Season Preview: Sporting Gijón

Published on August 5, 2011 by Craig Williams · No Comments

In day five of our La Liga preview, spanishfootball.info’s man in Asturias, Craig Williams, looks at Sporting Gijón.

Coming into the new season Sporting are looking to improve on last year’s tenth place and provide their fans with less altibajos (highs and lows) than what marked the campaign last season, in what will be Preciado’s sixth at the helm. With the loss of the influential Diego Castro, last season’s top goalscorer (9 goals), the likely return of young midfielder Andre Castro to Porto and Jose Angel’s “glamour” 5 million euro move to Roma, put together these three are tantamount to cause mild panic for some sections of the Sporting support.

But to read a sense of worry on the face of Preciado would be a marked mistake. Sporting haven’t been sitting idle in the recent period, and have made some interesting moves in the transfer market alongside things closer to home. Stalwarts such as De Las Cuevas, Carmelo, Bilic and Cuellar have all signed long-term contracts with the club, whilst they have brought in Argentine forward Oscar Trejo, Ricardo Leon (Tenerife) and Uruguayan Damian Suarez.

These three signings alone are enough to wet the palate for the forthcoming season. Suarez brings with him good voices from Latin America, a young defender with experience under his belt, having represented Uruguay at both under 17 and under 20 level. Ricardo Leon is a midfield organiser who provides height and stature in midfield whilst with Trejo, we perhaps have the icing on the proverbial cake. A product of Boca’s youth system, the forward helped win rave reviews with his performances for whilst on loan at Rayo Vallecano, his 9 goals helping them in their promotion to the top flight.

Defensively Sporting should not have concerns going into the new season, with Botia coming off the back of a strong European under 21 showing likely to be partnered by Hernandez or Jorge in the centre, the outstanding Lora at right back and Canella at left back. Young Alex Menendez, a product of the Mareo youth system, has been making waves with the local press with two impressive performances in pre-season and looks good to be challenging Canella for a place.

Both Juan Pablo and Cuellar will be vying for a start between the sticks in what signals healthy signs on the goalkeeping front. The forward line is most likely to be led by Barral (captain) with Trejo sitting off him (as has been illustrated pre-season), Sangoy and Bilic offering depth and change should Sporting require their services, which, if going on last season’s events wasn’t often. Many fans feel that another striker is needed to shore up Sporting’s options and cement the search for more goals, with last season’s total of 35 giving some cause for concern.

This leaves us with midfield, the area of the park most important to Preciado given the loss of the talismanic Diego Castro. Young Nacho Cases is a sure cert to hold onto the role he made his own last season, a tireless runner, inventive and strong with an eye for goal. De Las Cuevas is likely to retain the left midfield role whilst time will tell if the right side will be kept in renewed confidence by Novo, who seemed to blow hot and cold last season. Ayoze, Eguren and Rivera will be vying for the further places in midfield, especially Eguren, coming off the back of his participation in Uruguay’s Copa America triumph (albeit as a substitute).

What has been quite remarkable and deserves mention is that most of the pre-season attention has been focused on issues away from the players, with instead the new Kappa made strips being the topic of conversation. Despite already breaking sales barriers, the new strip, branded “The pijama” by fans has caused backlash, so much so that Sporting have released a statement advising that they are working with Kappa on a new alternative to “reflect the history of the club”. Controversy indeed.

Taking everything together things do indeed look to be bright for Sporting as we approach the 2011/2012 season, the team has a good balance between experience and youth which will hold them in good stead. If the likes of Lora, Nacho Cases and De Las Cuevas can build on their impressive seasons last year, and if Trejo provides the movement and direct style of play which will be asked of him given Diego Castro’s absence then a finish within the top 8 and a potential European spot shouldn’t be out of the question.