When Lotina first got to Deportivo the team was doing alright. A couple top-half finishes, an Intertoto Cup win. And I don’t want to fall into the trap of blaming the past several months on someone else. I’m the manager, the buck stops at me. But bloody hell this place was in a right mess when I came in.
I needed a club fast. The France gig has been great. It’s been good to get to know some of the lads in that set-up. Yoann is a cracking player. One of the most skillful I’ve worked with. Up there with Luka. And Nasri’s a good boy, too. Always turns in a decent performance, and we’ve been looking strong in the qualifiers. The Malta win set the ball rolling. Benzema was brilliant that day. He’s a top top forward. All round player. I’m enjoying the France thing. But it was never going to be enough. You get the players for a couple days before a match and effectively on the final whistle they’re gone. And that’s it for a few months – touring around Europe on my own watching some crap games.
The Deportivo gig seemed like a gift. I almost bit the club’s hand off. But you’ve got to start asking questions when your best player’s Joe Ledley. How he ended up here I’ll never know. But to be honest we’ve become quite close, the two of us. The language barrier with the rest of the squad drew us closer, but him and the French Lad have been good friends to me. The French Lad has been trying a bit too hard to impress, though – it’s pretty obvious he wants an international call-up, but it’s not going to happen. He’s just a bit crap and there’s no way Ribery would be happy with that. He’s still upset I gave Sinama Pongolle a shout for the Turkey game. The boy scored and Franck was still moaning about the whole thing. Said something about us needing to be taken seriously and playing half-rate Liverpool rejects isn’t the one. Honest lad is Franck. Top top player, though.
The highlight of the past few months, obviously, was the win against Real. Not sure how we managed it but I’m not going to sniff at that. Adrian played a blinder. The rest of the season the injuries didn’t help. The fact Lotina trimmed the squad to 18 and both my forwards done a hamstring in training was a nightmare. I was pretty desperate. Got myself in the free transfer market and I couldn’t even persuade Dele Adebola to come over for a few months to help out. Jaymo didn’t fancy it either.
Had a sit down with the board and we decided I’d stay, despite all the losses, and just try and keep the team up. The chairman told me he knew it wasn’t my fault the mess we were in and pointed the finger at Lotina, which took the edge off a bit. Finally the boys up top, Adrian and Riki found a bit of fitness and we went 4-3-3, couple wins and a draw later and we were sitting comfortably in 13th. Lost the last few and got the season done.
Around March I sensed Joe was a bit homesick. I pulled him in the office after training one day and we decided there was only really one solution – Ched Evans. But the boy was tied down to a long-termer at Sheffield United so we set a deal in place and waited it out until the summer.
I hatched a plan to hit the expiring contract market – load of lads in there waiting for their clubs to offer them a new deal and all becoming slightly disillusioned about the whole thing. So I come along, dangle £25k and a four-year contract in front of them and we were in business. I had a field day in there. Eboue, and van Aanholt from Chelsea – there are my new full-backs sorted. Spearing and El Zhar from Liverpool to sit in with Joe Ledley. And up top I got my hands on Delfouneso from Villa, obviously Ched from United and Andy Carroll who was still at Newcastle (2010-11 remember).
Suddenly squad numbers are up, the dressing room’s happy, Ledley’s got a load of mates and we’re winning preseason friendlies 7-0. Beat Zaragoza 3-1 in our season opener, too.
Adrian got a call-up to the Spain squad, which is great for him. He told me he’s getting English and French lessons, which at first I thought was for me. But then again, I think he might be eyeing up a move to City.
