Pre-season Hiccup – Four Losses in a Row

By: Elisa | August 15th, 2008

Something is rotten in Denmark or rather Bilbo. There is a malaise creeping up on the first team and now the team seems out of sorts and it’s just preseason. We’ve lost four in a row now, to teams that are definitely below Athletic’s level. The left side is extremely shaky, not to mention, the midfield, defense, attack, and spirit of the team. Caparros is making Rafa Benitez look sane. He is out-tinkering Ranieri, Benitez, and Avram Grant, all in one. What to do what to do?

And dear old Yeste, hot head numero uno, received his second yellow against Cadiz yesterday and will miss the third place game against Villarreal or Sevilla. That makes 5 sending offs in pre-season. Is that a world record or something? If you can’t beat Eibar B and Cadiz… then something is just not right.

There’s only ten days until the start of the season and of course four MORE friendlies to play. I would just like to know what is going on? I guess it doesn’t matter if we lose the rest of our pre-season games, as long as we win our leagues games. So let’s just hold our breath and wait.

The Latest Scoop-

Gaizka Toquero has been loaned to Eibar this season. This will give the striker much needed play time, as he is not ready for the big leagues just yet.

Alaves would like to take either Iñigo or Ion Velez on loan as they need a striker desperately. I say give them Iñigo. He is much more rough around the edges and needs minutes to break into the first team one day.

U-21 call ups: Athletic midfield magicians, Javi Martinez and Markel Susaeta have been called up, once again, to play in a very important European qualifier against Russia in Moscow on August 19th. Best of luck to Javimar and Susa.

U-19 call ups: Athletic’s young striker, Isma Lopez has been called up to play in a friendly tournament in Ireland this month (8/18 – 8/21), representing Spain. Other nations participating – Ireland, Ukraine and Portugal.

Spanish National Squad call ups: At last, our gruesome twosome in defense, Fernando Amorebieta and Andoni Iraola, have been called up by Del Bosque. It’s been three long years since a Bilbao player has been called up (Orbaiz in 2005). The new Mister and La Furia will participate in a friendly on August 20th, where they will face Denmark. Del Bosque was in Morroco to see Athletic play in the pre-season tournament and was impressed with our two defensive stars. It’s about time!