• First Classification

In

Eibar

, normal and habitual adjectives have been antonyms for years.

The normal thing would be that such a modest team, based in the smallest city that has ever had a team in the First Division, was subscribed to suffering, that each stay would have been an agony.

The normal thing, why be fooled, not even they do it themselves, would be that Eibar had returned to Second many years ago, even if they had never been promoted.

The usual thing, on the other hand, has been that the gunsmith team achieves very comfortable stays year after year.

Except in his first season, in which he was rescued by Elche's administrative decline, still with

Gaizka Garitano

on the bench, he has never been in a hurry to the last days.

Since

José Luis Mendilibar

returned to Ipurua

in the summer of 2015

, Eibar has never occupied relegation places after the seventh day of the League.

One miracle after another turned into routine by the blow of reality.

This season, however, the usual has given way to the normal.

After the 24th matchday, Eibar has only 21 points, the same as Valladolid and Elche -which has a pending game- and only two more than the bottom, a Huesca revitalized by

Pacheta

which it receives this noon (2:00 p.m., Movistar LaLiga) .

Another game almost turned into an anticipated final, as were the previous two, resolved with a defeat against the people of Elche and a draw against the Pucelanos.

And so, Eibar faces the final third of the League with concern embedded in the body and,

for the first time in five seasons, seeing the decline with a threat more than real

.

In most clubs, a situation like this, in relegation points after seven days in a row without winning, the continuity of the coach on duty would be highly in doubt.

In many, a relay would have already occurred.

In Eibar, however, there are no doubts.

Unless he himself decided otherwise - and it does not look like it will happen - Mendilibar will be the coach of the gunsmith team until the end.

Whatever happens and even if he says - what is he going to say! - that "the coaches depend on the results" and that "it is easier for them to throw us out than the coach of Betis or Villarreal, who are up" .

Loss of references

The premise is that salvation will be with Mendilibar or it will not be, although the circumstances are more difficult than ever.

Already last year the team showed some wear, arriving on this same day with only three points of income over the decline when in the previous four the margin had oscillated between 10 and 19, an outrage.

In these two courses, Eibar has been losing important references whose replacement has not been easy.

Jordán, Cucurella, Rubén Peña, Escalante, Orellana and Charles left

, while the performance of the veteran Pedro León, Inui, Diop, Arbilla and Enrich has been declining.

The long-term injury to José Ángel, on his return, has also seriously depleted the team.

Dmitrovic (down this Saturday after the death of his father), Bryan Gil and Kike García are the ones who are supporting the team

, but their contribution is not being enough.

The numbers in defense are good -27 goals conceded, less than ever at this point-, but in attack he barely adds 19 goals, when in four of his five previous seasons he had exceeded 30 on the 24th matchday.

What is the problem?

Its effectiveness in the areas.

Eibar is the fourth team that receives the fewest shots per game (9.1), but the seventh most thrashed.

And, above all, it is the sixth team in the League that finishes the most (11.5) and the second that scores the least, only behind Getafe.

It is also the one that most centers the area of ​​the entire League, but, as is evident, it is of little use.

Although perhaps his main problem is the loss of his fortress in Ipurua.

He only adds eight points at home, less than anyone else, with a single victory, while last season he achieved 27 of his 42 points in his fiefdom.

Weighed down by all these numbers, Eibar seems doomed to suffer for the remainder of the season.

But that's normal, right?

According to the criteria of The Trust Project

Know more

  • sports

  • football

  • First division

  • SD Eibar

  • SD Huesca

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