(NEARLY) ALL CHANGE AT ELCHE?

It would seem that plan B is in operation at Elche CF for the exciting new season, when the City of Palms football team returns to mighty La Liga after a gap of 24 years in the second division’s wilderness.

Plan A (that’s only my vision/version) was to build on what was there already: use the spine of the team that got the Illicitanos promoted after years of heartache and nearly-promoted disappointments, and supplement this success with some necessary new blood in key positions.

Hmm…what do I know? First out of the door was my player of the year, 27 year-old centre back and stalwart Xavier Etxeita on a free transfer to fellow La Liga side Athletico Bilbao. That the club have retained his partner, 34 year-old Peligrin is puzzling, he is on the wane to me and slowing up.

Left back and free-kick specialist Edu Albacar is similarly retained, his eight goals last season says a lot, but Albacar is much better going forward than defensively covering, and I fear he will be badly undone this year.

Of one of last year’s finds, right back Damian Suarez there is no mention yet of retainment. The Argentinian didn’t play in the last few games, and neither did heroic goalkeeper Manu Herrera who only conceded an amazing 27 goals in 42 games to ensure promotion.

Midfield is a mystery: I have never been a fan of club captain David Generelo: he is slow, often caught in possession and gets booked too often and occasionally sent off. Yet he and midfield utility-man Sergio Mantecon (a better bet) are both retained on one-year contracts, and the disappointing young Valencian player Carles Gil has had his loan period extended.

No mention of the industrious Alberto Rivera, a real worker and success in midfield last season, he is getting on at 34 but to me is infinitely better than Generelo (anyone is…).

Probably the most successful player of the year was top-scorer Coro, a midfielder-cum-striker from Girona who notched nine priceless goals for Elche last season, and to me is a must to retain: no news… Much was expected of the aptly-named (Luis) Angel when he returned unexpectedly mid-season from Levante, but his goals from the previous season dried up in the worrying end of season performances, where the Illicitanos only won four from fourteen. Elche’s second striker and crowd favourite Jordi Xumetra has already been sold to Levante at the end of the season.

Up until the last few promotion-hunting seasons Elche had some horrendous starts, where the Franjiverdes lost their first half-dozen games, fired their manager – like you do – and had to play catch-up all season to stay up.

Now staying up in the rarefied atmosphere of La Liga just has to be the priority of almost every team in that league with the exceptions of title-chasers Barcelona and Real Madrid – and that quest has got to be Elche’s sole mission.

Are the Illicitanos ready?

No, I would say, definitely not at the moment, but we still have a few weeks to go, and there is much to do to present the excited city with a team that can compete with the big boys. From the outside the mighty Martinez Valero stadium is being tarted up – mind you, it needed to be – but it is on the field where the changes will be needed most, and where the picture is most confusing currently.

Next week a look at who has joined the club ready for the fascinating new season, some arranged friendlies and early La Liga fixtures for the Illicitanos.

Mucho Elche!

Filed under: http://www.theleader.info/article/39887/

Car and Motor Insurance | Spanish Home Insurance | International Money Transfers | Send Money to Spain | Spain Property | Online International Payments | Property in Spain
Costa Blanca Property for Sale | Cabo Roig Property for Sale | International Payments |