Only two shots on target, both blanquiazules, characterized a dull match that further weakened Manolo González’s position.
Finding your home can be a great experience. We reconnect with those with whom we shared moments, memories flow as we walk the same streets and corridors. Some memories are pleasant, even nostalgic. However, the return can also act as discomfort, almost always. It’s a reminder that we no longer belong here. By choice, by circumstance or by obligation, we are no longer part of this environment that we once considered home. Vicente Moreno must have felt that way when the Osasuna bus passed through the walls of the RCDE stadium, or when he walked through the locker room tunnel again, this time as coach of the Pamplona team.
The Valencian coach spent only two years on the noble bench of the perico. It may seem brief, a relatively short stint, but everything he experienced there filled him with a warm feeling towards the Catalan club. Vicente Moreno was the undisputed leader of the team that achieved the much-desired rise to La Liga. Now, with Osasuna, those memories run deep. Facing Espanyol again (0-0) turned out to be a bitter pill. Neither team put in enough effort or showed any talent. Notable actions were sorely lacking, and resignation took precedence over this bittersweet encounter.
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When the ball starts rolling, romance is put aside. Neither the coach nor his players showed signs of intimidation. The Perico team was not ready to give gifts to its former coach. Both teams entered the field with great ambitions, but those intentions remained just that – mere ideas that led nowhere and failed to materialize into chances. During the first half, neither team endangered the opposing goal with any real threat. The players were wandering around the field, nothing more.
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It was frustrating to see how everyone tried with great zeal but little skill. They traded blows, but individual errors and a lack of efficiency in ball circulation prevented both Espanyol and Osasuna from winning. The ball was just rolling and drifting. Approaching the 70th minute, neither team had registered a single scoring chance. Vicente Moreno gesticulated frantically from the technical area, while a few meters away, Manolo González implored his players to wake up. Both coaches were exasperated by their players’ lack of clarity.
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The first shot on target came after the 75th minute, courtesy of Pol Lozano from the edge of the area. The native of Sant Quirze del Vallès recovered the ball and fired a shot which took a nice curve, threatening to lodge in the corner of the Osasuna net. However, Sergio Herrera made a remarkable save, preventing Espanyol from taking the lead with their first real attempt. After this opportunity, Espanyol tried to move into the opposing camp, but their attacks were completely unsuccessful. They barely got close to the goal again, apart from a weak shot from Cheddira before the referee blew the whistle for the end of the match.
The match was uncomfortable, not only for Vicente Moreno but also for Manolo González. His credit is running out. Bad results and the team’s unappealing image do not protect coach Blanquiazul, who, although supported by the fans, faces growing doubts in the management offices. The stands expressed their discontent with chants, demanding that “they give us the club back.” Moreno’s return was neither beautiful, nor simple, nor friendly. Espanyol didn’t fare much better either.
