You have watched it so many times you almost expect the same outcome. If you choose the easy path you might end up embracing a lazy, resigned life that dulls the edge of ambition. There must be room for belief beyond sight, for moments of trust that aren’t proven—otherwise everything becomes gray and predictable, the stuff of movies, novels, and headlines. We’ve learned from blue and white disappointments: you can fall from a high peak and still not know how long it will take to rise again.
HIGH LEVEL RETURNS
► A good block and something else…?
Keeping a roster in rhythm when most players don’t know each other is the toughest task a coach can face. Yet Ruben Torrecilla managed to do just that. He turned a squad full of fresh faces into a cohesive eleven, and he did it by insisting on a steady rhythm: the majority of players stay consistent across matches. Nine players start on each game day. The only shift comes when a player nudges into a different position, and if the regular scorer Mendes had not been injured, the starting eleven might have been ten rather than nine.
Time will tell whether the rotation can grow the team and shift the dynamics. This has not happened in the lone moment when Hercules trailed on the scoreboard, partly because there is uncertainty about how much the four-piece group can deliver. Players like Nico Espinosa, Agustín Coscia, and Sergi Molina are shaping the core, with Ryan Nolan contributing though not always visible in the back. Goals cannot be achieved by eleven brave souls alone; more brains and more muscle are needed in the mix. Without that added depth, the road ahead could darken. It was also noted that Michel Herrero and Cesar Moreno have dealings with the coach beyond the broader squad, hinting at larger dynamics at play.
TELL YOURSELF THE TRUTH
► Connect words to facts
Trust hinges on the alignment between words and reality. Epic speeches can inspire, but if they don’t reflect what actually happens on the pitch, they become empty slogans. The coach often describes the team as training exceptionally well, yet when match day arrives and energy has waned after a short break, doubts start to rise.
Describing a particular player’s involvement follows the same pattern. It isn’t fair to hype a captain who has been left out for weeks unless his return proves that he is still competitive. The idea of a player sweating blood is a vivid image that resonates with the stands, but it should prove itself on the field, not only in press rooms. It’s a visible symbol of the will to win that all coaches claim to nurture.
THREE VICTORIES
► Two against the last
Nine of twelve possible points earned deserve broad praise. The opponent doesn’t matter as long as the result is earned. Yet the reality is two wins came against the bottom two teams, Formentera and Espanyol B. Those performances were decisive, and that focus matters. A team cannot afford to tolerate defeat, especially when a weaker side can still push hard and steal a few goals. If a game ends with a surprising score, it should be treated as a warning rather than a blip.
Hercules faced a tough test in Barcelona, in the Sant Andreu district, against a newly promoted team. Espanyol also sought a similar path, and doubts about the early rounds came into sharper relief last weekend. When the midfield does not support the foe, the defense inevitably falters. The lessons aren’t brand new; they echo from the past season and beyond, reminding the squad that consistency is earned rather than assumed.
FALL AND GET UP
► It better be soon, now
Hercules has struggled even when the surface looks favorable. This has been a recurring theme into this era. The Alicante ground is a demanding arena, a place where sparks can ignite quickly and where the risk of a stumble is never far away. Behind closed doors the atmosphere is dense, and the trust among the group can be fragile. In the first moment of real doubt, the response was not ideal, so the team must prove through concrete results that past incidents were anomalies and not a sign of a broader problem. It is essential to show resilience in every upcoming match, not merely to survive but to push forward with confidence.