Wednesday, October 31, 2012

Filiales : Adulterando la Competición


No hay liga de filiales en España, como la hay en los demás países.

Esta mañana en la radio, Mourinho predicaba sobre la utilización de jugadores del filial del Madrid en su partido de Copa del Rey. Normal, uno puede pensar, es una competición menor y querrá probar. Pero no es normal. Está muy lejos de ser normal. Recuerden que los jugadores que pueden jugar con el Real Madrid en Copa, disputan segunda división en el Real Madrid Castilla. O lo que es lo mismo, deben de ser considerados como jugadores de otro club.  

Vamos a suponer que un jugador del Castilla juega copa y se lesiona para el resto de la temporada. Supone quitar al castilla un jugador importante – dejando a su equipo (el Castilla) mermado – una ventaja para los equipos que van a jugar contra el filial Madridista. Hay otro ejemplo esta semana, en la que hay un partido de segunda, entre Huesca y Barcelona B. Dos jugadores del Barcelona B han sido llamados para jugar Copa del Rey con el primer equipo, dando clara ventaja al Huesca. ¿Deben los demás equipos estar callado y aceptar el agravio comparativo? Ellos no pueden nutrirse de jugadores de segunda.

Hemos visto cosas muy raras con las filiales en las últimas temporadas. Equipos que van bien de repente dejan de jugar en cuanto se huele a maletín; total, como no juegan nada. También suelen hacer favores a entrenadores ex-jugadores dejándose ganar en los últimos instantes después de demostrarse mejor. No se puede fiar lo mas mínimo de ellos, se venden. Los jugadores pueden subir y bajar entre primera y segunda. Si un Castilla deja 3 jugadores una semana para el Real Madrid, y el Castilla juega contra el (por ejemplo) Elche, y la semana siguiente esos mismos 3 que la semana anterior eran jugadores de primera vuelven a jugar en el Castilla contra el (por ejemplo) Real Murcia…….es adulterar la competición. Un aspirante a ascenso juega contra 3 suplentes del Castilla, mientras una semana después otro aspirante juega contra el Castilla con 3 jugadores del Real Madrid. Puede decidir un ascenso (o descenso).

Pero esto no es solo problema de Madrid y Barcelona. En Segunda B y tercera hay muchísimos filiales. Opino que un mismo club no puede tener dos o tres equipos en distintos escalones de la misma escalera. O se les considera como un club distinto, o deben de separarse y jugar una liga de filiales.

Monday, October 29, 2012

Table / Training Alcorcón....

POS TEAM PLD W D L F A PTS
1 ELCHE 11 9 1 1 22 7 28
2 ALMERÍA 11 7 2 2 21 13 23
3 ALCORCÓN MUAY THAI 11 7 1 3 17 11 22
4 GIRONA 11 6 3 2 24 10 21
5 VILLARREAL 11 6 3 2 13 9 21
6 RECREATIVO 11 6 1 4 18 19 19
7 REAL MURCIA 11 5 2 4 15 12 17
8 SABADELL 11 4 3 4 14 12 15
9 CORDOBA 11 4 3 4 10 11 15
10 SPORTING 11 4 2 5 15 18 14
11 XEREZ 11 4 2 5 11 17 14
12 PONFERRADINA 11 4 1 6 13 15 13
13 NUMANCIA 11 3 4 4 9 12 13
14 LUGO 11 3 4 4 10 15 13
15 LAS PALMAS 11 3 3 5 14 22 12
16 HUESCA 10 2 5 3 9 9 11
17 RACING 11 2 5 4 7 8 11
18 HERCULES 11 2 2 7 7 15 8
19 MIRANDÉS 11 1 3 7 8 16 6
20 GUADALAJARA 11 1 3 7 12 23 6

Acho "One And Only" spies somehow managed to photograph Alcorcón manager Bordalás's coaching session today......here are some interesting shots....



Alcorcón 1 Real Murcia 0

Alcorcón's home record speaks for itself. It's a tough place to get a result - small ground, they prepare a shit pitch so it's difficult to play....then they proceed to play their...let's say physical style of football. Real dominated, but found it hard to get any kind of rhythm as the home side play acted, fouled and disputed every decision. Premeditated and cynical, but the referee let them get away with it.

Alcorcón :

Manu Fernandez - Nagore - Babín - Laguardia - Angel Sanchez - Fernando Sales - Sergio Mora - Abraham (Morán 76') - Juli (Camille 65') - Miguelez (calahorro 92') - Oriol Riera

Real Murcia :

Javi Jimenez - Molinero - Dos Santos (Albiol 86') - Catalá - Oscar Sanchez - Sutil - Nafti - Matilla - Acciari (Nico 63') - Saúl (Chando 72') - Kike

Goal :
1 - 0 Mora 14'

Referee : Mr. Piñeiro Crespo. Too soft on Alcorcón.

After the game Real coach Gustavo Siviero accused Alcorcón manager Pepe Bordalas of a racist insult aimed at midfielder Mehdi Nafti. Nafti confirmed this....."Moro de mierda" were the words Bordalas used. We have seen in recent cases in England that racism isn't accepted and that action is taken (Terry and Suarez). Unfortunately in Spain this isn't high on the agenda. I expect nothing will happen. I can't see what Siviero and Nafti have to gain by making a false accusation. Bordalas of course denies it, but we all know that there's no smoke without fire.

Monday, October 22, 2012

Real Murcia 1 Elche 0

Good performance and great result against a previously unbeaten Elche side. The game looked as if it was drifting towards a draw until clumsy defending gifted Real a penalty, Kike Garcia brought down by Verdes. Funny how fate or nature has a way of evening things out – Kike suffered a broken leg at Elche last season when fouled in the box. He didn’t get a penalty and then spent all year out injured. This time the referee gave the right decision, Matilla cheekily dinking the ball in Panenka style to set of wild celebrations. Elche huffed and puffed without really troubling a solid Real defence.

Real Murcia :

Javi Jiménez – Molinero – Mauro – catalá – Oscar Sanchez – Nafti (Acciari 56’) – Matilla – Nico (Kike Garcia 73’) – Jonatan (Saul 63’) – Sutil – Ruso Garcia

Elche :

Manu Herrera – Damian – Pelegrin (Verdes 82’) – Etxeita – Albacar – Rivera – Mantecón – Xumetra (Generelo 50’) – Fidel – Corominas – Powel (Pelayo 56’)

Goal :

1 – 0 Matilla (p) 83’

Referee : Mr. Mariscal Sánchez. Surprisingly enough, did rather well. Let play flow, wasn’t over-zealous, didn’t start the usual card waving show in the second half. Got the odd one wrong but they are only human. Probably the best refereeing display we have seen this season.

Att. 13.882 at the New Condomina. Best of the season so far, but well below what we should be getting for this type of game.

Next up is a tricky away game at in-form Alcorcón next weekend. This deserved victory should give our confidence a real boost.
POS TEAM PLD W D L F A PTS
1 ELCHE 10 8 1 1 21 7 25
2 ALMERÍA 10 6 2 2 20 13 20
3 ALCORCÓN 10 6 1 3 16 11 19
4 GIRONA 10 5 3 2 21 9 18
5 VILLARREAL 10 5 3 2 11 9 18
6 REAL MURCIA 10 5 2 3 15 11 17
7 RECREATIVO 10 5 1 4 15 17 16
8 SABADELL 10 4 2 4 13 11 14
9 CORDOBA 10 4 2 4 9 10 14
10 NUMANCIA 10 3 4 3 8 9 13
11 LUGO 10 3 4 3 10 14 13
12 HUESCA 9 2 5 2 9 8 11
13 RACING 10 2 5 3 7 7 11
14 SPORTING 10 3 2 5 11 16 11
15 XEREZ 10 3 2 5 10 17 11
16 PONFERRADINA 10 3 1 6 12 15 10
17 LAS PALMAS 10 2 3 5 11 20 9
18 HERCULES 10 2 2 6 7 14 8
19 MIRANDÉS 10 1 3 6 8 14 6
20 GUADALAJARA 10 1 3 6 10 20 6

Saturday, October 20, 2012

Elche : Sing When You're Winning


45 buses of Elche (8 wins, 1 draw, 0 defeats) fans will arrive at the New Condomina tomorrow. This remember, is the same team who in recent years have only managed to scrimp together a couple of hundred fans for the long and difficult 50 kilometers that separate Elche from Murcia.

I’ve always admired the long suffering and faithful fans who follow their team through thick and thin. Brought up on English football, this was the norm. You would find that success brought in more fans, but only in a minimal kind of way. A club with a hardcore 20,000 may dip to 17,000 with a relegation, or rise to 23,000 with promotion. It’s a swing you could consider normal.

A friend said to me the other day that he considered being in Gerona for our terrible relegation much more important than being at Lugo 12 months later for our return. “When the club is in need, real need, that’s when the fans must be there” he said. Another said this week that “there is more love in 3 cars of relegation threatened fans than 45 buses following a winning side”.  It’s a truism.

I know no-one likes to suffer, but abandonment in hard times, be it of your team, your family or your friends, is a terrible personality defect. But then if you didn’t love the team, family or friends in the first place, and just wanted to go to their party, then it’s easy to turn your back on them when things aren’t so good.

Sadly the 45 busses of fans sum up the sheepish nature of fans in Spain. To be part of the hardcore through thick and thin makes you an object of ridicule. Going to somebody else’s fiesta is ultra cool.

Sunday, October 14, 2012

Lugo 2 Real Murcia 1


Disappointing.
Lugo:
Yoel – De Coz – Fran Perez – Pavón – Manu – Seoane – Pita – Font – Duran (Victor 79’) – Oscar Diaz (Fran Sol 85’) – Tonetto (Yago 70’)
Real Murcia :
Javi Jimenez – Mario Marin (Saul 85’) – Jorge – Mauro – Oscar Sanchez – Eddy – Matilla – Emilio (Sutil 58’) – Nico Martinez (Chando 79’) – Jonathan – Ruso
Goals :
1-0Manu (p.) 34’
2-0 Oscar Diaz 67
2-1 Sutil 69’
Referee : Mr. Latre Santiago. Another referee gives a very soft penalty against Real. How many is that now? And how many in our favour?

Saturday, October 13, 2012

Anxo Carro



Un año y unos meses después, el Real Murcia vuelve al Anxo Carro de Lugo, escenario del último ascenso de segunda B a segunda. Personalmente me trae sentimientos cruzados, de inmensa alegría en general, recuerdos de abrazos y lagrimas de felicidad, pulpo con patatas, copas, aviones y autobuses….pero también de la angustia pasada de una temporada en la B, recuerdos de Motilivi y el descenso mas cruel en la historia del fútbol, y de saber que igual el destino te prepara una nueva patada en la boca. Estuvo a punto.

Angustiosa….es la palabra que para mi resume lo que es segunda B. Te bajas allí y no se sabe cuando vas a volver. De hecho, los que nos acompañaron en el camino a segunda B en la nefasta temporada 09/10, solo el Murcia esta de vuelta en segunda. El Cádiz y el Real Unión siguen en la B, y están 6º del grupo 4 y 13º en el grupo 2 respectivamente. Sabiendo que toca eliminatorias y no hay ascenso directo. Peor suerte ha tenido el CD Castellón, actualmente 16º del grupo 6 de Tercera división….angustiado no, es por desgracia un club “zombie”. Si Segunda B esta ninguneado, imagínate Tercera. De los que bajaron las temporadas anteriores al Real Murcia (Alavés, Éibar, Alicante, Sevilla B, Ferrol, Granada 74, El Ejido) y después (Salamanca, Tenerife, Albacete, Ponferradina) tan sólo un equipo ha sido capaz de volver, el Ponferradina. Tan solo 2 de 16 han vuelto. Pero otros dos de los descendidos han desaparecido, y los restantes pasan unos apuros tremendos para poder seguir. Eso es Segunda B.

Segunda B. Angustia. Mucha gente dejará tu club, se verá de cerca la desaparición, los patrocinadores de repente no contestan, los buitres hablaran de un nuevo equipo y sabes que aunque acabas saliendo de la tabla, te la juegas todo en unas eliminatorias a cara de perro con sus encerronas y arbitrillos malísimos. Angustioso, sobre todo para esos locos que, como yo, no abandonen nunca, aun estando los años que hagan falta en la B. No dejaríamos de ir o de apoyar, pasaremos ratos estupendos en Roquetas o en Yecla o en Puertollano. Ratos inolvidables. Pero nosotros…..siempre tenemos el sueño de que algún día tocara ser grandes. Un día en que se vera el Murcia jugando primera ronda de la Europa League o jugar 4 temporadas seguidas en primera. Lo pasamos bien en la división que sea……pero nos angustiamos de ver el abandono y la mofa a nuestro club, el club que queremos. Lo extraño es que creo que en el fondo queremos ser grandes por ver el estadio lleno de los que no sufren.
Pues eso, volvemos al Anxo Carro, pero en esta ocasión sin angustias. Y es lo que pido, una temporada sin problemas para mi corazón Murcianista. Quiero ascender, claro, pero no exijo nada, que en Murcia ya sé que la avaricia casi siempre rompe el saco.

Thursday, October 11, 2012

Off topic : Spain in Crisis / Blame Game

Last week in the USA I had the opportunity to see the first presidential debate between president Barak Obama and candidate Mitt Romney. Although designed for a domestic audience, some way into the debate the republican candidate mentioned Spain in a very negative manner, in reference to government spending running wild. “I don’t want to go down the path of Spain”, he said. This as there is constant talk of a European bailout for Spain.

As a Spanish tax payer for the last 23 years, this is very close to home. As this is my blog, I’m going to vent my spleen and give my take on the situation.
 
I don’t want to go over the causes of the current crisis in details, suffice to say that the domino effect of the collapse of US investment banks, the rampant overbuilding and over-lending from Spanish banks prior to this, plus a generation of politicians of all denominations drunk on power who failed to save for a rainy day in the boom times. When we add to this mix the blind faith in the European community (let’s not forget the original design was for a trading area, not another level of politics/gravy train), which was great while money was flowing south but bad once it started heading east (our politicians lived splendidly, and continue to do so, but now the funding isn’t there). Then the Euro came, and suddenly rampant inflation as the price of a 100 peseta item became 1 euro (166 pesetas). Spain suddenly became uncompetitive, and relinquished control over monetary policy. The Spanish bubble, based on building, suddenly burst, leaving half built property, massive unemployment, unpaid mortgages and banks with more property of little or no value than actual money.

While this house of cards was falling down, the then government still had its head up its arse. Far from reducing spending, it constantly denied the crisis, rather preferring to increase spending. It even created new ministries such as the Ministry of Equality, designed to make sure that (as in the then government) positions in business would be split on gender lines rather than on merit. A sexist police, you could say. Totally unproductive. So government grew and grew, creating masses of nice cushy jobs that only added cost and produced nothing at all.

There were “jobs for the boys” too. There are so many levels of government (Municipal, Regional, State, European), and each municipal, regional, state or European politician needs his quota of advisors and consultants. Another army of non jobs, costing a lot, producing very little. Of course any councilor or senator worth his salt loves a nice jolly away-day with first class travel, 5 star hotels and fine dining, and of course must have all his staff come along. And he’ll need a nice expensive official car (bomb-proof of course) and a driver to take him to and from airports. Just so his town can be twinned with another for purposes of whoknowswhat, or whatever else they get up to at my expense. Each politician enjoys overblown benefits. Serve for one legislature and you have a life pension. You also usually get a nice place on the board of a multinational. Why? Well…..you have political influence. In exchange for money, of course.

Then there is corruption. The map below shows cases attributed to each party (so many they almost don't fit). It just seems that there is a culture of corruption being the norm, and they all have some kind of shady deal going on. But when you see that the justice system, the judges, are split down left and right political lines, it’s unsurprising that rarely anybody get put in the slammer or obliged to return ill-gotten gains. There’s a deal. I won’t lock yours up if you don’t lock mine up.



 
The blame game is becoming more and more tiresome. Spain is bipolar, and depending on which side of the fence you are on, you blame the other for everything. But this is ridiculous. There are towns and regions ruled by all different political parties. The state has swung between left and right. Everywhere is in a black hole. So how can it just be the other sides fault? The only time they ever agree on and have a unanimous vote, are when their own salaries are being raised.

I saw the other day that Germany has around 100,000 politicians and 90,000,000 inhabitants. Spain has around half the population, but an incredible 450,000 in politics. Is it therefore any wonder that, when there are fiestas, each town spends more and more on fireworks? (The Romans said “panem et circuses”. Bread and Circus. The phrase is used to describe the creation of public approval, not through exemplary or excellent public service or public policy, but through diversion, distraction, and/or the mere satisfaction of the immediate, shallow requirements of a populace). Or that nationalists are using the plight of their own making (of course they point the blame elsewhere) to stir up fabricated fervor for independence? This while all we hear is of cuts, cuts and more cuts.

So, spending is being cut – cuts that usually hit the needy. As a taxpayer I am happy to contribute to our welfare state. I’m willing to pay for people in need and for whenever I may need that service myself, infrastructure etc. etc. But when I see my income reduced because of an income tax rise, the price of goods going up because of a new rate of VAT, local poll tax going up by 10% a year, and that the Guardia Civil seems to have been given the sole mission of emptying wallets for trivial driving offenses, it becomes clear where the real issue is. Spain can no longer afford its political system and its politicians. It’s too big, too costly, and too much of an easy option for the lazy or shameless. Too much money and influence, too little real work. Too much bla bla bla into a microphone and too little substance. Too much blaming the other side. Too corrupt.

When the US presidential debate finalized, I was left with the feeling that, although the candidates disagreed on almost everything, there was a mutual respect, and a certainty that their opponent, although misguided, did have the best interests of the country at heart. I have not seen an incoming president place the blame for everything on his predecessor. Not something I have ever seen in Spain.