Hermandad Gallega 2014-15 Review

The 2014-15 season, my first season as a football manager, was one of great joy and celebration. The team pulled off one of the greatest comebacks to snatch promotion on the last game of the season and leave the fans happy knowing they will be a Segunda Venezolana club once again. Let's review the season as it happened.

Hermandad Gallega Results

After getting off to a relatively good start the league began to take shape very early in the season, with the promotion contenders, mid table teams and relegation candidates all quickly taking their places in the standings. Fortunately for us, we made a positive start to proceedings and were normally down the bottom of the pack of the promotion favourites.

At one stage we held a 15-point advantage over eighth place, the beginning of the mid-table pile. For much of the seasons we remained in 6th or 7th, and it looked as if our fate was confirmed. But a fourteen game unbeaten stretch to end the season, including an incredible 7-2 demolition of Estrella Roja and a 4-2 come-from-behind victory at Estudiantes de Caroní to seal promotion.

Venezuelan Lower Division

As I stated above, promotion was sealed in the dying embers of the season and I think we managed to shock a few people in finishing in third place, the last promotion place. The top two teams, Real Anzoategui and SC Guaraní were on their way very early into the season and it was no surprise that they confirmed their positions early into the season.

For us, it was not so simple. Teams such as Baralt FC, Estrella Roja, Guatire FC and ULA FC were all in a battle for that elusive promotion spot and luckily our end of season form meant that we were able to take it from their graps.

Hermandad Gallega Player of the Year

I could easily give this award to any person on the team, but the winner does have to be Jesús Reyes. He was injured for a couple of months and, although we didn't really miss him, it's no coincidence our best run of form came when our talisman returned to the action. 38 goals in 33 games is just a phenomenal and proves he's destined for bigger things, whether it be here or at another club.

Final Comments

We can look back on this season with lots of pride and appreciation. We were able to play some highly entertaining football with a focus on scoring goals and playing fast, attractive football. All while securing promotion to the second tier - fantastic stuff. The new season is all about bravely fighting against relegation. Whether that be with me in charge, I am not sure - I am still hopeful of a new deal.

The Holy Stingrey has an unbelievable season, of course.

By the way, Walt thought that^ was a horrid nickname at first and then blatantly uses it without crediting me. Hypocrisy I tell you!

Feliks Oh the lies, you did not think up that nickname. Stop trying to steal my creative genius

damn, 13 finishing and 15 heading. Damn.

Pauker I got a bit lucky with the generated players at the start of the game haha.

200

Congrats on 200 replies Walt!

Josh, Joshie Muchas gracias guys, thanks for all the replies.

New Season, New Enemies

The pier stretched out into the grey-blue sea. The wooden structure was old, creaky and rusty. Clouds swarmed above and the fierce winds made the water rough and cold. There was no protection on either side so if you fell in it was up to you to get yourself out of there.

Three men stood on either side of the pier, all with their polo shirts and jackets on. Each had black hair and emotionless expressions spread across their face. Two more men walked down the pier and they held a man in-between them.

He was above average in height, well-built but still fairly thin, wore a fine suit and had combed black hair. He was calm and didn't cause a fuss as he was escorted to the edge of the long wooden walkway. When he got there he was forced to turn around and face another man.

This man had a cold look on his face. His eyes were evil and his body language suggested he was determined. Out of his right pocket he pulled out a pistol. Another, younger man appeared from behind the gunman, obviously the leader of this "gang".

"Mr. Bond - your time is up," the leader said. The man at the end of the pier watched as the gun was handed to the younger gang member, who was looking nervous and twitchy. He fumbled with the gun before steadying himself to aim.

Bond stared at him. "Shoot him, Vargas," ordered the leader. Vargas, the junior, wiped the sweat from his forehead as he settled the aim of the gun towards the chest of the victim. His finger wrapped round the trigger and he slowly pulled on it.

"Hurry up!" his boss barked.

A loud noise went off and Bond fell backwards off the pier, into the water and fell straight down on to the sea bed. Little beads of rain began to fall onto the rickety old pier off the hidden beach. The leader pat Vargas on the back, and the men left and walked back through the dense vegetation.

Wot. Wot. Wot. !??!?!??!?!!

wat..

wat. wat. wtf is going on? i can't even fathom what is going on..

Everyone All will be revealed... but not shortly.

errmmm, wat...

Another Level

One year earlier...

I won't elaborate on the promotion from last season, because that is exactly what it is. Last season. We're in a new division this year, a tougher, harsher league where we will be punished for errors we maybe would've gotten away with in the Lower Division.

I confirmed that I'd be staying at the club after new chairman Johan James said that he'd been persuaded to let me stay on. Despite only offering a one year deal to me, I told him I'd be willing to half my pay to stay for at least two more years - and the deal was completed.


It was now the off season and after the battle with Freddy Robinson, aka Mr. Inferno, it was time for me personally to regroup and switch back on to football mode and become the manager again. I'd proven quite good at it and my cover hadn't been blown.

The first thing I did was utilise my three scouts to find talent from all across South America. We concluded a lot of deals and with our new parent club, Trujillanos FC, we managed to wrap up a cost-free loan for a bright young defender.



We signed lots of players on free transfers because quite frankly we didn't have any money to purchase anyone. I signed a lot of players on pre-contract deals so we knew they'd be coming in before preseason actually got under way.

Two of my favourite signings were the loan capture of Alexander Padilla off newly-promoted Liga Movistar club Monagas S.C. Padilla is a promising central midfielder who I'd label a "workhorse". For our level of football he has exceptional fitness and speed, and also a high sense of team work and work rate itself.


The other most important signing was that of goalkeeper Juan Jose Alvarez, who arrived on a Bosman from Diamantes, who finished in third place last season in the Segunda Venezolana. He's getting on a bit, Alvarez, but is still going to be a key to this side and provides Kevin Marquez some competition for the number one spot.


There were too many transfers for me to go into detail about everyone, and the same for the people on their way out of the Polideportivo Misael Delgado. Therefore I'll just post this picture of all the in's and outs of our off season.

Arrivals

Departures

Overall I'm quite pleased with the transactions that took place over this off season. We're going to have to get the team gelling so a preseason schedule will be organised to form a cohesive unit that will be hard to break down in defence but free-flowing in attack, which is largely unchanged from last season. Any missing ingredients can be added throughout the season.

Preseason Schedule

• 11/7/15 - Valencia (Ven) - Polideportivo Misael Delgado
• 18/7/15 - UA Aragua - Away
• 25/7/15 - Trujillanos FC - Polideportivo Misael Delgado
• 29/7/15 - Central Ítalo - Away
• 5/8/15 - Deportivo Petare - Polideportivo Misael Delgado
• 10/8/15 - Lanceros de Zamora - Polideportivo Misael Delgado