OK I suppose.

So, a dramatic improvement in result after a similar performance. A lesson to the people who lost their cool. This is no sprint, it's a marathon.....and you are always going to have ups and downs in a long season. I just think we had all our bad luck at the start.

As Steve commented this week....KEEP THE FAITH!

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

The Footballer Bullfighter


Ever been to a Corrida de Toros? If all goes well, and the Matador is entertaining, the crowd sing their Oléee's. They cheer. The band strikes up a Paso Doble. If the president of the ring deems he is deserving of a prize (one ear, two ears, and the tail of the bull in order of importance) he can be carried shoulder high through the "Puerta Grande" (The big door). Now, if the Matador isn't entertaining, isn't performing well.....there is firstly silence. Then there is the Aviso....like a warning....and then there can be the Bronca (a jeering, a telling off). This attitude runs deep, and is applied to football by most Spanish fans. Do well, everyone is your best mate. Not so well, and far from support or understanding, you will be abused, trodden on and left devoid of confidence by what are supposedly your fans.

C'est la vie!

P.s. This week there are bullfights almost every day in Murcia, part of the Feria de Septiembre. Always worth a look at least once in a lifetime, if only to form an opinion.

Sunday, September 11, 2011

Real Murcia 0 Almería 2



Not a great result, but not altogether unexpected. Everything seems to conspire against us. Our most important attacking players, Sutil, Chando and Kike, are all out injured. Emilio, our most creative midfielder, lasted just 12 minutes. Every 50/50 ball seemed to come out in Almería's favour, the new (late) arrivals are taking their time to gain match fitness and understanding with their new collegues. The fixtures could not have been more cruel, with Celta, Elche, Almería and Valladolid, all promotion candidates, in row to start the season. And of course we have our friends in black.....Murcia owner Jesús Samper's refusal to make any comment on referee treatment of his team is now beyond a joke.

Real Murcia:

Alberto
Molinero - Oriol - Jorge - Óscar Sánchez
Aguilera - Iturra (Samuel, 58') - Cerrajería (Richi, 53') - Isaac
Emilio (Borja, 12') - Pedro.

Almería:

Esteban
Míchel - Carlos García - Jakobsen - Bautista
Soriano - Verza (Goitom, 70') - Bernardello - Rafita
Alex Vidal (Corona, 79') - Ulloa.

Goals:
0-1 Jakobsen 7'
0-2 Alex Vidal 50'

Referee : Mr. Jaime Latre. Again when a big decision came....(Pedro shaping to shoot in the area, impeded from behind)....he made the usual call.

Attendance : 8.693

Now....as usual in Spain the immediate reaction to 3 defeats in 3 is to call for the head of the Manager. It's knee-jerk. If we had lost to these 3 sides at any other time, it wouldn't be the case. We can't forget that injuries, refereeing decisions and luck have all been completely against us. Accuse Iñaki Alonso all you like....but any side would struggle with the 3 best forwards on the treatment table. Yes we could improve defensively, yes the referee could be at least even handed. But now isn't the time, all considered, to get the shakes. It's time for gritting teeth. Some of the apocalyptic preachers of doom are having a field day. Again...don't forget what we have been up against. When we play Numancia and Las Palmas will be the time to make such sweeping judgements. Some people really need to grow a pair.....the club clearly told us...this season was all about consolidation. Sacking the manager with all that is against us....would be a very bad move.

Wednesday, September 7, 2011

Real Murcia 0 Cordoba 1

Details.....all in the details. Strikers Chando, Sutil and Kike are all injured. Cordoba's keeper made 2 great point black saves. The referee denied Real Murcia 2 penalties. Cordoba scored with their only shot.

A Real side full of fringe players were miles better than Cordoba, that is an undeniable fact. But that we are out of the King's cup, is another. In general we played well (Chilean international Iturra looks a fine player) and should have won easily - but we were either uncertain in front of goal or their keeper was having a blinder...i'm not sure which. But as usual we were up against a referee refusing to give us anything. In 3 games so far this season we have had at least 5 good and in some cases stonewall pens committed against us, but none awarded. In those same games 1 penalty shout against us (ball to hand not hand to ball) and of course 1 penalty awarded. It's getting beyond a joke.

The goal....a gift. Parraga's misguided backpass intercepted. Another detail.

Real Murcia:

Javi Jiménez
Mario Marín - Luciano - Amaya - Párraga
Iturra - Cerrajería (Aguilera, 81’) - Richi - Pedro
Nico Varela (Isaac, 74’) - Borja (Samuel, 65’)

Córdoba:

Arias
Fernández - Astrain (Bernardo, 70’) - Prieto - Cerra
Taira (Hervas, 54’) - López Garai - Carlos Martínez - Quero
Balsas - Javi López (Patiño, 65’)

Referee: Mr. Lesma López. Same old same old.

Goal:
0-1 Quero 89’

Just over 3,700 at the New Condomina. Thanks in great part to the inept and useless RFEF. How on earth can lower league football prosper in Spain when they insist the game be played at 10 p.m. on a Tuesday, the very same time that Spain's world and european champions kicked off an international?

So 3 defeats from 3.....unjust, but that won't stop the rancid press and other vultures from sharpening their knives and, far from trying to halt a negative slide, actually pushing us downhill.

Saturday's game at home to Almeria could get ugly.

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

Holiday is over....

Sorry about the lack of blog....been on holiday....and to be honest, the world of football is in such a horrid state, it's been hard to find the will to write....even to the point of considering calling it a day as far as the blog is concerned (also due to pressure of work).

But anyhow......Real lost the first 2 games of the season, 1 - 3 at home to Celta and 1 - 0 away to Elche. Celta are expected to be at the top, Elche played the play off final last season....so not totally unexpected. Bad news however is that our attacking options are threadbare....Chando, Sutil and now Kike all out injured. And some things never change.....the refs are on our case again, Pino Zamorando at Elche carding 8 yellows and 2 reds for us, and turning down 2 stonewall penalties (the second of which is when Kike was injured - he's expected to be out for at least a month, may need an operation).

Tonight we play Cordoba in the King's Cup at the New Condomina (kick off is at 22.00 hrs), and on Saturday we are also at home to Almería (kick off 18.00 hrs).