It has cost more than expected, but finally Avilés has managed to save the furniture. Natalio’s goal against Manchego gave the Blue and Whites a stay that became very complicated, but despite the importance of the victory, the Suárez Puerta stands did not feel like celebrating excessively. And, after a season in which promotion to First Federation was close, the Avilesinos’ season can only be classified as a failure. The club has gone from touching glory to avoiding falling into the mud and now, as Diego Baeza himself recognized, it is time to learn from its mistakes to try to be at the top again. Below are some of the keys to a year to forget at Avilés
Delayed planning. One of the consequences of the failed promotion play-off was that the blue and white team started working in the offices a month late, since they did not know what their category was going to be. Therefore, while the rest of the rivals were strengthening, Avilés continued competing. Added to that was that Astu, the architect of the previous squad, decided to separate his path from the Avilesinos, so Baeza had to move to sign a new sports director. Finally, the chosen one was Javier Vidales, one of the greats pointed out by the fans for the poor performance of the squad.
The high expectations. After what was experienced last season and with the arrival of Javier Vidales to the Avilés offices, the entire blue and white environment agreed on the same thing: the team had to take the leap. “Our goal is, with the dedication and work that has been done for a long time, to put the team on a truly professional stage,” said Vidales himself during his debut. Baeza, during the presentation of the membership campaign, also spoke about how “this category is falling short, now we have to get promoted.” The objective was very ambitious and that pressure, in the long run, has taken its toll on the team, which has been very far from those goals.
The mental aspect of the players. Javi Rozada, Avilés’ third coach of the season, spoke about the mentality of his players after saving the team. “Avilés was a mentally weak team, but I am proud to have changed their mentality, because otherwise they would not have passed,” commented the player from Oviedo, who gave voice to a key aspect in the blue and white summer. And many of the players who landed at Suárez Puerta arrived after being relegated last year. Mecerreyes, Davo Fernández, Joel del Pino and Mauro are examples of players who last year experienced a situation similar to what Avilés suffered this year. Therefore, when faced with the abyss, those memories of the past appear and affect their performance.
Twelve comebacks against. Perhaps in relation to the mental aspect lies one of the great evils of this year for Avilés, the ease with which their rivals could overcome the matches. The blue and white team was ahead on the scoreboard, but they were not able to score, so they ended up either tying or losing the match. In total there have been twelve comebacks, nine of them ended in distribution of points and three in defeat, which would mean 27 more points in the box. That would put Avilés as second in their group.
Lack of defensive forcefulness. The big difference between last year’s Avilés and this year’s was in their own area. Álvaro Fernández has had a great season, but the rest of the defense has been below the expected level. The fact of not being able to tie Mayorga, together with the departure of Morcillo, was a blow from which the Avilesinos could not get up. Only the signing of Zubiri during the winter market could solve the team’s defensive problems, which were fragile when it came to clearing crosses and in the open field, but the Navarrese centre-back missed five consecutive games due to an expulsion.
Absence of provocations from the bench. Something that has been missing when managing matches are footballers capable of breaking into space and shining with their speed. Except for Raúl Rojas, a player who arrived in January, none of the profiles that Avilés had on the bench were the ideal ones to try to turn around a game that became complicated. Joel del Pino or Isma Cerro, except in the last two games, have not fulfilled that role and Miguel Sierra or Jorge are not players of that profile.
The Suárez Puerta, far from being a fort. Last season Emilio Cañedo managed to turn Suárez Puerta into an impregnable fiefdom. Many fans still remember triumphs like those against Valladolid B or Compostela. And the blue and white team came from being the second best place in their group, a fact that clashes with the tenth place of this campaign. The fans knew how to respond, greatly improving last year’s attendance, but the results did not match the great atmosphere on the field. Furthermore, away from home they did not compensate for the fragility at home, being also the tenth best visitor.
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2024-05-21 02:05:00
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