Pontevedra 2-0 Santiago Solari

The game can be described in one sentence: it was terrible. Pontevedra scored two goals, and deserved to win the game by a country mile. In my last report from two weeks ago, I facetiously branded the result a new low - until next week. I didn’t actually mean that Castilla would hit a weekly low, but that’s exactly how it’s turning out. Just when you think it can’t get any worse, it gets so much more tragic. Since that report, things have changed, however. We all know by now, that I gave Solari a 10 game countdown at the start of the campaign, and this game strikes out number 8. In the 7th game, which I thankfully missed out on last week at home against Guijuelo, the fans booed Santiago Solari. In the following days, the media started to turn against him, too. Marca branded his situation as a ‘crisis’. Those factors, plus the loss today, will surely bang the firing drum a little louder. Frustratingly, the man with the power to save us all is wearing impeccably good earmuffs.

Notes from this abhorrent affair:

Javier Belman

Man of the match today. Kept the scoreline to a minimum with some great saves, looked comfortable with the ball at his feet too. What are the odds that Luca Zidane immediately benches him next week?

Santiago Solari

Nobody is immortal. When Santiago Solari finally sinks in his poorly self designed ship, I do not want to ever see his name pop up in a footballing context ever again. I certainly do not want to see him enter the world of professional football ever again. I don’t want to see him go into youth team coaching. I don’t want to see him go into Sunday league coaching. I don’t want him to coach my children. I wouldn't even want to see him coaching my enemy’s children. I don’t want him coaching Kim Jong Un’s children. He has been the worst excuse for a pint-in-hand, clueless ‘soccer dad’ trainer I will ever have the displeasure of having to come across.

Sure, Real Madrid fans can laugh at this headless chicken now, but it won’t be so funny once the damage he has done becomes clear. As it stands, Óscar Rodríguez will not make it at Real Madrid. Luca Zidane will make it at Real Madrid. Neither Francisco Feuillassier, nor Dani Gómez will make it at Real Madrid, and none of the other players will even get a chance to make it at Real Madrid. Getting anywhere in football after surviving a season with this man in charge should be an honour regarded as miraculous as winning the World Cup with Accrington Stanley. Santiago Solari was a professional football player for Real Madrid. He made a fortune from his playing career. He could do nothing but sit in his mansion and play tiddlywinks all day, for the rest of his life, and still be very well off. He doesn't need this job. This is where my biggest problem with him is created. He has single handedly destroyed the careers of numerous promising prospects. He must know that he isn't at the level required by the club, but refuses to step down so that someone else can make it right. That is plain selfishness. His approach only signals his complete lack of compassion for Real Madrid. How could anyone who loves the club compromise it in such a way, and continue to do so? The day he leaves, he will be immediately erased from my memory, and the rebuilding process will begin. 8 games gone, 2 to go.

Castilla sit 2 points above the relegation zone. Points dropped against Gimnástica Segoviana will see them enter it. It’s already safe to say that this years aim whilst Solari remains, is to avoid the drop though. Don’t forget to tune in next week for another fresh dose of disappointment!

Goals: -

Assists: -

MOTM: Belman