Del Amo and Orfila, the new blue and white wings

2023-12-07 05:01:14

The hand of Manolo Sánchez Murias, coach of Avilés, is already beginning to be noticed in the team. The man from Gijón made it clear from the first moment and, in search of a more balanced team in the defensive aspect, he has put his hand in the back line to give it his touch. To the surprise of many, the blue and white is betting on Néstor Senra and Jesús del Amo on the sides, leaving Iván Serrano and Trabanco, two of the big names so far this campaign, on the bench. Both Senra and Del Amo have one aspect in common: both are a more defensive profile than their competition in the position. Not in vain the two footballers, more the former Jaén defender than the former Sevilla player, have played as center backs throughout their careers. And Sánchez Murias wants to put an end to the problems that Avilés was having at the back, with him being practically unable to keep a clean sheet, closing the doors from the wings. The man from Gijón revolutionized the defense in the regional derby against Marino, when he tested both players for the first time on the sides, and in the last victory against Arandina he repeated the formula again.

Iván Serrano and Trabanco are two players who, in Cañedo’s style, which sought to be in the opponent’s field most of the time and have possession, fit perfectly. The two full-backs shine when they have meters ahead and can project themselves in attack, but they suffer when they have to look back and work on defense. With the change, Sánchez Murias dispenses with what both can contribute by splitting up wings, a resource widely used by the former Avilés coach, but with it more consistency at the back.

Thanks to this, the blue and white team seems to be improving when it comes to defending their own goal. The Avilesinos are no longer so exposed when they go after the rival, as they have fewer men in front of the ball, and when they lose the ball they are better positioned. Now we have to wait for the experiment to continue bearing fruit and, against Covadonga, Avilés can close their goal and add a second key victory to turn their season around.