More gray matter than muscle
Reality is stubborn and begins to reveal itself with force. Eldense struggles to find effective answers to the problems that haunt its defense. The team in this phase is more aligned with a sports-car pace than with a stable system; goals have come in abundance over the last five matches, with sixteen campaigns so far. No other club in this tier has produced as many insistent forays as Fernando Estévez, who runs the numbers at least twice a week on average. That heavy load weighs on a squad just entering professional football with the seventh-lowest payroll. Parts of the lineup show wear at the back, hinting at a larger imbalance.
Oviedo’s third goal in the shoes-making town last Sunday underscored just how far the elite’s comfort zone remains from addressing its gaps. The Asturians scored more in their visit to Nuevo Pepico Amat (three goals) than they did in the opening week (two). Among them, the final strike summed up the seriousness of the issue.
Timor and the younger players find themselves out of position while trying to clear the ball. They block paths and allow opponents space to operate. Dumik attempts to seal the holes but does not fully cover the fullbacks who push forward. The Bosnian’s speed limits his reaction time, and Borja Bastón’s penalty at the 25-minute mark compounds the pressure. A majority of the goals stem from mistakes, poor focus, or decisions that open the door for the opponent.
There is more emphasis on brains than brute force here. Pedro Rojas notes that when players are exceptional, the performance is tolerable; when it becomes habitual, it becomes costly. Eldense must stem the bleeding in their defensive third. Estévez shifted the focus away from this issue to ease the pressure on his backs, and eventually admitted that securing permanent status would be very difficult under the current conditions. The Granada coach has yet to find a suitable complement to Dario Dumic and Carlos Hernandez Low, while the other defender, Inigo Piñata, has not shown the ruggedness required by such a precise duty.
Sixteen goals have been produced, with only one clean sheet in the first eight days. Eldense opened the season with a shutout in Cartagena, yet the club averaged more than two goals conceded per match afterward. This forced the promotion coach to test new combinations, leading to omissions of Timor, Youness, and Pedro Capó in various lineups. In the second half, Eldense delayed the Moroccan in building a five-man back line; the 4-4-2 shape Estévez has deployed since joining the dormant club has become a recurring theme.
There is another turn to the story: Eldense’s ownership. The squad was assembled rapidly in the summer based on a single plan, resulting in a dense midfield with similar profiles. A weekend meeting involving three goalkeepers highlighted a fragile back line. Zubiaurre and Aceves were waiting in reserve in case Vallejo encountered setbacks.
Two paths lie ahead for Eldense: recover the high level of offensive efficiency that defined the opening stretch, matching the production of European and top-tier clubs, or shore up defensive solidity—whether by accumulation or strategic adjustments. If neither route can be pursued effectively, urgent signings and changes will be required to stay competitive.
[Citation: Club analyses and match reports summarized from regional sports outlets and club press briefings. See sources for context.]